Introduction
To improve the order and flow of governance on voting platforms and the forum, we propose the creation of a new team within ConnextDAO, the “Governance Task Force”. This role has already been successfully established on other governance platforms such as Decentraland and MakerDAO (as Governance Facilitators). Also, more recently, Hop established a 'Head of DAO Governance and Operations’
What is a Governance Facilitator?
The Governance Facilitator is an individual, group of people, or organization, whose goal is to help ConnextDAO and the Connext Foundation work efficiently toward the success of the core protocol while maintaining a neutral and impartial stance.
What are the tasks of a Governance Facilitator?
Facilitators serve as a link between the Foundation, the DAO, and the broader community. They must be aware of the governance processes and ensure that they are strictly followed. In addition, they must prepare reports, encourage community collaboration by organizing events and meetings, facilitate the creation of working groups, and guarantee, along with the community, that the governance processes are robust and fair. Their role also includes promoting the continuous improvement of these processes and communicating any changes that may arise.
Their goal is to ensure process fairness, transparency, and timeliness.
Abstract
We propose integrating the Governance Task Force role into the DAO, outlining its selection process and guidelines.
Motivation
In the case of an emerging organization such as ConnextDAO, it’s important to maintain order, respect governance processes, and ensure that activity in the organization is kept on track. DAOs thrive on diversity, transparency, and high levels of participation; without these ingredients, it’s possible to fall into centralization and an impoverishment of functioning that ends up harming the core protocol, either by failing to comply with key processes or by simply stalling the process for proposals that could be beneficial to the Connext ecosystem.
Without going any further, we have several examples of processes that are not being fulfilled optimally in ConnextDAO at present:
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The initial 6-month term of our Security Council ended without us having even conducted a discussion on what changes we could implement nor initiated the electoral process to renew it. As a result, we created the RFC: Extend Current Security Council and Upgrade the Election Process.
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The 3-month term of the Liquidity Task Force has also ended, as we have already stated in this forum post: ConnextDAO: Next steps. We are concerned that we have no news from the LTF, nor details on how they have carried out their tasks in this time. At the same time, we have also not been able to resume discussions on how to move forward.
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Although there was a first breakthrough in the DAO Treasury Diversification RFC, discussions have stalled and the DAO hasn’t made any progress on managing its treasury. This creates issues for us when making payment arrangements with service providers, as some of them do not wish to expose their earnings to the high volatility of the token, and as a DAO we often have to resort to installment payments to ensure that the service is actually delivered (both in quality and quantity).
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SEED has noticed that on several occasions both service providers and other proposers do not know who to turn to when it comes to forming multisigs for payments or putting their proposals up for vote. This translates into too much uncertainty, which can be solved with better process management, and having work teams in charge of moving the respective processes forward.
These are just some examples that illustrate that the DAO needs people committed to Connext and knowledgeable about what is going on in day-to-day governance.
Rationale
The Governance Task Force is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of ConnextDAO’s governance. Aligned with the fundamental principles of the Connext ecosystem, this role champions efficiency, transparency, and community engagement. Beyond alignment, it functions as a catalyst for promoting inclusivity, collaboration, and sound decision-making within the DAO. Its contribution extends far beyond a merely supportive role, actively enriching the governance structure with a commitment to positive evolution and the empowerment of community members.
As mentioned above, the current state of the DAO has demonstrated the need to standardize process flows, support proposals made by the community, expand communication between those involved in the day-to-day work of the DAO, and bridge the gap between the DAO and the Foundation.
This is why we propose to create a team of 3 (three) people, with a Program Manager, an Operations Officer, and a Treasury Officer, each with specific roles geared towards meeting the operational needs of a DAO like Connext.
The creation of a team, with different verticals, not only seeks to have each member focus on specific tasks (to avoid unnecessary overload) but also aligns with the need to avoid unwanted centralization of processes in the DAO.
Specifications
The scope of each position will be as follows:
Program Manager: will be in charge of driving the program forward, having the responsibility of coordinating all the verticals to generate an alignment towards the achievement of the objectives in ConnextDAO. The program manager will have to:
- Collaborate and coordinate with each of the verticals
- Supervise that the members of the team fulfill their tasks
- Make monthly reports on the performance of the program and the DAO activity metrics.
- Management of the Official Communications Channels like the Connext Gov X account and participate in discussions in the #governance-chat channel of Connext’s Discord server.
- Being in charge of starting the different electoral processes to renew the latter in due time and form (in the case of the security council elections, this will be done jointly with Connext Foundation).
- Share strategic feedback with the Connext Foundation Governance team regarding community engagement and user needs within the DAO.
- Ensure respect and compliance with the constitution and regulations of the Connext DAO. The program manager will also report to the DAO any improper action/non-compliance by any of the team members.
- Analyze voting patterns and anticipate results to identify potential risks.
- To be a signer of the various multi-sigs (2 of 4, the Proposer, the Program Manager, the Treasury Officer and the Operations Officer) that are created to make partial payments to service providers and others. It will also exercise oversight over payments that are approved by the Task Force, ensuring that they do not occur without prior analysis/consensus from the community as a result of reports provided by the applicants as appropriate.
