PROPOSAL NAME
Alignment Of Working Group Terms And Budgets
TEAM DESCRIPTION
@SmartAPE // Derek Smart, DAO member and writer-of-many-words
I am an indie software developer who has been in the games industry as a gamer and game dev for over 40 years. I have designed, developed, and published over a dozen games during my career.
My first game, Battlecruiser 3000 AD (aka BC 3 K), was a ground-breaking game that was ahead of its time. Published by Take Two interactive in 1996 , it was one of their portfolio titles when they went public in 1997 . So, you could say that I helped the company succeed to where it is today.
Over the decades, I have worked with some of best software developers and publishers around the world, and my works have been featured in various online and print magazines around the world.
You can learn more about me on my professional LinkedIn page.
PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION
This proposal seeks to synch, increase and align the budgets and terms of the Working Groups to a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 24 months.
It also allows the Working Groups in the current term to revise their pre-existing budget as-needed to account for the updated terms and budgets.
After a Working Group budget has passed but is yet to be disbursed, it requires the Ape Foundation to provide funding to the Working Groups due to unforeseen delays, thus ensuring continuity and stability in the Working Group operations.
ABSTRACT
This is a simplified version of AIP- 421 which failed to pass last month.
During a term for a leadership role, members have to spend time creating new budgets every 6 (six) months, even though their expenses and allocations likely have not changed. This leads to downtime - added to the stress of seeing it through to a vote. By aligning terms with budgets, we streamline this process forthwith.
Though the max term for any elected role is 24 (twenty-four) months, budgets by the Working Groups are not aligned in a seamless fashion; mostly due to how our elections work. A budget is a budget. And so, even if it’s for 6 (six), 12 (twelve) or 24 (twenty-four) months, all Working Groups must adhere to pre-existing budgets unless and until they are subsequently revised via an AIP. e.g. if a 2025 budget for 24 months is 2 M $ape, then irrespective of the new stewards coming onboard during this period, that’s the budget that they have to use and adhere to until it is up for renewal when the previous term is within 30 days of expiring.
With the advent of ApeChain as well as the upcoming $ 100 M Banana Bill, it is imperative that the Working Groups have all the tools and funding needed for seamless on-going ops.
It should be noted that even when new Working Groups are on-boarded, they tend not to have an operational budget, thus requiring the GwG to issue funding (via loans?) to on-board them. This proposal also aims to address this operational deficiency via item # 3 above.
BENEFIT TO APECOIN ECOSYSTEM
Increasing the budgets to a min of 12 (twelve) months and a max of 24 (twenty-four) months ensures that there is sufficient time for the stewards to be able to execute on effective goals and KPIs without subjecting roles to the disruptions that come with writing up and voting for a new 6 (six) month budget, while on-boarding new stewards following an election which may also cycle out pre-existing stewards.
Allowing the Working Groups to construct a budget for up to 24 (twenty-four) months, allows seamless continuity while preventing the down time associated with the process of new stewards having to do it all over again - while not having funds for their own salaries, operations during that period.
Allowing the Special Council to disburse funds in a timely fashion to the Working Groups, ensures the continuity and stability that comes with knowing that a budget is always available for salaries and operations, without the down time associated with putting up AIPs for vote - a process that just tends to drag out even though they always tend to pass anyway.
STEPS TO IMPLEMENT
These requirements are to go into effect immediately upon this AIP passing.
Require the Working Group budgets to be a min of 12 (twelve) months and a max of 24 (twenty-four) months. The chosen term, min ( 12 ) or max ( 24 ) is at the discretion of the Working Group.
Require the pre-existing Working Group budgets be revised as a “top-up” to take into account the aforementioned min and max budget periods and associated amounts.
The aforementioned “top-up” would require the Working Group to request the “short fall” funds from the Special Council without having to submit a vote to the DAO. e.g. if the current budget for a Working Group is $ 1 m for 6 (six) months, then they can request another 6 (six) months “top-up” to make them whole as per a 12 month period. They can, at their discretion, extend this to the max of 24 months.
Require that the Special Council provide “top-up” funds to any Working Group upon request and on an as-needed basis, subject to the usual procedural review and disclosures.
Require that the Special Council provide budget funding (commensurate with the pre-existing budget amount for the Working Group) to the Working Groups in the event that a budget request is either delayed (e.g. Force Majeure) or in the event that it fails to pass at vote; subject to the usual procedural review and disclosures.
[Note: Budgets from AIP- 403 and AIP- 404 have expired as of July 1 , 2024 , with the GWG budget from AIP- 408 set to expire as of October 1 , 2024 . These budgets would be eligible for a “top-up” which would also include allocations for the third steward in each working group if/when those are elected at some point and a budget request made.]
REPORTING EXPECTATIONS
The expectation is that this proposal would be implemented by the DAO’s administrative team.
The community should regularly review the impact of this proposal.
If accepted, the administration and the community should review the impact of the updates after the 3 -month period for conflict ends.
OVERALL COST
Total amount requested from the ApeCoin Ecosystem Fund will be equal to whatever the “top-up” funds amount to.
