3-Step Process

Community decisions are made within a Formal Consensus process in a 3 Level format.

1. Topic is introduced.

Issues, concerns and needs are identified and explored.
Clarification of topic.
At the end of step 1, research and/or development of a proposal may be assigned to a committee or task force if appropriate.

Community gives feedback on proposal.
Proposal is fine-tuned.
If there is new or drastically different information, the community may choose to go back to step 1.
Step 2 ends when there is preliminary agreement.
At the end of step 2, the group pauses until the next meeting to allow time for community members who were not present to get informed and give input.

The proposal is read back to the community.
The facilitator asks whether there are any new concerns.
Only new and different concerns are discussed, unless one or more of the following conditions are met:
The person states they are considering blocking the proposal with a red card.
If a person simply needs to express themselves and is not asking the community to consider other proposals.
The person has a new solution.
Steps one and two were not followed properly.
The person previously felt intimidated and can state what happened that resulted in them feeling intimidated so that at least one other person can understand their feeling of intimidation.
The proposal was significantly changed during the last meeting in step 2 and a person needed more time to evaluate the new proposal.
If there is further change made in the proposal in step 3, the group can still call for consensus in that meeting if everyone present agrees that the changes are minor. Substantive changes should cause the proposal to be re-published for consensus at the next meeting.
If no significant changes, go to consensus.