PROPOSAL for a decision-making method for new computer V0.01

[Boud Roukema]

Witam wszystkim,
   A computer has been bought for the TCfA cosmology group! :) This is
a big investment and I would like to try to apply modern management
methods - specifically, consensus decision-making techniques - for
deciding on how to use and run it, rather than just one or two people
deciding.

Please comment, criticise this proposal. (If you think it's fundamentally
against what we are here for, you could argue to veto the proposal itself!)

Next message: concrete proposals for the machine.
boud


##########  PROPOSAL for a decision-making method V0.01 ##################
First, a reminder on the AIM of our group:
* research and education-leading-to-research in observational cosmology *

Second, background reading on what consensus is and why it's effective:
flow chart:
http://www.consensus.net/flowchart.html
word description:
http://www.consensus.net/ocac2.html

Third, a simplified consensus method:

DEFINITION: "anyone" is defined here as undergrad students,
masters/PhD students, postdocs or faculty studying or teaching at
TCfA/CAMK-Toruñ in cosmology related fields. (I will put a proposal
for "cafe+" type meetings on
http://www.astro.uni.torun.pl/sympa/cosmo-spotka/2002-10/
soon...)

PROPOSALS:
WHO - anyone (the proposer) can make a proposal for use of the computer,
but hopefully it should be someone willing to do the work once the
decision is made!
HOW - the proposal is made on the most appropriate mailing list, e.g.
cosmo-torun
HOW - anyone can make comments, constructive criticisms, to try to improve
the proposal
HOW - the proposer writes successive versions of the proposal based
on the comments

DECISION - after discussion seems to have converged, the proposer
(or other moderator) sends an email to the same list with
Subject: PROPOSAL <name of proposal> DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS/VETO <deadline>,
where the deadline is X days after the date of the email.
X = 2 if the decision is essentially a matter of taste
X = 7 if the decision is more serious
X = 1 if there is some unexpected really urgent decision to be made

STEPPING ASIDE - anyone who is against the proposal, but accepts that
his/her criticisms have been listened to and are not important enough
for a veto, can "step aside", and these criticisms are added to the
proposal. This way, others are aware of the (claimed) weak points.

VETO - anyone can veto the decision, but only based on the aim of
our group (see AIM: above), i.e. not for trivial reasons. He/she should
explain the reason for the veto.
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