Coordinator Proposal Working Group

Hello, posting this as the first step in forming the cotech coordinator proposal working group, as agreed at the gathering last week. (Proposal here: Autumn Gathering 2021 - CoTech )

Do you want to be in the working group? It means you’ll get to do work on some proposals.

If yes, when do you want to meet? In the proposal it says the group meets weekly.

How do you want to work?

I suggest we create a project board, and then spend an hour a week breaking down tasks, checking in and handing them out. Then work on tasks asynchronously.

What if I don’t want to join the group, but want to view the ongoing progress ahead of the next gathering? I think the best move is to check in on the group’s work on the wiki.

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Feedback loop with the monthly CoTech call and/or on the forum?

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Thanks for sorting this John!

As per the decision, I’m in the mix for this group. Happy to use here to co-ordinate the particulars.

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Considering we are mandated to meet once a week and I believe in keeping promises, how is your calendar looking for midday tomorrow @KingMob?

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I’m free tomorrow at midday, a call from 12-1pm works for me. I have to leave the house at 2pm.

Good work folks, thanks for sorting it out (you should definitely feel free to choose a schedule that works for you!)

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Cool. Let’s chat at midday.

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Cotech Coordinator Proposal WG
Time: Oct 8, 2021 12:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 889 9656 1642
Passcode: 338150

Outcome from the meeting!

Created some wiki pages:
https://wiki.coops.tech/wiki/CoTech_Coordinator_Working_Group
https://wiki.coops.tech/wiki/Working_Group_Meeting_Notes
https://wiki.coops.tech/wiki/8th_of_October_2021

Created a project board:

Next meeting is 12pm 15th October. Attend if you want a task or to berate us for doing things wrong

Cordinator Proposal WG Meeting
Time: Oct 15, 2021 12:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 821 9854 7296
Passcode: 194174

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Had another meeting!

Came up with a Road Map for getting the various proposals sorted out.

Here’s a link to said roadmap:
https://wiki.coops.tech/wiki/CoTech_Coordinator_Working_Group/Proposal_Road_Map

I’ll be emailing that out later as well.

As ever, find out meeting notes here: CoTech Coordinator Working Group/Meeting Notes - CoTech

Next meeting is 12pm on 22nd October.

Zoom invite below, join if you would like to take a task, or take us to task for doing it wrong

Cotech Coordinator Proposal
Time: Oct 22, 2021 12:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting: Launch Meeting - Zoom

Meeting ID: 899 7858 6051
Passcode: 794301

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I just joined and I’m the only one there… anyone else on their way?

Thanks Chris, good call.

For others, we talked about the updated member’s list on the wiki, and about the legal entity that cotech might need in order to employ someone.

WG meeting was pushed back to 2pm

Cotech Coordinator Proposal WG
Time: Oct 22, 2021 02:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting: Launch Meeting - Zoom

Meeting ID: 848 8176 3988
Passcode: 993244

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I’m excited about the potential of having a CoTech network co-ordinator

I think it’s important to keep commerce and the commons distinct*, meaning that I think that client-facing tasks, commercial co-ordination and perhaps co-ordination around the gatherings would be a very welcome addition to the network

Recent collaborative efforts like the shared infrastructure, propaganda working group and initially the newsletter have been kept out of contractural/exchange-based relationships, and they’re thriving. Of course facilitating these collaborations could be great as well, e.g. by giving prompts for people to contribute, but I’d like to clarify that we wouldn’t want to centralise the administration of these other aspects of CoTech’s activity

*Reading recommendation: Free, Fair and Alive: The Power of the Commons. This is a pattern rather than a rule

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Update:

I’ve sent emails organising the first feedback session for the Cotech Coordinator Proposals.

If you didn’t get an email but would like to be in a feedback session for the proposals, please reply here or contact me directly and I will work on including you!

I have also updated the coordinator proposals wiki page with new pages for each proposal! Thanks to everyone so far who has engaged with the process, I’ve tried to include all the feedback that we’ve already had, but if I’ve left something out, let me know.

