GA Handbook

Board of European Students of Technology

34-G-XA-BRD-998 GA Handbook 1 of 13Board of European Students of Technology

34-G-XA-BRD-998 GA Handbook 2 of 13

Board of European Students of Technology

GA HandbookGA 2015 ChaniaCONTENTS

Important GA rules and considerations

How to make changes in BEST

How to write and submit a (counter)proposal

Example of a (counter)proposal

Friendly amendments

How to write and submit a working group report

BEST document numbering system

Guidelines - how to vote in a BEST GM

CONTENTS

3Important GA rules and considerations

Important considerations3General Rules3Rules in the plenary sessions and the discussion groups3The finger rules31 finger - New idea32 fingers - Reply to ongoing topic33 fingers - Please cut the discussion its going nowhere / its been discussed for long enough.3Rules for the parties3How to make a change in BEST45 steps for developing an idea in BEST41. Getting a new idea42. Background info check43. Discussion with relevant bodies44. Ways to implement your idea55. Proposal making process (in general)5How to write a (counter) proposal6Template for proposals6Template for counterproposals (CP)6How to submit a (counter) proposal6Before you write your proposal/CP:6After you have written your proposal (before GA):6After you have written your CP (during GA):6Example of a (counter)proposal7Example of a proposal:7Example of a counterproposal7Friendly amendments8BEST Document Numbering System91- The short explanation92- Some details9Event Number9Pre-materials / Topic Introductions9Proposals9Counterproposals9Reports93- Topics104- Examples10Guidelines on how to vote in a BEST GM11Withdrawal:11Abstention11For the approval11Against the approval11Examples:11Overview of voting rules12Election of the Board Members13

Important GA rules and considerations

Important considerationsSince it is a full schedule it is very important that everyone is on time, so that there will be no delays.

If you want to last for the whole event, try to get at least a few hours of sleep each night. And even if you do not want to sleep, there might be others who do, so please show respect for them when you are in the sleeping area.

And just as you have fallen asleep, be sure we will be there to wake you up. Every morning we expect you to rise and shine with a happy smile on your face.

If you have any complaints you can contact directly one of the organisers (try to pick the one with responsibility on the matter), the board or mention it on the evaluation form at the end. Be honest, but be reasonable we are all students.

Please, entertain yourselves and the GA organisers during the breaks. Singing, dancing, acrobatic exercises etc. will be warmly appreciated.Give constructive criticism policy: saying NO is not enough. Give alternative solutions.

BEST is composed of more than 3500 people spread in 32 different countries. If you want to make your idea work, they all have to know it, understand it and accept it.

The LBGs live in totally different environments. You have to be sure that everything you plan is possible everywhere.

You have to make sure your work will not be lost. So take your time to prepare a good report, and try to find out who/when/where is going to continue the work.

There are no employees in BEST. So think about who will work on your proposal after the GA:

A new working group please take care to find people willing to do it.

An LBG please take care to find one that accepts the job.

An existing committee please ensure that they are capable of taking this extra task.

General Rules

Wear your badge. There are a lot of people around and they all want to know your name.BE ON TIME: it is a sign of consideration towards the organisers and also towards the other participants.

If you are going to make a counterproposal, discuss first with the ones who made the initial proposal, and try to get an agreement before the voting session, to avoid misunderstandings.

Rules in the plenary sessions and the discussion groupsBE ON TIME.

Switch off your mobile phone.Speak loudly and clearly (English is not the mother tongue of most of us).

Speak only when the speaker allows you to. Communicate with your neighbours by written messages (or body language).

When given the word, stand up and always introduce yourself by clearly pronouncing your name and LBG/committee/working group.

Keep in mind that you have to achieve results together with the other participants in the group. Therefore, have respect for the others and for their ideas, it is essential for a fruitful work.

Remember that a good idea can be presented in bad English (be patient and listen carefully). If you didnt understand completely, ask for clarifications.Dont fall asleep: Listen carefully to the others and ask questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question. (Should you ask a stupid question, you will be kindly supplied with a stupid answer.)

Avoid discussions between only two persons.

Use the finger rules (and dont abuse them!).

The finger rules

1 finger - New idea2 fingers - Reply to ongoing topic 3 fingers - Please cut the discussion its going nowhere / its been discussed for long enough.Rules for the partiesHave FUN!!!Please keep in mind that you have to be 100% functional in the morning the next day.

How to make a change in BESTBEST is a volunteering organisation, we all know that. We share common beliefs, we are all permeated with BEST spirit and endorse BEST values as our own.

