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:

1. 1. Strengthen MSM - facilitate diverse and inclusive participation
   2. Strengthen ICANN Community’s Decision making processes
   3. Universal Acceptance (tied with 2)
   4. Planning at ICANN
   5. Monitor legislation, etc that may impact on ICANN’s mission

At Working group level: To identify within each of the operating initiatives

1. 1.  a lead group for each initiative  to investigate what ICANN Org is focusing on within that initiative and within the FY22 timeframe
   2. what areas within the operating initiative specifically impact At-Large 
   3. 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)
   4. and develop a plan of action for At-Large that will support that initiative across the At-Large community, for example,  
      1. how we as a community can support the Org's MSM, community decision-making, UA, planning or legislative initiatives  
      2. how can we help to strengthen each of these initiatives within our regional communities
      3. 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

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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

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Prioritization Activities:

OFB-WG Recommendation Prioritization Sub-Group 

ICANN73 At-Large Policy Session 2: Prioritisation Framework : ALAC Prioritisation Assessment Tool Review

ICANN Finance and Operations WG Timetable for Input into ICANN Finance and Planning Activities FY24

FY24- 28 Key timeline for community and Board Involvement

New!  Planning team answers to the WG questions on the call Nov 12, 2023 to the DRAFT FY24-28 Operating & Financial Plan and Draft Operating Plan & Budget

FY24 (Activities during 2022-2023)

Planning Activities January to December 2022 

FY23 (Activities during 2021-2022)

FY22-26 Operating Initiatives

OFB-WG Poll Results for FY22-26 Operating Initiatives

Priority Initiatives: 

1. Strengthen MSM - facilitate diverse and inclusive participation
2. Strengthen ICANN Community’s Decision making processes
3. Universal Acceptance (tied with 2)
4. Planning at ICANN
5. Monitor legislation, etc that may impact on ICANN’s mission

Members

The participants of the Operations, Finance and Budget Working (OFBWG), organized by regional affiliation, are noted below. 

*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. 

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Meetings

Next Call: 02 February 2023   

Last Call:  12 January 2023

Previous Calls

Upcoming OFB-WG/Planning Workshops and Calls  for July through September 2021

1. 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)
2. 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)
3. OFB-WG Call - Follow Up on Operating Initiatives (End of August for 60 mins)
4. 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

OFB-WG Recommendation Prioritization Sub-Group 

• OFB-WG Recommendation Prioritization Sub-Group Workspace

Finance and Budget Issues

Approved FY21-25 Operating and Financial Plan and the FY21 Budget

ICANN Strategic Plan FY21-FY25

At-Large FY21 Budget Development Workspace (for the development of FY21 Additional Budget Requests)

At-Large FY20 Additional Budget Request Implementation Workspace

• FY20 RALO Requests for Funding to support an Outreach Activity

An Update Regarding the Board’s Operational Priorities- Blog by ICANN Board Chair Maarten Botterman; 13 May 2020

Operational Initiatives

Multistakeholder Model Issues

Organizational Review Issues

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References

ALAC Subcommittee on Finance and Budget - Previous FBSC Workspace (archived in May 2020)

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Documents