Working Groups are how we get stuff done in a decentralised, but accountable way. Each Working Group looks after a certain area of the space, and is accountable to the Head Maker and Committee.
These are the minimum requirements to exist and operate as a Working Group:
- A well defined purpose that is specific and not too broad (e.g. to look after the woodworking area, or to manage safety around the space).
- At least two named volunteers who commit to running the Working Group, with one designated as the Facilitator for the purpose of conducting meetings and liasing the Head Maker.
- The Facilitator must regularly meet with the Head Maker and is accountable for making sure everything is running smoothly within that Working Group.
- A wiki page with the following information:
1. The Working Group name.
2. A well defined purpose.
3. A list of all the current members.
4. A list of all the budgets they can spend and how.
5. A list of any policies that apply to resources they manage.
The following is a list of assumed responsibilities that a Working Group is typically responsible for:
- General upkeep and tidying of it's areas.
- Spending budgets that were allocated to them at a General Meeting.
- Maintaining the tools and resources in it's area (ie fixing/calibrating tools, etc.).
- Creating the tool inductions and authorising members to run inductions for the tools in it's area.
To create or remove a new Working Group, a motion needs to be carried either at a General Meeting or Committee Meeting. In order for a new Working Group to be approved, the meeting needs to be satisfied that all requirements above are met.
Membership to a Working Group is open to all members of the association (including non-voting members). However, only voting members can block consensus.
A Working Group can define and enforce policies (considered by-laws under our constitution) in line with the following requirements.
Any Working Group policy:
- can be set aside or ammended at a General Meeting or Committee Meeting; and
- is only valid if it is directly related to the Working Group's purpose, and is to help manage it's tools and resources; and
- must be passed at a Working Group meeting; and
- does not unreasonably limit or restrict how a member can utilise a resource; and
- does not conflict with an existing policy approved at a General Meeting or Committee Meeting.
Working Group meetings:
- are open for attendance by any member of the association; and
- can be held as often as necessary and called by any Working Group member by posting a notice for a meeting on the forum with 7 days notice; and
- can pass motions solely relating to Working Group policies as defined above, or that determine how an existing approved budget can be spent; and
- must follow all meeting procedures and requirements from our constitution and the Meetings policy, including votes to be conducted by way of consensus; and
- must publish detailed and accurate minutes on the wiki within a reasonable time after any meeting; and
- quorum for Working Group meetings is two members or 50% of the Working Group (rounded up), whichever is greater.