Governance & Participatory Process

We are continuing to explore our governance model with a distributed and participatory governance structure.

We recognize the importance of self-governing capabilities for the Network to support itself and to provide clear pathways for members of our Network to help shape its future. Recent participation data from NAC elections, peer to peer interviews, and experience with the NAC model show us that our Network’s methods of participation can be improved and distributed.

For decisions that our Network benefits from making together (e.g. adopting governance procedures, selecting locations for important events, weighing in on national actions) we recommend that our yearly Brigade Congress serve as an assembly where key decisions can be made (for both in-person and virtual participants). We will also consult organizations that do this well and pilot new approaches to grassroots governance.

As we further develop governance models, an open proposal system is one that we seek to use for Network-wide decision making, where applicable.

Open Proposal Process

An open proposal process is a method of soliciting ideas within a participatory decision making framework. The process invites broad participation, through both inviting proposals for a given process and inviting voting on proposals. For decisions where CfA resources are involved (both money and time), there is a transparent validation step. This validation step allows staff to review proposals and accept, modify, or reject proposals. Accepted proposals are then voted on. If a proposal is rejected, however, staff must provide a clear explanation of why the proposal is rejected and to do so in a timely and transparent manner.

View a diagram example of the open proposal process: