Additional RFP3 Session (19:30 - 21:30 local time)

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Notes & Action Items

Continued discussion of Functions and look at the characteristics for oversight function

 

Contracting Function

Main Questions

• What sort of body, if any should perform this function. 
• What are charecteristics of function?
• As long as there is a need for contracting function, there needs to be a contracting party to perform oversight.
• What are chareterstics of such a party?

 

Persons and entities needs to be included

• It needs to be multi-stakeholder and minimal/ as small as can be. It does not necessary need to be voluntary.
• Find out the minimum that is needed
• What is meant by minimal?
  • minimal in scope? minimal in size? by definition multi-stakeholder will be large

 

• Revisit the function itself, function needs to be right.
• First question is what NTIA actually does under this function. what do we retain, replace or add?
• Current functions should be retained, no additional functionality required.
• Contracting party will have to determine the substance of the contract.
• Minimal means narrow and defined scope-> specify the scope, if not specific, provide general powers.
• Define specific powers to be used in specific circumstances.

 

Needs clarity what will trigger and what it is allowed to do.

• NTIA went through lengthy process to consult the community (NOI consultation, FNOI consultation).
• Part of the role is going out to outside parties to consult on content of contract.

 

Scope needs to be well defined and limited.

If function legal vehicle to contract. No decision making of vehicle, community should be providing guidance. Trigger: is ICANN performs IANA wrong this triggers event.

 

• Whether entity is incorporated is other question, do not presume it will be incorporated.

• Core however accountability and liability structure of such entity very important. 

• Return to first question, what functions has NTIA taken on and  under this function and needs to be replaced?  

• Entity will need to live for time, circumstances may change over time
  • You have to be perfect over time <-> tyong hands too much

 

• What is meant by administration of checklist?
• Administration of checklist is under Function 1.
• Award and termination of contract and preparing RFP's. Termination should be under Function 4.
• Award and renew under this function.
• Termination under Function 4

• Minimal should not be too minimalistic?
• Baseline is what NTIA currently does and has done.

• Contracting, without ability to renew and enforcement does not work.
• Ability to enforce should be under function 3.

• Ability to seek public input prior to renewal ( what should the entity be concerned about.

• The entity is about holding IANA performer to contract, on behalf of the community.
• Entity should not have power base, but derive its power from the community

 

• Contrary, NTIA has gravitas. the new entity should have gravitas as well.
• If entity has power to terminate contract it has power/gravitas. 
• The power of entity is derived, derived  from power/gravitas of community. 
• Function has to be a pass through to the community.
• The entity is just an administrative pass through.
• Selecting the new contractor is a significant power (= issuance of RFPs)
• Can entity be sued? Issue is can people be sued?

 

• Enforcement of the contract function 
• Which functions need to be performed
• Termination of contract
• Ability to enforce

Areas to look at are how will be function be performed.

For example, clear separation needed to allow enforcement, Technical audit, 

Reminder to ensure it is linked in item 2 above

 

On per Function basis:

• how will performance of function be funded
• Do we need a function of fund raising?
• NTIA has funded is side of the functions
• getting funding. If seperation of function, all functions need to be funded

 

Backstop Function

• Authority of NTIA: reference to email on list Camino Manjon about possible fifth function. Question whether issues raised in email part of accountability track.

• Part of accountability clearly linked with Stewardship Transition. Subject ot being addressed in Accountability track. 
• Placeholder, issue will need to make into Proposal. 

• Reference to charter section on relation with Accountability track.
• Risk to be too late, if needs to be adressed in Proposal

 

Fundamental Characteristics of entity to perform Functions

• Administrative/secretarial -> pass through
• Need to do on per function basis

• Administrative/secretarial -> pass through, uniform across all functions.
• On a case by case basis different characteristics.

 

Function 1 (approval) may not need to be performed

• Characteristics on function 3 Contracting 
• Characteristics in the way it is constructed.
• Regional ccTLD Organizations could be part.
• Entity must be capable to enter into contract.

 

Entity could be membership organization

• Define members correctly.
• Not subject to take over or capture
• ccTLD may be organized through regional organizations the gTLD are not.
• Caution to membership, it needs to be accountable to whole community not just it members.
• Cost effectiveness

 

Charecteristics Function 4

• Need for Gravitas 
• Has to have substance and resillience to withstand  pressure
• Characteristics function 3 might also apply to Function 4.

 

Need for structure and plan to move forward

Would new organization be less susceptible to capture then ICANN?

Transcript

The transcript is available here: MeetingF2F_EveningSession_19Nov.doc

Recording

The Adobe Connect recording is available here: https://icann.adobeconnect.com/p3k0kjesh97/

The audio recording is available here: https://icann.box.com/shared/static/q07bdmaczhj66j7gagv3.mp3

Chat Transcript

Avri Doria:oh, no sound service.  oh well.

  Nathalie  Peregrine:@ all, we are running a little late, session will start shortly.

  Avri Doria:seesm swiss telephone allows mobile to call 0800 numbers

  Nathalie  Peregrine:Avri, do you need a dial out?

  Avri Doria:nope.  those dont work as i have to pay for them.  

  Avri Doria:eithher i can get in via 800 number or skype/voip or i can't

  Nathalie  Peregrine:Swiss Toll free: 0800-120-032

  Grace Abuhamad:I can give you Mic access avri

  Grace Abuhamad:Done

  Grace Abuhamad:Test if you would like

  Nathalie  Peregrine:Audio perfect

  Avri Doria:but then i fell off dialing back in

  Grace Abuhamad:oops. ok. Let me know if you need the microphone

  Avri Doria:multistakeholde and minial

  Avri Doria:minimal

  STaffan Jonson:Is Multistakeholder and minimal equal to voluntary efforts?

  matthew shears:+ 1 Avri

  Amr Elsadr:Can we have the link to the strawman document again please?

