Public Comment
Competition, Consumer Trust, and Consumer Choice Review Team (CCT-RT) Accepted Recommendations – Plan for Implementation and Next Steps
Open Date
11 September 2019 23:59 UTC
Close Date
31 October 2019 23:59 UTC
Staff Report Due
14 November 2019 23:59 UTC
Brief Overview
Purpose: Community input is requested to determine whether the path suggested by ICANN org to implement the six Competition, Consumer Trust, and Consumer Choice Review Team (CCT-RT) recommendations the Board resolved to accept on 1 March 2019 is reasonable in the context of the intent of CCT-RT. Additionally, community feedback is invited on the next steps for accepted recommendations.
Current Status: The plan for implementation sets out the approach for future implementation of the six CCT-RT recommendations the Board resolved to accept and assembles estimates that are directional for understanding.The plan for implementation provides an overview of implementation activities to be undertaken, where possible, highlights dependencies, and enumerates resources requirements (if any).
Next Steps: In exercising its fiduciary duty, the Board intends to consider the proposed plan for implementation as well as community feedback received on the proposed path forward and considerations specific to each recommendation. Once the community input adequately considered, the ICANN Board will direct ICANN org to produce a detailed implementation plan that results in the implementation of recommendations 1, 17, 21, 22, 30, 31, including any adjustments the input received through the public comment proceeding may potentially prompt. Further implementation details, including resources availability, scheduling, will be supplemented with specific details and budget plans once the implementation steps are underway.
Section I: Description and Explanation
The plan for implementation submitted for public comment today is in furtherance of Board resolution 2019.03.01.03 to accept Competition, Consumer Trust, and Consumer Choice Review Team (CCT-RT) recommendations 1, 17, 21, 22, 30, 31, subject to costing and implementation considerations.
As indicated in the Board action, the plan for implementation contains information such as a description of the activities proposed to be carried out, estimated duration, resource requirements (including funding source), dependencies, and other elements, where available and possible.
As articulated in the Board resolution, the costing and implementation considerations are "needed in order for the Board to fully understand the resource and costing impact before committing to spend ICANN resources. These considerations will also contribute to an understanding of how the resources allocated to any specific recommendations (or suite of recommendations) support ICANN in serving its Mission and the public interest, including what projects or work need to be traded off within ICANN in order to fund the work identified to meet the CCT-RT recommendations".
In exercising its fiduciary duty, the Board intends to consider the proposed plan for implementation as well as community feedback received on the proposed path forward and considerations specific to each recommendation. This will allow for the Board to understand how resources allocated to specific recommendations support ICANN in serving its Mission in the public interest, including what projects or work need to be traded off within ICANN in order to fund the work identified to meet the CCT-RT recommendations.
Community input is essential to determine whether the path suggested to implement the CCT-RT recommendation is reasonable in the context of the intent of CCT-RT. This plan for implementation sets out the approach for future implementation of accepted recommendations and assemble estimates that are directional for understanding. A detailed implementation plan will be produced once ICANN Board directs the implementation work to begin. Further implementation details, including resources availability, scheduling, will be supplemented with specific details and budget plans once the implementation steps are underway.
Additionally, community feedback is invited on the next steps for accepted recommendations. Once the community feedback on the plan for implementation documented through a public comment summary and adequately considered, the ICANN Board will direct ICANN org to produce a detailed implementation plan that results in the implementation of accepted recommendations, including any adjustments the input received through the public comment proceeding may potentially prompt. Implementation work, where no significant incremental costs and resources are needed will begin immediately thereafter. CCT recommendations that require significant resources and budget will be included into the FY21-25 operational planning and budgeting process, which – per the process in place and in accordance with ICANN's accountability and transparency commitments – is submitted for public comment. The call for input on the FY21-25 Operational Plan and Financial Plan is planned for December 2019 and will allow the community to consider how the implementation of CCT recommendations fits into all other planned work, allowing for prioritization within the broader context.
Section II: Background
The Competition, Consumer Trust, and Consumer Choice Review Team (CCT-RT) submitted its Final Report – https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/cct-final-08sep18-en.pdf – and Recommendations – https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/cct-final-recs-08sep18-en.pdf – to the ICANN Board of Directors on 8 September 2018.
On 1 March 2019, the ICANN Board took action on the Final Recommendations produced by the Competition, Consumer Trust, and Consumer Choice Review Team (CCT-RT) – see https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2019-03-01-en.
