Description
The At-Large Operations, Finance and Budget Working Group (OFBWG) is an At-Large Working Group within the Operations section of the At-Large Organisation, tasked with preparing statements and requests related to ICANN finance and budget, strategy, and operational initiatives. The Chair of the OFBWG has been delegated by the ALAC Chair who is in charge of At-Large Operations.
The Operations Finance and Budget Working Group (OFBWG) arose out of a noticeable increase in the weekly workload of the Consolidated Policy Working Group (CPWG). The CPWG recommended that any ICANN Operating Initiative (non-policy) public comments should be considered by another group. The Finance and Budget Subcommittee within the Operations section of the At-Large Organisation was the logical place, as ICANN's Operating Initiatives are coordinated by ICANN's Finance section .
However, the role of the Finance and Budget Subcommittee (FBSC) is quite specific. It coordinates the annual additional budget requests from the ALAC and RALOs to go into the yearly ICANN budget. Because of this specific task on behalf of the ALAC, the membership of the FBSC consists of one ALAC member and one community member from each of the five RALOs to vote on any financial matters relating mainly to Additional Budget Requests (ABRs). While most decisions by the FBSC are by consensus, should a vote be required, this vote is coordinated by the ALAC Chair. The FBSC committee and its purpose will continue.
The Operations, Finance and Budget Working Group (OFBWG) is a separate and open membership group that will consist of Participants from the geographically diverse At-Large community, who will contribute to the decision-making of the FBSC, public comments and other matters related to ICANN's Operating Budget and any Operating Initiatives that impact on the At-Large community. The focus document of the OFBWG is ICANN's Strategic Plan 2021-2025, ICANN Org's F22-FY26 Operating and Financial Plan (and the current FY22 Operating Plan and Budget which is included in it.
The objectives of the group are:
Prioritisation: To study the operating initiatives of the five priority areas identified by the OFBWG at the beginning of FY22 which were:
- Strengthen MSM - facilitate diverse and inclusive participation
- Strengthen ICANN Community’s Decision making processes
- Universal Acceptance (tied with 2)
- Planning at ICANN
- Monitor legislation, etc that may impact on ICANN’s mission
At Working group level: To identify within each of the operating initiatives
- a lead group for each initiative to investigate what ICANN Org is focusing on within that initiative and within the FY22 timeframe
- what areas within the operating initiative specifically impact At-Large
- provide a statement that may comment on these impacts for consideration by the specific section of ICANN Org (bring staff in to discuss these issues)
- and develop a plan of action for At-Large that will support that initiative across the At-Large community, for example,
- how we as a community can support the Org's MSM, community decision-making, UA, planning or legislative initiatives
- how can we help to strengthen each of these initiatives within our regional communities
- what ABR support might we need to request to help us implement these initiatives at the grassroots level
At Task level: Tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Contributing to the coordination of annual Additional Budget Requests from the ALAC and RALOs, to go into the yearly ICANN budget
- Drafting any statement related to the ICANN strategic plan and processes
- Drafting any statement regarding ICANN's operational initiatives
- Drafting any statement related to the ICANN budget process
Contact
Staff Support Lead: Silvia Vivanco and Heidi Ullrich
Main mailing list: ofb-wg@icann.org
For Member votes: finance-sc@atlarge-lists.icann.org
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At-Large Operations, Finance and Budget Working Group Action Items
Prioritization Activities:
OFB-WG Recommendation Prioritization Sub-Group
ICANN Finance and Operations WG Timetable for Input into ICANN Finance and Planning Activities FY24
FY24 (Activities during 2022-2023)
Activity | ICANN Launch | Deadline for Community Comment | OFB-WG Lead | Penholder(s) | Draft Comment (Deadline) | Final Comment (Deadline) | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FY24 Strategic Trends Outlook Session | Mid-March 2022 | OFB-WG Co-chairs (ALT Plus) | Completed | ||||
FY24 IANA Operating Plan and Budget | Mid-October | Mid-November 2022 | OFB-WG | ||||
FY24 ICANN Operating Plan and Budget | Mid-December | End of January 2023 | OFB-WG | ||||
FY24 Additional Budget Requests | Late November | End of January 2023 | FBSC | ||||
FY23 (Activities during 2021-2022)
Activity | ICANN Launch | Deadline for Community Comment | OFB-WG Lead | Draft Comment | Final Comment | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Proposed Supplemental Fund for Implementation of Community Recommendations | ||||||
FY24 Strategic Trends Outlook Session | Mid-March 2022 | Completed | ||||
FY23 IANA Operating Plan and Budget | Mid-October | Mid-November 2021 | OFB-WG | Completed | ||
