ICANN: Draft Framework of Principles for Cross Community Working Groups

Purpose: This public comment proceeding seeks to obtain community feedback on a proposed draft framework of uniform principles to guide the initiation and operations of future cross community working groups.

In March 2014, the ccNSO and GNSO Councils chartered a cross community working group (CCWG-Principles) to develop a uniform framework of principles intended to guide the formation, initiation, operations and closure of future CCWGs. The group reviewed several previous joint and cross-community efforts to understand the typical life cycle of such groups, including the two most recent cross-community working groups (the CWG-Stewardship and the CCWG-Accountability).

The draft Framework of Principles that is now being published for public comment builds on the CCWG-Principles’ understanding of the nature, needs and problems of these previous efforts. Structured around these groups’ typical life cycle, the draft framework sets out a series of chronological steps to be taken by each ICANN Supporting Organization and Advisory Committee in determining whether to establish a new CCWG and whether to participate in it by chartering the CCWG. It also documents the elements to be included in a typical CCWG charter and the processes to be followed for a CCWG’s recommendations to be adopted by its chartering organizations. A template for a CCWG charter has also been included. While comments are invited on all parts of the document, the CCWG-Principles will welcome in particular any input on the open questions contained in Section 4.

Following the close of the public comment period, the CCWG-Principles will review all feedback received (including from any ICANN Supporting Organization and Advisory Committee in response to the draft Framework), and prepare a proposed final framework for adoption by the ccNSO and GNSO Councils. It is anticipated that, following adoption of the final Framework by the ccNSO and GNSO Councils, all other ICANN Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees will be invited to also consider adopting the framework for all future CCWGs that are to be formed.

There has been an increasing reliance on cross community working groups within the ICANN community as there is an increasing number of issues that are recognized to cut across and affect more than one of ICANN’s Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees. Despite there having been several CCWGs to date, including most recently on ICANN Accountability and the IANA Stewardship Transition, there are no agreed community-wide guidelines on their use. Between 2011 and 2013 the GNSO community had worked on a set of preliminary guidelines for such efforts, for which the ccNSO had provided detailed feedback.

Each Supporting Organization and Advisory Committee within ICANN is responsible for different aspects of policy development and advice, and operates under different mandates and remits. There are, however, issues that affect or interest more than one Supporting Organization and/or Advisory Committee. Up to now, cross community working groups have been formed on a relatively ad-hoc basis, without a framework of consistent operating principles that take into account the differences between each SO/AC. In order to facilitate the successful functioning of CWGs, and to build upon previous work by the GNSO and ccNSO, the current CWG-Principles was chartered by the ccNSO and GNSO Councils in March 2014, to develop a framework of uniform operating principles to facilitate the effective and efficient functioning of future CWGs

• Draft Uniform Framework for a Cross Community Working Group (CCWG) Life Cycle: Principles and Recommendations [PDF, 92 KB]