Per ICANN Bylaws, the ICANN Board carefully considered how to best address each of the recommendations, and decided on three categories of action: accepted, pending, and passing through to different parts of the community, as documented in a detailed scorecard accompanying the Board resolution – https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/resolutions-final-cct-recs-scorecard-01mar19-en.pdf.
The plan for implementation submitted for public comment today is in furtherance of Board resolution 2019.03.01.03 to: 1) accept CCT recommendations 1, 17, 21, 22, 30, 31, subject to costing and implementation considerations; and 2) direct ICANN "to develop and submit to the Board a plan for the implementation of the accepted recommendations. This plan should be completed and provided to the community for consideration no later than six months after this Board action. The ICANN President and CEO, or his designee(s), is directed to report back to the Board on the plan and any community input no later than nine (9) months after this Board action". The plan for implementation provides an overview of implementation activities to be undertaken, where possible, highlights dependencies, and enumerates resources requirements (if any).
As articulated in the rationale for the resolution, "the Board's acceptance is a first step towards implementation". ICANN org was directed to develop a plan for implementation containing information such as a description of the activities proposed to be carried out, estimated duration, resource requirements (including funding source), dependencies, and other elements. Additionally, the Board action indicated that priority labels the CCT identified should be considered in the development of the proposed plan.
The Board resolution called for the plan to be "completed and provided to the community for consideration no later than six months after this Board action". Accordingly, the community is "asked to provide inputs on the plan for implementation of the accepted recommendations, and the Board will then consider the plan and any community input". Further to community consideration, ICANN org will report back to the Board on the plan and any community input no later than December 2019, in accordance with Board resolution provisions.
Section III: Relevant Resources
- Competition, Consumer Trust, and Consumer Choice Review (CCT) – Accepted Recommendations – Plan for Implementation
- Approved Board resolutions (1 March 2019) on Competition, Consumer Trust, and Consumer Choice Review Team (CCT) Final Report and Recommendations
- Final CCT Recommendations: Board Action (1 March 2019)
- Competition, Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice (CCT) Review Team Final Report [PDF, 4.89 MB]
Section IV: Additional Information
Launched under the Affirmation of Commitments (AoC), the Competition, Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice (CCT) Review Team was formed in January 2016 to assess the effects of the New Generic Top-Level Domain (New gTLD) Program in three areas: competition, consumer trust, and consumer choice. The review also assessed the effectiveness of safeguards put in place to mitigate issues arising from the introduction of new gTLDs and the New gTLD Program's application and evaluation process.
The review, now included under ICANN Bylaws section 4.6 https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/governance/bylaws-en/#article4.6, examines the extent to which the New gTLD Program has promoted competition, consumer trust and consumer choice. The CCT analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data to produce recommendations for the ICANN Board to consider. Informed by multiple studies, research, and data gathering initiatives, as well as input from the ICANN community and ICANN Board, the CCT-RT released a final report on 8 September 2018.
The report contains 35 full consensus recommendations, covering requests for more and better data collection, policy issues to be addressed by the community, and suggested reforms relating to transparency and data collection within ICANN Contractual Compliance.
As required by the ICANN Bylaws, the CCT-RT Final Report and Recommendations were published for public comment (https://www.icann.org/public-comments/cct-final-recs-2018-10-08-en) to inform Board action on the report. The summary of comments received on the Final Report (https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/report-comments-cct-final-recs-01feb19-en.pdf) highlighted divergences of opinion, including key concerns on the final recommendations and lack of community alignment on resource allocation.
Recognizing that the Board has the obligation and responsibility to plan and manage the work of ICANN org in order to preserve the ability for ICANN org to serve its mission and the public interest, the Board established three categories of action, as documented in the scorecard accompanying the Board resolution: https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/resolutions-final-cct-recs-scorecard-01mar19-en.pdf:
- Six recommendations were accepted (resolution 2019.03.01.03) subject to costing and implementation considerations. ICANN org was directed to develop and submit to the Board a plan for the implementation of the accepted recommendations. This plan should be completed and provided to the community for consideration no later than six months after this Board action.
- Seventeen recommendations (resolution 2019.03.01.04) were placed in pending status (in whole or in part), with a commitment to take further action on these recommendations subsequent to the completion of intermediate steps as identified in the Scorecard.
- Fourteen recommendations were passed through (in whole or in part) to community groups the CCT-RT identified for consideration. In passing these recommendations through, the Board is neither accepting, nor rejecting the recommendations.
ICANN org subject matter experts leading on topics of the six accepted recommendations were provided with a framework of areas to address. When possible, the subject matter experts endeavored to provide the information. A template was designed to address fields identified in the Board action as information the implementation should address.
Comments Closed
Report of Public Comments