In Sociocracy meetings, there are three important documents that are used to facilitate effective communication and decision-making: agenda, minutes, and backlog.
- Agenda:
The agenda is a list of topics or items that will be discussed during the meeting. It is usually prepared in advance and distributed to all participants so they can prepare themselves for the discussion. The agenda ensures that the meeting stays focused and on track, and all important issues are addressed.
To become valid, a proposed agenda has to be consented by all the members of the circle. If there are any objections regarding the agenda, (topics, priorities, timing etc) the objects should be addressed and integrated by reshaping a new agenda proposal. The agenda is consented when there are no (more) objections.
- Minutes:
The minutes are a written record of the meeting. They include a summary of the topics discussed, decisions made, and any action items that need to be taken. The minutes are usually distributed to all participants after the meeting and serve as a reference for future meetings.
Usually, the minutes are made by the secretary (the scribe) whose responsibility is to synthetize the content of the discussing taking place in the meeting in a way that could be “digested” by the circle.
The minutes should capture the essence of what was discussed / accomplished for easy recall when needed, both by circle members and as a proof of transparency for people outside the circle.
The minutes also have to be consented by all the members of the circle. This could happen in the same meeting or at the beginning of the next meeting. The second option is more common because some items are supplemented with additional information after the effective end of the meeting, but they will be subject to the consent of the members of the circle at the beginning of the next meeting
- Backlog:
The backlog is a list of items that were not addressed during the meeting but still need to be discussed or acted upon. It is reviewed at the end of each meeting to ensure that important items are not forgotten. Some of the items from the backlog will be added to the agenda for the next meeting or in the future.
We use to give each item in the agenda a priority, to help us identify the most urgent topics to discuss / work on and those which could be parked for a longer time. The backlog is a space that sustain the principle of equivalence because contains topics that are of interests for the members of the circle.
In Sociocracy, the focus is on effective communication and decision-making, and the use of Agenda, Minutes and Backlog helps ensure that all voices are heard and decisions are made in an efficient and transparent manner.
To discover more “in depth” insights about “Agenda, Minutes and Backlog in Sociocracy Meetings”, I invite you to use this Sociocracy Manual:
I guess it is a good idea to combine theory with practice so I invite you to be present and to participate in our:
In the Community of Practice for Facilitators (CoP-F) no one teaches anyone, but we all learn from each other by practicing and sharing real life experiences.
We welcome your presence and contribution. It will enrich all of our sociocracy knowledge.
Next meeting is scheduled for May 8th, 2023, from 14:00 UTC (CoP-F East) and from 18:30 UTC (CoP-F West). We are available to schedule any other meetings, as necessary.
Best wishes to all of you!