Being in an organisation such as ours leaves freedom to an individual or a group to be creative, spread new ideas. It is a huge playground where everyone can express themselves, leave their mark, change BEST by making ideas happen.

Due to its volunteering nature, the process of making changes in BEST includes gathering input from relevant groups and listening to their feedback. However, it happens sometimes that the road-map from getting new idea to its implementation is unclear. Skipping some steps can easily cause "endless" discussions or reinventing the wheel.

Aiming to improve the change-making process, why we would like to break it down for you in steps - making it easier for you to understand it and later do high-quality preparations for making the changes you want to see in BEST.5 steps for developing an idea in BEST1. You got a new idea from which BEST could benefit!That's great, don't hold it only for yourself, work on spreading it across BEST, let others share your enthusiasm.2. Checking if a similar topic was discussed and whether it is time to re-discuss it.If the background check shows things won't be rediscussed needlessly then...3. Discuss your idea including relevant bodies!It is important to inform people affected by your idea before starting to implement your solution. Check if you are forming a general rule or something that can be looked upon as a guideline.4. Decide how the changes should be implemented in order to have a best possible impact.There are many ways to implement a change and submitting official proposals are not the only one. Make sure you put time into investigating which method is the most suitable. If you decide to submit a proposal, then...5. Make sure you follow the process of making a proposal.As a last step you will have to put all necessary information in the proposal following the guidelines in the proposal template.OK, so let's see in details what do we mean by each step.1. Getting a new ideaIt can be an idea for a new project, a change of our regulations, a practice you want to promote in BEST, any kind of thoughts that can have a positive effect on BEST.2. Background info checkIn your search for background information, firstly contact people that might know more about the topic, people who have been working in that field. They can save you hours of reading discussion reports :). It you don't know who to contact, ask boardies, they are the ones that should know.

Once you gather more information on the topic, assess how different is your idea from the previous ones and how much have things have changed. Based on that decide whether to relaunch the discussion or not.3. Discussion with relevant bodiesNow you're ready to start a discussion about your idea. You can use VIP or mailing lists such as LTAB@, relevant international bodies' mailing lists, presidentshome@. Make sure that your discussion is reaching the correct audience - the people that have interest in your idea. If you're not sure where you can launch the discussion, boardies can provide you guidance.

You also have an opportunity to schedule an Online Meeting to have a more efficient discussion among the closely related people.

Please include all background information that you gathered in the previous step when you relaunch the idea. In that way you will provide a solid overview of the topic to others. Be aware to what extent you want to go with your idea - whether you want to make a general rule about it or a guideline.

# Unsure what your discussion might produce? Maybe this will help :)When defining a new rule few conditions have to be fulfilled:a. The criteria for following the rule have to be clear, as objective as possible.

b. *All* possible scenarios have to be thought through

c. Method of checking of the rule is being followed has to existIf (a) is not fulfilled, the rule is unclear and it's subjected to different interpretations.If (b) is not fulfilled, there are no consequences if the rule is not followed in some cases. It gives a chance to by-pass the rules, and then they lose their strength.if (c) is not fulfilled, then we will never know if the rule is broken or not, so one cannot suffer consequences if it's not followed. In all 3 aforementioned cases, the rule is actually a guideline (something that should be done), and not a rule (something that must be done).4. Ways to implement your ideaThere are several ways to implement a change: some require adapting working practices, others have to be implemented with proposals (both those that affect the regulations and those that don't). Some ideas require only a group of motivated individuals to start working and make their dreams a reality.

Whatever your idea might be, make sure that you explore all ways of implementing it and find the most suitable one. Sometimes it's enough just to point out your concerns and give suggestions and the change will happen. That approach might save you a lot of energy that you would use for some other approach.5. Proposal making process (in general)# we will take proposals regarding automatic exclusion from GA11 to exemplify each part of the process: Proposal 1, Proposal 2

Now that you have your idea, you know what people think about it, it's time to shape up everything into a proposal. Try to break down the process in 3 parts:1. Conceptual aspect - the why: Defining the desired rule/idea, the aim of the proposal. Try to identify the global idea that you want to reach.Example: an idea can be our membership system not provide infinite amount of chances for LBGs to achieve a highest-level status. (That was the main goal of the proposal not e.g. reducing the time spent in the plenary on membership voting).2. Procedural aspect - the how: Developing all possible scenarios related to the rule.Example: The way this idea was intended to be implemented was by having limited, predefined period to achieve Full status and a chance to prolong the current status only once (not infinite amount of times).The scenarios where this was implemented included dealing with LBG that are:

suspended,

baby LBGs going for full membership and

being absent from GMs.

