[OccupyNeeds] Small Trial Run for Distributing $500 to the Movement
Jay Blas Jacob Cabrera
red at wc.tc
Sun Dec 18 21:26:58 EST 2011
Hey Everyone,
We have received $500 of Gift Cards to distribute to the movement.
A few of us are initiating a trial for a new open funding technique that I have created with details for an active participatory budgeting process .
So if you would like to participate, please Vote for the Times that you would like to be involved in making financial decisions, and sign up on this new Email list for updates:
Link to Vote for Scheduling Meetings:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHdQYTh4aUp0TG1HaVdVY19fZ1BOalE6MA
Email List for Updates:
http://wc.tc/mailman/listinfo/fundingpools_global.generalassemblies.info
So as an experiment, we will be setting up a 6 day trial to give away the $500 for the holiday season.
Each day of the week anyone who shows up will help build consensus on distributing $50, and on Saturday $250. So it is not a lot of money, but this is a trial period and we are still building our process before doing broader outreach.
Please do not distribute this information widely as this is not a lot of money, and is just a trial run. When we get a larger funding pool together we will outreach across the Entire Movement and make sure everyone has a chance to participate, but hopefully we can deal with some of the minor kinks so that the process is as smooth as possible.
Bellow is detailed information on how this will work.
You can also see the entire Draft Comprehensive Finance Plan for the Movement with this link to the editable doc:
https://pad.riseup.net/p/FundingPlan
Thanks all so much for your work in the movement :)
Jay
Jay Blas Jacob Cabrera
(415) 323-5833
http://GeneralAssemblies.info
http://JaysLIFE.net
http://Jelo.in
Trial Run Plan Details for Funding Pool Distribution:
We will send out a scheduling form and ask people to vote for which times will be best to be on the funding distribution call for each day.
Then we will let people know when the calls will happen for each day. The Sunday call will be a back up if we can't come to consensus on Saturday.
Monday: $50 distribution
Tuesday: $50 distribution
Wednesday: $50 distribution
Thursday: $50 Distribution
Friday: $50 distribution
Saturday: Full $500 Budget with $250 distribution
Sunday: extra meeting in case Saturday can't come to consensus
Total Funds to be Distributed: $500
Pre-Budgeted: $4.95 per gift card to activate = $29.70
Total Available for Movement Funding Distribution: $470.30
Basic Meeting Protocol:
Small Groups 5-10 people
Consensus with Default 80% (this is one person blocking with 5-9 people)
Conflict of interest, cannot block to give yourself any benefit
Funding distributed based on prioritized proposals
Budgets will need to reflect minor costs for shipping and distributing funds
Minimum of 3 people to make a decision on small funding pools.
Proposals are to be submitted as Organizations or Projects. Funds can be distributed to and coordinated by Organizations or People.
Meeting Agenda/Process for The 5 week days with $50 distribution:
1. Facilitator, Note Taker, Time Keeper etc..
2. If more than 10 people split up into smaller groups of 5-10
i. if you split up, each group will also have to choose an additional facilitator
ii. Make sure each group know exactly how much funds they are responsible for
3. Check in's Each person says how they are and their affiliation(s), (important in conduction with conflict of interest)
4. Explain the process (review agenda)
Update on what has happened so far, total amount of money, what has been budgeted etc...
5. Brainstorm Funding Priorities
i. each person gets to go around and say what they think the funding priorities should be (keep in mind it is only $50)
ii. no one is allowed to question or get into discussion about what should or should not get the money, only brainstorm.
iii. each project, organization, or person, should clearly state how much money is needed, and that can be more than $50
iv. Each proposal also needs to clearly and accurately state how much money they have fundraised and currently have.
v. Overview of information needed for each idea:
- name
- sentence description/purpose
- sponsors/beneficiaries present (everyone who would benefit from receiving the funds who is on the call)
- Amount Needed, Amount Funded to date, Amount Currently Left
vi. Make sure all the items are listed and there are no clarifying questions about what any particular item is. Do not allow for any comments, pros, or cons, or discussion on any particular item.
6. Prioritize Funding Proposals
i. After brainstorming, with no discussion, everyone will get a chance to prioritize their recommendations for where the funds should go.
ii. This prioritizing process can be done any way that the facilitator or group participants have access to.
a. Using a computerized system is the primary choice if available. Everyone who wants to fully participate must have a computer in front of them, as it is very difficult to create a participatory budget without having a spreadsheet and computer in front of you to view the different proposals.
b. for people who do not have computers, they can still give their priorities verbally.
c. If there is not a computer system for prioritization available, a simple straw poll can be conducted on the call.
