NomCom Description for ALAC - 2021
ICANN At-Large Advisory Committee
The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is the ICANN body responsible for representing the voice of the end user in policy and operational discussions. For more information on the work of the ALAC and the overall user community within ICANN – At-Large, see https://atlarge.icann.org/alac.
To fill vacancies on the ALAC, the NomCom is seeking accomplished persons of integrity, objectivity and intelligence who have:
- An abiding desire to ensure that individual end users’ needs are addressed as ICANN carries out its role of coordinating in the global Internet's systems of unique identifiers. In particular the ALAC must act as a balance to those whose interests lie with those who provide Internet and domain name registrations and services, domain name registrants and content and service providers.
- An interest in and the time to become active in ICANN policy discussions and in enabling communications with individual Internet users and their representatives.
- For avoidance of doubt, the ALAC is seeking people who have a very clear understanding of non-technical, non-industry individual users, want to actually work on matters related to ICANN and individual users, and are self-starters.
At a more granular level this may include the following competencies and interests:
- a commitment to ICANN's mission and an understanding of the potential impact of ICANN decisions on the global Internet community
- an understanding of the DNS and the impact of ICANN policy on end-users
- demonstrated capacity for thoughtful group decision-making and sound judgment
- an interest in bottom-up consensus policy building in a real-life environment
- an ability to chair or otherwise provide leadership and support for a multi-stakeholder group working to reach consensus
- the following knowledge, qualities and experiences are specifically sought:
- A strong advocate for the needs and interest of individual Internet users not only those of the region they will represent, but globally
- Experience and skills that bear on gathering, understanding, and communicating the interests of individual users and in group decision-making.
- Consumer protection and or consumer advocacy experience particularly in communications/telecommunication sector
- Specific experience and/or expertise in internet-related policy development.
- An interest in and knowledge of internet governance issues.
- Leadership experience in local or regional internet-related or DNS policy experience in gTLD or ccTLD activities including issues relating to Internationalized Domain Names.
- Ability to work as a team leader bringing perspectives not otherwise reflected in the existing ALAC membership and is intended to diversify the skill and experience sets of the ALAC.
- Strong local networks that will positively enhance the current ALAC and Regionally focused strategic and project planning as they relate to the wider ICANN Strategic plan and ALAC Improvement Implementation.
- Ability and interest to work in a multi-cultural environment.
- a willingness to serve as a volunteer, without compensation other than the reimbursement of certain expenses
- an ability to work and communicate effectively in English (although there is no requirement that English be the candidate's first language)
In filling these positions, the NomCom will be seeking to identify ALAC members who reflect the global diversity of the Internet community and the wide range of technical, commercial and civil society activities that are impacted by the DNS.
Time Commitment and Working Practice
The successful candidates will be appointed to ALAC following the 2021 ICANN Annual Meeting, through the end of the 2023 ICANN Annual Meeting.
The basic responsibilities of an ALAC member involve a minimum of 25-30 hours per month on Committee related activities. This includes participating in online (email) discussions, commenting on/contributing to documents/proposed actions (drafted in English), participating in monthly ALAC telephone conferences (in English), typically held on the 4th Tuesday of the month, participating in ICANN Working Groups both within and outside of the At-Large and meeting with/making presentations to local and regional organizations.
All ALAC Members are expected to take on roles in ALAC or other ICANN working groups.
ALAC members chairing or participating in working groups, taking on an ALAC Leadership Team position or serving as liaisons to other Advisory Committees or to Supporting Organizations, can expect to spend more than these basic hours per month. ALAC members are expected to make a commitment to attend all Committee meetings and to participate actively in policy-related issues and other working groups.
The ALAC operates in a transparent manner and publishes participation statistics on its website. Committee members also will be expected to attend three face-to-face meetings each year held during the ICANN Public Meetings, which generally run about seven days with potentially extensive responsibilities on most days for ALAC members. There may occasionally be additional face-to-face interim meetings or regional meetings.
