1 of 20

NEAR Governance Framework

Updated June 24th, 2023

mk-ultra.near

2 of 20

Clarifications To Get Started:

  • Governing Bodies Refer To The Elected Bodies Outlined In The Constitution.

  • They Include the House of Merit, the Transparency Commission, and the Council of Advisors + The Voting Body (all of us). In the first congress there will be 29 seats (15 in the HoM, and 7 respectively for CoA, and TC).

  • This is a V1 - that makes it relatively easy to find areas to improve. Our goal is to have a secure and structured model, that we can launch this year.

  • What you are seeing here is the result of polling, internal feedback, and multiple drafts.

3 of 20

#1 House of Merit:

  • 15 Members.
  • OG SBT Criteria (1 of the 5)
  • 6 month Terms.
  • 2 Terms Maximum (total).
  • Meeting Period: Every 2 - 3 days.
  • Compensation: 5k USD Monthly.
  • Speaker: Elected by each congress, and eligible for additional compensation.

4 of 20

House of Merit: Responsibilities = To Propose and Allocate

Propose Budget For Allocation: To deploy the treasury.

Proposal For Official Long Term Strategy: To align the congress, and signal to other DAOs and Governance bodies.

Proposal to Hire: To add paid roles or positions to the NDC itself.

Proposal For Mechanics Change to NDC Core Design: To alter the way something is done within the governance framework, including to increase or decrease the size of a governance body.

Note:

Minimum of 2 Members Must Motion To Put Forward A Proposal. Proposals last 4 days.

Proposals Must Pass 8/15 votes in order to be implemented.

5 of 20

Zooming In: HoM Proposal For Budget Allocation

  • Setup Package. The framework for the congress to operate within, budgetarily and rules wise.

  • Recurring Budget Items. A proposal for a funding proposal that is recurring for an extended period of time (defined in the setup package).

  • Singular Items. A proposal for a single item to be funded.

  • Big Budget Items. A proposal for a high value item to be funded.

NOTE: All allocations are TRANCHED by default. (i.e. Funded in parts, and not all at once).

6 of 20

Zooming In: The Setup Package

The FIRST item of a new Congress, that set’s up the ‘framework’ for that congress. It includes:

Budget for the duration of the Congress.

Threshold for Big Budget Items / Recurring Items / Weekly Limits. What is considered big budget? Recurring Maximum? Weekly maximum?

Procedural Changes to Timers or Cycles. Any changes to the proposal funding process, and the periods expected for passing items.

Frequency of Recurring Items (i.e. what is considered frequent?)

This entire package is passed once, for an entire congress. The First congress is BUDGET CAPPED at 2mm USD (maximum).

7 of 20

House of Merit: Responsibilities = To Propose and Allocate

Propose Budget For Allocation: **All Allocations are Tranched.

  • Setup Package.
    • Budget for the Year.
    • Threshold for Big Budget Items / Recurring Items / Weekly Limits
    • Procedural Changes to Timers or Cycles.
    • Frequency of Recurring Items (i.e. what is considered frequent?)
  • Recurring Budget Items.
  • Singular Items
  • Big Budget Items.

Proposal For Official Long Term Strategy:

Proposal to Hire:

Proposal For Constitution or Mechanics Change to NDC Core Design:

8 of 20

Imagined Timeline for HoM:

Week 1: Setup Package.

Week 2:

Week 3:

Week 4: Final Date for Setup package to be approved or vetoed (Can be done prior).

Week 5: Allocation begins (from maximum approval date).

Week X: Proposals can be passed weekly for the next two years within the limits of the setup package.

9 of 20

#2 Council of Advisors:

  • 7 Members.
  • OG SBT Criteria (1 of the 5)
  • 6 month Terms.
  • 2 Terms Maximum (total).
  • Meeting Period: Weekly.
  • Compensation: 5k USD Monthly.
  • Speaker: Elected by each congress, and eligible for additional compensation.

10 of 20

Council of Advisors Responsibilities: Advise, Block, and Reinstate.

Motion To Vote To.

  • Veto or Approve an Active Proposal → Setup package, big budget, recurring items.
  • Veto an Existing Proposal → Implemented Already (if passed it blocks rest of funding).
  • Reinstate Banned Member.

