In 2019, the ICANN Board initiated a project aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of ICANN's multistakeholder model – one of the strategic objectives outlined in ICANN's Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2021-2025. This effort is critical to ensuring that the multistakeholder model is able to evolve and meet the ever-changing needs of ICANN's global community. Following the launch of the project, the Board began soliciting input from the community, as part of larger discussions regarding the draft ICANN Operating and Financial Plan for FY 2021-2025. 

Works Areas Identified & Prioritized

The discussion identified six priority topics that the community believes to be hampering the effective and efficient functioning of ICANN's multistakeholder model, such as the prioritization of work and efficient use of resources. Further, the community was asked to rank the six topics in priority order with one having the highest priority and six having the least priority. And collectively a decision was made to focus on the top three priority topics for more immediate implementation.

Projects Identified for Prioritized Work Areas

To better determine how each of these issues could be addressed, further discussions with the community took place, which identified a number of activities and projects currently underway within the community, org, and/or the Board  that could address these issues. Examples of existing work efforts that map to this project include but are not limited to: the GNSO’s Policy Development Process 3.0 (PDP 3.0), Streamlining of Reviews, the Third Accountability and Transparency Review (ATRT3), Cross-Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability, Working Stream 2 (WS2) implementation, and the org’s operational planning process, among many others. The discussions with the community also identified some gap areas that need to be addressed to cohesively alleviate the issues identified. 

In June 2020, the Board posted its paper, "Enhancing the Effectiveness of ICANN's Multistakeholder Model – Next Steps," for Public Comment. The paper laid out a comprehensive plan for continuous improvement of the multistakeholder model. Following the close of the Public Comment period in August, and incorporation of the community's input into the document, the Board published the final version of the 'Enhancing the Effectiveness of ICANN's Multistakeholder Model' paper on 14 October 2020.