Governance Structure Proposal for Ubuntu-AU

[AndrewG]

Matt & Benjamin,

IMHO.

I would propose that the committee be a representative one, being
'one' State leader from each state.

Why, because most implementation of Goals of Ubuntu-au will be enacted
on at a local level.
     Ie.  Exhibition stalls, Install fests, cd distribution  etc.
     A 'State' leader would also be a 'Local contact' for interested
people wanting to get involved.

Sub-committees could also be formed, to deal with 'Marketing
resources', 'Website maintenance' etc. on a national level.

Also don't forget the various 'LUGS' around the country, they have
many resources that could also be utilised.


Yes Ben, there would be a process needed to 'Vet' candidates for
positions.

Cheers,
Andrew G.



On Mar 8, 9:08 am, benchen70 <benche... at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Matthew,
>
> Thank you for your ideas, I think they are wonderful.
>
> Just out of curiosity, I am just wondering about the state
> requirements of the ordinary committee members. Is there any
> particular reason for 2 preferentially from states outside Victoria,
> Queensland and NSW?
>
> Also with the election, how exactly do each person promote themselves?
> I mean, the community is not particularly large number of people, so
> quite likely, a lot of the members know each other. However, is there
> any formal process and regulation of personal promotion/'advertising'
> to become a committee member, vice-president, president and
> chairperson? Just like a normal election, where each candidate state
> their goals and aspirations, are we to have the similar process for
> our elections of presidents and chairpersons - even though our goals
> and aspirations may not be for a nation or city ;)?
>
> Again, thank you for this idea!
>
> Regards,
>
> Benjamin Chen
>
> On Mar 7, 11:20 pm, Matthew Rossi <m... at pcpodcast.org> wrote:
>
>
>
> > 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
> > m... at pcpodcast.org
> > Tel: +1 253 987 6413
> > Mob: +61 488 122 990
>
> > --
> > ubuntu-au mailing list
> > ubuntu... at lists.ubuntu.comhttps://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-au
>
> --
> ubuntu-au mailing list
> ubuntu... at lists.ubuntu.comhttps://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-au