The White Paper on the At-Large Director Process was published on January 8th, 2009 by the At-Large White Paper Drafting Team (Sébastien Bachollet (EU), Alan Greenberg (NA), Dave Kissoondoyal (AF), Cheryl Langdon-Orr (AP), Evan Leibovitch (NA), Carlton Samuels (LAC)).
All RALOs are asked to endorse and comment on the White Paper in their February meetings. There will also be community call on the White Paper between January 27 and January 29. A Doodle has recently been sent out for that purpose.
Here is short summary of some of the key issues (please click on the links for a discussion of the recommendations):
1. Term of Appointment
Recommendation to the Board: At-Large Board member should be appointed to terms equal of the SO members (3 years) and should be seated at the same time. Number of consecutive terms should be the same as for other Board members (currently 3 terms according to bylaws).
2. Director Qualifications
Recommendation to the Board: Criteria should include those by the ICANN bylaws, those of the NomCom for its Director candidates and additional At-Large criteria:
- understanding of At-Large
- understanding of potential impact of ICANN decisions for end-users
- track record of consensus building and complex policy environments
3. Creation of List of Candidates
Recommendation to the Board: The initial slate of candidates should be announced by an At-Large Board Selection Committee. The Committee should be composed of two representatives from each region and a Chair. The Chair shall be selected by the ALAC and have a vote. RALO may add "petition" candidates to the list. A petition will require the support of at least three RALOs.
Recommendation to the Board: The Board seat should be selected by the ALAC plus the RALO Chairs. The Chairs may be directed by their ALS if the RALO desires.
The White Paper notes that four out of five regions, including APRALO support this.
Two alternative recommendation to the Board:
1) The first round is a vote conducted by STV ballots (candidates are ranked in order of preference). If there is no winner (>50% of the votes go to one candidate), a plurality vote is held on the top two candidates (>50% needed).
2) The first round is a vote conducted by STV ballots and identifies the top three candidates. If there is no winner (>50% of the votes go to one candidate), a plurality vote is then held to identify a winner (>50%) or narrow the field to two candidates. If there is no winner in round two, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is droppted and a third final round is held to select the winner.
Background Information:
At-Large Director White Paper Wiki Page
Executive Summary
Introduction and Milestones
Appendix 1 - Documentation of Prior Actions
Appendix 2 - Announcement and Minutes of ICANN Board Resolution 27th August 2009
Glossary
