Internal Operating Procedures (IOP) for Developer Advisory Board: Season 8

Elected Representatives 💼 Internal Operating Procedures
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Seasons 8 Developer Advisory Board - Internal Operating Procedures (IOPs)

The Internal Operating Procedures in this document govern the activities of the Season 8 Developer Advisory Board. This document sets forth the processes the board will follow in fulfilling the Seasons 8 & 9 Charter and operating within its governance-approved budget.

If a discrepancy ever arises between a Charter and the Internal Operating Procedures (IOPs), the Charter always takes precedence and supersedes the IOPs.

Communications

  • The community can get in touch with the Developer Advisory Board by posting on our official S8 & S9 Communication Thread on the forum.
  • The DAB will host Office Hours on a recurring basis. The schedule and topics will be posted in the Communication Thread and on the public governance calendar.
  • The Lead is the primary spokesperson for major decisions. The Ops Lead may provide regular, informal updates on board activities in the Communication Thread.

Community Feedback

  • The primary initiatives for collecting community input are the public Forum Communication Thread and our regularly scheduled Office Hours.
  • We encourage stakeholders (delegates, app/chain developers, and users) to use these channels to provide feedback on our operations, grant programs, and protocol upgrade assessments.

Cycle Management

Protocol Upgrade Cycle

  • Pre-Upgrade Intake: The DAB is encouraged to ask questions and motivate clarity in the period before the upgrade forum post is posted. The Ops Lead will monitor relevant R&D discord channels and distribute materials for any initial, informal review.
  • Public Review Period (7 Days): The official clock starts when an upgrade is posted to the public forum. All 7 voting members are expected to conduct their full, independent review during this week, assessing the upgrade against our charter criteria.
  • Debate & Synthesis: During the Review Period, the Lead will facilitate a discussion to synthesize findings. A synchronous call will be scheduled by the Ops Lead if needed. The goal is to finalize the board’s collective view before the voting period begins.
  • Voting Period (7 Days): Following the review period, a 7-day formal vote will be conducted on a public platform (e.g., Snapshot). The Ops Lead is responsible for setting up the vote and ensuring all members cast their ballot. Because of the critical nature of this vote, a missed vote without prior notice will trigger a performance review.
  • Communication: Following the vote, the Lead will post the final decision and rationale to the public forum.

Developer Adoption Grants

  • Grant applications for both Audit Grants and Foundation Missions will be reviewed on a rolling basis, managed by their respective Program Stewards. The target is to provide an initial response to all applicants within 14 days (max) of submission.

Workflow Management

  • Primary Tooling:
    • Communication: All internal discussions will be conducted in Telegram, managed by the Ops Lead.
    • Task & Application Tracking: The Ops Lead, in coordination with the Program Stewards, will track tasks in a public GitHub Projects board.
  • Notifications: The Ops Lead is responsible for all internal notifications regarding deadlines, meeting schedules, and required actions.

Internal Consensus and Voting

  • Protocol Upgrades: A supermajority of 5/7 votes from the voting members is required to approve a protocol upgrade.
  • Grant Program Decisions: Recommendations from Program Stewards for grant funding or team selection are optimistically approved.
  • Tie-Breaker: For internal decisions requiring a simple majority, the Lead may serve as a tie-breaker in the event that consensus cannot otherwise be reached among the 7 voting members.
  • Conflicts of Interest: All members must declare potential conflicts of interest. Conflicts related to grant applicants may include: direct employment, investment, advisory roles, or code contributions. A conflict of interest may require the member to abstain from a vote or decision, with the abstention attributed to the COI.

Change Process

  • Changes to these Internal Operating Procedures can be proposed by any member of the DAB.
  • The implementation of any change requires the approval of a simple majority (4/7) of the voting members. The Ops Lead is responsible for recording the changes as comments on this post.
  • Unless urgent, amendments should take effect starting the next Cycle.