Many ALAC and ICANN meetings are conducted via teleconference. Due to participation of representatives of all ICANN regions, such calls will inevitably occur during working hours for some ALAC Members, and during evening or early morning hours for others. Although attempts are made to lessen this impact, ALAC Members should be reasonably flexible regarding scheduling of conference calls given reasonable advance notice.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Position: At Large Advisory Committee (ALAC)
Number of Seats: Three
One (Africa)
One (Asian, Australasian and Pacific Islands)
One (Latin America and Caribbean Islands)
Start of Term: After conclusion of Annual Meeting 2021
End of Term: Conclusion of Annual Meeting 2023
For a definition of ICANN's geographic regions see https://meetings.icann.org/en/regions.
The At-Large Community provides a mechanism for individual user participation in ICANN and ensures that the interests and needs of Internet users are duly considered in ICANN discussions and decisions. Individual users may include consumers, registrants, non-for-profit or profit or business users but the key term is that they are 'individuals' acting on their own behalf. Users typically participate through user organizations called At-Large Structures (ALS), or as individual members, all of which are grouped into Regional At Large Organizations (RALOs). The ALAC is the entity that is the formal voice of the At-Large Community within ICANN. ALAC members, like members of other ICANN Advisory Committees, receive no compensation for their services as Committee members. The Board may, however, authorize the reimbursement of the actual and necessary expenses incurred by Advisory Committee members performing their duties as Advisory Committee members. (Bylaws Article 12, Section 12.6.)
The NomCom will use the Criteria for Selection of ICANN Directors (see above) in choosing selectees for ALAC. ALAC members are expected to support the ICANN mission and the implementation of the ICANN Core Values. The NomCom will also take into account the following eligibility factors and additional considerations.
ALAC Eligibility Factors
No person who serves on the NomCom in any capacity is eligible for selection by any means to any position on the ALAC (the Board or any other ICANN body having one or more membership positions that the NomCom is responsible for filling) until the conclusion of an ICANN annual meeting that coincides with, or is after, the conclusion of that person's service on the NomCom. (Bylaws, Article 8, Section 8.8, see https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/governance/bylaws-en/#article8)
The five members of the ALAC selected by the NomCom shall include one citizen of a country within each of the five Geographic Regions (Africa; Asia/Australia/Pacific Islands; Europe; Latin America/Caribbean Islands; and North America) established according to Bylaws Article 7, Section 7.5. Only citizens Africa; Asia/Australia/Pacific Islands; and Latin America/Caribbean Islands regions as defined in ICANN's definition of geographic regions https://meetings.icann.org/en/regions are eligible for ALAC vacancies in 2021.
Additional Considerations
For the ALAC positions, experience and skills that bear on gathering, understanding, and communicating the interests of individual users is essential. Perspectives not otherwise reflected in the existing ALAC membership would be advantageous. The NomCom's selections for ALAC are intended to diversify the skill and experience sets of the ALAC.
Current composition of the ALAC is available at https://atlarge.icann.org/alac. The Bylaws do not state a limit on the number of terms ALAC members may serve.
Time Commitment
The basic responsibilities of an ALAC member demand a time commitment of approximately 25-30 hours per month on Committee related activities, although some ALAC members report spending more time than that. This includes participating in online (email) discussions, commenting on/contributing to documents/proposed actions (drafted in English), participating in monthly ALAC telephone conferences (in English), typically held on the 4th Tuesday of the month, participating in ICANN Working Groups outside of the ALAC and meeting with/making presentations to, local and regional organizations.
ALAC members serving as liaisons to other Supporting Organizations, ALAC Members who comprise the ALAC Leadership team (1 per region) or ALAC members who take on specific working group responsibilities can expect to spend more than these basic hours per month. In person attendance at three ICANN meetings per year is not included in this monthly time estimate. Virtual ICANN meetings may require a lesser but still significant amount of time. ICANN has traditionally reimbursed expenses incurred by ALAC members for attending ICANN meetings.
