User:Mike Cline/USCAN Working Group Drafts/Phase I Task Forces/Working Group Deliberation and Decision Process/Wikipedia Education Working Group - Rules for Procedure

Article I - Authority

The US-Canada Education Program Working Group ("Working Group") derives its authority from the charter established by the Wikimedia Foundation (the “Charter”). The Working Group exists between July and November 2012 to formulate, articulate, review and vet a strategy that establishes a new, self-sustaining enterprise to manage all aspects of the U.S. Canada Education Program in support of Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia movement strategic goals.

Article II - Membership

There are 15 members of the Working Group (“Working Group Members”) supported by a Wikimedia Foundation representative and a Working Group Facilitator (“Facilitator”). Working Group Members remain as members of the Working Group until the Working Group is dissolved or until their resignation or discharge from the Working Group.

Section 1 - Adding Working Group Members

Any Working Group Member may propose adding a new member to the Working Group for reasons of needing additional expertise in a specific area, for providing balance in the composition of the Working Group, or if an additional member is needed to carry out the Working Group’s objectives. Decisions on whether to add a new member and the process for adding one will follow the Working Group approved decision process (“Approved Decision Process”) outlined in Article V.

Section 2 - Discharging a Member

Any Working Group Member may offer a resolution to discharge a member from the Working Group for failure to act by the Guiding Principles set forth in Charter. The Working Group Member offering the resolution must notify the Working Group of the resolution using the Approved Communication Methods. Decisions will follow the Approved Decision Process outlined in Article V.

Article III - Responsibilities

The Working Group Sponsor, Advisors, Members, and the Facilitator have responsibilities established in the Working Group Charter. Those responsibilities that relate to the Working Group Rules are as follows.

Section 1 - Working Group Sponsor

The Working Group Sponsor ("Sponsor") is responsible for providing the necessary funding and infrastructure to support Working Group activities until November 2012 (end of the Working Group process), and until a transition to a new structure has been completed, as subject to the process and structure approved by the Working Group. In addition, the Sponsor is responsible for communicating Working Group progress and results to the Wikimedia Foundation and will, when necessary, advocate on behalf of the Working Group. The Sponsor also chairs the Working Group Task Force on the E-Wikimedia Foundation Education Program Consensus Building Process, and is responsible for securing the needed resources, information and consent from the Foundation.

Section 2 - Working Group Members

Working Group Members are responsible for actively participating in Task Force and Working Group activities, including those conducted outside face-to-face Working Group meetings, between July 2012 and November 2012. Working Members are expected to familiarize themselves with Task Force recommendations, respond to feedback, act on recommendations and make decisions in appropriate decision forums in time to meet milestones.

Section 3 - Working Group Facilitator

The Facilitator is responsible for facilitating Working Group in-person and virtual Working Group conversations, meetings, and activities as necessary to ensure that short-term and long-term objectives, deadlines and milestones are achieved.

Section 4 - Working Group Advisors

The Working Group Advisors are responsible for responding to Working Group Member requests for information and expertise, raising issues and sharing recommendations based on past experiences, and engaging in discussions to facilitate consensus and resolution of issues.

Article IV - Task Forces

The Working Group Task Forces are listed on the Working Group's Wikipedia page along with their desired effects, members, and milestones.

Section 1 - Task Force Membership

Task Force Membership is limited to Working Group Members. Working Group members may volunteer to participate on a Task Force by signing up on the Working Group Task Forces Wikipedia page. Task forces may choose to consult with non-Working Group Members; however, these individuals will not be considered members of the Task Force and do not participate in Task Force decisions.

Section 2 - Task Force Leaders

Each Task Force must have a designated leader chosen by the Task Force Members. Task Force leaders are responsible for convening the Task Force and facilitating timely completion the Task Force objectives and desired effects. The Task Force Leader is also responsible for providing updates about the Task Force’s work on the Task Force’s Wikipedia page. In consultation with other Task Force members, another Task Force member may take on the role of Task Force Leader temporarily or permanently if the Task Force Leader is not able to participate in Task Force work, is unable to serve, resigns, or does not carry out leadership responsibilities in a timely way.

Section 3 - Creating a New Task Force

The Working Group may authorize new Task Forces to exist for a specified period of time with the authority and objectives of its choosing. Any Working Group Member may offer a resolution to create a Task Force to address issues placed before the Working Group. The resolution must include the proposed Task Force’s authority, objectives, and duration of existence. The Working Group Member offering the resolution must notify the Working Group of the resolution using the Approved Communication Methods and the decision will be made following the Approved Decision Process outlined in Article V.

