Timeline to Next Round
1. ICANN Board adoption of the policy recommendations from the Subsequent Procedures PDP Working Group’s final report is a dependency for the opening of the next application window.
2. Policy implementation, readiness activities and operational processes will be completed prior to the opening of the next round.
Application Planning
1. Guidance from the Board regarding assumptions for subsequent procedures is critical to ICANN org’s planning for the next and subsequent rounds.
2. The application volume, in the next round, will roughly be the same as in the 2012 round: 2,000 applications.
3. For ongoing subsequent procedures, ICANN org expects a predictable application window schedule. Application volume for subsequent rounds is expected to be significantly lower.
4. Application prioritization will be required to effectively sequence application processing.
5. Changes may be made to the 1,000 top-level domains (TLDs)/year maximum delegation rate used in the prior round based on (1) study results, (2) community discussions, and (3) policy work.
Policy Implementation
1. There will be changes to the program implementation based on the recommendations of the Final Report published by the Subsequent Procedures PDP Working Group.
2. Policy implementation materials are expected to provide detailed and comprehensive documentation to ensure that all application processes and procedures are included in the new Applicant Guidebook.
3. Policy implementation materials will be developed with appropriate consideration of community input.
4. Policy implementation materials will be completed prior to the opening of the next round.
Readiness Activities
1. Operational infrastructure (people, processes, systems) will be established to support subsequent application rounds for the long-term introduction of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs), not just a single round.
2. Program readiness activities, including staffing, process design, systems development, and vendor procurement, will be completed prior to the opening of the next round.
Systems and Tools
1. Systems and tools planning and design should be based on a clear understanding of program processes and requirements.
2. Systems and tools development will be completed prior to the opening of the next application round.
3. Technology investments are planned to be limited to only those capabilities needed to ensure the security, stability and consistency of application submission, processing and communications.
4. System testing, security testing and operational pilot testing to ensure systems and tools are fit for purpose will be completed prior to the opening of the next round.
5. Development of process and workflow management tools will be focused on solving for data-intensive activities and critical program functions in order to balance automation versus manual tools.
6. Existing materials, systems, and tools will be leveraged. Internal knowledge and expertise will be prioritized.
7. All new systems and tools will be developed on one of the three (3) principal ICANN org platforms: Alfresco, Oracle or Salesforce.
Operational Processes
1. Well-defined operational processes are critical to smooth program operations and satisfactory applicant experiences.
2. Design and documentation of program processes will be completed prior to the opening of the next round.
3. Staff training on program processes and tools will be completed prior to the opening of the next round.
People
1. Proactive resource planning will be completed in order to adequately staff the program team to meet deadlines.
2. ICANN org staff will be utilized to perform program management, operations and administrative functions.
3. ICANN org will outsource critical application functions, such as application evaluation and objection processing, to expert firms with requisite subject matter expertise.
4. ICANN org currently lacks sufficient staff to implement new policy and to prepare operations for the next application round.
5. Additional staff will be hired based on needed skills and experience.
6. ICANN org will augment staff with temporary resources as needed to address peak workload for activities that are not expected to be sustained for at least 24 months.
Costs
1. The program will continue to operate on a cost-recovery basis and will be funded by application fees collected.
2. Tracking of program readiness costs should begin as soon as possible in order to capture development costs prior to the launch of the next round.
3. Comprehensive cost planning for program readiness and operations is critical to accurate reporting and management of costs.

Planning Assumptions Version 1.2 (v.1.2, September 2020)

New gTLD SUBSEQUENT PROCEDURES

Planning Assumptions v.1.2 - September 2020