Proposed NCSG Comment on the FY19 Budget

[Ayden Férdeline]

Hi, all-

One of the most important public comment opportunities every year is our chance to submit a comment on ICANN’s budget and operating plan. This is our chance as representatives of the non-commercial community to ask for different spending priorities to be made, to question aspects of ICANN’s operations, and to express our views on the functioning of ICANN the organisation.

The comment period ends on 8 March, and there is a lot of information to be processed in order for us to make an intelligent and informed comment. So far, ICANN has published some 255 pages of material along with spreadsheets containing thousands of rows of projects. More information will be published tomorrow in response to clarifying questions that the community has already submitted to the Finance department.

You can access these materials here, and review the comments that other stakeholders have already submitted: https://www.icann.org/public-comments/fy19-budget-2018-01-19-en

I have reviewed all of the material that ICANN has published so far, sought clarification on a few topics, and pieced together some first thoughts. However, I do not track every issue at ICANN, so it’s quite possible that something very critical to us has escaped me. I would appreciate your assistance in reviewing this Budget as comprehensively as we can.

I have prepared a first draft of an NCSG comment for your attention and review: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tBia4z5QQFGz9vFUQUkS0lbZNqU6C5n4pyUmlH3m8e8/edit?usp=sharing

You are welcome to suggest edits to the Google Doc itself. Please try to provide comments by 27 February; on this date, I'll ask the Policy Committee to begin reviewing our work and to consider endorsing its submission.

If you have any questions regarding the budget process, or the proposed comment that I’ve drafted, I’m happy to take them either on- or off-list, as you prefer. Thanks for your help.

Best wishes,

Ayden Férdeline
[linkedin.com/in/ferdeline](http://www.linkedin.com/in/ferdeline)
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