[PC-NCSG] ICANN Staff Pilot Program to assist ICANN document development and drafting

[Klaus Stoll]

Dear Friends

Greetings. I would strongly support Sam's position. This program for me 
represents another step to disenfranchise the community and move the 
control over the policy making processes away from it. We should take 
this very serious and ensure that are concerns are taken into account.

Yours

Klaus

On 2/22/2016 1:32 PM, Sam Lanfranco wrote:
> Some of you will have read the message from David Olive, sent to the 
> SOAC leadership list earlier in the month, in which he outlines a 
> Staff initiative for "a new pilot program we are developing to assist 
> ICANN communities with document development and drafting." I have no 
> idea where the proposal stands at the moment, although they hoped to 
> roll it out before Marrakesh. (See full message attached).
>
> I have several concerns about the viability of this proposal. They are 
> listed below this */brief overview /*of the proposal.
>
> ?    The proposal ICANN is working on is with Dan O?Neill of WBC 
> Global to help develop, coordinate and manage the implementation of 
> this assistance program. WBC Global is mainly a provider of background 
> information to the business community, and an arranger for access to 
> staff and representatives in the U.S. Congress. I do not know if it 
> currently performs Washington work for ICANN.
>
> ?    The proposed pilot program will assist eligible ICANN community 
> groups with search, and preparation of issue overviews, participation 
> in community calls, writing, editing, or any combination of those 
> services. The program will help ICANN test what types of services can 
> be provided and in what manner to see if it is possible to establish 
> the capability as a regular ICANN support program.
>
> ?    Staff is requesting expressions of interest via a questionnaire 
> [/not sure where it is/], to be completed by 29 January 2016. Staff is 
> also requesting suggestions for specific individuals who might take on 
> temporary assignments to serve in the support role, but 
> [unfortunately] ICANN procurement principles would prevent someone 
> from the same community helping out within that community. In my view 
> this will almost guarantee that support is from sources that poorly 
> understand context and process, no matter what their writing and 
> editing skills may be. The goal was to launch the pilot program before 
> Marrakesh, but I have heard nothing more.
>
> /*Concerns:*/
>
> Based on what WBC Global does I think this is a poor match between WBC 
> Global's skills and our constituency needs. WBC Global's services are 
> listed here: http://www.wbcglobal.com/7022.html
>
> It does briefing papers for the corporate sector, and it does Wash 
> D.C. contacting services: /"//Arrange appointments for client 
> executives with Members of Congress or staff, Administration officials 
> and other policy experts in Washington; Organize and staff a 
> customized seminars or briefings for visiting senior executives on 
> setting up and carrying out an effective government relations program 
> in Washington."/
>
> I wonder if it is already under contract to ICANN for Wash D.C. 
> government relations activity.
>
> My reluctance about this proposition has nothing to do with the 
> abilities of WBC Global, within its scope of competence. This effort 
> has to be targeted primarily at the non-contract and probably mainly 
> the non-commercial groups since contracted and commercial groups 
> frequently have the resources to pay for/get done what they need 
> worked on.
>
> For the non-commercial and not-for-profit/civil society organization 
> groups the challenge is neither a lack of expertise nor a lack of 
> writing ability. Many people in our constituencies are occupied doing 
> both in other areas, and that is the problem. The problem is a lack of 
> volunteer time to devote to what needs to be done. Based on what WBC 
> Global does [see website] I do not think it has the appropriate 
> expertise to be of significant help here. We could do better with a 
> contract to a dedicated constituency person who handed edits and 
> cracks the whip on time lines from agreed flow chart milestones.
>
> A model where each WG, PDP, etc. included funding to contract one 
> knowledgeable person for x hours over y weeks to "handle the pen" and 
> "crack the whip" on time lines would work better and be a lot less 
> costly. That ICANN contract procurement principles would prevent this 
> is an issue to be dealt with and addressed. The alternative, only 
> retaining people without specific knowledge or an understanding of the 
> specific context is not a good alternative. It would neither reduce 
> our work nor improve the outcome. Our challenge is neither background 
> research, nor editing and word-smithing skills, it is access to blocks 
> of time from skilled expertise within our community.
>
> Since this deals with how we (NCSG, NCUC, NPOC) would engage in policy 
> development, should we have a discussion and reach a consensus 
> position on this proposal? Does anyone have updated information on 
> this initiative?
>
> Sam L.
>
>
>
>
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