Archive
Updated on 01 March 2013.
Per the Applicant Guidebook: "As part of the evaluation process, evaluators may request clarification or additional information during the Initial Evaluation period. For each application, clarifying questions will be consolidated and sent to the applicant from each of the panels. The applicant will thus have an opportunity to clarify or supplement the application in those areas where a request is made by the evaluators."
Clarifying questions may be sent from the following panels:
- Background screening
- Geographic name
- String similarity
- DNS stability
- Registry services
- Technical/Operational
- Financial
- Community priority evaluation (if applicable)
Timing for Clarifying Questions
All geographic names clarifying questions will be released on 26 November 2012. They will be issued through the Customer Service Center (CSC) Portal, and applicants will have until the end of the Initial Evaluation period (August 2013) to respond.
The TLD Application System (TAS) will reopen on 26 November 2012 to allow applicants to view their submitted application materials.
It is anticipated that the remaining clarifying questions will be issued in January 2013 through TAS. Applicants will have four weeks to respond to these clarifying questions.
Incorporating Feedback from the Clarifying Questions Pilot
In response to the feedback collected from the clarifying questions pilot, the language in the clarifying questions will be more specific about why the information provided is insufficient and what additional information is required.
Additionally, the character limit has been increased to 7000, and applicants will be able to submit attachments if they require additional space. However, it is recommended that applicants respond within the allotted space whenever possible.
Although interaction with the evaluation panels will not be permitted, applicant advisories will be available for questions 25, 30, 48, and 50 in November 2012. Advisories are intended to help applicants prepare in advance for clarifying questions.