Communications Strategy - ICANN69

At-Large Communications Strategy 2020-21

Draft – Version 5 (TBC Final)

Introduction

 

The At-Large Communications Strategy 2020-2021 is integral to 2020 At-Large Priority Activities and beyond. The strategy emerged from the ICANN66 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the Third At-Large Summit (ATLAS III) as a tool to galvanize the At-Large community, communicate the end user perspective within ICANN, and grow At-Large membership and effective participation in ICANN’s multistakeholder model. The strategy also addresses the need for communications to be understandable, even to non-experts, as suggested in the Joint ALAC/GAC statement on “Enabling inclusive, informed and meaningful participation in ICANN” (ICANN60). Focusing on consistent messaging related to the responsibilities of the At-Large community, the communications strategy focuses on the three tracks of 1) policy, 2) outreach and engagement, and 3) operations. Metrics will regularly assess the goals of increased membership and enhanced participation of its members within ICANN and At-Large.

 

Target Audience

 

The core content of At-Large communications, on any ICANN-related issues, will reflect the point of view of their role as individual Internet end-users, irrespective of their other affiliations. Specific contents will be tailored according to the recipient group. The rationale for At-Large communications varies according to four distinct target audiences:

 

1. The At-Large community

 

Within the At-Large community, the goal is to disseminate relevant information to enable a broad-based discussion of matters related to all At-Large activities, with a special emphasis on policy matters that will be refined into At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) policy advice to the ICANN Board.

 

1. Prospective At-Large members

 

To future prospective members, the goal is to make joining attractive. At-Large communications should generate an understanding of the position of individual internet end users and possibly lead to the discovery of common ground with At-Large on specific issues.

 

1. Other parts of the ICANN community

 

1. Relevant parts of the larger Internet ecosystem

 

For other parts of the ICANN community and the larger Internet ecosystem, the minimum goal should be an increased awareness of the At-Large role. However, on the national level, where an At-Large Structure (ALS) may be the only element of ICANN with “feet on the ground” (apart from the government if GAC member/observer), there may be an opportunity for the ALS in making the entire role of ICANN better understood.

 

Each target audience can be further divided into sub-audiences with specific needs:

   

• Education: At-Large Ambassadors and the At-Large community (At-Large Leaders, ALSes and ALS members, and Individuals)
• Outreach: Potential At-Large members (ALSes and Individuals) who may be introduced via At-Large Ambassadors or ALS outreach
• Inreach: ICANN Board, ICANN Org/other sections of the ICANN community

 

Policy

The At-Large Consolidated Policy Working Group (CPWG), Co-Chaired by Olivier Crepin-Leblond and Jonathan Zuck, meets on a weekly basis to discuss ICANN policy issues and how they relate to the Internet end user.

• The CPWG was formed in December 2017. Participants come from a wide range of backgrounds, with an interest in providing ALAC Advice to the ICANN Board as well as ALAC statements on ICANN policy which impact the interests of Internet end users.
• The CPWG Position Development Process was developed as a resource showing the series of steps that guide a position on an ICANN policy topic of interest to a final statement, which is then forwarded to the ALAC for review.

 

The At-Large Policy Platform is a consolidated approach to tracking relevant ICANN policy issues. The platform includes ten topics identified by At-Large which can potentially impact Internet end users. The list of key topics was determined by ALAC and within the various regions.

• The key topics include: 1) Universal Acceptance (UA), 2) DNS Abuse, 3) Human rights, 4) Consumer protection, 5) Jurisdiction, 6) Internet governance, 7) More domains, 8) Transparency and accountability, 9) At-Large partners, and 10) End user concerns.

At-Large leaders and members convey At-Large policy activity and resources during ICANN Meetings, and throughout the calendar year.

 

• ICANN Meeting ALAC/At-Large Talking Points convey specific and consistent messaging about At-Large policy and capacity building to respective audiences at ICANN Meetings, as well as within regional communities.
• The ALAC Vice Chair for Policy introduces the At-Large Policy Platform and ICANN Meeting ALAC/At-Large Talking Points at the At-Large introductory session of each meeting.
• ALAC Members ensure they are well versed in the community’s messaging, which they convey to their ALS and Individual members during RALO Monthly meetings.
• ALAC Members and RALO Leadership contribute to the development of resources to disseminate At-Large policy views within their regions, and if possible, in their own languages.
• Capacity building resources are also developed, including but not limited to videos, podcasts, brochures, postcards, et al. See At-Large Policy Sessions @ ICANN Meetings, including videos on DNS Abuse Videos and all At-Large Policy Resources.

