[governance] ICANN Strategic Plan Draft is posted in 6 languages

[Dan Krimm]

Interesting, but as a relative newbie (still) I'm not sure I have a prior
benchmark with which to compare it.  Can you point to the steps in the
right direction that you see here?

My overall impression is that this is a nice-sounding vaguely-worded wish
list, but there seem to be no detailed benchmarks for measurable results
(though there are wishes for some).  That is, there are lots of activities
being described with goals of a very general nature, but no well-defined
standards for success or failure.  Just a lot of nonspecific "good
intentions" expressed as generalized adjectives that tend to obscure the
sorts of tangible details that become obstacles or the subject of
persistent disputes, and which make all the difference when it comes to
actual implementation.

Words like "predictable" or "effective" or "improve" or "appropriate" or
"necessary" or "efficient" or "encourage" or "support" or "clear" or
"capability" or "regular" or "engagement" or "adequate" or "focus" or
"robust" or "relevant" or "enhance" or "openness, transparency,
inclusiveness and accountability" or "cooperation" or "as needed" are all
completely open-ended and subjective when it comes to defining a tangible
standard of operation and implementation.

So, for example: "55.3. Measure and benchmark ICANN accountability and
transparency and implement best practice in accountability and
transparency."  Sounds great.  What specific standard will be used to
define "best practice" or "benchmark"?  Until that is defined, this
statement literally has no well-defined meaning in a policy sense.  It
sounds like a stump speech for a political candidate or a photo-op for some
diplomatic event, not a management policy position of a working
administrator.

You could boil down this whole document to a single statement of "we'll try
to do better" and the rest is just a list of target areas to aim for.
Beyond that there are no consequences for failure, because there is no
definition of failure in any of these specific areas.  No risk whatsoever,
no guarantees.

Hardly any institution succeeds at everything it tries to do.  The ones
that are honest about it will define specific well-defined goals (based on
the best info available at the time -- and they will explicitly acknowledge
where info is currently lacking, if so) and when they fail to meet any of
those goals they then review why (was the standard too ambitious due to
lack of information or expected resources, or was the implementation
tactically flawed or incompetently executed, etc.), and according to
overall priorities they decide whether to try again fixing what they've
identified that went wrong or abandon those goals and prioritize others
instead.

"Flying by the seat of one's pants" is not generally considered a "best
practice" in organizational management, so far as I know.  Is anyone's feet
being held to the fire?  If not, why not?  *That's* the essence of
"accountability"...

Dan

PS -- I understand the instinct to "underpromise and overdeliver" in tech
development.  This strategy does not work in policy venues.  There is no
"overdeliver" in policy.  It's a different beast altogether.



At 4:02 PM -0400 10/23/07, Avri Doria wrote:
>fyi.
>
>a step in the right direction, i think.
>
>and yes, many steps yet to go.
>
>a.
>
>Begin forwarded message:
>
>>From: Doug Brent <<mailto:doug.brent at icann.org>doug.brent at icann.org>
>>Date: måndag 22 okt 2007 21.42.37 EDT
>>To: Doug Brent <<mailto:doug.brent at icann.org>doug.brent at icann.org>
>>Subject: Wanted to ensure you saw the Strategic Plan Draft is now posted
>>
>>Hello,
>>
>>I'm following up from my communication last week regarding possible
>>consultation on ICANN's draft Strategic Plan. I wanted to make sure you were
>>aware that as of last Friday, the plan has now been posted in six languages,
>>and is ready for broad review and comment. You can see the announcement at:
>>
>><http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-19oct07.htm>http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-19oct07.htm
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Doug
>>--
>>Doug Brent
>>Chief Operating Officer
>>ICANN
>>
>
>
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