[okfn-coord] Communia Network Agreement + first bank transfer?

[Becky Hogge]

I've been leaving this thread for a while because I wanted to read it
back properly and gather my thoughts before responding.

2009/4/29 Rufus Pollock <rufus.pollock at okfn.org>:

> OK.  So for future for these kind of (fairly minor) things is the
> following acceptable?
>
> "I propose X and unless anyone says otherwise within a week this will
> be deemed to have been approved"

I think that for the day-to-day activities of the organisation, this
is a good working practice. It ensures that those who are
participating regularly get to steer the direction of the
organisation, and those who want more of a hand in the steering of the
organisation can get it by participating. It's effcient and it
encourages participation. ++good.

However, I think there are a limited number of actions which require a
different process. These have to do with the financial and legal
probity of OKF as a company, and appointing someone as able to
represent OKF in the matter of signing a contract is one of them. The
Board has taken collective legal responsibility for these aspects of
OKF, which means that a "nobody said it wasn't a good idea 7 days
after I suggested it" method of decision making is just not going to
cut it. Not having seen a copy of our Mems and Arts I don't know what
that more formal decision-making process is, but I imagine it's
something like "a majority of the Board positively say yes".

Since Rufus, Jordan and me have all said they don't have a problem
with Jonathan taking on this responsibility, then we should be able to
proceed (we have five Board members now, right?) with Jonathan signing
the COMMUNIA contract.

I'd appreciate it if someone jumped in here (Jordan?), with a
suggestion of how we can move forward. Are we in the unenviable
position where all major financial and contractual decisions need to
be put forward by the Board, or do we have an Executive Director
enabled by contract to do this? If not, should we have one?

I'm putting myself forward with two days of time to come up with
whatever processes OKF need to make these sorts of decisions (and
other organisational nuts and bolts)  smooth and swift. My experience
from ORG indicates that we'll apprciate this work later. Can we table
an item for the Board meeting on the 16th to come up with what needs
doing on that front?

Cheers, and have a good weekend everyone

Becky