[Public Comments] Call for Volunteers for Draft PTI and IANA FY20 Operating Plan and Budgets

[Thato Mfikwe]

Thanks Raphael,

Lets push to identify and raise issues where needed on this draft, a
summative brief would help alot right now in getting everyone onboard,
hopefully we will be able to complete and submit a comment this time.

Thato Mfikwe.

On Fri, Oct 5, 2018 at 9:55 PM Raphaël Beauregard-Lacroix <
rbeauregardlacroix at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear all
>
> I will read the docs more carefully in the coming days as well as you to
> now unanswered questions, Thato.
>
> For now let me just chime in about depreciation: this is an accounting
> concept only. It is made to estimate the value of an asset, especially
> physical ones, for accounting purposes. Once an asset is fully depreciated,
> you can understand that as it would have close to no reselling value and is
> thus not accounted for in the company's assets.
>
> Calculation of depreciation is made according to provisions of local tax
> law, usually.
>
> Certainly, they are not thrown away! Accounting value is not related to
> how valuable, in a practical sense, these assets may be to the company.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> Best regards,
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 5, 2018, 07:49 Ayden Férdeline <icann at ferdeline.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Thato,
>>
>> I’d be happy to help. I sent an earlier email to this list offering some
>> clarifications, did you receive it? Please let me know if anything remains
>> unclear.
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> Ayden
>>
>> On 5 Oct 2018, at 12:48, Thato Mfikwe <thatomfikwe at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Ayden,
>>
>> That is great, can you help with clarifications to questions raised?
>>
>> Thato Mfikwe.
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 5, 2018 at 12:22 PM Ayden Férdeline <icann at ferdeline.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Remmy,
>>>
>>> I don’t think any of these questions need to be submitted to the Finance
>>> Department for a response. We can find the answers ourselves.
>>>
>>> Best wishes,
>>>
>>> Ayden
>>>
>>> On 5 Oct 2018, at 12:14, Remmy Nweke <remmyn at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Thato and all
>>> Thanks for the questions and responses so far.
>>>
>>> I think since these are questions, could we leverage the clarification
>>> period for this PTI/IANA comment season, which ends today by encouraging
>>> Thato among others to share this question on the wiki as below:
>>> The questions as rephrased can be submitted for clarification among
>>> others. FC chair can submit same for clarification and share feed back via:
>>>
>>> *Next Steps:* ICANN community participants should submit questions for
>>> clarification about details in the draft plans to planning at icann.org by 05
>>> October 2018. The organization will provide responses by 12 October 2018
>>> .
>>>
>>> Whatever is the official response will help us in eventually fashioning
>>> our overall comments to this process.
>>>
>>> Like pointed out already, we shall continue our NCSG outlined process
>>> according to Rafik and Thato.
>>>
>>> I will therefore suggest that FC if it has more comments/questions may
>>> have to harmonise that subtly on/before Wednesday next week and forward to
>>> PC for final submission  as may be outlined within the timeframe including
>>> our community input. We have got to collaborate on this.
>>>
>>> Thanks Rafik for recognising that FC has to make specific input
>>>
>>> Best of the day.
>>> ____
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>>>
>>> On Fri, Oct 5, 2018 at 10:38 AM Ayden Férdeline <icann at ferdeline.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Thato,
>>>>
>>>> James raises some very valid questions.
>>>>
>>>> I think in your initial email there was a conflation between the
>>>> PTI/IANA budget and that of the ICANN budget, and we need to be careful not
>>>> to do that.
>>>>
>>>> Just to be clear on what PTI/IANA is, it is not a “new team/department
>>>> within ICANN.” As a part of the IANA transition, a new legal entity was
>>>> formed to perform the IANA naming function on behalf of ICANN. So it’s a
>>>> purpose-built ICANN affiliate, but it isn’t ICANN, if that makes sense?
>>>>
>>>> Also, while the average cost to PTI of a full time employee might be
>>>> $260,000 a head, this is the gross cost of employing someone, including
>>>> healthcare, pension contributions, and even real estate where they are
>>>> allocated a desk (or appropriate reimbursements for a home office). I
>>>> suspect - though am not certain - it also includes equipment expenses, so I
>>>> don’t think this is all that outrageous.
>>>>
>>>> The ’stipends’ you refer to are not paid to PTI/IANA staff, they are
>>>> issued to *volunteers* who travel to key signing ceremonies. From what
>>>> I understand, PTI/IANA staff do not receive stipends, nor do ICANN staff.
>>>> But their costs incurred traveling for business are reimbursed by way of a
>>>> monthly expense report, which I consider reasonable.
>>>>
>>>> I hope this is helpful.
>>>>
>>>> Ayden
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 3 Oct 2018, at 22:14, Thato Mfikwe <thatomfikwe at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Responses inline,
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 5:41 PM James Gannon <james at cyberinvasion.net>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Some comments inline:
>>>>>
>>>>> On 3 Oct 2018, at 11:14, Thato Mfikwe <thatomfikwe at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>  Thanks for the notice Rafik,
>>>>>
>>>>> The FC will initiate a community comment for input the soonest, since
>>>>> the closing date is around 6 weeks from now, to a certain extent I agree
>>>>> with your assertion around synergy amongst committees but it needs to be 2
>>>>> way and also take place also at constituency level in a fair manner (seems
>>>>> like there is more work to be done to refine the charter based on different
>>>>> perspectives).
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyway, volunteers are always welcome and encouraged to contribute and
>>>>> help with drafting this comment (also let me know if interested in
