Re: [soac-newgtldapsup-wg] [] ICANN Seeks Volunteers

[Avri Doria <avri@xxxxxxx>]

Hi Andrew,

I guess we have a difference of opinion on what is too much for a volunteer.

When I was in the role of g-council chair, I would often put in 40 hours or 
more in a week as part of my volunteer effort.  I tend to put ICANN in the same 
category of advocation that others, in the US anyway, put serving in a 
volunteer fire department or a suicide hotline.  It is a second job one does 
for free because they think it is important.  It my not be life and death as it 
is in the volunteer fire department or the suicide hotline, but it is pretty 
important.

In any case, it was a JAS recommendation and now that the Board has accepted 
it, it is a Board decision.  There were lots of comments periods, but I 
actually do not remember a single comment on this issue (but I may be wrong).  
And I agree with that decision because I think it take community aware people 
to decide who meets the criteria or who is gaming. So I think the effort should 
be a volunteer one.  I would prefer to see ICANN put more money toward helping 
people who need help to participate at all.  Then again, I still don't believe 
ICANN Board members should be paid, so I recognize that I am in a minority.

Now, this is easy for me to say as I do not plan on volunteering for the SARP 
as I made a personal decision that having been an part of recommending the 
policies for the ASP, I should not also be the one making decisions about who 
qualifies for support.  I think this is one of the conflict of interest things 
that people are alway talking about.  But rest assured, I still plan to 
volunteer too many hours a week to ICANN and its various issues - just in other 
areas. 

avri

On 13 Feb 2012, at 17:46, amack wrote:

