closed Proposed Updates to the Operating Standards for Specific Reviews

Outcome

The Public Comment proceeding reflects a range of views, highlights that several areas would benefit from revisions or merit clarifications, yielded some suggestions, and demonstrates an interest for the community conversation to continue.

Based on its analysis of feedback on the proposed updates, the ICANN organization (org) is not presenting this set of updates to the Board for adoption at this time, so that community discussion on the proposed changes to the Operating Standards for Specific Reviews can continue. 

What We Received Input On

Over the course of recent Specific Review cycles, the community, Board, and ICANN org identified areas that posed challenges to ability of the Reviews to effectively fulfill their purpose. To address these areas, ICANN org developed a series of process improvements and integrated them into an updated Draft Operating Standards for Specific Reviews. Updates to the Draft Operating Standards are focused on improving Review scope setting/planning, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of Review work, and incorporating best project management practices into the Specific Reviews process. 

ICANN org is seeking input on proposed updates to the following sections of the Operating Standards for Specific Reviews:

2. Initialization and Planning (New Section): This section reflects a proposed process improvement to transition the development of a Specific Review’s focus areas from the review team during the Conducting the Review Phase to the wider community during the Initialization and Planning Phase. 

Targeted Outcomes: 

• • • Community alignment on the focus areas for a Review before it is initiated
    • Targeted solicitation of volunteers with skill sets specific to a Review’s established focus areas
    • More robust project planning for known work, including required resources and milestone scheduling
    • Greater community understanding of upcoming Review work and timing

3. Review Team and Leadership Selection (Formerly “Planning Phase”): This section is updated to reflect proposed process improvements under which SO/ACs follow their own processes to solicit applicants and nominate candidates for the review team, and the SO/AC Chairs select review team leadership. 

Targeted Outcomes: 

• • • Streamlined selection of review team members and review leadership
    • SO/AC Chair alignment on qualified, representative review leadership

4. Conducting the Review: This section is updated to reflect proposed process improvements to facilitate clear research findings, well-supported problems/opportunities requiring action, and the production of informed recommendations that directly address the problems/opportunities requiring action. Additional updates include the use of a guided submission form for Public Comment proceedings, correspondence with the SO/AC Chairs prior to submission of the Final Report to the Board to ensure review work met expectations, and a Post-Review Survey to identify potential Specific Review improvement areas. 

Targeted Outcomes: 

• • • A more efficient and effective process for conducting review work, based on best practice  
    • More direct community input on the review team’s Draft and Final Reports through the use of guided submission forms
    • Determination of SO/AC Chair support of review work via correspondence
    • Continuous improvement of the Reviews process through the solicitation of input from the review team and SO/AC Chairs at the conclusion of a Review

5. Board Consideration (Formerly “Review Output and Board Consideration”): This section is updated to reflect proposed process improvements to streamline the Board’s consideration of the review team’s Final Report.

Targeted Outcomes:

• • • Better informed Board decisions on review team recommendations through the provision of up-to-date Feasibility Assessments with the Final Report
    • Faster Board decisions on the review team’s Final Report

6. Specific Review Policies (New Section): This section provides greater clarity to existing policies, updates policies to reflect proposed process improvements, and consolidates all Specific Review policies into a single section. Additional updates were made in response to the ICANN-wide effort to secure its financial stability and sustainability and increased process efficiencies.

   Targeted Outcomes:

   • • • More efficient use of ICANN funds enabled by more robust project planning
         • Early identification and procurement of required independent experts
         • Ability of the review team to conduct all of its work remotely
           
7. Amending the Operating Standards: This section is updated to focus future proposed amendments to the Operating Standards on addressing input received immediately following a Specific Review. 

Targeted Outcomes:

• • • Timely, targeted development of improvements to the Operating Standards

The updated Draft Operating Standards includes reformatting in order to provide greater clarity on the phases of the Specific Reviews process. Because the reformatting of the document made the production of a redlined version showing the changes from the current Operating Standards impractical, a Draft Outline of Proposed Updates to the Operating Standards and Updated Specific Reviews Process Flowchart is provided to list all proposed updates and visualize the proposed process.

We invite you to submit your Public Comment on the above updates using the provided guided submission form.

Background

Specific Reviews address specific topic areas, and were incorporated into ICANN’s Bylaws with the transition of the stewardship of IANA Functions to the global Internet community in 2016. Specific Reviews are conducted through community-led review teams to periodically assess ICANN’s performance and fulfillment of its commitments in four areas: Accountability and Transparency, Security, Stability and Resiliency of the DNS, Registration Directory Service, and Competition, Consumer Choice and Consumer Trust.

Each community-led review team operates according to Section 4.6 of the ICANN Bylaws and the Operating Standards for Specific Reviews. The Operating Standards for Specific Reviews were drafted by ICANN org, through community consultation, to provide standards and criteria by which the community-led reviews are conducted. The Operating Standards ensure that Reviews are conducted in a transparent, predictable, and efficient manner. The Operating Standards were adopted by the ICANN Board on 23 June 2019 with the intent of being amended from time to time to reflect lessons learned and to implement necessary process changes.

Over the course of recent Specific Review cycles, the community, Board, and ICANN org identified areas that posed challenges to ability of the Reviews to effectively fulfill their purpose. Some of these challenge areas include Review scope setting/planning, the efficiency and effectiveness of supporting and performing Review work, and garnering broad community support for recommendations. To address these identified areas, ICANN org developed a series of process improvements and integrated them into an updated Draft Operating Standards for Specific Reviews. 

Supporting Information