Re: [bc-gnso] 2013 Nom Com October Report Card

[Mike Roberts <mmr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ron -

Great report.   Glad to see some NomCom "sacred cows" biting the dust.

Here are a couple of other things that might improve NomCom performance and 
success rate.

- The Statement of Interest (SOI) process is a killer for many highly qualified 
potential applicants.  There is no intrinsic reason why a potential Board 
member should be forced to complete it as currently required.  The committee 
has other means of acquiring the necessary information, and/or having third 
parties complete it with the consent and participation of the candidate.  In my 
time on two recent NC's, there seemed to be a notion that having all the SOI's 
done exactly the same way "leveled the playing field."  Couldn't be farther 
from the truth.  The object here is to identify and recruit the best talent for 
the Board, not to let process get in the way.

- The Board workload, as currently described to applicants, is another killer.  
I have a lot of non-profit Board experience in my background, and no other 
organization comes close to the level of time commitment required of ICANN 
Board members.  Even allowing for our unique structure and status, the recent 
situation is depriving ICANN of valuable Board talent.  With Fadi having set 
new directions and appointed a strong executive team, I think the description 
of time commitment could be scaled back.  Why doesn't the NomCom have a 
specific discussion with the Board Governance Cmte on this important issue and 
see if a revised look isn't possible?

Regards,

- Mike




On Oct 23, 2012, at 9:16 AM, Ron Andruff wrote:

> Dear members,
>  
> On behalf of Waudo Siganga and I, your 2013 Nominating Committee (Nom Com) 
> member representatives, I am pleased to send you our Committee’s first ever 
> monthly ‘Report Card’, just one of the innovations launched at our first 
> meeting, for more detailed reporting back to the ICANN community.  This 
> document represents a sea change in transparency for the Nom Com and one that 
> we believe will underscore the Committee’s commitment to openness and 
> integrity in this year’s process of selecting strong candidates to fill key 
> roles in ICANN’s ever-improving leadership.
>  
> Regarding our 2013 Committee’s new regime of openness, our Chairman, Yrjo 
> Lansipuro noted: “We re-examined the reasons behind the exaggerated secrecy 
> that has surrounded the NomCom institution. We went back to the 2007 NomCom 
> Review, which offered an explanation: the  justified requirement of absolute 
> candidate confidentiality has led members and staff  to “err on the side of 
> caution” and treat many other aspects of the NomCom’s operation as 
> confidential “just to be safe.” The 2007 Review noted: "Secrecy beyond what 
> is required to preserve candidate confidentiality shields the NomCom from 
> outside pressure and influence but also damages its credibility."
>  
> Encouraged by our meetings with constituency representatives, with the Board 
> and the CEO, the 2013 NomCom decided to make a clean distinction between our 
> processes, which should be as transparent as possible, and information about 
> the candidates, which shall remain absolutely confidential.  I hope that this 
> change will be noticed by the community. We'll keep on reporting, and we'll 
> have an open session in Beijing.”
>  
> Both Waudo and I are pleased to report that the Committee has begun its 
> mandate with a strong sense of mutual respect and camaraderie; fully united 
> in its mission.
>  
> I have also attached the 2013 Nom Com Timeline of activities and the Open 
> Positions that we will be working toward filling.  Soon, we will send an 
> announcement to the BC list explaining the nature of the candidates we are 
> looking for and the process for applying.  We encourage you, however, to 
> start thinking now about whom you know that would be a potential candidate to 
> add to the pool.
>  
> Our next Report Card will be forthcoming immediately following our meeting in 
> mid-November.
>  
> Kind regards,
>  
> RA
>  
> Ronald N. Andruff
> President
>  
> RNA Partners, Inc.
> 220 Fifth Avenue
> New York, New York 10001
> + 1 212 481 2820 ext. 11
>  
>  
> <2013 Open Leadership Positions r2.pdf><NomCom Report Card Oct 2012 Final 
> r1.pdf><2013 NomCom timetable.ppt>