Public Comment
Draft FY22-26 Operating & Financial Plan and Draft FY22 Operating Plan & Budget
Open Date
17 December 2020 23:59 UTC
Close Date
15 February 2021 23:59 UTC
Staff Report Due
18 March 2021 23:59 UTC
Brief Overview
Purpose: The purpose of this Public Comment is to seek community input on ICANN's Draft FY22-26 Operating and Financial Plan and Draft FY22 Operating Plan and Budget.
Current Status: ICANN Organization (ICANN org) prepared and is publishing the Draft plans for public review and comment.
The Draft FY22-26 Operating and Financial Plan continues to define and demonstrate how ICANN org will implement the Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2021–2025, which was adopted by the ICANN Board in June 2019. The Strategic Plan enables ICANN to continue to fulfill its mission and to meet new and continuously evolving challenges and opportunities.
The Draft FY22-26 Operating and Financial Plan is intended to serve as an overarching holistic view of the activities ICANN org is or will support of its FY21–25 Strategic Plan. The Five-Year Operating and Financial Plan is not a replacement for ICANN org's annual operating plan, but is meant to complement them by providing a comprehensive overview of how ICANN will carry out its mission in the public interest over the next five years.
The Draft FY22 Operating Plan and Budget defines and describes ICANN's planned activities in FY22, and the anticipated funding sources and levels.
Next Steps:
During this Public Comment Period
- Two community webinars will be held in Jan 2021 to provide an overview of the draft plans.
- Community members seeking clarification on any details in the Draft FY22 - 26 Operating and Financial Plan and /or Draft FY22 Operating Plan and Budget should submit questions to planning@icann.org by 19 January 2021.
- ICANN org will provide responses to clarifying questions by 26 January 2021, approximately three weeks before this Public Comment period ends.
After this Public Comment Period
- ICANN org will hold sessions with the ICANN Board and community during ICANN70 regarding these draft plans.
- ICANN org will analyze the received Public Comments, prepare a report of the Public Comments, and publish the report by 18 March 2021.
- Where necessary, changes will be made to the draft plans and the revised draft plans will be presented to the ICANN Board and proposed for adoption by the Board in May 2021, which is a minimum of 28 days prior to the start of fiscal year 2022, to allow for the Empowered Community to consider the plans.
Section I: Description and Explanation
Draft FY22 - 26 Operating and Financial Plan
The Draft FY22-26 Operating and Financial Plan describes an overarching, holistic view of the activities ICANN org is or will undertake in support of the FY21–25 Strategic Plan. Within the plan, ICANN org shares the 15 Operating Initiatives and 34 Functional Activities for the upcoming five-year period. Each entry within this document includes background on the purpose, scope and activities related to each major workstream, as well as a description of needed resources and considerations or risks that may impact the work. Each Operating Initiative and Functional Activity is also cross-referenced against the targeted outcomes developed in the FY21–25 Strategic Plan, so that readers can gain a comprehensive understanding of the strong interconnectedness of ICANN org's work.
The Draft FY22-26 Operating and Financial Plan provides forward-looking information that represents ICANN's attempt at conservatively estimating its future funding and expenses. The intent is to maximize the chances that such future funding is higher than these projections would suggest, to allow ICANN to plan for a level of activity and expenses that minimize the risk that funding would be lower than expenses in the future. The financial information contained within this document is derived from what ICANN org believes to be a reasonable assumption based on current information, understanding, market trends, and circumstances at the time of the Draft FY22–26 Operating and Financial Plan's publication.
Draft FY22 Operating Plan and Budget
The Draft FY22 Operating Plan and Budget reflects the planned activities for 01 July 2021 through 30 June 2022. Similar to the Draft FY22 - 26 Operating and Financial Plan, ICANN org shares the 15 Operating Initiatives and 34 Functional Activities for FY22. Each Operating Initiative and Functional Activity includes background on the purpose, scope and activities related to each major workstream, as well as a description of needed resources and considerations or risks that may impact the work. The draft plan also details the FY22 budget.
