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For your information, appended here is a letter sent from the SO/AC
Chairs to the OEC and the SSR2-RT last week (slightly modified to reflect
a wording that was confusing in the original message).<br><br>
I have asked our RT members for their thoughts on this plan and for
confirmation that they will be staying on the RT.<br><br>
Alan<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2018 14:08:40
-0400<br>
To: Khaled Koubaa <khaled.koubaa@board.icann.org><br>
Cc: Board Calendaring <board-caucus-ssr2@icann.org>,<br>
SO-AC Chairs List <soac-chairs@icann.org>,
ssr2-review@icann.org<br>
Subject: SSR2-RT<br><br>
Dear Khaled,<br><br>
Thank you for your reply on behalf of the Board OEC to our request for
support in the appointment of an external facilitator to enable the
re-start of SSR2-RT. In this message, while ICANN61 is underway, we hope
to answer the questions you have raised to make tangible progress during
this meeting and immediately provide the RT members and the broader
community with much-needed action and clarity. In short, to the extent
that a procure process is necessary, we ask that it commence immediately.
The appointment of the facilitator and all new members (already in
progress within the SO/ACs) will signal the formal "un-pause"
or "re-start" of the SSR2-RT. <br><br>
Our overarching aim is to empower the RT members to come together as a
group and progress their work. To that end, it is absolutely imperative
that the RT members be involved in this discussion. Our responses here
should be interpreted as guidance from the community rather than a
top-down mandate. We therefore have included the RT members in this
reply, and ask that going forward our communications include them, and
that they contribute to these recommendations.<br><br>
To guide the procurement process (specific details for which are set out
below) we wish to explain in more detail the intended role of the
facilitator. Our email of 15 February stated: "The primary aim of
the external facilitator would be to facilitate this transition process,
with a view to winding facilitation down when RT members and leaders
consider that issues are satisfactorily resolved to continue their
work." We consider the role of the facilitator to be a) onboarding
new members who have joined since the "pause" and agreeing on
leadership from within the then current membership; b) helping the group
to work through concerns around membership and scope as identified in a
confidential survey conducted by the SO/AC Chairs shortly after the
pause; and c) helping the RT to identify ways to reach consensus.
Specifically in response to the procurement practice:
<ul>
<li>Skill set requirements: To most effectively fulfil a), b) and c)
above, the facilitator should be external to ICANN, with expertise in
group dynamics and empowering group members with divergent views and
experience to coalesce around a common goal. The SO/AC Chairs will
provide the confidential responses received to the survey conducted
following ICANN60 which sought RT member input on issues relating to
membership and scope, and which generated quite divergent responses. The
facilitator must therefore establish a safe space in which the broad
range of views on membership and scope can be discussed and common
positions identified, with agreement on moving forward in an agreed
statement of scope and list of members.
<li>Experience requirements: As appropriate to meet skill set
requirements above
<li>Scope of work: a) helping the group to coalesce around
leadership and onboarding new members who have joined since the
"pause"; b) helping the group to work through concerns around
membership and scope as identified in a confidential survey conducted by
the SO/AC Chairs shortly after the pause; c) helping the RT to
identify ways to reach consensus.
<li>Timing and duration: Facilitation ends when all expected deliverables
(below) are completed.
<li>Expected deliverables: a) confirmation of membership list of RT going
forward, with chair/s identified; b) an agreed statement of scope; and c)
if considered necessary by the RT members, a request from the RT for
additional or different resources (ie, more members with particular
skills, refinements to staff support), with a clear statement as to how
any such request is necessary to and directly supportive of the RT's
work.
</ul>We appreciate your positive response to our initial request, and are
prepared to respond promptly to any further questions this week, in order
that the procurement process can commence immediately. We ask further
that this be prioritised by the OEC so that the facilitator's appointment
- and thus the re-start of SSR2-RT - can take place as soon as possible,
and <b>no later than 1 May</b> for scheduling to take full advantage of
face to face time at ICANN62.<br>
<br>
Kind regards, on behalf of,<br><br>
SO/AC Chairs</blockquote></body>
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