[AfrICANN-discuss] Evaluators Selection for the New gTLD Program Continues

[Anne-Rachel Inné]

[image: ICANN] <http://www.icann.org/>
News Alert

http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-25oct09-en.htm
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 Evaluators Selection for the New gTLD Program Continues

25 October 2009

ICANN has received 12 responses to the call for Expressions of Interest
(EOI) for independent evaluators in the new generic top-level domain name
(gTLD) program. The application period for organizations interested in
evaluating applications for new gTLDs took place between 13 April and 15
September 2009. The respondents are well-qualified and respected
organizations from Australia, Belgium, Iran, Jordan, United Kingdom, and the
United States.

The panel selection process is part of the New gTLD Program’s operational
readiness and organizations will be retained to examine the applications
covering the following areas: (1) Applicant Evaluation (Technical and
Financial Evaluation)<http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/eoi-app-eval-31jul09-en.pdf>;
(2) Geographical Names; (3) String Similarity; (4) Community Priority
(*formerly
known as Comparative Evaluation*).
List of respondents

*Organization*

*Location*

1. Deloitte & Laga

Belgium

2. Economist Intelligence Unit

United States

3. Ernst & Young

United States

4. Fulcrum Financial Inquiry

United States

5. GeoLang LTD

United Kingdom

6. InterConnect Communications

United Kingdom

7. Iranian ICT Guild Organization (IranNSR)

Iran

8. JAS Communications

United States

9. KPMG

United States

10. TAEUS International

United States

11. Talal Abu Ghazaleh Information Technology International

Jordan

12. Webb Henderson

Australia

Although the launch date of the gTLD Program remains uncertain, ICANN is
moving forward with securing Evaluation Panelists, due to the critical
nature of their involvement in the process and the anticipated lead time
required to train and integrate the evaluation processes with each firm.

Over the next few months, ICANN will identify a short-list of qualified
candidates that demonstrate sufficient expertise, resources and geographic
diversity to meet program needs. The short-listed candidates will be
selected based on a scoring system developed in line with vendor selection
processes previously employed by ICANN staff – a copy of the general
criteria is included below. The short-listed candidates will be invited to
present their qualifications to ICANN staff and subject matter experts for
each area of assessment. The candidates will be asked a series of process
and technical questions that will enable staff to better understand the
candidate’s approach to evaluating applications in an effective and
efficient manner, technical competence, and maintaining an acceptable level
of quality and consistency of analysis and results. Each candidate’s key
team members will also be evaluated on responses to situations they may
encounter during the application evaluation process.

For each area of assessment, ICANN’s plan is to have primary and back up
evaluation service providers. The selection of back up panelists is to
provide additional and necessary benefits, such as, managing conflicts of
interest between the evaluation and applicants, promoting competition and
accountability amongst the evaluation panelists to promote a consistently
high quality

of service, and to provide additional services should the primary panelist
have challenges with quality, consistency, and/or scalability.

As these steps are completed, ICANN will share progress with the community
as we move towards the selecting the final evaluation panelist service
providers. The retention of the service providers is expected to occur in
the first half of 2010.

General Criteria
Matrix<http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-25oct09-en.htm#criteria>
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