Approved Resolutions | Special Meeting of the ICANN Board | 15 February 2024

Rationale for Resolutions 2024.02.15.01 – 2024.02.15.02

In order to provide supplemental support and maintain vendor competition ICANN has previously contracted with ICANN's current expert third-party outsourcing firm on a smaller scale to support Engineering and IT projects. These resources helped recently launch the Registration Data Request System (RDRS) as well as CES Events 2.0. ICANN will receive its unchanged, discounted rate on procured engineering resources assuming ICANN signs a [Redacted – Confidential Negotiation Information] extension contract. ICANN has the ability to cancel at any time with a 30-day notice without penalty. Per ICANN organization, the relationship with ICANN's current expert third-party outsourcing firm has been beneficial to ICANN on delivery of its commitments and has been a success overall.

ICANN org considered the cost and efficiency of either issuing an RFP for outsourced IT capacity or further renewing the contract with ICANN's current expert third-party outsourcing firm and determined that it was more efficient and cost effective to renew the contract with the current firm. The firm's quality assurance (QA) and engineering resources consistently deliver with cultural fit, institutional knowledge, and zero turnover. Despite inflation and a highly competitive market rate for resources, the charge rate for resources will remain the same. Moreover, retaining ICANN's current expert third-party outsourcing firm's deep ICANN knowledge, technical skills, and existing resources will ensure business continuity and not jeopardize any committed project delivery dates.

After considering the information presented, the Board agrees that it makes fiscal sense to enter into this renewed agreement.

This action is within ICANN's Mission and is in the public interest as it is important to ensure that, in carrying out its Mission, ICANN utilizes available funding in the most effective and efficient manner so as to be in the best interests of ICANN and the global Internet community.

This decision will have a fiscal impact, but the impact has already been accounted for in the FY24 and FY25 budgets and will be for the future budgets as well. Further, this decision is intended to have a positive impact on the security, stability or resiliency of the domain name system.

This is an Organizational Administrative Function that does not require public comment.

Rationale for Resolutions 2024.02.15.03 – 2024.02.15.04

ICANN org identified the selected vendor as having a comprehensive understanding of the New gTLD Program Next Round needs. The vendor is a long time partner for ICANN and was a key partner in assisting ICANN with the development and execution of the New gTLD Program 2012 Round. For the 2012 Round the selected vendor provided valuable expertise to ICANN in a variety of ways including:

• Assisting ICANN to define the application evaluation criteria and methodology.

• Led the Evaluation Vendor training, including materials development and exercises.

• Led the quality control program for Evaluations.

• Provided coordination services for the evaluation of Financial and Technical Panels, ensuring common outcomes across three evaluation firms.

Since the 2012 Round, the selected vendor has continued to support ICANN's day to day operations as the evaluator of Financial and Technical competence for potential new registries. It has also helped ICANN establish and provide staff augmentation services for several operational functions until ICANN org was able to expand the teams to support the increased demands created by new registries from the New gTLD Program 2012 Round. This included the Emergency Backend Registry Operator (EBERO) program, as well as the teams that are now responsible for services management and service delivery to the registries and registrars.

The selected vendor is currently playing a key role in the form providing expertise in business process design, as described in the Program Development section of the Implementation Plan. ICANN org expects to continue to utilize the selected vendor's unique knowledge of ICANN's needs and capabilities for the remainder of the development phase of the New gTLD Program Next Round. The needs for support to the New gTLD Program Next Round are front loaded. Given the aggressive timeline, ICANN org does not possess the requisite capacity and expertise to deliver this extensive work independently today. Over time, as ICANN hires and trains new staff to support the latter stages of the development and preparations for the operational phase of the program, ICANN org expects the needs for staff augmentation to significantly decline.

This action is within ICANN's Mission and is in the public interest as it is important to ensure that, in carrying out its Mission, ICANN utilizes available funding in the most effective and efficient manner so as to be in the best interests of ICANN and the global Internet community.

This decision will have a fiscal impact, but the impact has already been accounted for in the FY24 and FY25 budgets and will be for the future budgets as well. Further, this decision should not have a negative impact on the security, stability or resiliency of the domain name system, and likely will have a positive impact.

This is an Organizational Administrative Function that does not require public comment.