[IAEP] [SLOBS] ACTION Required: Approval Internal Procedure definition: "Request for Travel Policy exemptions"

[Walter Bender]

On Thu, Sep 7, 2017 at 7:42 PM, Laura Vargas <laura at somosazucar.org> wrote:

>
>
> 2017-09-07 14:59 GMT-05:00 Walter Bender <walter.bender at gmail.com>:
>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Sep 7, 2017 at 3:37 PM, Laura Vargas <laura at somosazucar.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 2017-09-07 14:03 GMT-05:00 Walter Bender <walter.bender at gmail.com>:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, Sep 7, 2017 at 2:19 PM, Laura Vargas <laura at somosazucar.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi SLOBs,
>>>>>
>>>>> *To avoid future Sugar Labs travelers to have to request personal
>>>>> loans to fulfill their programs expectations* and as it has been
>>>>> discussed recently by the Board, Sugar Labs Travel Policy is subject to
>>>>> Software Freedom Conservancy Travel Policy and therefore we are
>>>>> required to approve a procedure
>>>>> <https://github.com/conservancy/policies/blob/master/Travel/conservancy-travel-policy.txt#L220>
>>>>> for "Request for Travel Policy exemptions".
>>>>>
>>>>> I have documented the following draft on: https://wiki.sugarlabs.org
>>>>> /go/Procedures with very limited understanding of Ignacio's US$350
>>>>> Cash Advance April 2017 Travel Policy - rejection circumstances.
>>>>>
>>>>> Those with more info, please read and give back your constructive
>>>>> feedback to enhance the procedure before making a *proper motion to
>>>>> approve the procedure.*
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>> Laura V
>>>>> Internal Procedure #01: "Request for Travel Policy exemptions"
>>>>>
>>>>> >Action 1: Any Sugar Labs member/contributor can request a Cash
>>>>> advance - Travel Policy exemption by sending a formal request to slobs AT
>>>>> lists.sugarlabs.org detailing the reason for the request, the amount
>>>>> of the request, the date needed and any other relevant information.
>>>>> Requesting party understands SFC has the final approval for his/her request
>>>>> and must make sure to ask with enough anticipation of the need of the Cash
>>>>> advance - Travel Policy exemption.
>>>>>
>>>>> >Action 2: Sugar Labs Oversight Board members manage project funds,
>>>>> and according to available balance on Sugar Labs Accounts at the date of
>>>>> the request, they must try to reach consensus in the form of majority of
>>>>> votes to approve or disapprove the request. Once the request gets approved
>>>>> or disapproved the decision shall be documented on
>>>>> https://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Oversight_Board/Decisions.
>>>>>
>>>>> >Action 3: In case of an approved decision, Sugar Labs representative
>>>>> or his/her delegate (e.g. Sugar Labs Financial Manager) will communicate to
>>>>> SFC the decision and make in Sugar Labs behalf the correspondent Cash
>>>>> Advance - Travel Policy exemption request and follow up the result with the
>>>>> Conservancy sharing the results with the Sugar Labs Oversight Board and the
>>>>> requesting party.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Laura V.
>>>>> * I&D SomosAZUCAR.Org*
>>>>>
>>>>> “Solo la tecnología libre nos hará libres.”
>>>>> ~ L. Victoria
>>>>>
>>>>> Happy Learning!
>>>>> #LearningByDoing
>>>>> #Projects4good
>>>>> #IDesignATSugarLabs
>>>>> #WeCanDoBetter
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> SLOBs mailing list
>>>>> SLOBs at lists.sugarlabs.org
>>>>> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/slobs
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Laura,
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for getting the ball rolling on this.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Your welcome!
>>>
>>> I undid your changes since *a procedure needs to have Action items
>>> clearly identified to be able to track any upgrade required to the proposed
>>> procedure*.
>>>
>>
>> IMHO, my wording was much easier to follow than yours and had a number of
>> tweaks, such as removing the requirement that the request be made by a
>> "member".
>>
>
> I have no idea or reference of any case. Please explain why a requirement
> would be acceptable of it is made to Sugar Labs by a non-member/contributor?
>

Given the problems we have had in maintaining the membership list -- long
standing contributors such as Martin removed -- I don't think it is a
reliable metric for contributor. And I have worked closely with many
members of the community who have not -- for whatever reason -- ever chosen
to register as a member. I had to wrestle with the SFC to get a travel
reimbursement of ~US$150 for her several years ago, even while she was
providing $1000s of local accommodations and other services from her own
pocket. So, yes, I feel strongly that we no restrict the process to
members.

>
>
>> Perhaps for a non-native speaker of English, adding the word 'Action:" at
>> the start of a sentence is helpful? To a native speaker, it is redundant.
>> But beyond that detail. you also undid the detailed content of my changes
>> as well. Can you explain your reasons? Did you disagree with my edits?
>>
>
>
> Yes, functionality shall not be sacrificed in the name of Cosmetology :D
>

I have no idea what that means.

>
> Remember our goal is to *make the procedure friendly, easy to understand,
> translate and follow.*
>

It is also presumably a goal to make it reflect our intentions and not be
ambiguous or misleading. I don't think my edits made it less friendly or
more difficult to understand. On the contrary. What was it that you found
difficult?

>
> A well tough procedure has few words and it is defined by it's Action
> points. There are 3 clear actions being proposed for the Cash advance -
> Travel Policy exemption procedure:
>

I am not one to assume a correlation between few of words and clarity. And
we are not bound by 140 characters.

>
> Action 1: member/contributor requests a Cash advance - Travel Policy
> exemption
>
> Action 2: Sugar Labs Oversight Board members take an approve/disapprove
> decision
>
> Action 3: In case of an approved decision, Sugar Labs representative or
> his/her delegate (e.g. Sugar Labs Financial Manager) will communicate to
> SFC the decision and make in Sugar Labs behalf the correspondent Cash
> Advance - Travel Policy exemption request
>
> Please add to the discussion (here and/or the wiki) specific requirements
> for words adding, removal, etc in each specific Action
> <https://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Procedures>.
>

What I find missing from the above are all the things that I would ask
myself if I were looking for an advance: what information is required? what
are the criteria for the decision? when is the decision made? how is it
communicated? What can I do to maximize the likelihood of success for my
request. These are the things I added with my extra words.

regards.

-walter

>
> --
> Laura V.
> * I&D SomosAZUCAR.Org*
>
> “Solo la tecnología libre nos hará libres.”
> ~ L. Victoria
>
> Happy Learning!
> #LearningByDoing
> #Projects4good
> #IDesignATSugarLabs
> #WeCanDoBetter
>



-- 
Walter Bender
Sugar Labs
http://www.sugarlabs.org
<http://www.sugarlabs.org>
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