Comments on Fellowship Program Application Process Review

[Brice Abba <briceabba@xxxxxxxxx>]

I all,

I have never been an ICANN fellows but I have been able to play a key role
in other fellowship program.
Fortunately every process can be improved but this improvement should be
based on data.

-1- Do we have any data collection from fellows about the way this program
could be improved (e.g. survey)
-2- Do we have a mechanism or metrics to mesure how successful has been
this program with respect to the goal of the ICANN fellowship program which
is to strengthen the Multistakeholder Model through capacity building

However the DPRD did a great job in this document, specially
by comparing what we have today in the fellowship program and what will be
the new approach with regard to the former goal of the ICANN fellowship
program, hoping that he points (1) and (2) above have been also considered.

-1- Fellowships are for people that express financial need but also for
people who deserve it, regardless their financial situation. So, we can
decide to reserve 80% for the people who express financial need and 20% for
people who shows real interest for the internet community and are active
other severals mailing list.

-2- I'm also glad to see that this new version will include all the places
and not only poor countries, and I support that. However, I would like to
see more ICANN meeting in western Africa, and since language is not a
barrier at ICANN, a french speaking country can also be a good option.

-3- From the fellowship application form, I am not confortable with these
two fields:

      3-a) Do you consider yourself a member of any of indigenous peoples
or minority groups? If yes, please explain:


I understand the need to show that one is form a special area but I think
that this field could be modify to only point out the ethnic group and in
the back end with the help of the document we will be able to see if this
 can be classify as <indigenous peoples or minority groups> but this field
"Ethnicity" is optional in the new form, making it mandatory fix the
problem in my point of view.


     3-b)  Do you consider yourself a member of any underserved or
under-represented community? If yes, please explain:


What is the meaning of  <under-represented community> agains what?

 (i) The ICANN board of directors

(ii) The country where the applicant is living?


This field seems to be ambiguous for me. But if the meaning is (ii) this
mean that 3-b is redundant since 3-a does almost the same.


Regards,
-- 
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Brice ABBA
www.afrinic.net