The Code of Conduct Committee (CoCc) is a relatively recent representative structure that emerged after delegates expressed dissatisfaction with participating via voting in decisions that involved sanctioning members who potentially violated the code of conduct. This committee is responsible for enforcing and maintaining the Code of Conduct t.
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In season 6 the council charter was approved by token holders on voting cycle 23b.
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In Season 5, an experiment was proposed by the OP foundation to create councils to decentralize the administrative role of processing code of conduct violation reports.
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Current Working Structure
- Reporting could be done either via a reporting form or directly contacting council members, who are all active community members available via DM on telegram, this gov forum or Discord.
- Coordination was done with weekly private council meetings and a Telegram group that had constant communication with Foundation members. The council lead also participated in the CFC, having contact with other governance leads.
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Office Hours: they are an open space in the public calendar where the collective can share concerns, questions or suggestions for improvement. Replying to @joanbp questions in our retrospective about where and when did the office hours take place. These meetings were held on the Optimism Discord, the last Thursday of the past 4 months of season 6. These meetings were added to the governance calendar, shared on our communication thread and advertised by the council members via text or short participations during Tuesday’s bi-weekly community calls.
Regarding who attended and who should attend these office hours, we expressed that anyone who was interested in learning about our work or that had concerns regarding behavior in the community could come. We also wanted to invite governance contributors of other chains in the superchain to share good practices, as we noted that some of these chains were also having conflicting situations and could benefit from OP experience in this regard.
Problems detected during S6
- Statistics of cases and outcomes: of 5 reports received, only 3 were part of our scope. We think the scope of the council could have been better communicated and defined.
- The resolution process faced delays due to limited administrative privileges on the platforms, which affected the ability to make swift decisions and address issues promptly. This limitation impacted the overall agility of the process.
- The eligibility criteria for the Airdrop could have been communicated more clearly. Many individuals expressed frustration over the exclusion of certain wallets or the oversight of others, leading to disappointment and confusion. There were numerous complaints surrounding Airdrop #5, with many feeling unfairly left out of the process. This created a conflict that had to be managed internally to address the concerns and restore trust
- The educational sessions on conflict management were not conducted because the Request for Proposal (RFP) was only partially delivered, which impacted the ability to proceed with the sessions as originally planned.
- The CoCC being purely reactive to episodes, when prevention is the other half of successful conflict management.
Next steps (season 7)
- After a session with the foundation, on the 22th nov. We agreed with a dissolution proposal being posted to change the nature of the council from a representative structure to a still to be defined alternative.
Alternative considered:
- Dissolving the council and moving to a civil servant structure that works along with other contribution paths.
- Proposing a new charter and make a handover or transition structure to connect this new entity that it’s going to be created.
Conclusion
The CoCC’s work in Season 6 has shown both the challenges and successes of decentralizing the enforcement of the Code of Conduct. While the council was able to effectively manage conflicts and contribute to the wellbeing of the community, limitations in authority and scope have hindered the council’s ability to act decisively in certain situations. The feedback from community members, alongside the internal reflections from council members, has highlighted areas for growth, including clearer communication, increased authority for council leads, and more proactive engagement with the collective. Moving forward into Season 7, it is essential to refine the council’s mandate, improve coordination with other governance bodies, and consider expanding its scope to better address emerging challenges. The council remains committed to the goal of fostering a more inclusive, transparent, and accountable community within the Optimism collective, and we look forward to evolving alongside the needs of the ecosystem