The facilitator will simply call out the name of each proposal and allow people to "raise their hand", or say there name to record their vote
d. Any proposals that are tied for first will go for a second round of voting.
e. Remind people that even if there proposal isn't funded today, it could still be funded an other day.
7. Which ever proposal becomes the highest priority will then be proposed to receive the $50 gift certificate.
i. If everyone can come to consensus on the top vote getter, then that funding proposal will receive the $50. (move on to step 8)
ii. If consensus cannot be reach, then the proposal will be to split the funds $30 and $20 between the top two, unless the blocker is from the second funding group in which case it is a conflict of interest, and you skip to the next step.
iii. If consensus can still not be reached, then those blocking will be asked to suggest alternatives that cannot involve any additional funds going to any group they would get benefits from or are involved in.
a. If they suggest changing the proposal to give more funds to a project that they would receive any benefit from or are involved in, then their block is nullified as a conflict of interest and consensus is automatically reached.
b. Additionally if they do not give an alternative proposal, their Block is preventing the process and is considered irrelevant and consensus is achieved. If anyone blocks, they must submit an alternate proposal that meets their needs for agreement, which cannot include any funding for their own projects or that they would personally get benefit from. No one can block just for the sake of blocking, or block for reasons that are a conflict of interest.
c. if more than one alternative is given, then a straw poll will be conducted to narrow down a top choice.
d. The top or alternate proposal is then tested to achieve consensus. If consensus is reached then move to step 8.
e. if consensus is still not reachable, the group will conduct a round, and each person will have the opportunity to suggest a solution that cannot have any personal benefit or conflict of interest.
i. All of the solutions will be written down, and a straw poll or ranking will be used to prioritize the options. These options will include all the original proposals that did not achieve consensus including giving all the funding to the original top priority.
ii. Whichever solution becomes the top priority, the group will try to achieve consensus on it. If consensus cannot be achieved on that proposal, then the default measure will kick in which is a 8/10ths Vote of those present on the call. This basically allows for one block, and still have agreement as there should be between 5-10 people in the group. If there are between 10-13 people then there can be 2 blockers, but really if there are over 10 people the group should have been split apart at the beginning of the meeting.
f. If consensus or agreement by the default measure of 8/10ths vote cannot be reached, then the funds will roll over into the next days meeting and the funds will not be distributed as an outcome of this meeting. (skip to step 9)
8. If agreement is reached, then group will nominate a single "Neutral Observer" to attend the Saturday Funding Round. If no one volunteers to do it, then this step can be skipped.
9. For those who want to stick around, the group can talk about funding priorities for the full $500 budget for Saturday's Vote.
i. For those who have to leave, the facilitator can let them check out right away
ii. If most of the group needs to go, then the facilitator can just skip to check out
10. Check out - Let each person say how the meeting was for them and ways to improve the process.
11. Make sure that the notes are emailed out to the funding email list so they are made publicly verifiable.
Meeting Agenda/Process for the Saturday $250 distribution:
1. Facilitator, Note Taker, Time Keeper etc..
2. If more than 10 people split up into smaller groups of 5-10 (if there are only 10-13 people, then it is ok to stay together)
i. if you split up, each group will also have to choose an additional facilitator
ii. Make sure each group knows exactly how much funds they are responsible for (divide funds equally between each group)
iii. For Budget Finalization with multiple groups, please see information bellow this section.
3. Check in's Each person says how they are and their affiliation(s), (important in connection with conflict of interest)
4. Explain the process (review agenda)
Update on what has happened so far, total amount of money, what has been budgeted etc...
5. Review Funding Priorities developed throughout the week as part of the participatory budgeting process
i. This will be compiled from each daily funding prioritization, to create a set of priorities for the entire week.
ii. Additionally it is possible that proposed budgets may have been created and submitted for the full $500
iii. All of this information will need to be available online, or on the email list serve, all participants will be expected to have a computer in front of them while on the call to be able to see in real time the budgetary process that has unfolded and that will unfold on the call.
5. Last additional Funding Options
i. anyone on the call can give any additional funding options that are not already listed in the existing funding priorities lists
6. Last round to Prioritize Funding Proposals
i. With no discussion, everyone on this call will get a chance to prioritize their recommendations for where the funds should go.
ii. this should be done in connection with the already existing priorities from throughout the week.
ii. This prioritizing process can be done any way that the facilitator or group participants have access to.
a. this will most likely take place online with computers
b. for people who do not have computers, they can still give their priorities verbally.
c. If there is not a computer system for prioritization available, a simple straw poll can be conducted on the call.
The facilitator will simply call out the name of each proposal and allow people to "raise their hand", or say there name to record their vote.
d. Any proposals that are tied for first will go for a second round of voting.
e. Remind people that even if there proposal isn't funded today, it could still be funded an other day.