For each of them it was defined until when they can stay in current state, when can the prolongation be made, and how does the automatic exclusion process go, in case an LBG is not voted for full even after prolongation..3. Technical aspect - the what: Putting the scenarios into right wording; It's important to be as concise as possible, in order to avoid confusions.Example: In the end, scenarios described above were shaped so they fit our set of regulations. Also, for the cases where some things were already implemented (e.g criteria for suspension), it was clarified so that things are not misinterpreted in the future.

How to write a (counter) proposal

Please write proposals and counterproposals according to the following templates. Look further in this document to see some examples, and find an explanation of the BEST document numbering system. You can download the template from GA official archive (http://private.best.eu.org/docs/official/34-G-XA-BRD-993) or just ask Ioana - the Secretary of BEST (secretary@BEST.eu.org) for help.

Template for proposals

The template consists of the following elements:

A BEST number of the proposal, used to identify the proposal.

Short (maximum one sentence) summary of the contents of the proposal. LBG/committee/working group who has made the proposal (in normal English, use only Latin letters). Summary of the proposal - what will practically happen if this proposal is accepted? Aim of the proposal - what do you hope to reach with this proposal? Background of the proposal - what facts have lead you to make this proposal?

The actual proposal. Please do also include here how to implement the proposal in practice.

The changes that happen when the proposal is approved/not approved. Analysis of the proposal.

Template for counterproposals (CP)

A BEST number of the counterproposal.

The number and short description of the original proposal, which the CP is against. Example: Counterproposal to 30-G-SE-VIV-001 concerning organisers of summer courses wearing super-hero costumes

Short (maximum one sentence) summary of the content of the CP. LBG/committee/working group who has made the CP (in normal English, use only Latin letters). Aim of the CP.

The actual CP.

The changes that happen when the proposal is approved/not approved

Your reasons for making the CP (if you feel it is not clear enough by reading the aim of the CP).

How to submit a (counter) proposal

Before you write your proposal/CP:

Please check that the BEST number you want to give to your proposal is not already occupied.Ask the secretary which number you should use, in order to insure that a number is not used twice. Example: Your working group/committee/board wants to make a proposal concerning Vivaldi matters and name it 34-G-XA-EXE-001. But then it turns out that another working group/committee/board has already used this number for their proposal. So you have to name your proposal 34-G-XA-EXE-002. When writing your proposal, concentrate on the text, not on the graphics.

After you have written your proposal (before GA):

1) Makes sure to have the proposal ready before the deadline 15th of March at 23:00 CET.

2) Mail the proposal to the secretary (secretary@BEST.eu.org) in *.doc format.

3) Make sure you keep a copy of the *.doc for yourself, in case of problems.

After you have written your CP (during GA):

4) Upload it on the network in *.doc format.

5) Find the secretary personally and tell it to her.

6) Make sure you keep a copy of the .doc for yourself, in case of problems.

Example of a (counter)proposal

Example of a proposal:34-G-XA-EXE-001Proposal by EEC that all organisers of summer courses wear super-hero costumes.Aim:To make the summer course participants feel safe and secure.

Therefore we propose

All organisers of summer courses should wear super-hero costumes during the course.The super-hero costumes will be paid for by the common account and handed out to the LBGs on the General Meetings.LBGs who fail to wear their super-hero costumes will automatically be suspended on the next General Meeting.Analysis of the Proposal:1) Today participants feel lonely and scared when coming to a new country with new people. A super-hero would ease their anxiousness

2) Organisers will be easy to recognise.

3) Organisers would feel obliged to act responsibly and care for their participants (a super-hero always does whats right)

Example of a counterproposal

34-G-XA-EXE-101Counterproposal to proposal 34-G-XA-EXE-001 on the subject of super-hero costumes.

The board hereby proposes that the LBGs pay for their own super-hero costumes.Aim:To ensure that BEST does not go bankrupt buying super-hero costumes.Therefore we propose

To change the sentence:

The super-hero costumes will be paid for by the common account and handed out to the LBGs on general meetings.

in proposal 34-G-XA-EXE-001 to:

The super-hero costumes will be paid for by the LBGs on every General Meeting and handed out to the LBGs in connection with their payment on General Meetings.Friendly amendments

Since GA2006 in Zagreb it is possible to friendly amend a proposal that is presented in the plenary. With this procedure we want to limit the amount of counter proposals.

Friendly amendments are made when the owner of a proposal agrees that the proposal can be improved by a certain change and that the plenary understand the change that will be voted upon. These changes are usually small changes like a date or a number or other technicalities.