> Avri,
> 
> I know I have mentioned on some calls the concern that the time commitments 
> for SARP membership is a lot to ask of pure volunteers, and that we may lose 
> many of the people that might be best able to do the work.  
> 
> Not sure I agree with everything Marilyn says (certainly wouldn't want 
> evaluators to be sued), but I do think the points have some merit.
> 
> When Marilyn says "ICANN has the funds to do this", that sounds plausible but 
> we wouldn't want the money to come out of the support fund.  So question to 
> the entire group: If we wanted to propose a hybrid solution to allow some 
> contracting, any ideas as to what pot of money these funds might come from?
> 
> Thanks, Andrew
> 
> 
> -----------------------------------------
> Andrew Mack
> Principal
> AMGlobal Consulting
> +1-202-642-6429
> amack@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> 2001 Massachusetts Avenue, NW First floor 
> Washington, DC 20036
> www.amglobal.com
> 
> 
> From: Avri Doria <avri@xxxxxxx>
> Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2012 20:37:48 -0500
> To: <soac-newgtldapsup-wg@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [soac-newgtldapsup-wg] Fwd: [liaison6c] ICANN Seeks Volunteers
> 
> fyi
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
>> From: Marilyn Cade <marilynscade@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Subject: RE: [liaison6c] ICANN Seeks Volunteers
>> Date: 9 February 2012 20:22:23 EST
>> To: Avri Doria <avri@xxxxxxx>, "liaison6c@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" 
>> <liaison6c@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Chuck Gomes <cgomes@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> 
>> 
>> Avri, thanks. 
>> 
>> I understand now, that that was a JAS recommendation, and undoubtedly, many 
>> of us 'missed' it, as we are all drowning in too much to do, and too many 
>> public comments on too many topics and issues. 
>> 
>> [I was looking for an emoticon with a 'glub, glub, glub' set of rising 
>> bubbles... but didn't find that. Maybe that is a needed addition to 
>> emoticons. ]
>> 
>> It is my view that the assessment of applications should be done by retained 
>> people,who accept a contract; declare no conflicts; and can be fired, or 
>> sued, if they violate their responsibilities to make fact based, neutral 
>> assessments. And, they can't be applicants, or advising applicants in any 
>> way. Needless to say, they also have to sign confidentiality agreements. 
>> 
>> I am sorry that this was overlooked, but actually, I think that ICANN staff 
>> AND the board who review and sign off on proposals like this do have to pay 
>> attention to such details, and not abdicate accountability and 
>> responsibility.  For ICANN to be respected, and respectable in its integrity 
>> it does not have a rationale to ignore, or short cut what is considered good 
>> practice in allocating 'managed resources.'  That is what this is about. 
>> 
>> Sometimes we can make uninformed recommendations, and the public comment 
>> process isn't catching these. 
>> 
>> So, I am still of the view: hire people; make them sign a contract; no 
>> conflicts of interest allowed; and audit their work. That sounds pretty much 
>> like what ' good practice governance ' requires. 
>> 
>> We want an ICANN with integrity; accountability, and auditability. That is 
>> also a way to ensure fairness in the assessments, so that no one is 
>> disadvantaged by lack of expertise, or lack of knowledge, or bias that may 
>> not be apparent. Volunteers are great. I am one. But, volunteers should not 
>> run aspects of the program like this one. 
>> 
>> And, ICANN has the funds to do better than this. I am not suggesting that 
>> community members cannot apply for the 'jobs', but that volunteers cannot be 
>> tasked to replace what must be a contracted work assignment. 
>> 
>> Marilyn Cade 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> > Subject: Re: [liaison6c] ICANN Seeks Volunteers
>> > From: avri@xxxxxxx
>> > Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2012 13:58:01 -0500
>> > CC: Glen@xxxxxxxxx; liaison6c@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > To: marilynscade@xxxxxxxxxxx
>> > 
>> > 
>> > 
>> > It was part of the JAS recommendation. No one objected in any of the 
>> > reviews.
>> > 
>> > Can't blame ICANN Staff for it though.
>> > 
>> > avri
>> > 
>> > On 9 Feb 2012, at 08:51, Marilyn Cade wrote:
>> > 
>> > > 
>> > > Using volunteers for this purpose is seriously flawed, and limits 
>> > > accountability. 
>> > > 
>> > > Marilyn Cade
>> > > Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
>> > > 
>> > > -----Original Message-----
>> > > From: Glen de Saint Géry <Glen@xxxxxxxxx>
>> > > Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2012 23:15:30 
>> > > To: <liaison6c@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> > > Subject: [liaison6c] ICANN Seeks Volunteers
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > February 7, 2012
>> > > 
>> > > Volunteers Sought to Help Evaluate Generic Top-Level Domain Applicants 
>> > > Seeking Financial Support
>> > > 
>> > > New Panel Will Help Expand Internet's Reach
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-3-03feb12-en.htm<http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-3-03feb12-en.htm>
>> > >  
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > Marina del Rey, California. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names 
>> > > and Numbers (ICANN) is seeking volunteers who will assist in the 
>> > > evaluation of those organizations seeking financial support to apply for 
>> > > a new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD).
>> > > "These volunteers will be key to ICANN's effort to assure that the 
>> > > less-developed parts of the world are able to participate in the new 
>> > > Domain name program," said Kurt Pritz, Senior Vice President. "The panel 
>> > > members will make a real impact in ensuring that the opportunities for 
>> > > innovation and economic development created by the Internet are open to 
>> > > everyone." 
>> > > The volunteers will be chosen for their background and experience in 
>> > > areas such as running a small business, operating in developing 
>> > > economies, analyzing business plans, serving in the public interest, 
>> > > managing a domain name registry service, or awarding grants.
>> > > The financial assistance component of the Applicant Support Program 
>> > > offers a limited number of qualifying applicants the opportunity to pay 
>> > > a reduced evaluation fee of $47,000 instead of the full evaluation fee 
>> > > of $185,000.
>> > > The selected volunteers will assist in the evaluation of financial 
>> > > support applicants in the context of established public interest, 
>> > > financial capabilities and financial need criteria as outlined in the 
>> > > "Financial Assistance Handbook 
>> > > <http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/candidate-support/financial-assistance-handbook-11jan12-en.pdf>
>> > >  ." 
>> > > Those who are interested in applying, should review the criteria, time 
>> > > commitment and other expectations, which are detailed here: 
>> > > http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/candidate-support/sarp-eoi-request-03feb12-en.pdf
>> > > ### 
>> > > * To learn more about the Applicant Support Program, go here: 
>> > > http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/candidate-support.
>> > > 
>> > > * To read the New gTLD Financial Assistance Handbook, go here: 
>> > > http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/candidate-support/financial-assistance-handbook-11jan12-en.pdf
>> > >  
>> > > 
>> > > * To learn more about the New gTLD program, go here: 
>> > > http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/about/program/materials
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > Glen de Saint Géry
>> > > GNSO Secretariat
>> > > gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
>> > > http://gnso.icann.org
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > 
>> > 
>