Operational Design Assessment

An Operational Design Assessment (ODA) is the final work product of an ICANN Organization Operational Design Phase (ODP). The ICANN Board uses an ODA to determine whether to adopt and how to implement consensus policy recommendations. The first-ever ODA was published on January 25, 2022, concerning the development of a System for Standardized Access/Disclosure (SSAD) of gTLD registration data based on the GNSO Council's EPDP Phase 2a recommendations. ODAs serve as input to the Board's deliberations concerning recommendations, particularly over whether its adoption of a recommendation is in the best interest of the ICANN Community and ICANN Organization. ODAs are also an input to the design, building, and implementation of the recommendations if adopted the final SSAD.

Process

1. The ICANN Board directs the ICANN President and CEO to conduct an ODP and produce an

ODA to address a series of questions about a set of recommendations’ potential risks, anticipated costs, resource requirements, timelines, dependencies, and interaction with the Global Public Interest Framework.

1. ICANN org undertakes the ODP over ten months with transparency and soliciting feedback from the ICANN Community through webinars, blogs, announcements, data gathering, and regular communication with stakeholders.
2. ICANN Organization sets out a series of assumptions to create a design framework for determining the roles and responsibilities of various actors, the scope of services and capabilities, involvement of vendors, and development of the cost mode.

For SSAD

ICANN org organized its findings in response to ICANN Board questions into 12 thematic groups, measuring or estimating figures for:

1. Operational Readiness
2. Timeline to develop and implement
3. How the SSAD would operate
4. Systems and Tools Needed
5. Vendors and Third Parties
6. Resources and Staffing
7. Costs
8. Fee Structure
9. Risks
10. Global Public Interest
11. Contractual Compliance's role
12. Audit