- Biweekly reporting on DAO activity
- In addition, the Program Manager shall monitor the compliance of proposals requiring periodic reporting and encourage those involved to comply with such reporting. (The PM is also responsible for reviewing)
Operations Officer: will be responsible for ensuring that the processes occur as outlined in the DAO. Duties include:
- Following up on the deadlines of the positions (to avoid their expiration)
- To provide support and insights to the Program Manager in regards to daily operations
- Participate and moderate discussions in the #governance-chat channel of Connext’s Discord server and in the Governance Forum.
- To make sure that the different proposals in the forum can be submitted to vote (either by uploading it himself, another Facilitator, or a delegate from outside the program).
- To be a signer of the various multi-sigs (2 of 4) that are created to make partial payments to service providers and others as well as the Program Manager and the Treasury Officer.
- Provide advisory support to navigate the proposal process, including drafting proposals, formulating proposal code, and communicating with relevant parties, ensuring that the proposals meet the minimum requirements to be taken to a vote.
- Facilitate the creation of working groups for specific proposals.
- Organizing general delegate calls (in principle monthly), and meetings for specific purposes, generating reports based on both including transcripts, recordings, and a summary of what was discussed at each meeting.
- Communicating to delegates/community when a proposal is put to a vote and its outcome when it is concluded.
Treasury Officer: will be in charge of both the supervision of the state of the treasury as well as certain tasks related to the disposition of the treasury (always subject to approval by the DAO). To achieve these objectives, the Treasury Officer will be required to:
- Prepare monthly reports on the status of the treasury and project NEXT outflows (and income, if applicable in the future),
- Be a signer of the various multi-sigs (2 of 4) for payments, as well as the Operations Officer and the Program Manager.
- Provide and encourage feedback/discussion on those proposals deemed necessary to improve treasury management.
- Formulate proposals to the DAO to carry out treasury management.
- Promote the sustainability of the treasury by driving proposals that can generate funds for the DAO, which are necessary to meet its fixed costs.
- Seek partners who can provide treasury-related services to the DAO.
- Additionally, the Treasury Officer will have to implement (in consensus with the DAO) a framework to control a “cash fund” or a “multi-sig for Operational Payments” that will have the objective of facing amount payments in those cases where the proposal is denominated in USD and the supplier does not wish to run the risk of the price to be paid in installments.
Selection Process
The steps to select each Facilitator role are as follows:
- Nominations: Any community individual or entity can apply for each role.
- Application Form: To nominate oneself, applicants must follow the provided format (Template).
- Application Period: Applicants have 7 days to submit their nomination on the forum.
- Voting: Once the nomination period ends, a proposal (for each position) will be presented on Snapshot with the list of candidates, allowing the DAO to select the candidate that best meets their expectations and needs.
- Results: The candidates with the majority of votes will be appointed as Facilitators.
- KYC: The selected candidate must undergo and complete the KYC process set forth by the Connext Foundation.
Note: It is important to highlight that this position is not an employment under the Connext Foundation. The Governance Task Force will be accountable to ConnextDAO, which will determine and oversee its powers and functions.
Application Template
- Personal Information: [Fields with * are mandatory, the rest are optional]
- Name:
- Forum username*:
- Twitter*:
- Telegram*:
- Discord:
- Github:
- LinkedIn:
- Others:
- Have you previously contributed to the Connext ecosystem or its DAO? [Yes/No]: [If yes, please share links and supporting data]
- Mention the role you are applying for (Program Manager, Operations Officer, or Treasury Officer)
- I understand that I will be required to provide additional KYC information to the Connext Foundation to access the Facilitator Role: [Yes/No]:
- Do you understand that the Facilitator’s Role must adapt to changes approved by Connext DAO, including but not limited to the Code of Conduct or other regulations governing behavior within the Connext DAO community and forum? [Yes/No]:
- Do you acknowledge that, when accepting the facilitator role, you must maintain an objective stance in forum discussions and any communication medium used by the Connext DAO community? [Yes/No]:
Experience and Education
- Do you have experience in any of the following fields?
- Political Science
- International Trade
- Law
- Psychology
- Business Administration
- Philosophy
- Other fields related to governance.
- Do you have verifiable experience actively working in governance or a DAO? [If so, please share links and supporting data.]
- Have you had previous experience in a similar role? [If so, please share links and supporting data.]
- Do you have experience in game theory and consensus? [If so, please share links and supporting data.]
- Do you have experience in human resource management and metric analysis? [If so, please share links and supporting data.]
- Do you have technical skills or have you participated in the development of a particular project? (If you are applying for Operations Officer this aptitude is highly valued.) [If so, please share links and supporting data.]
- If chosen as (input role here), what would your main focus be?
- Would you like to share any other information or skills that you consider relevant for the position and that have not been addressed in this template?
- Please identify and share any conflict of interest that may arise in performing the facilitator role.
