Dear Board (and all),
The growing complexity of governance efforts is defeating us. Process creep
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_instruction_creep> is an
existential threat for projects like ours – it is self-perpetuating if not
actively curtailed, as it filters out people who dislike excess process.
There's a reason 'bureaucrats' and 'stewards' have unglamorous
titles.
Global governance in particular seems to be suffering from this now. Let's
try to scale it back! Recent developments, all at least somewhat confusing:
*Global Council*: A three-stage vote for the drafting committee. After 6
months of work in private, we know the charter will cover governance,
resourcing, & community
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Charter/Content>. A ratifiable
charter by 2023 should include Council scope, then *another* group may
draft an election process. Council elections would start mid-2024.
*Conduct*: Two years from first draft to realization. Custom review &
revision process for policy, set to change ~once a year. Enforcement by
*another* group (U4C), not yet defined, with an idea about annual elections
for it [starting in 2023?].
*WMF Board*: A *four*-stage election, with a new complex nomination
template. Nominees evaluated by *another* elected 9-person Analysis
Committee, followed by a two-stage vote.
Months of process, 16 staff facilitators.
Something has to give. We don't have time for all of these to be different,
complex affairs.
And this complexity feels self-imposed, like trying to push spaghetti
through a straw.
~ ~ ~
Four short proposals for your consideration:
1. Focus discussions on the decisions we need to resolve, not on process.
We need a foundation Board & global Council for specific practical reasons.
What challenges do they need to resolve this year? What major issues +
nuances are at play?
2. Make elections simple, flexible, consistent.
Build tools and frameworks that *conserve* rather than soak up community
time. Make longer processes capture proportionately detailed results.
Empower a standing election committee.
3. Highlight ways people can engage with governance + prioritization,
regionally + globally, beyond winning elections to procedural bodies.
*Support* organizers + facilitators rather than *hiring* them out of their
communities to facilitate on behalf of a central org.
4. Delegate more. Delegate to community. Delegate *design* and
*implementation*.
Our communities excel at self-organization, and rebel against arbitrary
mandates. Avoid language or policies that remove agency or
exaggerate staff-community division.
𝒲♡, SJ
--
Samuel Klein @metasj w:user:sj +1 617 529 4266