<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">Thanks Sam for providing this update. I hope you will be able form an active Finance Committee soon.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">Thanks,</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, Oct 5, 2019 at 10:23 AM Sam Lanfranco <<a href="mailto:lanfran@yorku.ca">lanfran@yorku.ca</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div><font face="Tahoma" size="2">
<p class="MsoNormal">As the temporary acting chair of the NCSG Finance Committee
(FC) I would like to present an update that reviews where we (the FC) are today
and review the history and the scope (terms of reference) of the Financial
Committee. This is particularly important for new members who will be taking
NCSG forward as they assume responsibilities. That is why I am offering this
longish comment. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the moment the FC is constrained to do very little for three
reasons. First, for most of NCSG’s history the committee either didn’t exist or
barely existed, so it has no history of work practices. Another is that at the
moment it consists only of myself and the Chair of NCSG. NCUC is searching for someone
to fill the NCUC vacancy. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The major reason however is with regard to the terms of
reference for the FC as contained in the NCSG Charter. When the Charter was
formed there were quite different expectations about NCSG. As NCSG has evolved
most of those expectations have been beyond reach. The key wording from the
NCSG Charter is listed below my commentary and I ask new members to read both
my commentary and the Charter sections with care, and possibly go to the full
NCSG Charter at: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/filefield_25801/ncsg-charter-05may11-en.pdf" target="_blank"><span> </span>https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/filefield_25801/ncsg-charter-05may11-en.pdf</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I invite comment from long time NCSG members, to correct any
errors I may have and to offer comments. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First some commentary based on the NCSG Charter and my
experience.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The NCSG Charter was adopted in 2011. I engaged with ICANN
in 2012, in Toronto, and became a member of NCSG and NPOC a year or two later. From
that time until either ICANN in Helsinki or the Intersessional in Iceland
(where I joined as a last-minute replacement at my expense) I believe there had
been virtually no operational FC. At that time then member Ed Morris and
several of us convened to re-animate a Finance Committee. For the past three years
or so it has struggled to gain some operational traction. <span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most of what was detailed as the duties of the FC in the
NCSG Charter has proven impossible. The FC has never had any funds to control,
hence (as per the Charter) it has not established a firm financial footing for
NCSG, and has not had to meet relevant legal or ICANN requirements. NCSG does not
require “voluntary contributions” [dues] from members, as called for in the
Charter, so the FC has no rates to determine. It has never fund raised or
received funds so there is no work for an NCSG treasurer. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NCUC has received funds (from PIR I believe) and administers
those completely independent of NCSG and the NCSG FC. NPOC received some
funding in the distant past (from PIR I believe). Several years ago I and the
Chair of NPOC set up an NPOC account in Canada. <span> </span>It has remained dormant, never having any
funds. I believe NPOC has a small account in Europe, completely independent of
NCSG and the NCSG FC. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As temporary acting Chair I took over lead responsibility August
1,<sup> </sup>2019, for work-in-progress in two areas, one having to do with FC
operational procedures and the other with a member’s code-of-conduct (for the
three members and any observers). Neither is pressing and while I will soon forward
the short code-of-conduct document to the NCSG Executive Committee I personally
view it as a simple elaboration of ICANN’s behavior guidelines. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The FC procedures document will require more constituency deliberation.
It also calls for the FC assisting in the research for NCSG submissions on proposed
ICANN budgets. It will also guide the Finance Committee in dealing with two
areas, never previously undertaken by the FC, that are set down in Section 2.6
of the Charter. Those are:</p>
<ul><li><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Work with the ICANN staff to determine levels of
support available to the NCSG</li></ul>
<ul><li><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Work with ICANN finance officers to insure the
NCSG and its Constituencies receive fair and equivalent financial support from
ICANN</li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">These three areas:</p><ul><li><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>ICANN levels of support for NCSG<span style="font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Constituencies receiving fair and equivalent
financial support from ICANN</li><li>Doing the research for NCSG submissions on
proposed ICANN budgets
</li></ul><p class="MsoNormal">are ambitious, venture into new and possibly contested
areas, and will demand considerable work from a three-person Finance Committee
where one member is also the Chair of NCSG. Hence the need for a wider Constituency
discussion on what is viable here, once the FC is up to its three-person full
strength. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here is are the key relevant Financial Committee pieces from
the NCSG Charter at: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/filefield_25801/ncsg-charter-05may11-en.pdf" target="_blank"><span> </span>https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/filefield_25801/ncsg-charter-05may11-en.pdf</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span>NCSG Finance Committee (NCSG</span><span>-‐</span><span>FC):</span></b><span>
[From Section 3]</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The NCSG Finance Committee is resp</span><span>onsible
for establishing a firm financial </span><span>footing
for the NCSG and administering NCSG funds within a defined </span><span>framework that meets relevant legal requirements
as well as requirements </span><span>imposed
by ICANN. The NCSG</span><span>-‐</span><span>FC’s responsibilities include fund raising,
</span><span>set</span><span>ting voluntary contribution levels for
members, determining procedures </span><span>for
the distribution of funds, and for monitoring the utilization of funds. The </span><span>NCSG</span><span>-‐</span><span>FC will also be responsible for the
Treasurer function. Formation of </span><span>the
NCSG</span><span>-‐</span><span>FC, its composition, a</span><span>nd </span><span>duties
within the NCSG</span><span>-‐</span><span>FC are set out in </span><span>Section 2.6</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The key wording from Section 2.6 is:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><b><span>2.6 The Financial Committee</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span>The NCSG Finance Committee is
responsible for the following:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:normal"><span>•Elect a Chair who will also serve as NCSG
Treasurer;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:normal"><span>•Determine rates for voluntary contributions
from members;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:normal"><span>•Develop and deploy a fund-‐raising plan for
the NCSG;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:normal"><span>•Work with the ICANN staff to determine levels
of support available to the NCSG;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:normal"><span>•Work with ICANN finance officers to insure
the NCSG and its Constituencies receive fair and equivalent financial support
from ICANN;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:normal"><span>•Accounting for any funds received by the NCSG
from any source. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span>This accounting will include the
following:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span>§</span></span><span>All funds raised by voluntary membership fees
or otherwise must be held in a separate NCSG account.</span></p><div><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span>§</span></span><span>Proper controls must be implemented.</span><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span><br></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span>§</span></span><span>Regarding Expenditures:</span><span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-indent:0.5in;line-height:normal"><span>•All expenditures
under 500 Euro may be made on the authority of the NCSG Treasurer</span><span><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-indent:0.5in;line-height:normal"><span>•All expenditures
over 500 Euro must be approved by the NCSG-‐FC</span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span>§</span></span><span>Financial reports must be prepared annually
and be made public.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span>•Provide internal conflict resolution
process regarding funds.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span>•Provide the oversight of the
Treasurer function.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span>•Fulfill any other accounting,
auditing or other prescribed financial requirements as set by the ICANN Board
of Directors for organizations within the ICANN structure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>•Document methods
and procedures used for accounting, reporting and budget creation. Such
documentation is subject to review by the NCSG-‐EC</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>[<b>Comment</b>] I again
urge new members of NCSG to read this with care and reflect on where they might
stand on the issues at hand and where they may offer help.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Respectfully
submitted,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span>Sam Lanfranco,</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span> Temporary
Acting Chair, NCSG Finance Committee. </span></i><span></span></p>
</font></div>
</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">
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