Attendees: 

Sub-group Members:  Amal Al-saqqaf, Avri Doria, Cheryl Langdon-Orr, Finn Petersen, Fiona Asonga, Herb Waye, Lito Ibarra, Lousewies van der Laan, Mathieu Weill, Rafik Dammak, Renata Aquino Ribeiro, Sebastien Bachollet

Observers/Guests:  Chuck Gomes

Staff:  Bernie Turcotte, Brenda Brewer, Elizabeth Andrews, Julia Charvolen, Laena Rahim, Meghan Healy

Apologies: 

** If your name is missing from attendance or apology, please send note to acct-staff@icann.org **

Transcript

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Recording

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Agenda

1.  Roll Call

2.  Review of Actions items:

-  Rafik Dammak - resend of questionnaire was not sent but it has been updated. Would look for approval on the list before Copenhagen. Report from Chris Gift was distributed to the list - this will be discussed at a later meeting when CG is available.

3.  Review of Draft Report:

 - Issues list

4.  AOB

 - request for interpretation service

Notes (including relevant portions of chat):

 14 Participants at start of call

1.  Roll Call

2.  Review of Actions items:

-  Rafik Dammak - resend of questionnaire was not sent but it has been updated. Would look for approval on the list before Copenhagen. Report from Chris Gift was distributed to the list - this will be discussed at a later meeting when CG is available.

Rafik Dammak - only 1 comment on questionnaire. Will update and send for approval to the plenary by the required time.

Action item: RD will update the questionnaire and transmit to plenary list for inclusion for face to face meeting.

3.  Review of Draft Report:

Rafik Dammak - How should we proceed? work on calls or work on the list between calls.

Cheryl Langdon-Orr (CLO): I think your 1st way fwd suggested is more likely to progress

Sebastien (ALAC): We need to discuss some issues during our call

Amal Al-saqqaf: I think yes there should be an aggregation of the contraversal issues in the report and ask in the mailing list to make a consensus on what should be written in the report, maybe.

Avri Doria - Rapporteurs should list issues and try to fix.

Rafik Dammak - Ok rapporteurs will list the issues and work on porposed solutions for discussions.

Sebastien (ALAC): Maybe it is time for us to publish a second version of the draft?

Rafik Dammak - should we set a target date?

Sebastien Bachollet - Suggest that before the next call we publish a next version of the draft document and we discuss this on that call.

Lousewies van der Laan: I agree Avri, it's useful to get feedback from the plenary, especially because that will encourage them to read the document.

Lousewies van der Laan: There is no point in making a perfect diversity paper if we don't get buy in from the rest of the community

Rafik Dammak - (presentation of the current document)

Rafik Dammak: "Establish minimal diversity requirements for panels during events organized or funded by ICANN such as: No panel of more than 4 participants should include speakers from only one ICANN region No panel of more than 4 participants should include speakers from only one Gender Inclusion of 3 to 5 diversity enhancement targets (metrics) in the 5 year Strategic Plan as one of the key Strategic Initiatives. Such 5-year targets could be for instance: Ensure Africa and LAC each represent at least 15% of ICANN Community leadership Gender balance within ICANN.org leadership should be aligned with ICANN.org staff gender balance overall (roughly 40%)Aim for a more gender balanced ICANN Board Include the enhancement of diversity within the scope of the Structural Reviews of SOs and ACs. Include the enhancement of diversity within the scope of the ATRT review"

Lousewies van der Laan: ICANN org had 53.8 % female staff, but only 28.6% females on executive team

Cheryl Langdon-Orr (CLO): sadly, not an uncommon statistical analysis in Organising and listed Companies

Lousewies van der Laan: indeed

Lousewies van der Laan: The 50-member senior management team is 62% male and 38% female. The Executive Team gender balance remains at 29% / 71% (female/male).

Lousewies van der Laan: Question is what the ambition of different parts of the community are?

Rafik Dammak: @lousewies you mean each part of community set its own inspirational goal?

Cheryl Langdon-Orr (CLO): as well as where gender diversity alone, needs to be considered

Mathieu Weill: The proposals mentioned by Rafik include gender balance AND regional balance aspects I believe.

Lousewies van der Laan: the question is how we strike a balance between getting the various parts of the community to embrace diversity and actively work on increasing diversity, filling their leadership pipeline etc and what an external officer could achieve?