FY23 ICANN Operating Plan and Budget | Mid-December | End of January 2022 | OFB-WG | Completed | ||
FY23 Additional Budget Requests | Late November | End of January 2022 | FBSC | Completed | ||
FY22-26 Operating Initiatives
OFB-WG Poll Results for FY22-26 Operating Initiatives
Priority Initiatives:
- Strengthen MSM - facilitate diverse and inclusive participation
- Strengthen ICANN Community’s Decision making processes
- Universal Acceptance (tied with 2)
- Planning at ICANN
- Monitor legislation, etc that may impact on ICANN’s mission
# | Initiative | High (B) | Med (R) | Low (Y) | Top Priorities | End User Interests | Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Support Evolution of the Root Server system | 36.4 | 54.5 | 9.1 | |||
2 | Facilitate DNS Ecosystem Improvements | 36.4 | 54.5 | 9.1 | |||
3 | Strengthen MSM - facilitate diverse and inclusive participation | 90.9 | 9.1 |
| 1 | The ability to ensure that input in ICANN's policy is globally representative. | Marita Moll |
4 | Strengthen ICANN Community’s Decision making processes | 63.6 | 36.4 |
| 2 (tied) | Maureen Hilyard, Vanda Scartezini | |
5 | Develop Internal and External Ethics Policies | 10 | 50 | 40 | |||
6 | Promote & sustain a competition environment in the DNS | 20 | 40 | 40 | |||
7 | Universal Acceptance | 63.6 | 36.4 |
| 2 (tied) | UA promotes greater choice and broader access for end users. | Satish Babu, Vanda Scartezini |
8 | Root zone management | 30 | 50 | 20 | |||
9 | Evaluate, Align and Facilitate Improved Engagement | 30 | 60 | 10 | |||
10 | Improve Governmental and IGO engagement & participation | 27.3 | 54.5 | 18.2 | |||
11 | Monitor legislation, etc that may impact on ICANN’s mission | 36.4 | 63.3 |
| 5 | Providing educational information to governments. | Holly Raiche |
12 | Formalise ICANN Org Funding Model & improve understanding of long term DN Market drivers | 30 | 60 | 10 | |||
13 | Implement new gTLD Auction Proceeds Recommendations | 30 | 40 | 30 | |||
14 | Planning at ICANN | 45.5 | 45.5 | 9 | 4 | Ricardo Holmquist, Dave Kissoondoyal | |
15 | ICANN reserves | 18.2 | 27.3 | 54.5 |
Members
The participants of the Operations, Finance and Budget Working (OFBWG), organized by regional affiliation, are noted below.
Region | Name | Members* |
Holly Raiche | Chair | |
Ricardo Holmquist | Vice Chair | |
Maureen Hilyard | Advisor | |
AFRALO/RALO | Aziz Hilali | Member |
AFRALO/ALAC | Dave Kissoondoyal | Member |
APRALO/RALO | Satish Babu | Member |
EURALO/RALO | Sebastien Bachollet | Member |
EURALO/ALAC | Matthias Hudobnik | Member |
LACRALO/RALO | Harold Arcos | Member |
LACRALO/ALAC | Carlos Raul Gutierrez | Member |
NARALO/RALO | Judith Hellerstein | Member |
NARALO/ALAC | Javier Rúa-Jovet | Member |
Region | Name | Participants |
APRALO | Sivasubramanian Muthusamy | Participant |
NARALO | Denise Hochbaum | Participant |
LACRALO | Laura Margolis | Participant |
Region | Name | Members* |
Holly Raiche | Chair | |
Ricardo Holmquist | Vice Chair | |
Maureen Hilyard | Advisor | |
AFRALO/RALO | Aziz Hilali | Member |
AFRALO/ALAC | Dave Kissoondoyal | Member |
APRALO/RALO | Satish Babu | Member |
APRALO/ALAC | Justine Chew | Member |
EURALO/RALO | Sébastien Bachollet | Member |
EURALO/ALAC | Matthias Hudobnik | Member |
LACRALO/RALO | Harold Arcos | Member |
LACRALO/ALAC | Carlos Raúl Gutiérrez | Member |
NARALO/RALO | Judith Hellerstein | Member |
NARALO | Marita Moll | Member |
Region | Name | Participants |
AFRALO | Abdeldjalil Bachar Bong | Participant |
AFRALO | Sarata Omane | Participant |
AFRALO | Bukola Oronti | Participant |
AFRALO | Joan Katambi | Participant |
AFRALO | Raymond Mamattah | Participant |
AFRALO | Sarah Kiden | Participant |
AFRALO | Sonigitu Ekpe | Participant |
AFRALO | Michel Tchonang Linze | Participant |
AFRALO | Patricia Esther Akello | Participant |
APRALO | Fouad Bajwa | Participant |
APRALO | Nadira AlAraj | Participant |
EURALO | Clément Genty | Participant |
EURALO | Joanna Kulesza | Participant |
LACRALO | Kerry Kerr | Participant |
LACRALO | Vanda Scartezini | Participant |
*Please note that the RALO appointed Members have voting rights only for the annual ICANN Additional Budget Request (ABR) process. All other OFBWG Activities will aim to work by consensus of both Member and Participants.
Meetings
Next Call: 01 September 2022 - **CANCELLED**
Last Call: 18 August 2022
Upcoming OFB-WG/Planning Workshops and Calls for July through September 2021
- OFB-WG/Planning Team Workshop on the Planning Prioritization Framework Design Elements to include the definition of Participants and the Roles and Responsibilities of the participants. (End of July for 90 mins)
- OFB-WG-Planning Team Workshop to include the review of several researched Prioritization techniques to see which ones fit the ICANN model the best. (Early August for 90 mins)
- OFB-WG Call - Follow Up on Operating Initiatives (End of August for 60 mins)
- OFB-WG Call - IANA Functions Public Comment (Early September for 60 mins)
Policy Advice and Comments Workspaces
2020 ALAC Policy Comments & Advice
- At-Large Workspace: Draft PTI FY21-24 Strategic Plan
AFRALO-APRALO Statement: Middle East and Adjoining Countries (MEAC) Strategy 2021-2025