The Mission of NCSG Strategic Review Working Group

[Sam Lanfranco]

A brief reflection: As a child I received a Japanese post-WWII toy windup car. It had a 5th wheel on the bottom. Every time it got to the edge of the table the 5th wheel would redirect it so it would not fall off the table. Our approach to issues here is like the reverse of that windup car. No matter where we start, there are forces at play to drive the discussion off the table and over the edge.

I initiated this discussion with my posting on the state of the troika (NCSG, NCUC, NPOC) where I suggested that a review was in order since significant volunteer labor went into three administrative structures dealing with (and competing over) virtually identical work agendas. I also noted that we were short volunteer engagement in ongoing ICANN tasks (PDPs, comments, etc.). We have low levels of engagement by the bulk of troika membership. Lastly, given the size of the ngo/civil society sector on the planet we are a terribly tiny band of warriors speaking on behalf of the vast stakeholder community in that sector.

To ignore the consequences of existing structures, and simply treat this as but another exercise in outreach, may protect some in-house structural entitlements but it will not attract a broader membership that joins with a sense of engagement and agency. Also, it will not strengthen our voice within the work of ICANN. Lastly, it will not make us more engaged with or accountable to the global ngo/civil society sector and its non-commercial stakeholders.

Many have worked hard for what we have. They are to be thanked for that. The motivation behind my “troika” intervention was to get us to review existing structures and consider structural changes that would increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the volunteer engagement we have, increase our “clout” within ICANN, and attract a broader membership that joins with a sense of engagement and agency.

I am reminded or the early Internet stakeholder groups that structured themselves around special interest groups (SIGs), for example the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) “Birds of a Feather” groups. https://www.ietf.org/how/bofs/ .

We might consider taking a feather or two from the IETF nest as we reflect on how to go forward here.

Sam Lanfranco (NCSG, NPOC)


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