Apr 16, 2025 Budget Comm Minutes
Last updated
Last updated
Name
Attendance
Role
Voting Seat (Y/N)
Danielle Stanko
Yes
Secretary
Dave Dionisio
Observer
Gerard Moroney
Board Member, IOG Staff, Budget Task Force
Jose Velazquez
Former Voting Member
Kriss Baird
Voting Member, IOG, Catalyst
Kristijan Kowalsky
Voting Member, Tweag
Lloyd Duhon
Budget Secretary
Marc Gorman
Program Manager Budget Task Force
Mercy
Voting Member, WADA
Prof. Steven
Former Voting Member, Mentor, Chairman of Intersect Board.
Recording:
Transcript:
The primary agenda was to review and validate the reconciliation workshop process flow, including how proposals would be snapshotted, analyzed, and presented.
Discussions centered on defining the threshold for proposals to advance into the info action and strategies for managing DREP participation and fatigue.
The meeting also covered the logistics of multi-vendor proposals, the need for DREP preparation materials, and a strategic approach to budget allocation across categories.
Topic
Discussion
Action Items
Reconciliation Workshop Process Flow
The process flow for the reconciliation workshops was reviewed with Voltage Control, who deemed it "doable." A snapshot of proposals will be taken in Gov tool on April 24th to prevent further edits. Intersect staff will analyze proposals based on up/down voting, DREP comments, and committee comments to create a preliminary "above the line" (candidates for info action) and "below the line" (revisit in next cycle) view.
Take a proposal snapshot in Gov tool on April 24th. Intersect staff to analyze and categorize proposals for the workshop.
Budget Categories for Review
The workshop will review proposals category by category: Research, Marketing & Innovation, Core, Governance Support, and "No Category."
N/A
Multiple Vendors in Proposals
For proposals with multiple vendors (e.g., 19 vendors in one proposal), the proposal will be reviewed as a single entity. Vendors are expected to coordinate spokespeople to address questions and potential changes requested by DREPs.
Vendors with multiple participants should coordinate spokespeople for the workshop.
DREP Preparation & Fatigue
Concerns were raised about DREP fatigue and the need for preparatory materials. It was suggested to provide DREPs with a summary "packet" or "press" of categories before the meeting to help them prepare and orient themselves.
Prepare a summary packet/press of categories for DREPs to review before the workshops.
Discussion Outcomes & Change Log
Discussions in the workshop may lead to no change, proposals moving above/below the line, or specific requests for vendors to make changes. A subprocess will be needed to gather these change requests into a log. Targeted one-on-one communication with vendors will be required to get responses to these change requests.
Implement a subprocess to gather change logs requested by DREPs. Conduct targeted one-on-one communications with vendors for responses to change requests.
Two Reconciliation Workshop Cycles
The process will span two reconciliation workshops across two weeks. This allows time for vendors to respond to change requests from Day 1 and Day 2 discussions. Information will be summarized to DREPs at the end of Day 2.
N/A
Final Reconciliation Cycle (Aggregate View)
A final reconciliation cycle will look across all categories, presenting an aggregate view (total ADA, number of proposals per category). This is where the net change limit will be addressed if the budget exceeds it.
Develop a dashboard for aggregate view of proposals (total ADA, per category).
Transparency & DREP Buy-in for Process
Transparency is key. The committee plans to share the reconciliation process flow with DREPs before the workshops to get their feedback and buy-in, acknowledging their desire for active participation without rubber-stamping.
Share the reconciliation process flow with DREPs for feedback and buy-in.
Low DREP Participation
DREP participation in the NCL vote and workshop sign-ups remains very low. There is a critical need to find ways to increase DREP buy-in and participation in the entire governance process.
Continue efforts to engage DREPs and increase participation in the NCL vote and reconciliation workshops.
Budget Allocation Across Categories
Mercy proposed setting minimum budget allocations for each category (Core, Research, Marketing, etc.) to ensure no category is left with zero funding and to aid prioritization. This was debated, with some preferring to prioritize critical items within each category first and then look holistically.
Further discussion needed on setting minimum budget allocations per category.
DREP Outreach Strategy
An outreach plan for top DREPs is being developed, involving individual outreach to encourage voting on actions and participation in reconciliation workshops. It was suggested to combine NCL voting outreach with requests for workshop RSVP.
Implement individual outreach to top DREPs, combining NCL vote requests with workshop RSVP requests.
Committee Proposal Submissions & Audit Update
Question raised about whether all committees have submitted their proposals on Gov tools. Also, an update on the audit release was sought; it's with Nick and Jack (who is out of office), with concerns about its release before the reconciliation process.
Confirm if all committees have submitted proposals on Gov tools. Continue to track the release of the audit report and communicate concerns about its delay.
Threshold for Info Action (Continued Discussion)
The committee is still working towards setting a specific threshold for proposals to move into the info action. This decision is expected to be finalized closer to the Friday meeting with Voltage Control after tool readiness.
Finalize the threshold for proposals to move into the info action.