Regarding the Polkadot DAO, I believe we as an ecosystem are in a very similar position to the United States following the Revolutionary War and claiming independence from England—we find ourselves with the freedom to govern; however, we are struggling to thrive without a proper structure of governance.
I also believe that we can learn a lot from history and the formation of governance systems in the United States, recognizing the good, the bad, and the ugly. For example, Congress was once very similar to the state of OpenGov now, where all voting members handle a plethora of diverse matters. Over time, it became apparent that this was not sustainable, so different committees were created to help organize members across areas of expertise & streamline early reviews & decision-making processes for these bodies before all members of Congress later vote on finalized proposals. On the flip side, looking at today, the United States government & Congress is arguably inefficient, divided, and slow to act. Additionally, while there is a system of checks & balances, the executive branch of government is potentially the most fertile for corruption as immense power is bestowed upon a single person.
@alice_und_bob previously started a similar conversation back in September of 2023, which I recommend everybody check out: Polkadot Governance Framework - v2023.09
With everything said, I believe Polkadot is due for its own version of a “constitutional convention” where a starting governance framework can be established, including establishing core founding collectives, committees, bounties, roles, procedures, treasury budgeting, etc. Polkadot is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO); however, it is heavily lacking on the “organization front,” so I believe it is important for the community to:
- Establish the “O” while Preserving the “D&A” in DAO
- Collectives & Objectives
- Committees & Bounties
- Councils & Boards
- Roles & Permissions
- Elections & Appointments
- Budget like a business to fix the Treasury
- Budget Frequency
- Revenue Projections
- Operational Needs & Means
- Public Spending Tracks
- Treasury Diversification & Payouts
- Budget Composition & Enactment
- Enforce a System of Checks & Balances
- Handle Claims & Disputes
- Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
- Impeachment & Removal Process(es)
I have put together an initial framework of different governing and operation bodies. This framework is intended to provide a structured starting point; however, it is not expected to look the same as what the community ultimately approves of. It may even look radically different. The community could decide that some collectives are unnecessary while others are missing & needed. What I am sharing below is also not complete. I intend to outline specific roles, which is necessary for estimating operating costs. For what it’s worth, I believe that some members can serve multiple roles at once (for example, being on 2 committees within the same collective) I also plan on detailing specific procedures & responsibilities; however, I want to share what I have now so that the community can begin to chime in and even share their thoughts & ideas. I also plan on proposing a process for going through each section, debating & amending the entire proposal, and then detailing the technical implementation of its final form.
Again, the community could decide to change virtually everything. However, I am confident that if all of the main points below are considered & addressed, Polkadot will be on a much better track than it is currently on.
1. Collectives, Committees, Councils, Bounties, and Roles.
The purpose of this segment is to outline the core departments & roles within the DAO.
1.1. Technical Collective
- 1.1a. Technical Research Committee
- 1.1b. Protocol Development Committee
- 1.1c. Interface Development Committee
1.2. Growth Collective
- 1.2a. Project Onboarding Committee
- 1.2b. Business Development Committee
- 1.2c. Project Incubation Committee
- 1.2d. Support Services Committee
1.3. Marketing Collective
- 1.3a. Content Creation Committee
- 1.3b. Social Media Committee
- 1.3c. News Media Committee
- 1.3d. Strategic Outreach Committee
1.4. Events Collective
- 1.4a. Flagship Events Committee
- 1.4b. Industry Events Committee
- 1.4c. Community Events Committee
1.5. Spider Collective
- 1.5a. Strategy Coordination Committee
- 1.5b. Talent Acquisition Committee
1.6. Oversight Council
- 1.6a. Scope & Members
- 1.6b. Powers & Enforcement
1.7. Disputes Council
- 1.7a. Scope & Boards
- 1.7b. Powers & Enforcement
1.8. Regulatory Council
- 1.8a. Purpose & Members
- 1.8b. Powers & Reporting
2. Elections, Appointments, Approvals, Impeachments, and Removals.
The purpose of this segment is to outline onboarding & offboarding procedures for various roles & members in the DAO and account for potential needs to remove members from their posts.
2.1. On-Chain Elections
- 2.1a. Election Schedules
- 2.1b. Declaring Candidacy
- 2.1c. Special Elections
- 2.1d. Dynamic Candidacy
- 2.1e. Onboarding & Off-Boarding
2.2. Appointments & Approvals
- 2.2a. Appointment Types
- 2.2b. Appointment Fulfillment
- 2.2c. Approval Processes
2.3. Impeachments & Removals
- 2.3a. Causes for Removal
- 2.3b. Impeachment Process
- 2.3c. Removal Proceedings
3. The Treasury, Tracks, Revenue, Diversification, Budgeting, and Payouts.
The purpose of this segment is to establish organized, transparent, and organized spending practices for the DAO.
3.1 Treasury Structure
- 3.1a. Public Spending Tracks
- 3.1b. Proposal Requirements
3.2 Monetary System
- 3.2a. Treasury Revenue
- 3.2b. Asset Diversification
3.3 Budgeting Procedures
- 3.3a. Budgeting Frequency
- 3.3b. Composition & Deadlines
- 3.3c. Budget Enactments