>>>>> contributing to this), below is my first intake and clarity seeking asks,
>>>>> of which maybe some need to be directed to ICANN Finance, but anyone is
>>>>> welcome to respond or provide clarity:
>>>>>
>>>>> *1. PTI and IANA FY20 Operational plans and budgets*
>>>>> 1.1 PTI FY20 Ops plan budget
>>>>> Who is the NCSG rep when audits, checks and balances are made on PTI?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> JG: What do you mean by audits checks and balances?
>>>>> TM (rephrase): I simply mean who is responsible for monitoring
>>>>> operations of PTI? The community and/or ICANN itself?
>>>>>
>>>>> Travel: Why are stipents paid when staff is already paid as FTE?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> JG: This is standard corporate practice, either stipend or travel
>>>>> expenses are reimbursed to employees.
>>>>>
>>>> TM: Here was emphasizing that personnel costs are always on the
>>>> increase.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Depreciation: What happens to depreciated assets and if they re
>>>>> returned to ICANN, then what happens next?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> JG: Im not sure what the question is, depreciated assets are
>>>>> depreciated when their lifespan as defined in the depreciation matrix is
>>>>> reached.
>>>>>
>>>> TM: Question still remains, what happens after the lifespan has been
>>>> reached? Disposal, write-off or what?
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> FTE and Personnel expenses: Are these expenses not included in the
>>>>> annual ICANN budget or this is a different or new team/department within
>>>>> ICANN?
>>>>>
>>>>> JG: They are kept separate by design.
>>>>> TM: Please kindly help explain the design or purpose thereof?
>>>>>
>>>>> Last: It is interesting to see how ICANN always finds way to chip into
>>>>> budgets like the PTI budget to share costs while at the same time annual
>>>>> allocation are significant and impacting more the community, budget cuts
>>>>> also need to be felt at this level. It seems like on the overall, the PTI
>>>>> budget remains constant vs FY19
>>>>>
>>>>> *2. IANA FY 20 Operational plan and budget*
>>>>> Again, FTE expenses appear to be too generous as in ICANN FY 19
>>>>> budgets, averaging at around $260 000 per staff member
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> JG: IANA/PTI is staffed by a small group of experienced professionals,
>>>>> that is not a cheap FTE to attract and maintain, remember we are talking
>>>>> about PTI here.
>>>>> TM: I am aware about what I am commenting on, hence I went through the
>>>>> material to understand the activities involved in PTI and continuity of
>>>>> IANA functions, including ICANN's oversight role on PTI performance.
>>>>>
>>>>> Policy support related expenses: Are these expenses not included in
>>>>> the annual ICANN budget or this is a different or new team/department
>>>>> within ICANN working with PTI and how are these used to support community
>>>>> efforts?
>>>>>
>>>>> Least: As much as there are breakdowns of various budgets, there needs
>>>>> to now be a breakdown of community allocations within ICANN annual budgets
>>>>> to ensure consistency and uniformity, the investment, role and deliverables
>>>>> of service providers and professional services need to match and prove
>>>>> cost-efficiency and effectiveness as personnel costs and FTE related
>>>>> expenses are always on a high year after year, while there is complaint
>>>>> about budget limitations. Justification of IANA budget increments needs to
>>>>> be sought-out after as there were budget notes on the PTI budget, the
>>>>> current budget increment are not explained.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> JG: Please don’t conflate concerns about the ICANN budget with the PTI
>>>>> budget, these are very different topics.
>>>>> TM: Budgets are budgets, it is not wrong to compare and analyse budget
>>>>> trends, recurring expense items and make enquiry. ICANN staff expenditure
>>>>> is worth review as this expense item seems to always be in the rise across
>>>>> most if not all operational budgets, as this was one of the issues in the
>>>>> last community comment on FY19 ICANN ops plan and budget comment, few
>>>>> months ago. The respective source material does make reference to ICANN
>>>>> budgets and it is important to assess in part and as a whole.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> James: So, what are your comments on IANA/PTI FY20 operational plans
>>>> and budgets?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Thato Mfikwe.
>>>>> NCSG Finance Committee
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, Sep 29, 2018 at 4:40 AM Rafik Dammak <rafik.dammak at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ICANN published a new public comment and this time on PTI and IANA
>>>>>> FY20 Operating Plan and Budgets starting the planning process for new
>>>>>> fiscal year.
>>>>>> You can find more details about the background of this public comment
>>>>>> and the report  here
>>>>>> https://www.icann.org/public-comments/pti-iana-fy20-2018-09-28-en.
>>>>>> This is important as the community get more invovled on budget after IANA
>>>>>> stewardship transition.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I created this google doc to be used during the drafting and
>>>>>> accessible to all: *https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-uIAZKDp3qFb0ZxoXCH7eb7R6lKbkR3Mo9gKd7Jgokk/edit
>>>>>> <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-uIAZKDp3qFb0ZxoXCH7eb7R6lKbkR3Mo9gKd7Jgokk/edit>*
>>>>>>
>>>>>> NCSG Finance Committee should take lead, with participation from
>>>>>> other interested NCSG members, for drafting the comment  that will be
>>>>>> approved by the Policy Commitee as usual. Please let me offlist if you want
>>>>>> to join the drafting effort.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You can find previous public comment submitted by NCSG here
>>>>>> https://community.icann.org/display/gnsononcomstake/Public+Comments+-+2018 and
>>>>>> listing those who drafted them.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best Regards,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Rafik Dammak
>>>>>>
>>>>>> NCSG Policy Committee Chair
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
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