News & Notes 893:Selection Process review task force
Topic::Selection Process review task force
Dear Community, following the report from the Inquiry Task Force (who investigated the tampering of the ballot boxes) and their recommendations for the selection processes of our main working groups, which were contrary to the selection process outlined in the “Participatory working groups & the selection process of their members 2020” (PWG) document used for the last selection process, the Entity::Council was faced with a dilemma of how to best move forward taking into account the recommendation of the ITF.
| Participatory Working Groups 2020 |
Report from Inquiry Task Force July 2021 |
 PDF (12 pages) |
 PDF (29 pages) |
On one hand we had a ratified selection process, the last round of which received generally good reviews, and on the other hand, recommendations from the ITF which strongly questioned selection by voting. The main criticism by the ITF report was that the last selection process, based on voting, created a culture of politics and lobbying. It was felt that the best way to address this dilemma was to appoint a task force from the general community (excluding all members of working groups and ITF) to consider the PWG 2020 document, the ITF report, and the previously submitted proposals for selection, and to propose an alternative. A proposal that would incorporate the best of all of them into something that the entire community could get behind.
The new proposal will then be shared with the community for a round of feedback. The feedback will be incorporated where appropriate and finally put to an RAD for ratification. Of course if this new proposal is not ratified we must revert back to the ratified process for upcoming selections in the new year and review the situation again at that time.
Although typically Auroville Council would hold and organize such a task force it was felt that because Auroville Council is to be selected by the same process that RAS would be the right body for this. Therefore, after this joint call to the community to form the Selection Process Review task force (SPRTF), the RAS will hold the rest of the process without the Auroville Council.
The scope of work for the SPRTF as seen below was drafted jointly by Auroville Council and RAS.
We invite any community members interested in joining the SPRTF to please write to the RAS (raservice (at) auroville.org.in) who will select 7 members by a drawing of lots. These 7 members will be supported by 1 trained facilitator who will also be drawn by lots. If you are interested to be the facilitator for this group we invite you to write to RAS (only known facilitators with experience of facilitation within Auroville will be considered). If no facilitator comes forward, then the RAS will reach out to one or two. The facilitator at their discretion may choose to bring in additional help for team building, holding space or other required tasks to help them, although the main facilitator will be the responsible party alongside RAS to assure the continued healthy functioning of the group.
If any members of the task force or the facilitator drop out they will be replaced from the same pool of nominees and in the same way the original group was chosen.
Please submit your nomination by the 30th of October 2021.
The scope for the SPRTF:
- To read and understand the “Participatory Working Groups & the Selection Process of their members 2020” (PWG), all previous PWG documents, proposal D (as per RAD December 2020), and alternate methodologies of selection of the members of the working groups previously proposed by community members;
- To comprehend the roles and challenges of the stakeholders of the selection process: organisers (RAS), facilitators, volunteers, etc;
- To consider all the observations and recommendations of the Inquiry Taskforce report and specifically those for the selection process procedure;
- To consider feedback from the community on how to improve the process of selection of the main working groups’ members;
- To consider feedback from the RAS;
- To prepare an updated version of the PWG document, and specifically but not limited to the selection methodology for AvC, EB, WCom and FAMC, and invite feedback from the community on this draft; *To consider and/or integrate feedback received and present an amended document for approval of the RA;
- To arrive at a meaningful outcome within the given time frame.
Warmly,
the Auroville Council