What happens when the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) submits advice to the ICANN Board?
The ICANN Board Advice Team has summarized 5 Board Advice Phases (Receive and Acknowledge, Understand, Consider, Implement, and Close):
» Phase 1: Receive & Acknowledge
Advice is received by ICANN, and the Board Advice team will insert the advice into the ARR tool in Salesforce and acknowledge receipt of the advice to the Advisory Committee.
What’s required in this phase? Nothing!
» Phase 2: Understand
The Board Advice team first reviews the advice document and draft an "Understanding of Request," which will eventually be sent to the Advisory Committee to ensure that ICANN and the Advisory Committee are in agreement as to the actions requested of the Board (if any) in the advice document. However, before the "Understanding" is sent to the Advisory Committee, it is first sent to a subject matter expert (SME) within ICANN for review and approval.
What’s required in this phase?
1. Confirmation of ownership of the advice item or suggest others as appropriate.
2. Review, edit, and approve the "Understanding of Request” and send back to the Board Advice team for sending to the Advisory Committee, as appropriate.
» Phase 3: Evaluate & Consider
Following approval by the Advisory Committee of the "Understanding of Request", if an action for the ICANN Board/org has been identified in the understanding of the advice by the Board Advice team in Phase 2, the Board Advice Team will request an evaluation of the advice from the proposed Executive Owner and SME. Based on the outcome of the evaluation, the Executive may also request the SME to prepare materials for formal Board consideration of the advice. The Board will consider the recommendation for implementation and instruct the ICANN org accordingly via Board resolution.
What’s required in this phase?
1. Confirmation of ownership of the evaluation or suggest other SMEs as appropriate.
2. Complete evaluation (or “feasibility assessment”, of the advice and develop implementation recommendations based on the evaluation.
3. Prepare materials for Board consideration of the ICANN organization's implementation recommendations.
4. If required, work with AC Board Liaison to request inclusion on the agenda for the desired Board meeting.
» Phase 4: Implement
If the Board determines implementation is required, the SME and the Executive Owner are responsible for implementation of the advice.
What’s required in this phase?
1. Confirm ownership of implementation or suggest other implementation owners as appropriate.
2. Develop implementation plans as appropriate.
3. Provide quarterly implementation updates to the Board Advice Team.
» Phase 5: Close
Once implementation is complete, the Executive Owner will need to work with the AC Liaison to the Board to notify the Board that implementation is complete and no further action is required. The Board will consider the implementation actions taken by the ICANN org and resolve on the status of the implementation. If the Board determines the implementation is complete, the Board Advice Team will notify the AC. The AC will have an opportunity to provide feedback if it is believed additional implementation work is required.
What’s required in this phase?
1. Notify the AC Board Liaison that implementation is complete.
2. If formal Board consideration is required, prepare materials for Board consideration of the ICANN organization's implementation completion.
3. If required, work with AC Board Liaison to request inclusion on the agenda for the desired Board meeting.
To summarize:
- The Board Advice Team is responsible for shepherding the Executive Owners and SME through each phase, providing instructions and resources for the next steps in processing Board Advice.
- The Executive Owners and SMEs are responsible for accepting advice, confirming understandings, performing feasibility assessments, getting advice in front of the Board, implementing the advice, providing implementation updates, and closing advice items out with the help of the AC Board Liaison.
Please note most statements issued by the ALAC are not ALAC advice, but the Board advice team receives all ALAC statements, whether or not they are advice. If it is an ALAC statement, they reply that they consider the item closed.