Sebastien Bachollet - Proposal for a 3rd office that reports to the community could have as one of its responsibilities diversity - just for discussion.

Cheryl Langdon-Orr (CLO): indeed @Lousewives

Lousewies van der Laan: @Rafik: Do we know if each SO/AC will embrace the targets this group is developing? There is obviously no sanction, so how do make sure we don't stick with beautiful words.

Rafik Dammak - we should proceed by requirements and recommendations for this office.

Lousewies van der Laan - On Board call there were requests as to what this office would be about. Authority of this person would need to be accepted by all the community - what is the added value - concern if this is pushed by one person or office is only looking at the ICANN context vs all the community and what would be the budget implications for something like this.

avri doria: as if the corporation was always in the process of adding positions

Lousewies van der Laan: to clarify: not the full board. the members who are the liaisons try to be in touch to compare notes - we call it the WS2 caucus

Rafik Dammak - Good point LVL but this is still a strawman proposal which needs more work. We need to collect the information to see what is the need. Also office could define diversity criteria. Should take note of this and clarify this.

Mathieu Weill: Lousewies, this feedback is quite useful. I guess there are concIt's always better when diversity initiatives are led by the CEOrete tasks to carry out (such as data collection) and also some leadership to demonstrate on day to day basis.

Renata Aquino Ribeiro: i'd just note that many corporations have diversity offices, it's not a new practice so it does have accountability and practical tasks

Lousewies van der Laan: @avri ; I see the history, but our new CEO is being very careful - he wants to make sure we can fund any new commitments and as a member of the Finance Committee I applaud that.

Renata Aquino Ribeiro: CERN has a diversity office, for reference http://diversity.web.cern.ch/

Rafik Dammak: @Renata can you please add comment about examples of diversity offices?

Sebastien Bachollet - First step is to gather data, if there is no data how to improve data collection and then to look at how to improve. This is not the time to talk about costs - are we scrutinizing the creation of the Complaints office this way? We are just trying to find the need to enhance accountability and diversity.

Avri Doria - (audio issues) there is a duality to this office there is the staff side and then the community leadership - the second is more for our focus. Look at this function vs our needs, possibly in the policy group.

Lousewies van der Laan: I think there is a difference between organisations or corporations that have a diversity officer/policy AND what I thought we were talking about: someone who can encourage diversity throughout the whole community. Or did I misunderstand?

Cheryl Langdon-Orr (CLO): and the mere existence of such an office does not have a guaranteed close correlation with diversity results, but if it exists and is well supported and able to evangelise and facilitate as well as record and report

Lousewies van der Laan: I seriously doubt any SO/AC would accept the authority of an ICANN staff member lecturing them on their internal diversity.

Cheryl Langdon-Orr (CLO): indeed

Lousewies van der Laan - Companies have diversity officer etc but for staff. If diversity is for the community elements, given our model is unique it would be very difficult to impose anything to those elements of the community - we need to focus on how to get there. Diversity has to be part of all segments of an organization - creating an extra position - is this the way forward given the uniqueness of ICANN.

Renata Aquino Ribeiro: PwC likes to showcase its diversity office results via awards http://www.pwc.com/us/en/about-us/diversity/pwc-diversity-office.html

avri doria: there is a duality to the role.  Diversity office for the staff as a corporation.

Mathieu Weill: @Lousewies : this seems to assume SO/ACs are not interested in finding ways to enhance diversity... ;-) Note that one recommendation in the doc is to include diversity as part of the structural reviews too

avri doria: Diversity function helping the community achieve it goals - something the staff has a role in enabling - staff is always working with us on the rules of our constituencies, why wouldn't they help with a goal we think we need

Renata Aquino Ribeiro: Is it possible to do this separation "surgery" as they are always interacting?

avri doria: and for that to be consistent staff should have a function to help coordinate

Cheryl Langdon-Orr (CLO): so true it needs to be part of the DNA

Herb Waye Ombuds: I think if we compare the Founding Fathers picture of Cerf, Postel and Crocker and the strings & tin cans, 3 American white men... ICANN is doing a pretty good job shifting culture to reflect the Internet and the iCANN world today. 

Renata Aquino Ribeiro: Harvard office w/ students in the front page? http://diversity.college.harvard.edu/

avri doria: i thinnk office is not a toxic word and we should be speaking of function though it is becoming a toxic word

Rafik Dammak - what kind of function that would respond the needs of the community. Many challenges and questions to respond to.

