How to make proposals in sociocracy

How to make proposals in sociocracy are an integral part of any dynamic governance organization. They are the foundation for decisions that are made and help to ensure that everyone is on the same page. In a collaborative setting, proposals can be generated in a way that allows everyone to contribute their ideas and perspectives.

In sociocracy, proposals can be generated by gathering proposal pieces from everyone in the circle (or even a wider circle). This ensures that all voices are heard and taken into account when making decisions. It also allows for a more efficient decision-making process, as all stakeholders have already had their say before the final proposal is formed.

Two key concepts are collaborative proposals and picture forming.

Collaborative proposals

What:

Proposals are generated in a collaborative way. It can be done by gathering proposal pieces from everyone in the circle (or a wider circle) and organizing them into one proposal.

Good policy is based on data, is supported by everyone in the group, incorporates input from objections, covers all dimensions of a topic (gathered in picture forming), has a term end and way of measuring whether it is effective and has the desired outcome.

Benefits:

Decisions are what moves a group forward because it enables groups to put ideas into action. With collaborative (consent) decisions, we will have maximum buy-in, accountability and information. With many small decisions an evaluation after given time frames, an organization can adapt to its context very dynamically.

Picture forming

What:

Picture forming is a process that is at the very beginning of generating a proposal. In a collaborative way (rounds by default or in other ways), we gather the dimensions of an topic. What do we have to consider in order to make good and comprehensive policy?

Benefits:

This process typically comes before gathering proposal ideas. The circle does not jump into opinions and strategies but tries to get an understanding of what and who is affected by the topic. This improves the quality of proposals overall.

It can be used to get input from a large group when a decision is prepared in a (small) circle.