[gnso-review-dt] Final Report of the Review of the GNSO

["Larisa B. Gurnick" <larisa.gurnick@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Jen and the GNSO Review Working Party,

Attached is the Final Report of the GNSO Review.  The below announcement along 
with the Final Report will be posted on the ICANN website shortly.  Richard 
Westlake will provide a brief overview of the Final Report at the GNSO Review 
Working Party meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 16 September 2015 at 14:00 UTC.

Please note that Section I: Report Summary offers a useful overview of 
Westlake's work, findings and recommendations,  while the second document  
highlights changes in recommendations from the Draft Report  to Final Report.

Thank you for your substantial work and support of this important project 
during the past 14 months.  We look forward to a productive implementation 
planning phase.

Larisa
Announcement:  Independent Examiner Issues Final Report of Their Review of the 
Generic Names Supporting Organization
Westlake Governance Limited ("Westlake Governance"), the independent examiner 
for the review of the Generic Names Supporting Organization ("GNSO") has issued 
its final report.  This marks an important milestone in ICANN's commitment to 
continuous improvement, accountability and transparency.  After extensive 
consultation with the GNSO and the broader ICANN community, including a formal 
public comment 
process<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/gnso-review-draft-2015-06-01-en> 
and ongoing engagement and participation of the GNSO Review Working 
Party<https://community.icann.org/x/X5LhAg>, Westlake Governance formulated 
their conclusions.
Westlake determined that the GNSO has made good progress in implementing a 
Working Group model as the foundation for consensus work, in restructuring the 
GNSO Council and in improving communications and coordination with the ICANN 
Board and other structures, among other improvements.  Recognizing that 
organizational effectiveness is a process of continuous improvement, Westlake 
offers 36 recommendations in the areas of: participation & representation, 
continuous development, transparency and alignment with ICANN's future.
In preparation for the eventual implementation of Board-approved 
recommendations, the GNSO Review Working Party will provide their input on 
feasibility, focusing on prioritization of recommendations and alignment of 
implementation with other improvements already planned or underway. The ICANN 
Board is expected to take action on the findings and recommendations in the 
early part of 2016, after consideration of all community input.
What is the significance of the GNSO Review?
The GNSO<http://gnso.icann.org/en/> serves an important function - it is 
responsible for developing and recommending to the ICANN Board substantive 
policies relating to generic top-level domains.
Based on direction from the Board, the purpose of the Review was to evaluate 
organizational effectiveness of the GNSO in accordance with the ICANN-provided 
objective and quantifiable criteria; acknowledge areas that are working well, 
identify areas that need improvement and propose needed changes. This review, 
like reviews of other structures within ICANN, is mandated by ICANN's 
Bylaws<https://www.icann.org/en/about/governance/bylaws>.  The Organizational 
Effectiveness Committee of the 
Board<https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/organizational-effectiveness-committee-2014-03-21-en>
 (previously the Structural Improvements Committee) is responsible for review 
and oversight of policies relating to ICANN's ongoing organizational review 
process.
"This Review is significant for a number of reasons.  The process piloted 
several improvements, offering important lessons that will be incorporated into 
upcoming Reviews.  The Final Report comes at a time of pivotal change and 
transformation at ICANN. The Community's  views along with the  examiner's 
insights will inform and contribute  to enhanced organizational effectiveness 
of ICANN structures and ICANN as a whole," commented Rinalia Abdul Rahim, Chair 
of the Organizational Effectiveness Committee.
 How is the GNSO Community involved?
During the course of the last 14 months, Westlake Governance conducted 
research, analyzed data and evaluated effectiveness of prior review 
recommendations working closely with the GNSO Review Working Party. The 
20-member GNSO Review Working Party<https://community.icann.org/x/X5LhAg> 
representing the diversity of the GNSO Community was designated by the GNSO 
Council as a liaison between the GNSO, the Independent Examiner and the ICANN 
Board. Under the leadership of Jen Wolfe, this group has represented the voice 
of the GNSO community throughout the Review, in an effort that introduced 
several important Review process improvements.
What does "continuous improvement" mean?
With Reviews as a tool to inspire a culture of continuous improvement, the GNSO 
Review Working Party will have a pivotal role in helping prioritize 
recommendations and ensuring a shared understanding of what an "effective" or 
"successful" implementation would look like.  The independent review process 
fostered diverse views on how GNSO should be structured for the future and 
these discussions are expected to provide useful input into GNSO's 
implementation work.   Whether structural changes are needed and when such 
changes should be considered will be topics for discussion after the conclusion 
of the Review process, possibly during the implementation planning.
GNSO Review by the Numbers
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Additional information
For additional information, please visit:
GNSO Review web site<https://www.icann.org/resources/reviews/org/gnso>
GNSO Review Working 
Space<https://community.icann.org/display/GR2/GNSO+Review+2014+Home>
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers for the GNSO 
Review<https://community.icann.org/x/zbXhAg>
GNSO web site<http://gnso.icann.org/en/>
Organizational Reviews Information<https://www.icann.org/resources/reviews/org>


Larisa B. Gurnick
Director, Strategic Initiatives
Mobile: 1 310 383-8995
Skype: larisa.gurnick

Attachment: Final Report of Review of Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO)-September 2015.pdf
Description: Final Report of Review of Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO)-September 2015.pdf

Attachment: GNSO Review Recommendations - changes from Draft to Final Report.pdf
Description: GNSO Review Recommendations - changes from Draft to Final Report.pdf