Archive:Proposals (old)

This is a proposed page.

How the Citizendium proposals system works

The Citizendium has participatory governance, and we Citizens often want to offer ideas for improvements (proposals) as well as raise questions that call for a decision (issues). The proposals system offers a single place where all Citizens may offer proposals and raise issues. If you submit a proposal here, and your proposal gains a champion (a "driver"), you can be sure that the community will respond; your ideas or your question will not be simply lost and forgotten.

It is simple to start a proposal or issue. You just supply some basic information, which goes in the list of initial proposals. If that initial proposal is in order, the Proposals Manager will move it to a "subpage" of this page, depending on what body makes the decision about it. For example, proposals for the Editorial Council will go on the CZ:Proposals/Editorial Council page.

Your proposal or issue will get nowhere, however, if no one agrees to make it happen, that is, to drive the process of debating, adopting, and implementing it. This champion of your proposal we call the proposal "driver." You can become a proposal driver, but if you do, you have more work to do, and you need to get acquainted with these instructions. In any event, the driver develops your proposal on a separate proposal page, where details about the proposal are given: explanation, reasoning, implementation. There is also public discussion about the proposal on that page.

Once the driver feels the proposal or issue is ready, it is submitted to the assigned decisionmaker(s), who are charged with giving a response within a reasonable amount of time.

If a proposal is accepted or an issue decided, and implementation begins, then the proposal should be deposited in [[CZ:Proposals/GROUP/Finished]], where the GROUP is the decisionmaking body. If rejected, the proposal should be deposited in [[CZ:Proposals/GROUP/Declined]]. (Links to these pages can be found below.)

Note that, at least at present, one does not have to use the proposals system to develop a proposal. Much work can be done without getting any special permission, and it is also acceptable to approach decisionmakers directly, bypassing the proposal system apparatus. This system is intended simply to centralize and facilitate project policymaking.

How to start a proposal

Step 1. Create a title for your proposal. Go to the titles page and add a title for your proposal to the bottom of the list. For formatting guidance, follow the examples you'll find on the page. Be sure to make your title brief and descriptive. If you are raising an issue, it is best if you word it in terms of a question.

Step 2. Go to the initial proposals page (you might want to open another window or tab) and give us six short pieces of information:

1. Brief descriptive title. The exact same you used earlier. This goes in the heading.
2. Summary of proposal. Limited to 100 words.
3. Name and date of original proposer: write four tildes ~~~~
4. Username of driver. If you, write three tildes ~~~; if someone else, specify. This is the person who makes sure the proposal moves along from step to step in its development. If the "driver" blank, and no one volunteers to be driver, your proposal may be moved to the "discarded" queue.
5. Next step. The next thing you need to do to move the proposal toward reality.
6. Target date for next step. A date the driver commits to, for completing the next step.
7. (Optional) Notes. Brief salient remarks. Bear in mind the bulk of the info about the proposal doesn't go here but on the (much bigger) proposal page.

Put this information in the blank template. You'll find a copy at the bottom of the list of initial proposals. Simply copy and paste that and fill it out. Then you've finished creating your proposal/issue!

Step 3 (optional). On the the initial proposals page, follow the "complete proposal" link you'll find at the bottom of your new proposal box. On that page, you can elaborate the proposal or issue, link to pre-existing discussions, and generally say whatever you think needs to be said in order to get the proposal adopted, or the issue decided, and implemented. (Guidelines are available.)

Please note, as proposer, you do not have to fill out the just-described "complete proposal" page. The proposal's driver should do so; but that assumes that the proposal actually attracts a driver (a "champion"). If you do not volunteer to drive your proposal, there is no guarantee anyone else will. Note also that if you become the proposal's driver, it will be very useful (perhaps essential) for you to read the full instructions.

You're done starting the proposal!

Help

While the system is as simple as possible, the fully detailed rules that govern the system, from original proposal to implementation, are somewhat involved. You can see CZ:Proposals/Policy if you're interested, but you shouldn't have to know those rules in order simply to start a proposal. If you have a question, then please contact _________________, the Proposals Manager. You can also post a question on the talk page, which the Proposals Manager and others will monitor.

Proposals System Navigation (advanced users only)

Help/policy New proposals List of all proposals Driverless proposals: proposals that lack a champion Discarded proposals: poorly formed proposals Templates: {{Proposal}} | {{Proposal assignment}} | {{Proposals navigation}}

Proposal lists (some planned pages are still blank): Editorial Council: Active | Finished | Declined Approval and Feedback: Active | Finished | Declined Eduzendium: Active | Finished | Declined Recruitment: Active | Finished | Declined Constabulary: Active | Finished | Declined Executive: Active | Finished | Declined Technical: Active | Finished | Declined PR: Active | Finished | Declined Ad hoc management: Active | Finished | Declined