Mathieu Weill - Interesting feedback from Board. Proposal for an office suffers from being the first proposal - while it should only be conceived as one step of a more general approach – RD will recirculate the paper and recommendations but these cannot begin with an office and I certainly understand the reaction of the Board. It starts with a goal, its starts with diversity being officially a goal, part of the strategic plan with specific initiatives as mentioned by LVL, specific targets and then there are tasks to track progress, share best practices that will be filled by the ICANN staff since these cannot be filled by volunteers in a sustainable way. I think this is where the Office – I think it has to change names – is going to fit. My suggestion is that we look at the whole set of recommendations and probably put on top the ones that are more inspirational and explain that the idea of an Office – or whatever it is called – is only part of the system that we are putting in place to enhance ICANN … and that we are tackling several aspects at a time and that this functions is only there to support the initiative – the leadership for this needs to come from the community, the Board the executive leadership of ICANN.

Rafik Dammak - lets start with objectives - and yes change order, its just a means or tool to implement.

Lousewies van der Laan: Matthieu said it correctly, needs to be reflected in notes

Lousewies van der Laan: Excelent intervention Matthieu

Amal Al-saqqaf: +1 Matthieu

4.  AOB -   - request for interpretation service

Rafik Dammak - AOB we received a request a few days ago for interpretation services on our calls, given English is a barrier to participation for some in this work. We would like to send a request for interpretation to the plenary - would this be ok?

Bernard Turcotte – Please note that any such request should be specific as to what your are requesting (how many languages etc.). Also, important to note that this falls under the ICANN portion of the budget and that it is not budgeted for in this current fiscal year. Even if the plenary approves this there is no guarantee the money can be found.

Lousewies van der Laan: Interpretation would be good, but then lets also promote that we have it in those languages, in order to encourage others to join - If we do interpretation and no one uses is a waste - if we do it - we need to promote it.

avri doria: there is also a live transcription experiment. that might be a good thing

Renata Aquino Ribeiro: +1 Avri

Lousewies van der Laan: have we ever received language requests?

avri doria: and live transcription helps with speakers of a second language since it is non accented.

Lousewies van der Laan: do we know if there are people who can’t join now and who would if we add a language?

Cheryl Langdon-Orr (CLO): ALAC and At-Large has utilised real time Interpretation for years, and yes it is an issue that needs to be nurtured,  do talk to At-Large Staff in this for background and captioning is another good tool.

avri doria: and there is no budget should be the refrain for anything we want in WS2

Mathieu Weill: Lousewies : I think there was a request for French by Dalila (France GAC)

Renata Aquino Ribeiro: I have a poll done in ncuc in half a day w/ 9 members wanting spanish interpretation for webinars and meetings

avri doria: one wonders why we are doing this.

Rafik Dammak - Re AD captionning pilot

Lousewies van der Laan: @Matthieu :-)

Renata Aquino Ribeiro: researching and promoting interpretation is v. important for this group.

avri doria: i would like to see stats of how many use the translation in ALAC which has had it for a while.

Renata Aquino Ribeiro: in lacralo we asked for it but not always the minority of french speakers could participate and i dont know if it continued

Renata Aquino Ribeiro: i think polling was a suggestion to address having eventual interpretation

Lousewies van der Laan: cost is important - but if do not start to experiment we will never understand what it can accomplish. If any group should do this to increase diversity it should be this one. If we do not experiment, we will never know - our experience could then inform the community - personally I would take on explaining that we have to support this.

Cheryl Langdon-Orr (CLO): we started extensive use of Interpretation on ALAC back around 2009 so there is information there

Bernard Turcotte – Rafik since the ask is quite specific I believe the Co-Chairs would be ok if the request came in a little late vs today’s deadline for plenary material – Tuesday next week would be ok I think and would allow you to survey your sub-group.

Raffik Dammak – BT good. Will survey the group re languages and provide a request to the plenary for this. Adjourned.

Action Item – RD to poll group for languages needed for interpretation and send request to plenary by 7 March 2359 UTC requesting interpretation for these

Summary of Decisions and Action Items:

Decisions – none

Action Items:

• RD will update the questionnaire and transmit to plenary list for inclusion for face to face meeting.
• RD to poll group for languages needed for interpretation and send request to plenary by 7 March 2359 UTC requesting interpretation services for these.

 

Documents Presented

none

Chat Transcript