Here is the link to the page: CoTech Coordinator Working Group - CoTech

And links to particular proposals:

Incorporation: CoTech Coordinator Working Group/Proposals/Incorporation - CoTech

Funding: CoTech Coordinator Working Group/Proposals/Funding - CoTech

Role Outline: CoTech Coordinator Working Group/Proposals/Coordinator Role Outline - CoTech

The aim is to pass these proposals at a gathering in Birmingham in 2 months time! We need your concerns, aspirations and idle thoughts NOW!

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related: the new worker co-op federal is diving straight into a paid organiser position:

Callout for expressions of interest - Google Docs

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Hey up, just cross posting on here as loomio is limited to 500 characters.

Thanks to those that have spent time working on the job description getting engagement on making a decision. Whilst we (outlandish) back the idea of having a deicicated CoTech coordinator there are are a couple of questions that we have that would be great to get some clarity before we can give the thumbs up as it were.

Who is the volunteer member coop?

How much capacity does the volunteer member coop have to onboard and support the coordinator in achieving the aims and goals of the contract over the given time period?

Is time for the volunteer member coop going to be covered by the fund also, will that be a separate cost and proposal to the members?

What measurements would be used to decide the extension?

From the job description there is 60% focus on internal comms, we would prefer switching. This focus with more emphasis on external comms with a focus on securing work for members of the network, either stand a lone or in collaboration with other member coops.

It mentions the coordinator would be able to set their own outcomes / activities thse should be framed around the internal / external areas of focus could there be suggestions form members as to what these are as an examplbe

Develoiping relationships with all active members could be an outcome from organising the a CoTech meet up which is always a tough ask for member coops to do. A dedicated role could take this on whilst achieving some of those internal goals. Could this be written in as a deliverable organise the annual meet up?

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Questions:

  1. Who is the volunteer member coop?

I’m happy to volunteer Code-Operative, I assume there are other volunteers available as well.

  1. How much capacity does the volunteer member coop have to onboard and support the coordinator in achieving the aims and goals of the contract over the given time period?

I can’t answer for all volunteers but we have the capacity to do that. There’s been a suggestion of hiring from within the network, one of the benefits of that is that onboarding would take less time.

  1. Is time for the volunteer member coop going to be covered by the fund also, will that be a separate cost and proposal to the members?

Not as currently proposed.

  1. What measurements would be used to decide the extension?

Difficult to answer this, basically it’s whether people think that the role has gone well and is worth paying into the fund for. Collecting statistics on cotech business, collaboration or general activity sounds like it could be part of the coordinator’s job.

Suggested Changes:

From the job description there is 60% focus on internal comms, we would prefer switching.

Cool, is 60% internal within your zone of tolerance? I personally do not have a preference between 60/40 internal or 40/60 or 50/50. Maybe one suggestion would be deferring the exact balance to another poll?

It mentions the coordinator would be able to set their own outcomes / activities thse should be framed around the internal / external areas of focus could there be suggestions form members as to what these are as an examplbe

I don’t quite understand this one, do you mean you’d like to see examples of suggested activities? Or, are you saying members should be able to suggest activities to the coordinator?

Could organising the CoTech meet up be written in as a deliverable?

It could be, but I’d like to try not to displace the current level of volunteer activity. The model we’re using for the coordinator is like that of an organiser, where they support others to do things rather than doing it for them. We have the rumblings of the next gathering on the forum already here. I can see the coordinator having the gathering as an important event for them and working to support it, but I’m a big fan of the host coops “owning” the event.

I’m free for a call today to talk about it a bit more.

I really appreciate your energy @KingMob! Thanks for keeping this going.

Ironically enough, given the discussion about the relationship between CoTech and workers.coop this is a bit of a weird time to be discussing this. Potentially, the ‘volunteer member coop’ would be CoTech as a circle of workers.coop?

In fact, this could be a good first item of business if the proposal (there isn’t one yet, but rather discussion towards one) goes ahead.

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