Section 4 - Dissolving or Consolidating Task Forces

Task Forces will automatically dissolve at the conclusion of the period for which the Task Force is authorized (“Work Period”). If at the end of the Work Period the Task Force has not achieved its objectives, the Task Force Leader may send a request for an extension of its Work Period to the Working Group. If, within 3 days, no Working Group Member objects to the request, it will be considered granted.

The Working Group may choose to consolidate or eliminate Task Forces if necessary. Any Working Group Member may offer a resolution to consolidate or eliminate Task Forces. The Working Group Member offering the resolution must notify the Working Group of the resolution using the Approved Communication Methods and the decision will be made following the Approved Decision Process outlined in Article V.

Section 5 - Task Force Responsibilities

Task Forces are responsible for recommending proposals that achieve the desired effects established for each Task Force as outlined on the Working Group Task Force Wikipedia page and for meeting established deadlines.

Section 6 - Task Force Meetings

Task Forces should, as much as possible, use voice-based communication methods to deliberate and make decisions. Other Approved Communication Methods may be used as part of the deliberative process.

If present, Task Force Leaders should facilitate Task Force meetings. If the Task Force Leader cannot attend a scheduled meeting, participating Task Force Members may appoint a temporary leader to facilitate the meeting.

Section 7 - Task Force Decisions

In the initial meeting, members of a Task Force should agree upon a decision process that permits the Task Force to achieve the Desired Effects by Milestone deadlines recommended by the Working Group Strategic Planning and Execution Process Task Force, along with a mutually agreeable work schedule that includes sufficient time for all needed deliberations. The process should ensure that Task Force members are able to fully participate and come to consensus on decisions.

Section 8 - Task Force Communications and Feedback

Task Forces should maintain a Wikipedia page linked to the Working Group Wikipedia page where it will display the authorizing resolution and provide regular updates about its work and respond to feedback from the Working Group. Task Forces should also respond to any requests from the Facilitator and provide Working Group members a minimum of 7 days to provide feedback in advance of any formal recommendation to the Working Group Members.

Article V - Working Group Decisions

Authorized Task Forces may report to the Working Group using the Approved Communication Methods proposals that are within their authority and related to their desired effects at any time.

Section 1 - Working Group Review

Working Group Members must have at least 7 days to review a Task Force’s proposal. During that time, Working Group Members may debate the proposal, ask for clarification, and offer amendments to any section of the proposal.

Section 2 - Amendment Process

Proposals are open to amendment by Working Group Members from the time they are reported by the Task Forces until they are voted on by the Working Group. Members seeking to amend a proposal must notify Working Group Members of their amendment using the Approved Communication Methods. Once notified of the proposed amendment, members have 3 days to ask for a recorded vote on an amendment; without a request for a recorded vote, the amendment will be considered approved. If a member asks for a recorded vote, members will have 3 days to record their votes, a simple majority of the full Working Group being sufficient to pass an amendment.

Section 3 - Quorum

In the event of a recorded vote, at least half of the Working Group must vote for a vote to be considered valid. If by the end of the voting period the quorum is not met, the Facilitator may choose to extend the voting period or suspend the quorum requirement and validate the results of the vote.

Section 4 - Final Passage

After the minimum review and amendment period, the Facilitator will determine whether all Working Group Members have had an opportunity to express opinions about a proposal and whether agreement has been reached, keeping in mind any deadlines established for consideration of that proposal. If those conditions have been met, the Facilitator will close the amendment period for the proposal. At that time, Working Group Members have 3 days to request a recorded vote on the underlying proposal. If a recorded vote is requested, Working Group Members have 3 additional days to vote on a proposal. If a proposal fails, it will be referred back to the Task Force for a period determined by the Facilitator. If a proposal passes, it will be posted on the Working Group's Wikipedia page and immediately takes effect. In the event of a tied vote, the Facilitator will cast the deciding vote.

Article VI - Meeting

The Working Group may be convened by the Sponsor, or Working Group Members may request a meeting of the Working Group, by notifying Working Group Members using the Approved Communication Methods. If a motion to meet is approved by 1/3 of the Working Group Members, then a meeting will be scheduled by the Facilitator and conducted using the Approved Communication Methods.

Article VII - Amending the Rules

Working Group Members may propose amendment to these Rules using the Working Group Decision process established in Article V.