Set Priorities For Congress. Signal to HoM what is likely to be approved or vetoed.

Evaluate Performance of Governing Bodies. Signal to the voting body on overall performance of houses.

Note:

Minimum of 2 Members Must Motion To Put Forward A Proposal.

Proposals Must Pass 4/7 votes x2.

Veto period is minimum 3 days, and maximum 1 month (period is set by members putting motion forward).

11 of 20

Zooming In: Motion To Vote for CoA.

Veto or Approve an Active Proposal → Setup package, big budget, recurring items. The timeframes set, are such that approval is given by not doing anything. However, the CoA can work with the HoM to speed things up, by approving or vetoing items prior to their deadlines.

Veto an Existing Proposal → Implemented Already (if passed it blocks rest of funding). This nullifyies ANY future deployment of funds for that proposal. Since all proposals are tranched this applies to any proposal, and can be enacted within 2 weeks.

Reinstate Banned Member. To allow a member that has been investigated and banned from the NDC, to run for election again.

12 of 20

Timeline of CoA:

Month 1:

  • Approve or Veto Setup Package (1 time vote).

Month 2:

  • Approve or Veto Item #1 (1 of 2 times)
    • Minimum Duration for 2/2 = 3 days.
    • Maximum Duration for 2/2 = 1 month.

Note: The proposal creator, sets the timeline for the secondary vote in the original proposal

13 of 20

#3 The Transparency Commission:

  • 7 Members.
  • OG SBT Criteria (1 of the 5)
  • 6 month Terms.
  • 2 Terms Maximum (total).
  • Meeting Period: Weekly.
  • Compensation: 5k USD Monthly.
  • Speaker: Elected by each congress, and eligible for additional compensation.

14 of 20

Transparency Commission Responsibilities = Investigate and Remove / Ban.

Motion to Investigate: Up to 3 times per individual participating in NDC.

Motion to Remove (Light). Removes a member from their post, leaving the post empty until the next election cycle.

Motion to Ban (Strong). Removes a member from their post, and bans that member from serving in ANY Governance post in the future.

Motion to Re-Instate. Retroactive re-instatement for banned members.

Veto Candidacy. Refers to the window prior to elections. No action is approval.

Note: 1 member of TC is required to put forward a motion.

4/7 is required to pass a motion.

15 of 20

Zooming In: TC Ban and Removal Process

Applies to members suspected of acting out of:

  • Conflict of Interest.
  • Maliciousness to specific people, projects or dApps.
  • Illegal or damaging behavior.

Note: Proposing Member of TC indicates severity of motion in proposal (to either remove or ban).

16 of 20

Who can do what?

Anyone can put forward a complaint including the TC itself.

A member under active investigation is innocent until ruled guilty.

17 of 20

#4 The Voting Body:

Human identifiable NEAR Accounts.

<all of us>

18 of 20

Responsibilities of the Voting Body: Elect, Veto, Dissolve.

Elect Members To Governing Bodies. The voting body determines who is elected to each congress for all governing bodies.

Veto Big Ticket or Recurring Budgetary Decisions. The voting body, can pass a veto of any big budget or recurring budget decision from HoM with sufficient votes (irrespective of it has passed CoA).

Dissolve a Specific House / Governing Body. The voting body can dissolve an entire governing body and initiate a new election cycle for that body.

19 of 20

Voting Thresholds for the Voting Body:

Anyone can put forward a proposal to motion.

A simple majority on the motion, decides if it moves to a vote to implement at the end of the 2 week vote period.

A vote to dissolve a house or revise the constitution requires 45% of the active voting body vote.

A vote to veto a big budget or recurring item, requires 30% of the active voting body vote.

Note: No frequency on how frequently a vote can be proposed.

20 of 20

Election Timers:

Every election has (1) A nomination period, (2) an election period, and (3) an onboarding period.

  1. The nomination period: Runs from July 20th to September 8th, during this time OG SBT holders can declare their intention to run for 1 seat in the NDC.

  • At the end of the nomination period, there is a 2 week election period, from September 9th to the 23rd.

  • The onboarding period runs from the 24th to the 1st of October - during this time institutions elect their speakers, and the HoM prepares the setup package to pass.

  • The first Congress of the NDC runs for 6th months from October 1st, until April 1st, 2024.