Governance Structure Proposal for Ubuntu-AU

[Matthew Rossi]

Hello,

In light of the recent discussions regarding the future of our LoCo, I
thought that I would pitch in my own idea for how we can govern the LoCo.
Over the last few years, it has become obvious that the unstructured way
that our LoCo operates isn't working too well.  From the surface, it doesn't
appear that a lot is being done, and those who are actually volunteering are
flying under the radar.  As a LoCo I believe we should become more organised
and structured in our approach, so I am proposing a small committee system
to be formed within the LoCo to essentially run the show and direct the LoCo
as a whole towards achieving the stated goals of the group.

The following is a basic outline of the structure of my committee proposal.
 There are references to a charter, which would be formed by the committee
itself if established:

Personnel:

*Chairperson (Virtually a Ceremonial Role)*

Responsibilities

   -
   - to act as an independent adjudicator of all elections and votes held
   within the committee itself and the broader LoCo community as per the rules
   of the charter
   - to give assent to the results of votes and elections as stipulated
   above, and to change the charter where the committee has approved an
   amendment via a vote
   - to ensure that all rules as set in the charter are enforced within the
   organisation
   - to set the time, place, agenda, chair and provide logs/recordings (via
   the mailing list and wiki) of all meetings in consultation with the
   committee
   - to represent the Ubuntu-AU LoCo as a leader and to promote the
   organisation and the Ubuntu distribution where necessary.
   - to serve as a mailing list (or IRC if necessary) moderator

If this proposal is implemented, I request that for the first term that I
take the role of chairperson without an election to ensure that this system
is implemented smoothly.

*President (Team Contact)*
*
*
Responsibilities

   - to serve and fulfil the role of Team Contact for the Ubuntu-AU LoCo in
   its present form
   - to organise promotional events, exhibition stalls, CD distribution etc.
   - to represent the Ubuntu-AU LoCo as a leader and to promote the
   organisation and the Ubuntu distribution where necessary amongst the public
   - to liaise with the broader Ubuntu-AU community to gain access to
   volunteers for events and to reflect the views of the broader community.
   - to attend and actively contribute to all meetings organised by the
   chairperson
   - to serve as a mailing list (or IRC if necessary) moderator

*Vice-President (Treasurer)*
*
*
Responsibilities

   - to assist the President in the previously mentioned roles
   - to represent the Ubuntu-AU LoCo as a leader and to promote the
   organisation and the Ubuntu distribution where necessary amongst the public
   - to liaise with the broader Ubuntu-AU community to gain access to
   volunteers for events and to reflect the views of the broader community.
   - to regularly maintain a database for tracking membership within the
   Ubuntu-AU LoCo and it's committee
   - to track the receipt and allocation of funds and other materials within
   the LoCo
   - to attend and actively contribute to all meetings organised by the
   chairperson
   - to serve as a mailing list (or IRC if necessary) moderator

*Ordinary Committee Member*
*
*
Responsibilities

   - to support and actively contribute to the initiatives set by the whole
   committee
   - to attend and actively contribute to all meetings organised by the
   chairperson
   - to represent the Ubuntu-AU LoCo as a leader and to promote the
   organisation and the Ubuntu distribution where necessary amongst the public
   - to represent the views of the wider LoCo community during meetings
   - to serve as a mailing list moderator

Other

   - There will be around 4 - 6 Ordinary Committee Members (the exact number
   to be determined)
   - Preference for 2 of the positions will be given to those who reside in
   a state outside of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland; as well as a
   younger member of the LoCo.  If the position can not be filled by a person
   in that target area, the position will be opened to any interested party
   along with the rest of the Ordinary Committee Member positions


Election to the Committee:

   - The Chairperson officially calls and operates all elections and votes
   as per the rules stated in the charter.
   - Ordinary Committee Members will serve two year terms.  At the end of
   the two year term of the group of members elected, an election will be held
   to any member who has explicitly agreed to the Ubuntu Code of Conduct within
   the Australian LoCo.  Votes can be registered by any member who is not part
   of the committee or is standing for election.  After that round of voting,
   the top candidates (according to the no. of positions available) will be
   elected.  If there are any ties or the Chairperson deems the majority to be
   not suitable, the committee itself will elect.
   - Vice President's and Presidents will serve three year terms, to be
   elected by the Ordinary Committee Members.  Members on the committee may
   nominate themselves for the positions, and normal LoCo members may have a
   committee member nominate them.
   - The election rules for the Chairperson is the same as for the
   Vice/President, however the Chairperson has an option to extend their term
   by 2 years without the need for an election.
   - Any elected committee member may re-nominate themselves for new terms.
    There is no limit on the number of terms a committee member can serve.
   - An elected member may resign from their post, or be 'sacked' from their
   position (if they miss a certain number of meeting w/o permission from the
   Chairperson or if they act in a manner that is against the CoC).  In that
   case, the Chairperson in consultation with the committee may decide to
   either call upon the first runner up of the election from that member, or
   can call an open election for an 'interim member' position to fill that
   position until the expiration of that term as per the above guidelines.

Meetings:

There are two types of meetings.  These include community meetings and
committee meetings.

*Community Meetings*
*
*

   - Meetings to be held in the IRC channel once a month to be chaired by
   the Chairperson
   - The Chairperson will set the time of the meeting in consultation with
   the LoCo members and the committee
   - These meetings are open to any member within the LoCo
   - Anyone can request for points to be added to the agenda, but the person
   who requested the item must attend the meeting in order to explain it
   otherwise that item will be skipped
   - The meeting will be fully logged and the Chairperson will post the log
   onto the mailing list and the Team Wiki

*Committee Meetings*

   - Meetings that include all elected committee members.
   - The Chairperson will arrange the time and venue of the meeting
   - These meetings should occur somewhere between once a month, to once
   every three months.
   - The Chairperson, in consultation with the committee may organise
   meetings to be held in a physical location to allow members of the committee
   to be able to meet outside of the internet, however this is not compulsory
   as organising such meetings can be difficult.
   - The Chairperson will publish the recorded minutes of committee meetings
   on the mailing list and the wiki for all LoCo members to read.

This is a basic preamble of the model that I would suggest, and some details
haven't been worked out.  I encourage anyone reading this to tell me what
you think and how you would change it.

Regards,
Matthew Rossi
matt at pcpodcast.org
Tel: +1 253 987 6413
Mob: +61 488 122 990
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