ICANN Planning Review of Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO)

August 17, 2009 -- The Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is seeking to appoint an independent consultant to undertake the first External Review of the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO). The Review is designed to determine: i) whether the ccNSO is fulfilling its purpose in the ICANN structure; and (ii) if so, whether any change in its structure or operations is desirable to improve its effectiveness and facilitate further membership of the wider ccTLD community.

The request for proposal (RfP) contains a first Section, providing instructions to bidders for formulating their proposals (Instructions to Bidders – ItB) and a second Section containing the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the consulting activity to be carried out. The two sections shall be read in conjunction.

The Review is due to begin in December 2009 and will include both deskwork and interviews with key informed stakeholders to be conducted at the March 2010 ICANN meeting in Nairobi (Kenya). The draft Final Report should be delivered in early May 2010, and will be presented at the ICANN meeting in Europe (location TBD) in June 2010.

ICANN will provide the Review Team with background documentation, reports and access to a range of historical data on a confidential basis; applicants are welcome to suggest additional forms of data gathering.

Proposals should be emailed by Friday 25th September 2009, 12:00 (noon); requests for clarification can be addressed until Friday 11th September 2009, 12:00 (noon) UTC and will be addressed within three working days from their reception. Requests for clarification and their answers will be made anonymous and published at the ccNSO review webpage in order to ensure equal treatment of all bidders.

The (RfP) can be found here [PDF, 172K].

Source: Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)