7. Vote to Finalize Participatory Priorities
i. The last round of prioritization should have interlaced the week of priorities established.
ii. The group will vote by consensus to make sure that the priorities reflect the interest of all the group priorities throughout the week.
iii. Typically, if the calculating technology is available on-time, the priorities would be incorporated together based on how many people voted for each individual priority per day.
a. If these values can be calculated, they will be used as the primary starting point for the budget priorities
iv. if consensus can not be reached on any other modified version, then the primary starting point will be used as the budget priorities.
7. Budget Creation and Approval
i. Which ever proposal becomes the highest priority will then be budgeted the full $250 gift certificate.
ii. The $500 budget will then be compiled with all the funds that have been distributed throughout the week, along with the $250 distribution for today.
iii. The budget will be shown (online), and read out for those who can't read it.
iv. Then the group will try to get consensus on the budget. If this is achieved move on to step 8)
v. If consensus cannot be reach, then the the group will try to come to consensus on splitting the funds amongst the top three, $125, $75, $50, although neither the second or third beneficiaries can block the first proposal or it is invalid and the funds automatically go to the top priority.
iii. If consensus can still not be reached, then those blocking will be asked to suggest alternatives that cannot involve any additional funds going to any group they would get benefits from or are involved in.
a. If they suggest changing the proposal to give more funds to a project that they would receive any benefit from or are involved in, then their block is nullified as a conflict of interest and consensus is automatically reached.
b. Additionally if they do not give an alternative proposal, their Block is preventing the process and is considered irrelevant and consensus is achieved. If anyone blocks, they must submit an alternate proposal that meets their needs for agreement, which cannot include any funding for their own projects or that they would personally get benefit from. No one can block just for the sake of blocking, or block for reasons that are a conflict of interest.
c. if more than one alternative is given, then a straw poll will be conducted to narrow down a top choice.
d. The top or alternate proposal is then tested to achieve consensus. If consensus is reached then move to step 8.
e. if consensus is still not reachable, the group will conduct a round, and each person will have the opportunity to suggest a solution that cannot have any personal benefit or conflict of interest.
i. All of the solutions will be written down, and a straw poll or ranking will be used to prioritize the options. These options will include all the original proposals that did not achieve consensus including giving all the funding to the original top priority.
ii. Whichever solution becomes the top priority, the group will try to achieve consensus on it. If consensus cannot be achieved on that proposal, then the default measure will kick in which is a 8/10ths Vote of those present on the call. This basically allows for one block, and still have agreement as there should be between 5-10 people in the group. If there are between 10-13 people then there can be 2 blockers, but really if there are over 10 people the group should have been split apart at the beginning of the meeting.
f. If consensus or agreement by the default measure of 8/10ths vote cannot be reached, then the funds will roll over into the next days meeting and the funds will not be distributed as an outcome of this meeting. (skip to step 9)
8. Review of the Week long process and Next Steps/ Future Fund Pools
9. Check out
10. Make sure that the notes are emailed out to the funding email list so they are made publicly verifiable.
Budget Finalization Process with multiple break out groups of 5-10 people
If there are more than 10 people, and the group needs to split up into groups of 5-10 people there will be a need to reconcile the budget and make sure that there is Consensus on the full budget.
Each smaller group will get decision making responsibility for an equal division of the total to be allocated by the meeting.
When consensus is to be reached for the Budget, the Spokes Council model will be used where spokespeople are selected from each of the smaller groups to be the spokes persons for their group and to consent to the Budget on behalf of their entire group.
Depending on the number of break out groups, will determine the number of spokespeople each group gets to have for deciding on the budget.
2 groups of 5-10 people
Each Group Gets 3 spokespersons
3-5 Groups of 5-10 people
Each Group Gets 2 spokespersons
6-12 Groups of 5-10 people
Each Group Gets 1 spokesperson
13-20 Groups of 5-10 people
Each Group Gets 1 spokesperson to the secondary spokes council
Each Secondary spokes council gets 3 spokespeople in the primary spokes council
21-50 Groups of 5-10 people
Each Group gets 1 spokesperson to the secondary spokes council
Each Secondary spokes council gets 2 spokespeople in the primary spokes council
51-120 Groups of 5-10 people
Each Group gets 1 spokesperson to the secondary spokes council
Each Secondary spokes council gets 1 spokespeople in the primary spokes council
When the spokes councils meet, they will need reconcile any problems with the budgets or priorities, and if needed will have the chance to re-convine with their smaller groups for building consensus with everyone. Spokes councils will be open to anyone to listen, but only the spokespersons will be able to speak.
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