Proposal: Clarifying and Formalizing the Roles of the Roundtable of Dogs Chairman and Secretary

General
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Proposal: Clarifying and Formalizing the Roles of the Roundtable of Dogs Chairman and Secretary as well as succession processes for Roundtable Members

1. Introduction and Objective

This proposal aims to clarify and formalize the roles of both the Roundtable of Dogs Chairman and Secretary within the K9 Finance DAO governance structure. Currently, some of these roles lack clear definitions, and communication between the Roundtable of Dogs and the Management Council relies on the goodwill of current role holders. This proposal seeks to codify the responsibilities of both the Chairman and Secretary, establish clear lines of communication between the Roundtable of Dogs and Management Council, and define a transparent and robust succession process for both positions and Roundtable of Dogs members. The objective is to ensure continuity, accountability, and effective governance within the DAO.

2. Benefits to K9 Finance Community

• Improved Communication: Formalized communication channels between the Roundtable of Dogs and Management Council, facilitated by both the Chairman and Secretary, will ensure that all relevant information continues to be shared efficiently and transparently.
• Enhanced Accountability: Clear responsibilities for both the Chairman and Secretary will increase accountability and ensure that Roundtable of Dogs decisions are properly executed and that the Roundtable of Dogs is properly managed. Performance-based assessments ensure that Roundtable of Dogs members can be re-elected only if they contribute positively to the DAO.
• Stronger Governance: A defined succession process for both roles will prevent power vacuums and ensure smooth transitions of leadership within the Roundtable of Dogs.
• Greater Transparency: Codifying these roles and processes will enhance transparency for the entire K9 Finance community.
• Conflict Prevention: A robust succession plan, with checks and balances, reduces the potential for internal conflict or disputes over leadership for both roles.

3. Proposal Details

(a) WHAT

This proposal outlines the following changes and additions to the K9 Finance DAO governance structure, specifically amending the existing text found within the K9 Finance DAO Constitution (DAO Constitution):

Current Text to be Replaced (from the K9 Finance DAO Constitution, Section - Roundtable of Dogs):

“The Roundtable of Dogs operates under the leadership of a Chairman and a Secretary, each responsible for approving their successors, ensuring continuity and integrity.
The Secretary plays a crucial role in advancing the governance process, overseeing proposal progression, member addition, and creating an agenda for each meeting.
…
Term length is a maximum of 12 months - at the 12 month mark the DAO can reconsider appointees which can include replacement, extension, or transition to another role such as advisor.”

Proposed Replacement Text:

"The Roundtable of Dogs operates under the leadership of a Chairman and a Secretary.

  1. Role of the Roundtable of Dogs Chairman:
  • The Chairman of the Roundtable of Dogs must be a current member of the Management Council.
  • The Chairman is responsible for liaising between the Roundtable of Dogs and the Management Council and providing the Management’s perspective on the issues discussed.
  • The Chairman is responsible for ensuring that the decisions of the Roundtable of Dogs are executed by the Management Council in compliance with the K9 Finance DAO Constitution.
  • The Chairman is required to prepare a formal report covering significant events, Management Council decisions and developments that happened since the last Roundtable of Dogs meeting as well as overview of significant upcoming topics and progress update on implementation of previous Roundtable and DAO decisions.
  • The Chairman has mandatory attendance at the Management Council meetings.
  • The Chairman does not have a vote in Roundtable of Dogs decisions.
  1. Role of the Roundtable of Dogs Secretary:
  • The Secretary is responsible for creating an agenda for each meeting, the accurate recording, maintenance and dissemination of Roundtable of Dogs minutes, decisions, and action items ensuring they are accessible to the community.
  • The Secretary assists the Chairman in all duties, where required and plays a crucial role in advancing the governance process, overseeing proposal progression and new member addition.
  1. Succession Process:
  • The Roundtable of Dogs will elect the Chairperson from candidates nominated from within the Management Council and the Secretary from candidates nominated from within the Roundtable of Dogs.
  • Candidates for both roles must have an in-depth knowledge of the DAO, its Governance structures, and a track record of actively participating and contributing to DAO proposals on the DAO Forum and in discussions on other K9 social media platforms.
  • The Chairman has the right to veto a Chairman or Secretary candidate only if the candidate demonstrably fails to meet the requirements of ethical conduct, professionalism, respect, integrity, or an in-depth knowledge of the DAO as explicitly defined in the Governance documentation.
  • The Roundtable of Dogs can overrule the Chairman’s veto with a vote requiring support from at least 75% of all Roundtable of Dogs members.
  • In the event of death, prolonged sickness, disappearance of the current role-holder, or a lack of volunteer candidates who completely fulfil the requirements, the Roundtable of Dogs may appoint a temporary Chairman or Secretary with at least 75% support of all Roundtable of Dogs members. This temporary appointee will serve until a suitable permanent candidate is found and elected or the appointee is found to fulfil all the role’s requirements in which case his role will stop being temporary.
  • The succession/handover process should be completed within two weeks of the vote, with the newly elected role-holder assuming full responsibilities after that period.
  • Both the outgoing and incoming Chairman and Secretary have a duty to ensure a smooth transition, including transferring knowledge and responsibilities.
  • New Roundtable of Dogs members should be reviewed/elected based on individual merits according to scoring rubric for full objectivity - not in conjunction with other candidates, unless there are more candidates than remaining open Roundtable of Dogs positions. In latter case Roundtable of Dogs would vote on top candidates for open positions. In case of any draws for bottom spot - the Roundtable would vote between the candidates that got same amount of votes for the last place.
  • Term length is a maximum of 12 months - at the 12 month mark the Roundtable of Dogs can reconsider appointees which can include replacement, extension, or transition to another role such as advisor based on their performance review (including attendance, participation, contributions to the DAO, fulfilling their responsibilities and any other parameters determined by the Roundtable of Dogs).