Requirements
- Alignment with the ethos and objectives of the Connext ecosystem.
- Active delegate in the DAO (At least 50% participation in DAO votings)
- Each role can be filled by both individuals and organizations.
- Fluent in the English language, both spoken and written.
- Ability to simplify and communicate complex information to the community clearly and understandably.
- Solid knowledge about the Connext ecosystem, bridges in general, and Ethereum.
- Autonomy and responsibility to carry out concrete actions.
- Verifiable experience in governance-related activities.
- Ability to manage high-tension situations.
- Skills in coordinating large teams.
- Flexibility and adaptability to rapid changes.
- Availability of 10 hours a week. (this is an estimated workload, Task Force members must accept to fulfill their obligations regardless of this estimation)
Duration of the Role
Given that the Governance Task Force is new and experimental, its initial duration will be subject to DAO decision, during the Snapshot vote, 4 options will be provided:
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Fund the Task Force for 6 months
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Fund the Task Force for 4 months
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Do not fund the Task Force
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Abstain.
Role Renewal
After 4 or 6 months of service:
- The Facilitator can choose to seek a renewal of their mandate for an additional 12 months. To initiate this process, they are required to create a forum post, which will then be subjected to a Snapshot vote. There is a restriction period of 2 weeks to submit the vote for a program renewal upon its ending (or from the delivery of the final report made by the Program Manager, whichever comes last), to provide the DAO the possibility to analyze the results of the program and propose changes to the current structure. In future iterations of the program, renewal may be requested during the month before the end of the term, being mandatory the presentation of a final report by the Program Manager.
- The DAO can start a new selection process for the Facilitator role, either replicating the previous method or implementing a new one.
- With a Snapshot vote, ConnextDAO has the authority to discontinue the role.
Compensation and Financing
The monthly budget allocated for each role is a fixed amount of 2,000 USD, which translates into a total monthly allocation of 6,000 USD.
Note: The amount in NEXT will be calculated at the time the Snapshot proposal is put to a vote. There will be a buffer of 20% to cover contingencies such as abrupt changes in the NEXT price. Any modification that leads to the use of this buffer must be properly pre-notified to the community. The Task Force reserves the right to request further funding from the DAO in the event that NEXT price changes exceed the pre-established buffer. Unused NEXT will be returned to the treasury (or may be used for the next mandate of the Governance Task Force, subject to DAO approval).
The monthly payment will be made through a 2 of 3 multisig composed of the Program Manager and two delegates who do not wish to be part of the Task Force. This should be done on a month-to-month basis for 4 or 6 months.
It will be the responsibility of the Program Manager to account for the executed payments in the monthly reports on the DAO metrics.
Facilitator Resignation
Any Facilitator has the right to submit their resignation with one month’s prior notice, justifying their reasons in a forum post. In such a case, they will be compensated up to their last month of service. If there are surplus funds, these will be returned to the ConnextDAO treasury.
Suspension and Dismissal of the Facilitator
ConnextDAO retains the authority to dismiss a Facilitator under the following circumstances:
- They have not met their responsibilities.
- Their actions are not aligned with the objectives of Connext.
- They have engaged in corrupt practices.
The dismissal process involves a Snapshot vote, and any remaining funds are to be returned to the ConnextDAO treasury.
Moreover, the Connext Foundation and other Facilitators can initiate the Facilitator’s dismissal through a forum post, outlining the reasons. In such cases, ConnextDAO is required to take immediate action.
In any scenario involving the reporting or requested dismissal of the Facilitator, a temporary suspension from all tasks and functions will be enforced until the matter is resolved or clarified.
Replacing a Task Force member
In the event of a Resignation or Dismissal of a Task Force member, Facilitator shall be replaced by Snapshot vote, using the same election procedure as above.
Implementation process
Considering that this proposal has two different options to fund (which implies to different NEXT amounts) and noting that the Program Manager (who is part of the multi-sig) has to be elected by the DAO, the implementation process will be the following:
- First we will submit this proposal to vote in Snapshot (as Social and not executable)
- If approved, we will start the candidate selection procedure, first with the applications in the forum using the template, and finally submit each role to vote in Snapshot after the deadline set in the proposal (7 days for nominations).
- Once the team members have been selected, the multisig will be constituted, as prior to this there is no pre-selected Program Manager to do so. An executable proposal will then be made by simply requesting the number of NEXTs needed (this will also allow the PM to calculate the NEXT needed closer to the actual start date of the Task Force).
- Concurrently, it will initiate the KYC process with the Foundation. It should be noted that the Security Council may reserve the right to veto the execution of the transfer of funds if the selected PM has not completed the required KYC documentation.
Total Cost
Monthly payment per role: 2,000 USD
Roles: 3
Total monthly payment: 6,000 USD
Total cost of the program (6 months): 6,000 USD x 6 months = 36,000 USD
Total cost of the program (4 months): 6,000 USD x 4 months = 24,000 USD
Acknowledgements:
@Sinkas , @Stefan , @saltyfacu , @NMajors , @jengajojo