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2025-12-04 SPIRT - Meeting #01

2025-12-04 SPIRT - Meeting #01

The call for the SPIRT will take place on Thursday, 04 December 2025 at 13:00 UTC for 60 minutes.

For other places see: Event Time Announcer: Event Time Announcer - SPIRT

PROPOSED AGENDA

  1. Welcome and SOIs

  2. Membership Terms

  3. Leadership Status and Next Steps

  4. Remit and Operations

  5. Cadence of Meetings

  6. AOB

 

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

 

 

PARTICIPATION

Apologies: Denise Hochbaum, Marc Trachtenberg

 

RECORDINGS

Audio Recording

Zoom Recording (including audio, visual, rough transcript and chat)

GNSO transcripts are located on the GNSO Calendar

 

 

Notes/ Action Items

Key Outcomes, Action Items, and Notes from SPIRT’s Kick-off Meeting – 04 December 2025 at 13:00 UTC [icann-community.atlassian.net]

 

[KEY OUTCOMES]

  1. Agreement for a bi-weekly meeting moving forward, in consideration of time zone rotations.

  2. Agreement to discuss SPIRT’s scope and remit further moving forward.

  3. Agreement for the publicly available Change Log results to be notified also to the SPIRT members directly via the SPIRT mailing list, per the Applicant Guidebook – details and method (if any changes) to be confirmed at a later date.

 

[ACTION ITEMS]

  1. SPIRT members to check their membership terms on wiki [icann-community.atlassian.net] and send email tognso-secs@icann.org (SPIRT: term number) if confirmation/change of terms from 2 to 3 years is necessary.

  2. SPIRT members that have not participated in the Leadership Selection Processes to vote by today, 04 December 2025, at 21:00 UTC.

  3. GNSO Support Staff to send out doodle to secure future bi-weekly meetings, taking the time zone rotations into account.

  4. GDS Support Staff to inform the SPIRT members of Change Log notifications once method is established (e.g., SPIRT mailing list)

 

[NOTES]

 

  1. Welcome and SOIs

  2. Membership Terms

o    At least half of the inaugural SPIRT members shall join for an initial term of three (3) years – as of present count, only 11/40 members have chosen 3-year terms.

o    Those members that only show “2 years” under the term column have not selected which term and need to inform the GNSO Operations Staff.

  1. Leadership Status and Next Steps

  • Action Item: SPIRT members that have not participated in the Leadership Selection Processes to vote by today, 04 December 2025, at 21:00 UTC.

                                                     

  1. Remit and Operations

o    For details on ‘Membership Model’ and ‘Decision Making,’ see SPIRT Charter here:https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/policy/2025/draft/version2point0-final-charter-spirt-07nov25.pdf [gnso.icann.org] 

o    For more details on Predictability Framework, see in AGB here:https://newgtldprogram.icann.org/sites/default/files/documents/new-gtld-program-2026-round-applicant-guidebook-for-board-consideration-30oct25-en.pdf#page=385 [newgtldprogram.icann.org]

o    GDS Staff provided overview on Types of Changes – Minor Operational Change (Type 1), Non-Minor Operational Change (Type 2), Policy Change (Type 3) – and SPIRT involvement in all types, including examples through the slides 10-12. More details can be found in the Predictability Framework[newgtldprogram.icann.org].

o    Discussion on SPIRT’s Remit in relation to RSP Evaluation Program:

·         Questions were raised on SPIRT’s overall remit and especially in relation to the current status of the RSP Evaluation Program –  the delay of the RSP Testing outcome for pre-evaluation – which could potentially impact the overall timeline, and where SPIRT stands on this matter. Points were made that 1) RSP changes may fall under Type 2; 2) the delay of RSP Testing is operational and may have impact on the Program; 3) Operational issues that are not subject to further changes should be under SPIRT’s remit.

·         Staff noted that the RSP issue has a non-trivial impact on applicants, but this may not need to involve SPIRT, as there is a current standing IRT related to this matter, and also, as the solutioning of this issue, which is non-minor – material impact – potentially deals with the delay of the Next Round, which is not for SPIRT to raise (note: SPIRT does not raise or bring issues to ICANN but another body, such as the Council).

·         Staff can reach out to the RSP Team, if necessary, asking them to come and speak to SPIRT and give an update.

o    Question was raised on Change Log and how it will be notified to the SPIRT. Staff noted that details will need to be confirmed at a later date but the notification will most probably be provided via the SPIRT’s mailing list. Per AGB, "ICANN org will document all changes to the Program in a publicly available change log and will set up a publicly archived mailing list for all parties that wish to be notified of Program changes. For non-minor operational changes, ICANN org will inform all applicants directly. Should a change relate to sensitive or security-related issues, information will be redacted as necessary. ICANN org will add any minor operational changes to the Change Log within five business days after implementing it." Staff also noted that there may be inconsistencies between the SPIRT Charter and the Predictability Framework, and in the event of a conflict between the methodology described in this Charter and the procedures set forth in the Predictability Framework, the Predictability Framework will govern.

  • Outcomes: 1) Agreement for the publicly available Change Log results to be notified also to the SPIRT members directly via the SPIRT mailing list, per the Applicant Guidebook – details and method (if any changes) to be confirmed at a later date; 2) Agreement to discuss SPIRT’s scope and remit moving forward.

  • Action Item: GDS Support Staff to inform the SPIRT members of Change Log notifications once method is established (e.g., SPIRT mailing list)

o    Question was raised if the current RST platform will be the same moving forward (during the Round too) and if the Team involved will be increased in numbers. Staff responded that the platform would probably be the same, but it is difficult to determine the necessary resources at this time. 

o    Question was raised on the necessity for a Public Comment, especially regarding Types 2 and 3. It was emphasized that SPIRT does not make any policy and any changes required will follow the GNSO Council’s processes. Thus, Staff responded that the Public Comment is not inserted into the SPIRT’s working processes. 

o    Question was raised on the SPIRT’s decision-making process. Per the Charter, SPIRT will seek non-objection first, followed by assessing consensus within SPIRT, using the GNSO Standard decision-making methodology. Details can be found in the Charter.

 

  1. Cadence of Meetings

o    Need to establish a fixed rotation of times for scheduling purposes and in consideration of time zones. Agreement to secure meetings on a bi-weekly basis, with rotation, and maybe adding another meeting before the holidays, cancelling on an as needed basis. 

o    SPIRT itself and SPIRT and ICANN org can also hold ad hoc calls when necessary.

  • Outcome: Agreement for a bi-weekly meeting moving forward, in consideration of time zone rotations.

  • Action Item: GNSO Support Staff to send out doodle to secure future bi-weekly meetings, taking the time zone rotations into account.

 

  1. AOB

·         N/A