(b) WHO

• K9 Finance DAO Community: Benefits from improved governance and communication.
• Roundtable of Dogs: Responsible for electing the Chairman, Secretary and members.
• Management Council: Provides candidates for the Chairman role and ensures execution of Roundtable of Dogs and DAO decisions.
• Chairman and Secretary: Hold the defined responsibilities and duties.

(c) WHERE

These changes will be implemented within the existing K9 Finance DAO governance framework, primarily affecting the Roundtable of Dogs and the Management Council. The changes will be codified within the DAO Constitution, specifically by amending the existing text in the Roundtable of Dogs section.

(d) WHEN

These changes will be implemented immediately upon approval of this proposal by the K9 Finance DAO.

(e) HOW

• Amendment of the DAO Constitution: The Roundtable of Dogs section of the DAO Constitution will be amended to reflect the changes outlined in this proposal. The existing text will be replaced with the “Proposed Replacement Text” provided above.
• Election Process: Future elections/renewal for Chairman, Secretary and members will follow the new procedures outlined in this proposal.
• Communication: The Management Council and Roundtable of Dogs will follow the codified communication protocols. Considering that existing practice virtually resembles the codified protocol - no actual changes will be necessary at this stage.

4. Impact Assessment

• Short-Term Impacts:
• Increased clarity and structure within the Roundtable of Dogs and Management Council.
• Minimal disruption to communications and information flows between Management Council and Roundtable of Dogs as existing practices already resemble the codified protocol.
• Potential adjustments in workflow as roles and responsibilities are formalized.

• Long-Term Impacts:
• Enhanced DAO governance and stability as key operating principles are clarified and codified.
• Greater community confidence in the DAO’s decision-making processes.
• Greater responsibility and accountability of Roundtable of Dogs role-holders and members.
• Reduced risk of leadership vacuums or disputes.
• Improved efficiency in executing Roundtable of Dogs decisions.

• Risks and Mitigation:
• Risk: Potential resistance to change from existing members.
• Mitigation: Clear communication of the benefits and rationale for the changes.
• Risk: Disagreements during the election process.
• Mitigation: Clearly defined eligibility criteria and voting procedures.
• Risk: The possibility that the “extraordinary circumstance” clause is misused.
• Mitigation: Clear and concise wording of what constitutes an “extraordinary circumstance”

• Metrics for Success:
• Successful implementation of the communication protocols.
• Timely and effective execution of Roundtable of Dogs decisions.
• Smooth transitions during future leadership and member changes.
• Positive feedback from the K9 Finance community regarding the improved governance structure.
• No interruption to any DAO processes caused by the new role clarifications.

By No One (with support and invaluable insights and suggestions of K9 Proposal Bot)

5 Likes
2

This seems like a common sense proposal… I’m with it.

4 Likes
3

Agreed, quite judicious

3 Likes
4

I am in favor of this proposal. Gives a better understanding for not only the current roles but future ones as well.

3 Likes
5

I can’t see a flaw with these changes.

1 Like
6

I support this proposal. There is quite a bit of overlap with the first proposal, but I trust NoOne’s attention to detail that the info. Is aligned. Any other observations from proofers?

7

My only objection to this is related to the Chairman not having a vote. Historically the Chairman has been able to vote (Turtle) and the Secretary has also been able to vote (Sentinel) while Buzz has filled in as an advisor from the management council to provide updates. This recognizes that Turtle has been performing the duties of Chairman and Secretary over the last year (with Buzz’s support) and the new clarifications will have some impact.

Going forward, the updates will be coming from Turtle under this new structure as the Chairman. This means Buzz won’t be providing the updates at the start of our Roundtable calls and may not be participating in the calls at all.

Seeing as there is only one person from the management council who is also on the Roundtable that leaves Turtle as the de-facto Chairman unless something changes.

It also stands to reason the Chairman has the most information / is spending the most time on K9 and it doesn’t sit right with me that the most informed person would not have a vote. With the 75% quorum clarifications in the other proposal I see no negative impact from allowing the Chairman to continue to have a vote (as it has been since the RT was formed).

3 Likes
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I hear you. I didn’t really invent this requirement myself to take back anyone’s power.
It stemmed from existing wording of the Governance Document:

"# Roundtable of Dogs:

The Roundtable of Dogs, composed of elected members, convenes monthly to review and advance proposals for community consideration. Operating autonomously from the management council, it ensures independent decision-making."

So, the Chairman having no ‘vote’ on the Roundtable but having a ‘voice’ actually ensures that the decisions of the Roundtable are totally independent from Management Council, but also take into account the opinion and greatest expertise of the Chairman.

2 Likes
9

Regarding Turtle doing the double job (with Buzz’s support) - rather than removing Buzz out of the picture completely, I would love for the Roundtable to elect Buzz as the Chairman and Turtle as the Secretary - to solidify your tandem that has been working very well for the past year (provided that Buzz would agree to taking on the role in official capacity rather than as unofficial advisor as in current state).

This could happen when the current 1 year period of existing role-holders expire (or sooner if all old/new role-holders and Roundtable members concur).

2 Likes
10

APPROVE!

This would bring more clarity and looks like it follows the spirit of the original intent.

1 Like
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Sounds good to me! I’m all for this.