 

Outreach and Engagement

Outreach and engagement within At-Large is managed by the Outreach and Engagement Subcommittee (O&E SC), in coordination with the Capacity Building Working Group (CBWG) and Social Media Working Group (SMWG).

The Outreach and Engagement Subcommittee (O&E SC)

• Meets monthly to coordinate outreach activities and resources (including outreach postcards) for prospective members within their RALO. Policy outreach is a focus for the SC, as well as relaying key messages to the CBWG and SMWG.
• Each RALO provides a Regional Co-Chair to the O&E SC, to provide monthly liaison reports to their RALOs, informing them of outreach updates and priorities. The Chair of the O&E SC provides a written and/or oral report on the O&E SC at the AGM.

The Capacity Building Working Group (CBWG)

 

• Meets monthly to conduct an ongoing, annual survey to assess training needs of the community. As a result of this survey, training and capacity-building programs, including ICANN Learn courses and CBWG webinars, are developed by the CBWG. The CBWG coordinates with ALAC Members, RALO leaders, At-Large Ambassadors and members, staff and subject matter experts to educate the community and raise awareness of CBWG activities.

 

The Social Media Working Group (SMWG)

 

• Meets monthly or as required in advance of each ICANN Meeting. The SMWG Chair rotates according to Meeting region, and the SMWG develops a sustainable and growing presence on social media (including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, RALO newsletters, blogs), with culturally appropriate messaging to their RALO, to raise awareness of At-Large policy and/or capacity building activity and other Internet end user interests.

 

In addition, Regional Leaders (e.g. RALO Chairs, Vice Chairs, NomCom Delegates, Secretariat) convey the activity of these WGs during their RALO Monthly meetings and/or via their RALO discussion lists. At-Large Ambassadors report on community activities related to ICANN within their regions. ALAC/At-Large Liaisons to other ICANN Supporting Organization and Advisory Committee (SO/ACs), including the GAC, GNSO, ccNSO, and SSAC, provide monthly reports to the At-Large community about the SO/AC activities with regards to end user interests.

 

Operations

The Operations, Finance and Budget Working Group (OFB-WG) meets monthly to deal with ICANN and At-Large organizational matters, including the development of ALAC statements in response to Public Comment proceedings. They focus primarily on ICANN org and PTI budget issues, as well as activities related to the At-Large Review.

• The OFB-WG is a subgroup of the ALAC Finance and Budget Subcommittee (FBSC) which formalizes the decisions made by the OFB-WG regarding annual additional budget requests (ABRs). This role is mandated by the ALAC and the SC consists of regionally appointed members.

Timeline and Metrics

 

Frequency of At-Large communications (daily, weekly, monthly) are appropriately timed and synchronized with the evolving needs and interests of At-Large target audience(s). For example: for hundreds of millions of people during the COVID-19 pandemic, their role as individual Internet users became all-important. How does At-Large leverage such a situation in their communications?
 

• The At-Large communications strategy focuses on the three tracks of 1) policy, 2) outreach and engagement, and 3) operations. Metrics will regularly assess the goals of increased membership and enhanced participation of its members within ICANN and At-Large. This also includes feedback with the RALO communication WGs.
• During 2020-21, the communications strategy will be endorsed during ICANN69 and activities will be implemented as per its objectives.
• The At-Large Communications Strategy will be reviewed during each subsequent ICANN AGM meeting.

The ALAC Metrics Subcommittee (MSC) regularly assesses the achievement of At-Large goals of increased membership and enhanced participation of its members in At-Large activities. Measures will include but are not limited to:

• Quantitative: Number of CPWG attendees/week, number of new members (ALS and unaffiliated individuals).
• Qualitative: Feedback from ICANN org and community regarding ALAC / At-Large perception in ICANN policy and outreach processes. Increased numbers, better reputation, more global awareness of ICANN At-Large.
• Social Media engagement: Measurement of engagement in social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.