What is the role of the Secretariat?

The Secretariat manages the policy development process and is the primary point of contact for stakeholders. In particular, it is responsible for engaging stakeholders and ensuring that .uk policy discussions involve balanced representation.

The Secretariat examines issue proposals from stakeholders, and if appropriate, then brings together representatives from the stakeholder community to become part of a focused issue group. In examining a proposal, the Secretariat considers whether it falls within the .uk policy remit and whether it is in line with Nominet's mission and vision.

The Secretariat supports the operations of the issue groups and manages communications and dialogue between the issue groups and the broader stakeholder community throughout the process. The Secretariat prepares an annual review of issue groups for the Nominet Board and the review of the .uk Policy Stakeholder Committee for the Nominet Board.

How do the issue groups work?

An issue group consists of stakeholder representatives brought together to examine and discuss a specific issue proposal. Issue groups will play an important role in ensuring that the views of stakeholders are a key part of Nominet's decision-making process. 

Any stakeholder may submit an issue proposal for consideration. Issue proposals may be to develop a new policy or to propose changes to an existing one.
The Secretariat will examine the proposal and decide whether it is appropriate to form an issue group to discuss it. In doing so the Secretariat will consider whether the issue falls within .uk policy and whether it is in line with Nominet's current mission and vision.

To set up an issues group, the Secretariat will work with the proposer to draft an issue brief, which will explain the nature of the issue, who it affects, and who might usefully be involved in the discussion.

The brief will be published online with a view to inviting comments and bringing together a balanced issue group. The group should bring in an appropriate spectrum of views and expertise and may have a limited number of participants to facilitate discussions.

Members of the issue group will conclude their discussions with a report or recommendation  to the Board.

The outcome of the Board's decision will be published and may involve a further public consultation.

A more detailed explanation of the process is outlined in the Process framework.

What is the role of the .uk Policy Stakeholder Committee?

The .uk Policy Stakeholder Committee is an independent group that plays a key role in encouraging participation in the policy process. Appointed by the Nominet Board, committee members reflect a broad range of expertise from within the domain name industry and beyond. The .uk Policy Stakeholder Committee does not have the ability to prevent the creation of an issue group or to filter recommendations from issue groups. However, it does have an important role in supporting issue groups to help them ensure balance and direction of their discussions by offering advice such as:

• Who is affected by the policy issues you want to address?
• What are the possible impacts of a policy decision?
• How might you reach out to include those people affected?
• Do you have sufficient data to support the discussion?

In addition, the .uk Policy Stakeholder Committee provides an independent view of how the process is working and advice to stakeholders on any perceived abuse of the process or of an issue group. Members also play a key role in horizon scanning and contributing to the annual ".uk Policy Forum".

To contact the .uk Policy Stakeholder Committee, please use this online form.

You can find out more about the .uk Policy Stakeholder Committee and its current members.