Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Process Committees

[Jerry Koch-Gonzalez (jerry]

An alternative idea to process committees is governance improvement
committees. We use these a lot in communities that have adopted sociocracy
instead of consensus. The aim is to support all committees in functioning
effectively rather than having only a few star facilitators or suffering
through a rotating system of very differently skilled facilitators, and
along with this shifting as much decision-making out of plenaries and into
the committees.

The governance improvement committee (in sociocracy we call it a circle)
supports the overall standardization of meeting formats, decision-making
processes and minute-taking so that everyone can be leader-followers - less
burden on facilitators when everyone knows better how to effectively
participate. The governance improvement circle can convene communities of
practice or trainings to support capacity development among people holding
certain roles, be it committee coordinators, facilitators, notetakers, etc.
And members of the governance improvement circle can act as coaches of
existing committees that could use a hand.

Sociocracy For All offers lots of resources and classes - see the website
https://www.sociocracyforall.org/events/
Jerry

Jerry Koch-Gonzalez
To talk to me about sociocracy or NVC, go here:
https://talktojerry.youcanbook.me
Sociocracy: Effective Egalitarian Governance.
Check out our website Sociocracy For All <http://sociocracyforall.org/> and
join our mailing list <https://www.sociocracyforall.org/newsletter-signup/>.


On Thu, Dec 15, 2022 at 9:05 AM Elizabeth Rosenau <ejrosenau [at] gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I am part of a developing community in British Columbia.  We have
> twenty-seven equity members and we’ll have forty when we’re complete.  We
> hope to start building soon, but need a few more members to please the
> banks…
>
> All of our growth has added a lot of complexity to the work of our
> committees and some of us are starting to think that the addition of a few
> more committees may help keep our group organized and running smoothly.
>
> I understand that many communities have something called a “Process
> Committee” and that there is a wide variety of mandates and tasks assigned
> to these committees.
>
> I would be grateful if this community could share your experiences with
> Process Committees.  If you have one, what kind of work do they undertake
> in your community?  Do these committees answer an important need for you
> and your community?
>
> I appreciate any thoughts you may have to offer.
>
> With Warmth,
>
> Elizabeth Rosenau, on behalf of Compass Cohousing. (Langley, British
> Columbia)
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