🗒️Solana Governance Think Tank

A community-led effort to explore the topic of on-chain governance on Solana

Introduction

This effort is a community-led exploration of the topic of on-chain governance. We explore the questions of why governance is necessary, what it actually entails, how it might be implemented and who would be participating in it.

As it stands this is a first draft as presented by Michael from Laine and doesn't yet represent a community-formed view.

Primary discussion forum is the Governance Think Tank section of the Solana Staking Alliance Discord server - please feel free to join it if you're interested in participating.

This Gitbook serves as a place to capture the discussions as they evolve and formulate a framework of what the social consensus believes governance should look like.

This effort and output is not binding and does not form a final decision on governance implementation. Any final implementation of a governance structure or process would require a full on-chain stake-weighted vote by validators.

Principles

This section is a discussion to help evolve a set of principles to act as a foundation for the design of Solana’s governance. It is possible that the principles, or an evolution of them, can have broader future value in the execution of governance.

All of Solana’s principles are in support of the mission or purpose, namely to ensure the network flourishes. They are established to better enable a collective effort in support of the operation and development of a fully functioning network.

Essentially these principles are those things that the community genuinely believe in and which are in place for a number of reasons:

• To anchor our thinking and to be consistent.

• To act as a set of checks for each and every decision we make either collectively or individually by asking “Does this meet an individual or group of principles specified in this document?” If the answer is no then there is a very good reason for rejecting or changing the proposal.

• To accelerate the way we work. Once we have these principles we can easily check against them. We do not necessarily need to evaluate each and every idea or proposal for change from first principles or against the experience and beliefs of a particular individual or group. Using these principles to evaluate choices should promote consistency and speed.

Please feel free to challenge any of the initially proposed principles set out below.

1. People and their engagement

All stakeholders will be treated with respect. They will be as engaged, in terms of both decision making and doing, as much as they are capable and willing to be.

2. Honesty and Integrity

There will be honesty and integrity in all our dealings.

3. Clear and open multi-way communication

All stakeholders will be listened to and clearly communicated with, according to their needs. The least number of simple yet accessible communication channels will be used.

4. Value and purpose

There will be clarity about our purpose and what is to be achieved, this will be reflected in strategic and operational plans.

5. Focus and Alignment

The most important aspects of our plans will be prioritized so that we focus on the critical few and not the trivial many. The role every stakeholder plays in these plans will be made sufficiently clear so that all actions are aligned in truly effective collaboration.

6. Decentralisation

As much decision making will be as decentralised as it is effective to do. Implementation of this will be at a pace and in a manner that is capable of being supported.

7. Decision making and use of resources

Decisions, including those about making best use of resources (people, assets, funds), will be:

• In line with purpose/plans.

• At a pace appropriate to the need.

The influence an individual entity has on such decisions will be determined through governance.

For certain decisions it may be appropriate to delegate to an authorised, capable body such as a technical committee.

8. Change and responsiveness

Facilitating the navigation of change, change that is either self created or imposed by the challenging operational environment, is a primary purpose of governance.

Such navigation depends on:

• Having solid plans as a framework from which to move

• The ability to take well considered entrepreneurial risks that are researched and judged by people competent to do so.

There will be vigilance to ensure actions do not have unintended outcomes.

9. Subsidiarity

The lowest level of authority capable of addressing an issue shall do so.

10. Complexity

Essential complexity will be employed where necessary, but simplicity will be adopted wherever possible.

Scope

Initially, this document will begin by exploring some key questions:

• Why - why do we need governance

• Who - who participates in governance, in which roles

• What - what is governance, what areas, actions and policies does it cover

• How - how do we implement

Principles

TBD - Suggested in TG chat

Contributors

Contributors, listed alphabetically, are defined as those community members who have submitted PRs to this Gitbook.

• Chris / Chainflow

• Michael / Laine (also created and maintains the Gitbok)

A full list of contributions can be found here.