  Robert Guerra:Does the contracting party need to be gien the ability to issue an RFP. The requirements, perhaps would be given to it.

  Kurt Pritz:Is this also the body that approves the IANA root zone change recommendations? If yes, then that should be included on the list; if no, then we need to have another "contracting function" discussion

  Olivier Crepin-Leblond:Original Strawman was on https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kO8dtSdkTnH79FSUsxA8KmPv1O2IfYwYFm2k_CIoNMw/edit but I notice it appears that it was not amended so staff must have been working on another copy

  Amr Elsadr:@Olivier: Thnx.

  matthew shears:@ Robert - it should have the ability to issue RFPs

  Avri Doria:the requirements should drive the choice of jurusdiction.  

  Seun Ojedeji:I agree Avri as it seem we are now talking about the composition

  Avri Doria:i.e. find the jursdiction that allows us to have what we want.

  Amr Elsadr:@Avri: +1

  Avri Doria:yes i did miss that.

  Avri Doria:did not have  chance to read what you all had done already.  are you saying early stuff is decided and closed?  just curious.

  Greg Shatan:Not closed.   And since this is a list of NTIA functions, decisions are not involved (yet).

  Kurt Pritz:Start wiith ICANN / IANA obligations under the current agreement - list them, and ensure each are complied with

  Marika Konings:@Avri - Grace shared the draft document we are currently working on with the list a little bit earlier.

  Marika Konings:if you want to review the notes from the earlier discussions

  Grace Abuhamad:https://community.icann.org/download/attachments/49352017/Functions%28draft%20for%20RFP3%29.docx?api=v2

  Grace Abuhamad:sent Wiki link

  Glenn McKnight 2:hard to hear

  Seun:would that be different from stakeholder's concern @Olivier?

  Wale Bakare:Comments may be concerns, i think

  Kurt Pritz:Contractual terms should be black and white; I don't see a room for public comment there; there should be surveys among direct customers (currently req'd in contract); if there is an open RFP, there could be public comment for that

  Olivier Crepin-Leblond:@Kurt: I agree re: renewal & RFP. But there might be instances where a public comment might need to be calls. I cannot think of an example yet.

  Olivier Crepin-Leblond:calls -> called

  Kurt Pritz:With respect to gravitas: what if a proposed redelegation attracts protests of gov'ts of nations with a specific interest? The new entity has to stand up to those gov'ts. There have been delegations in the past that have attracted 100,000's of letters in protest. The new entity will have to carry on in face of that. Even if ICANN is performing admirably, a major player might demand a transfer in the "name of security"  or something.  The new entity will have to stand up to that.

  Kurt Pritz:This is the sort of stress test that the BC has talked about

  Avri Doria:community does that.

  Robert Guerra:On the earlier definition of the entity, it might be good to have"resistance to capture" added.

  Donna Austin, RySG:'community' has the potential to be captured

  Avri Doria:in that case there is nothing that ca't be captured.  including the US government

  Glenn McKnight 2:lots of echo

  Avri Doria:i wasn't muted, apologies

  Glenn McKnight 2:still echo

  Avri Doria:then it isn't my fault ( :

  Glenn McKnight 2:Alan  is  still echoing  

  Glenn McKnight 2:cant  make out anything

  Avri Doria:i think it will be the community that reviews things.

  ICANN RP:Glenn, Can you ensure you only have one copy of Adobe Connect window open?  Sometimes  two copies open will cause an echo.

  Glenn McKnight 2:i will check

  ICANN RP:Thanks!  Sounds good at this end.

  Avri Doria:i tink we need an administrator that passes any decsion over to a community body.

  Glenn McKnight:Its back to one voice  

  Glenn McKnight:Echo was only for a short time

  Avri Doria:if it is in the US for sure.

  Robert Guerra:would a - A mutual-benefit nonprofit corporation   -  serve our needs here? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual-benefit_nonprofit_corporation

  Allan MacGillivray:I agree as well

  Greg Shatan:@Robert, my understanding is that those are for the sole benefit of their members (and not for the broader public in any sense).  So my gut reaction is it doesn't help us.

  Olivier Crepin-Leblond:...and neither does a cooperative

  Avri Doria:to replace NTIA, the only skill set is adminstrative.

  Robert Guerra:curious - do we want to add characteristic - not subject to capture composed of individual members from the different stakeholder groups. Members would be term limited

  Seun:Are we still talking minimal here

  Avri Doria:calling it a membership org seems to be a structural decsion not a characteristic

  Avri Doria:i tink mamebership org is contradictory to minimal.

  Avri Doria:pardon the massive typos

  Robert Guerra:do we want to add anything about - about impt to minimize costs of the organization?

  Avri Doria:so adminstrative did not make the cut for characteristics?

  Avri Doria:i do not think it needs all these characterstics.  this is already bloat.

  Kurt Pritz:It is easy to fall into a discussion of "the entity must be capapble of awarding the contract." I think it is more important the the group have the ability to engender and sustain excellent performance. A overseers first job is to provide excellent service and that is a different skill set than merely hiring and firing. So there should be an ability first, to work with the operator to ensure ongoing excellent performance and continual improvement. Then, if those things don't work, resort to hiring and firing

  Robert Guerra:thanks everyone for a bit over 12hrs of work together.