Do we need to re-consider our policy formulation approach?

[Diderot Mirabeau]

I've been thinking whether our current process of policy formulation is good enough to make everyone happy.

As I see it our current process is based on a rather laid back, informal and open approach where any member can submit a proposal for a policy, soliciting comments and amendments by other members in the forums in a period of discussion after which a revised proposal is ratified by a majority in a previously announced in-world meeting of the faction body.

Do you have any ideas on how we can improve this process? Personally, I'd appreciate greatly if our policy formulation process could be somehow made more participative and perhaps also slightly more formal as it would strengthen the certainty of our canidates and possible members of the RA over the mandate they had been given.

[michelmanen]

May I humbly congratulate you on tabling this proposal. As you are aware by vitue of your status as CARE Obsrver, CARE does indeed have exactly such a participative, structured approach.

Should your party choose to go down the same route and set up a policy making process with equivalent study groups and task forces, I can well envisage a time where our study group on Matter Y would consult with your Committee mandated with examining the same subject at the policy formation stage, work with it on all possible areas of agreement, and then propose to the CARE membership a policy meeting as much as possible what would otherwise be your Party's objections.

This approach has significant procedural adavantages (greater participation, cooperative rather than adversarial policy-making) as well as substantive ones (clearing up minor differences and focusing on issues of clear and fundamental divergence beteen our parties). This would mean that, once we would introduce a Bill, the debate would be much more focused, the issues having already been reduced to those no agreement was possible on at the policy-formation stage.

We would, of course, be delighted if your party would adopt a similar consultative approach twards us at your policy-formation stage.