org/teams/NetworkTeam/MetaPolicy.md

+= Network team metapolicy =
+
+{{{
+This is the version of the proposal for accepting policies that we
+discussed at our July 12, 2019 in-person meeting.  It is amended
+as discussed in the meeting, and not otherwise.
+
+This is version 4.
+
+As of 29 July, all team voters have agreed that this policy is
+what we agreed upon.  ~~It is now provisional policy, and becomes
+non-provisional on October 29.~~ It is now team policy.
+
+
+SCOPE
+
+This document describes how we adopt policy proposals that apply to
+our team and its work.  It doesn't apply to change proposals in our
+software, but rather to things like our LTS policy, our security
+issue policy, our supported platform policy, our team member roles
+policies, our release timelines, and things like that.
+
+This metapolicy is meant to work for a team where people trust one
+another; it is not trying to be robust against rules-lawyers.
+
+RATIONALE
+
+This process is meant to prevent situations where our proposals
+become deadlocked waiting to know whether we have consensus.
+
+It is meant to ensure that we have a discussion period for every
+proposed policy, that the discussion period ends, and that we take
+an affirmative decision about each proposal.
+
+PROCESS
+
+1. THE DISCUSSION PERIOD
+
+   A team member writes a draft policy and sends it to network-team
+   for comment.  The draft policy comes with a target date when we
+   hope to conclude discussion.
+
+   If the policy is one that affects other groups or teams, or
+   which we should get their input on, we put it on the wiki as a
+   draft policy and circulate it to those teams or to a tor mailing
+   list as appropriate.
+
+   Team members are expected to pick target dates so that all other
+   team members have a reasonable amount of time to see and comment
+   on the policy.  Two working weeks is a reasonable time for simple
+   policies; longer is reasonable for more complicated policies.
+
+   A proposed policy may be amended at any point during the discussion
+   period.
+
+   All pending proposals should be listed in the discussion section
+   of each week's meeting.  By default, every proposal should have
+   been discussed during at least 2 meetings.
+
+   The proponent or any team member may call for the discussion
+   period to be extended.
+
+2. VOTING
+
+   At the end of the discussion period, if any changes have been made to
+   the proposal, the proponent should provide a final "clean" version
+   for adoption.  Each team member should then declare their status on
+   the proposal.  Possibilities are "+1" (in favor), "-1" (against), and
+   "+0"/"-0" (weakly in favor/weakly against).  There is no difference
+   in outcome between +0 and -0: they are just for indicating an
+   opinion.
+
+   By default we vote on the network-team@ mailing list.  Any member
+   may call for a secret ballot.  In that event, we ask some
+   mutually agreed upon party to tally the votes using a mutually
+   agreed upon method.
+
+3. OUTCOME
+
+   Members may vote early, and may change their votes.  At the end
+   of the voting period, we ask people who have not already voted to
+   do so.
+
+   If any team member votes "-1", the proposal does not pass.
+
+   If less than half of the team votes "+1", the proposal does not
+   pass.
+
+   If the proposal receives "+1" votes from at least half of the
+   team, and it receives no "-1" votes, it passes.
+
+   When a proposal passes, it becomes _provisional_ policy.  A
+   provisional policy.  A provisional policy remains provisional for
+   three months, and then is accepted as policy.  While a policy is
+   provisional, any member may veto it by changing their vote to
+   "-1".  Afterwards, when the policy is no longer provisional,
+   changing it requires another policy proposal.
+
+   When a draft becomes policy or provisional policy, we put it on
+   our Wiki.
+
+4. Who are the voters?
+
+   The voters are the Tor staff on the network team, and the associated
+   PM.  As of adoption, this is ahf, asn, catalyst, dgoulet, gaba,
+   mikeperry, nickm, and teor.  We can amend this later with policy
+   proposals.
+}}}
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