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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=545081215-30042010>With the greatest respect, I find this response
disturbing. Apparently, the ICANN staff is not prepared to enter into a
dialogue with us regarding the substance of our work. I would have thought
that conversation was an important "modality for interaction" on the review
points, and I am sorry to see adversarial overtones creep in so early in the
process. </SPAN></FONT></DIV><BR>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> at-review-bounces@icann.org
[mailto:at-review-bounces@icann.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Rod
Beckstrom<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 29, 2010 5:32 PM<BR><B>To:</B> Janis
Karklins<BR><B>Cc:</B> Denise Michel; at-review@icann.org; Donna
Austin<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [At-review] List of issues that the A&T RT
would like to discuss with ICANN staff on 5 May<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Dear
Janis, <BR> <BR>Thank you for forwarding the initial list of proposed
questions under consideration from your Accountability and Transparency Review
Team. On behalf of ICANN’s Management Team, we welcome the opportunity to
work with you in your consideration of ICANN’s Accountability and Transparency.
We believe that this process should be a meaningful opportunity for ICANN
to demonstrate the high levels of accountability and transparency already in
place, as well as an opportunity to collaborate in a constructive manner to
develop the means by which to measure effectiveness and reach an even greater
level.<BR> <BR>Thank you also for your clarification and agenda from which
we infer that written answers to the questions are not anticipated and that the
purpose of your sessions in Marina del Rey next week will be focused on: 1)
establishing the framework for review, including the development of standards
and benchmarks, 2) creating modalities for interaction on the review points that
you are intending to consider as part of the overall review, 3) developing the
questions/issues that will need to be considered, and 4) establishing a
methodology to refine requests for information, This agrees with discussions we
have had with Peter Dengate Thrush on the meeting goals. <BR> <BR>In light
of the short time period since we have received these questions, and the
somewhat conflicting instructions we received about Staff’s expected role at the
meeting next week, we know that you understand that next week’s sessions will be
limited in terms of our ability to respond and appreciate your acknowledgement
that this is too short a timeline for us to provide formal responses.
Since ICANN Staff will clearly need to provide complete and full written
responses on the record, and noting that those responses will need to be
responsive to the standards for review that have yet to be established, it is my
assumption that Staff will not be expected to provide oral responses to these
questions, during these sessions. Oral responses, if made during the
session, would likely be incomplete, uneven, and could not be measured against
to-be-determined standards. The result would be to retard, rather than inform,
the group’s work. However, I do expect an active staff role to: a) assist in
helping frame the work to be completed in written responses, b) establish the
processes and timelines for providing those written responses, and c) discuss
proposed levels of resource allocation relating to this review.<BR> <BR>To
further this point, my instructions to Denise Michel (who reports directly to me
as Advisor to the CEO for Transparency and Accountability and is tasked with
leading the staff response and substantive support,) is for the ICANN Staff to
focus on how to: i) discuss the various modalities for interaction regarding the
reviews, ii) provide clarification of which questions/issues that staff can
answer in writing, as well as beginning consideration of timelines for such
responses, iii) assist the Review Team in developing a methodology to refine the
questions/issues, and iv) direct or assist the Review Team in obtaining
information from other sources, where the board, advisory committees, and/or
supporting organizations are better sources of information. <BR> <BR>I must
emphasize that consideration of the breadth of the anticipated responses, and
the level of resources that will be required to effectively respond to the
questions/issues are important discussion topics for the interaction with ICANN
Staff. Given that ICANN has finite organizational resources, and that this is
one of a number of important reviews, a schedule will be developed to ensure
that ICANN is responsive to this group’s needs and that overall timelines are
met. <BR> <BR>We also note that processes for disclosure of, and methods
for dealing with potential conflicts of interest (including proposed methods for
withdrawal from participation or abstention on some issues of conflict) should
be pre-requisites to substantively starting the review process (i.e., prior to
establishing standards and questions). With that in mind, we think in more
in concert with the ICANN model that the conflicts discussion should be moved to
the front of the agenda.<BR> <BR>Lastly, I have noted from a review of your
agenda that you have scheduled a total of five hours of time with ICANN
Management during your first day. This includes three hours of time with
ICANN Staff for an open morning session, and two hours of time with ICANN Staff
in a closed afternoon session. Given the role of ICANN Staff at this initial
meeting described above, I would urge you to consider whether the agenda
reflects the actual time required for ICANN Staff
participation.<BR> <BR>Thank you again for the information and
clarifications. Please direct any responses or questions on the above
points to Denise Michel (<A
href="Denise.Michel@ICANN.org">Denise.Michel@ICANN.org</A>). I look
forward to speaking with you and the Review Team next week. We look
forward to participating and assisting your Review Team and thank you for your
significant efforts in moving this process forward.<BR> <BR>Warmly,
<BR><BR>Rod Beckstrom<BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><BR><BR><BR>On 4/27/10 9:15 AM, "Janis Karklins" <<A
href="janis.karklins@icann.org">janis.karklins@icann.org</A>>
wrote:<BR><BR></SPAN></FONT>
<BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Dear Rod,<BR> <BR>On behalf of the A&T RT I
would like to submit the list of issues that the members of the Team would
like to discuss with the senior management of ICANN. The Team leaves at your
discretion the decision on which staff members you would like to take with you
or delegate for this interaction. <BR> <BR>I was mistaken yesterday when
I was talking with you about written response. I misunderstood the discussion
during the RT meeting where the term “to start building material/ documental
trace of the work of the RT” was used. My apologies for confusion.<BR>RT is
not asking written reply to list of question. They are submitted to allow
better preparation for the discussion.<BR> <BR>As you know, the RT is
meeting on 5 and 6 May in Marina del Ray Hotel. The interaction with staff is
scheduled on 5 May. The morning session will be public. The subsequent session
will be held in private. We should work together to set the modalities of the
interaction.<BR> <BR>I stand ready to provide further
clarifications.<BR> <BR>Best regards<BR>JK
<BR> <BR><BR></SPAN></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT
face="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><BR>Warmly,<BR><BR>Rod<BR><BR>Rod Beckstrom<BR>President
and CEO<BR>ICANN<BR><BR><I>One World. One Internet. Everyone
Connected.</I><BR></SPAN></FONT></BODY></HTML>