Thanks for the thoughtful response, AC! I appreciate the context you’ve provided around the evolving structure of the Working Groups and how that’s impacted some of the responsibilities and processes. I apologize in advance for the small novel, but have a lot of thoughts about this.
I completely understand that as the DAO continues to decentralize, the roles and relationships between the WGs and the Secretary position have shifted. It’s helpful to know that the Secretary’s position, in particular, is being re-evaluated and that future proposals may address these changes more formally. Since Bojangle has been doing such great work for the GWG, have you considered hiring him on for the Project Coordinator role and restructuring the Secretary role to be more like its original intent?
AIP-347: Enable DAO Wide Voting for Working Group Stewards diminished the oversight capacity of the Secretary by having Stewards appoint and remove the Secretary. This shift fundamentally altered the role, making the Secretary less independent and more beholden to the Stewards of the GWG. The original purpose of the Secretary was partially to serve as a check on the power of the Stewards, ensuring objectivity and transparency. When the Secretary reports directly to the Stewards, conflicts of interest can arise, especially if there is a need for objective oversight of the Stewards themselves.
The GWG has done an excellent job of communicating with the community, and I commend you on that. But I do think that transparency from the other Working Groups has been inconsistent. I know that some of the Stewards in these groups work hard, but it’s unclear what value is being added by others. This is where I believe the DAO Secretary could play a crucial role in providing regular updates and meeting summaries for all Working Groups.
I understand that the Working Groups are now independent legal entities, as you’ve mentioned, but I think this independence shouldn’t prevent the DAO Secretary from fulfilling their role as an impartial observer. According to AIP-239, Stewards are responsible for communicating and coordinating with the DAO Secretary.
Additionally, transparency remains a core responsibility of the Stewards, as it’s one of the Guiding Values of the DAO. While I understand that not every internal meeting detail should be shared, meeting summaries and progress updates should still be made available to the DAO for accountability. Without these updates, it becomes difficult for DAO members to assess who is adding value behind the scenes and how resources are being used.
The role of the DAO Secretary as a bridge between these Working Groups could help facilitate this information sharing without infringing on their autonomy. The Secretary could help ensure that key updates are compiled and communicated to the community, providing much-needed transparency. The idea isn’t to interfere with the independence of these groups but rather to maintain accountability and coordination within the broader DAO ecosystem.
If the current structure no longer aligns with the original responsibilities outlined in AIP-239, perhaps it would be better to propose updates to the AIP or suggest adjustments through a formal proposal, rather than having responsibilities shift without clear DAO consensus.
With the Secretary no longer performing all of the duties outlined in AIP-239, it also raises questions about whether the role’s responsibilities and compensation are still aligned. The original job description is no longer accurate, and in this case, perhaps a more efficient approach would be to hire Bojangle for the Project Coordinator role. This way, the DAO wouldn’t be compensating for duties that are no longer required, while still leveraging Bojangle’s valuable contributions to the GWG.
Hmmm, this link is broken for me. Thanks for sharing the chart. Hadn’t been able to find it before.
As far as the DAO calendar, would love to see it expanded, potentially involving AIP authors and their projects. Also really like the idea of creating a small community-rewarded initiative for it. There’s more and more ApeCoin spaces happening which would be great to see in one place, but related to AIPs that have passed, would also like to see DAO events members can attend like the F1 races, Thank Ape sponsored events, hackathons, conferences, etc. If you need any help, I try and keep track of the recurring ApeCoin spaces going on.
In closing, I want to reiterate that I greatly respect the work you and the other Stewards have put into the DAO, and I appreciate your transparency with me regarding these shifts. My goal is to ensure the DAO remains as accountable and transparent as possible, and I believe that reevaluating certain roles, like the Secretary’s, could help with that. I hope my feedback is received in the spirit of collaboration and continuous improvement.
Thanks again for engaging in this discussion and being open to feedback.