1. Who can participate in decision-making?

All members of the SDA can participate in Governance Decision-Making on the Association level. Members of thematic groups decide for themselves, within the scope of their group. The board decides on Executive matters, unless authority is delegated to a thematic group on a specific subject.

2. How are decisions taken/approved?

Decisions can be of two types: Executive or Governance. All decisions must help the Association move closer to it’s purpose and respect the statuses and the Internal Regulation. Governance decisions (like modifying this internal regulation) must follow the Governance Decision-Making process. Governance decisions may be revoked during the General Assembly if they are proven against the Internal Regulation or Statuses. Governance meetings must have a Facilitator and a Secretary appointed by the board, and be announced to members at least 1 month in advance. All members are invited and any member can make proposals.

2.1 Scope of Governance

Within the association’s Governance Decision-Making Process, its Members may:

• (a) amend the current Internal regulation
• (b) define, amend, or remove a Thematic group or Role
• (c) affect members to any Thematic group or Role

No other decisions are valid outputs from a Governance Process. Thematic groups can hold their own governance process.

2.2 Governance Decision-Making Process

A Facilitator and Secretary may be attributed by the board. By default, members of the board fill these roles. At anytime, participants may ask the Facilitator to explain and clarify the Governance Process.

Participants may ask the Secretary to show and interpret any existing Governance at any time when participants are allowed to speak, and the Secretary must do so.

The Facilitator must enact the “Governance Decision-Making Process” as follows:

• (a) Present Proposal: The Proposer presents a Proposal and the issue it seeks to resolve. On the Proposer's request, the Facilitator may allow others to help craft a Proposal. The Facilitator prevents discussing other subjects.
• (b) Clarifying Questions: Once a Proposal is made, others may ask questions to better understand the Proposal or the reason behind it. The Proposer may answer each question. The Facilitator prevents discussions of any kind.
• (c) Reaction Round: Next, each participant except the Proposer may share reactions to the Proposal, one person at a time. The Facilitator prevents discussions of any kind.
• (d) Option to Clarify: Next, the Proposer may respond to the reactions and make amendments to the Proposal. However, the primary intent of any amendments must be to better address the Proposer’s issue, and not issues raised by others. No discussions with participants. The Secretary must capture the amended Proposal.