Time Sheet Request

["Michael D. Palage" <michael@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Kevin Wilson, ICANN's CFO, has made create strides in improving transparency
and accountability in connection with ICANN's finances. However, the one
glaring accountability mechanism that ICANN has failed to implement is time
sheets for its employees and consultants. While the administrative burden
associated with time sheets potentially outweighed their utility when ICANN
had a head count in the single digits and a budget of only a couple of
million dollars, ICANN is now an international organization with offices in
multiple countries, over 100 employees on staff, and a budget in excess of
$60 million dollars. Simply put, it is no longer an option. If there is to
be true accountability and transparency as to how ICANN imposes and collect
fees, ICANN needs to implement a time sheet program for its staff and
consultants.

 

Historically, ICANN has had to subsidize the ccNSO operations, because the
voluntary funds collected from ccTLD operators did not cover ICANN's
expenditures to this supporting organization. In connection with new IDN
ccTLDs, ICANN has proposed to collect 3% of revenue associated with these
domain names. Would it not be better for ICANN to demonstrate its actual
costs in providing services to these IDN ccTLDs rather than
proposing/imposing a 3% surcharge on registry revenue?

 

Let me make it clear that this proposal for time sheets is not because I
believe ICANN staff is not giving 100%. In fact, the time sheets will
probably reveal that many dedicated ICANN staff are going above and beyond
what their job require. This fact should show in their time sheets, and
those staff should be properly compensated as part of ICANN's normal
performance compensation plans. 

 

Could the ICANN Board please make this an operational priority in next
year's budget.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Michael Palage