Session Format

[wiki]

In this page we define the format for the sessions in the Community Programme. The objective of the programme are to connect and strengthen the community. See programme goals and principles. This is translated into the session format.

There is an initial draft on session format/protocols, containing some further issues, here Session protocols . In this wiki page we mean to gather further elements or details. Eventually, these should go into a revised, operational, reference version, in NextCloud.

A standard session follows this structure:

• Pre-meeting: Agenda/topic and meeting details scheduled and posted at least one week in advance. Default locations: Discourse forum community-programme-gatherings and NextCloud community.team.public documents folder.

• Gatherings on a regular basis - for example, monthly rotation, same day of the week. “Invite your friends” - not just for coop members, but for the open community/ies that members are part of.

• Session - Welcome by the host [No timing on this in the draft protocol]

• • For anyone who’s joining for the first time, a brief intro about meet.coop and about the community programme
• • Brief outline of the session, as defined in the agenda
• • This session is being recorded, so all of us but also those who couldn’t make it, can enjoy our session later. We’ll add to the collective body of free community resources. If you don’t want to be recorded, you could change the name you use here in the room and switch your camera off. Is everybody ok with that? Please put a “+” sign in the chat
• • Is everybody comfortable with the meeting environment? If anyone needs help, we could do a quick intro.

• Check-in round, everyone presents themselves, their affiliation, how they feel today [15min]

• Presentation by the presenter [30min - ¿draft protocols say 20min?] Preceded by a ‘colonial language apology’ from the host; see draft session protocols

• Q & A, debate (the host will pass the mike following * signs published in the chat, or another convenient way) [30min]

• Offers & Wants - Participants express what kind of help they would need and what they could offer, in a short round [10min]. To follow up by registering Offers & Wants in the forum (topic to be created).

• Check-out [10min]
  The timings above add up to 85min

• Post-meeting: notes, posted, as with pre-meeting above.

Please don’t comment in this thread but use this thread (to be defined).

References that inspire us to create and improve the proposed format:

• Sociocracy
• Art of Hosting (comments in this thread)
• Circle practices (video about circle practice)
• Human Rights Centred Design A programme of open monthly calls, serving an informal network, organised by Simply Secure. Specifications of contributory roles and monthly processes are part of this document HRCD Structure · Human Rights Centered Design As a set of principles for the network, this is akin to our own drafts on protocols and principles.

[mikemh]

In the draft session protocols we had segments that add up to 85mins. That seems about right for the number of segments, and the need for proper discussion space? However there’s a de facto standard these days, for 60min gatherings.

Personally I find the agile-rush-syndrome a pain in the butt - an excuse for not working things out properly and creating ‘autonomy’ that is in practice fragmentation. But see for example this Mastodon thread in social.coop. Where do we go with this, regarding the design for programme sessions? I think maybe it’s down in practice to how well the work is organised in a session? 90min rambling = too much, 90min work = just right?

[wouter]

Yes, I’d say 90 minutes is an outer limit. Maybe we can aim for a little less. The initial few minutes margin plus Welcoming could be 5 minutes. Then after the check-in, the presentation should be less than 30 minutes IMHO I’d say that presentation + debate could be 40" together. Then Offers & Wants and checkout another 15" together, that would add up to 75".

But we’ll have to experiment with it and find the balance, and some flexiblity. I see that 1 hour meetings are more accepted now but if desirable, a 90" duration could be pursued. Maybe that’s something we’ll want to say before the session starts so all know this and there is no discussion about that needed during the session?