ICANN Bid for Independent Status Gets Cool Reception

Kieren asks, "how do you know what impact, if any, particular public comments have had on the finished product?"

The first step is to observe the discussion: read the mailing list of the body that is supposed to "consider" the comments. Observe or audit their meetings. Read their correspondence, minutes, and other documents.

If you can -- which with ICANN you usually can't. Does this commitee have a mailing list? Is it public? Even the Board of Directors doesn't have a public mailing list, although there have been repeated public mentions of the fact that they do have a (private) mailing list. Making Board discussions transparent would be a good place to start.

"How does that group get across that it has considered every piece?"

The way to get that across is to allow the public to observe its decsion-making process.

"Can or should ICANN mandate how meetings are carried out?"

Yes, ICANN's Bylaws do (and I think they should) mandate that ICANN *and* its subsidiary bodies must operate "to the maximum extent feasible" in an open and transparent manner. ICANN has to begin to engage with the meaning of that clause, especially the words "maximum extent feasible".

If someone asks to see documents, or to observe or audit a meeting, ICANN is required to allow that.

"Seems a bit controlling and unhelpful."

If that's what you think, propose that the Bylaws be changed. In the meantime, it's your duty, like that of all ICANN Board members, officers, and staff, to act according to the Bylaws.

"The question I suppose is: what is the system by which you can demonstrate that everything has been considered?"

Make the process transparent. It would be a radical change for ICANN, but it's pretty simple to implement, *if* ICANN wants to do it.

"... insisting on open discussion of that document by the committee?"

All discussion of any document by any ICANN committee must be open.

"I'm sure I can persuade someone to try out a pilot if I get such a system in place."

I look forward to seeing that happen. Start with opening up the non-transparent mailing lists and meetings, and designating points of contact for requests for documents and records.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Pick up the phone! by ehasbrouck

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Re:Pick up the phone!
by Kieren McCarthy on Sunday April 22 2007, @10:15PM (#16948)
User #4206 Info

Hey Ed,

I'm working on the stuff I can. In particular at the moment making all the public comment periods immediately visible and accessible.

I'm not sure your solution is right though. Your assumption is that if everything is held in the wide open then the best result will automatically be arrived at. That just isn't true for the simple reason that the vast majority of people don't have time to interact with the meetings.

What is needed instead is a system that makes sure that people are able to review what those in the meeting will review, make their comments and have a reasonable expectation that if they make input that that input is given the proper consideration.

That's what I can and will do in my job. I am in no position to start making changes to the bylaws or change how constituencies behave. But if someone puts together some useful input that says that and gives good reasons why those changes should be made then I will make sure that input is visible and will try to force its review.

Kieren

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

Re:Pick up the phone! by ehasbrouck Tuesday April 24 2007, @06:08AM

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