Section II: Background
ICANN's planning process has three components: A Five-Year Strategic Plan, a Five-Year Operating and Financial Plan, and an annual Operating Plan and Budget. Input from ICANN constituency groups, stakeholders, Board of Directors and ICANN org is key to the development of these plans, in keeping with ICANN's multistakeholder model.
Five-Year Strategic Plan
Designed to shape ICANN's priorities, the Five-Year Strategic Plan establishes a vision and a set of strategic objectives and goals in service of ICANN's Mission. The Strategic Plan enables ICANN to continue to fulfill its Mission and meet new and continuously evolving challenges and opportunities. ICANN's Bylaws require the preparation and adoption of a Strategic Plan every five years. The current Five-Year Strategic Plan covers fiscal years 2021 through 2025.
Five-Year Operating and Financial Plan
The Five-Year Operating and Financial Plan articulates the feasibility and timing of services, activities, and milestones identified to achieve the Strategic Plan's objectives and goals. It is intended to serve as an overarching, holistic view of the activities ICANN org is undertaking, or will undertake, in support of the Strategic Plan, to carry out its Mission in the public interest over the next five years. ICANN's Bylaws require the preparation and adoption of a Five-Year Operating Plan at the beginning of each fiscal year.
Annual Operating Plan and Budget
Informed by the Five-Year Operating and Financial Plan, the Annual Operating Plan and Budget further clarifies specific activities and resources for the upcoming year. The Annual Operating Plan and Budget sets forth the focus of efforts and organizational commitments for the current fiscal year. ICANN's Annual Operating Plan and Budget includes the IANA and PTI Annual Operating Plan and Budget. ICANN's Bylaws require the preparation and adoption of an Annual Operating Plan and Budget prior to the commencement of each fiscal year.
A set of targeted outcomes and strategic risks for each strategic goal determine the conditions for success of the Strategic Plan. While the strategic risks identify external or internal factors that may impact the pursuit of the strategic goals and objectives, the targeted outcomes illustrate what achieving the strategic goals looks like. All activities in the Five-Year and Annual Operating Plans are linked to the targeted outcomes that motivate them, creating a clear connection between the Strategic Plan and the Operating Plan.
Section III: Relevant Resources
Draft Plans:
According to ICANN's Bylaws, Article 22, sections 22.4 (a) (iii) and 22.5 (a) (iii), prior to approval of the Operating Plan and Budget, a draft shall be posted on the Website and shall be subject to a Public Comment process. Below are the draft plans posted on December 17, 2020 for public comment:
- Highlights of the Draft FY22-26 Operating & Financial Plan and Draft FY22 Operating Plan & Budget
- Draft FY22 – 26 Operating & Financial Plan and Draft FY22 Operating Plan
- Draft FY22 Budget
Proposed for Adoption Plans:
According to ICANN's Bylaws, Article 22, sections 22.4 (a) (iv) and 22.5 (a) (iv), after reviewing the comments submitted during the public comment period, the Board may direct ICANN org to post a revised draft of the Operating Plan and revised draft of the Budget.
Following the Public Comment period, all received comments were taken into consideration, and where appropriate and feasible, incorporated into the Proposed for Adoption plans. The staff report of Public Comment (in Section V below) was published in March 2021. Below are the Proposed for Adoption Plans:
- Proposed for Adoption Highlights
- Proposed for Adoption FY22-26 Operating and Financial Plan and FY22 Operating Plan
- Proposed for Adoption FY22 Budget
Adopted Plans:
According to ICANN's Bylaws, Article 22, sections 22.4(a)(v) and 22.5(a)(v), promptly after the Board approves the Operating Plan and the Budget, ICANN org shall notify the Empowered Community of the adoption, which then starts the Empowered Community's rejection process. During this process, the Empowered Community can consider whether it will reject each of the plans as adopted. If no Empowered Community rejection process is pending, each of the plans adopted will go into effect on 1 July 2021.
The Adopted p lans are published here.
Comments Closed
Report of Public Comments