Instead of having to counter propose his own proposal, the owner can propose the plenary a friendly amendment. The Speaker will then ask the plenary via thumbs up/thumbs down if the change(s) is/are understood. If the plenary understands the change(s), the proposal is amended and corrected on the spot. This happens by directly changing the text in the proposal that is printed in the binders.

Moreover, any participant then the owners of the proposal can ask for a friendly amendment. Then first the owner is asked for his agreement. If he agrees, the Speaker ask to the plenary if they understand the change(s). If the plenary understands the change(s), the proposal is amended and corrected on the spot.

If the owner does not agree, there will be no friendly amendment and a counter proposal can be submitted.BEST Document Numbering System

All documents produced need to be numbered according to the BEST document numbering system. This number is then used to sort the documents correctly in the database of BEST, the archive. Below you will find complete instructions on how to number the documents produced in connection with the GA. At the end there will be some examples.

The following explanation has been taken from 30-V-SE-COM-999 and applied to this event.

1- The short explanation

The official number is used to sort the documents correctly in the official archive. It looks like #1-#2-#3-#4-#5, where the part #1-#2-#3 in most cases is the event number of the event for which the document is made. #4 is a topic code and #5 is a number to ensure unique enumeration.

#1 = number of the most recent GA (now 34)

#2 = type of event or indicator of VIP documents or indicator of documents by LBGs

#3 = code of organising LBG

#4 = topic code

#5 = enumeration

There is one case for which part #1-#2-#3 is not the event number. That is if the material (report or proposal) is written by an LBG. Then it is made up as follows

#1 = number of most recent GA (now 34)

#2 = L (L for LBG)

#3 = 2-letter code of the author-LBG (RO for Rome, BX for Brussels, etc)

#4 and #5 remains as explained above.

2- Some details

Event Number

Every General Meeting (or any other event) has an official number that is used to sort documents in the archive by event. The number for this GA is 34-G-XA.

Pre-materials / Topic Introductions

Pre-materials of a GM are made by an international body of BEST (Board or Committee). Note that part #5 for pre-materials counts down from 999.

Proposals

At a General Meeting LBGs, Working Groups or Board/committees can bring proposals to vote upon. The numbering is special if the proposal comes from an LBG (see above).

Counterproposals

An LBG/committee/Board can write counterproposals only to proposals that have been made.

#1-#2-#3 = set as for any other document (either event number or LBG version)

#4 = the same as in the proposal you are writing a counterproposal against.

#5 = the same as in the proposal you are writing a counterproposal against EXCEPT that you change the first 0 to 1.Example:

Proposal from a committee/board/working group on Vivaldi-matters: 34-G-XA-EXE-001

Counterproposal to 34-G-XA-EXE-001 by LBG Patras: 34-L-PA-EXE-101Reports

There are 2 kinds of reports: those written to be presented at the event (and potentially voted upon) and those written about the activities of the working groups/committees/LBGs/board at the event. This includes also the minutes of the GM.

3- Topics

Documents topics have to be picked from the following list:

ALUAlumni

BRDBoard

BUDBudget

COMIT in BEST, documents by the Information Technology Committee

CPYCompanies, documents by the Financial Team

EDUEducational matters, documents by the Educational Committee

ERSExternal Relations, documents by the Ambassador

EXECourses, EBEC, documents by the External Events Committee

FINFinancial Rule Package

IREInternal Regulations, Committee regulations, Regulations on Admission and Exclusion

LBGLBG related materials

MINMinutes of the General Meetings

PROProposals

PRSPR Strategy, documents by markeTeam

STGBEST Strategies, Growth, Long-term Strategic Planning

STTStatutes of BEST

TRNTraining, documents by Training Group

Additional topics can be created only with the authorisation of the International Secretary of BEST and the IT Committee.

4- Examples

Here you have some fictional examples that hopefully will make the explanation above clearer.

Lets assume we are at the GA in Chania. The event number will be 34-G-XA. All documents produced at/for this event will be classified under this number.

We will have a set of materials (please note that proposals can be made public even before the event begins): 34-G-XA-BRD-500Board Annual Action Report 34-G-XA-COM-500ITC Annual Action Report 34-G-XA-EDU-001Proposal on some EduCo matters by the CommitteeDuring the event some proposals, counterproposals and reports will be written: 34-G-XA-EXE-001Proposal on EEC membership by EEC 34-L-PA-EXE-101Counterproposal on 34-G-XA-EXE-001 by LBG Patras 34-L-PA-STG-001Proposal on some strategic matters by LBG Patras 34-G-XA-STG-001Proposal on some strategic matters by the Board 34-G-XA-STG-500Report of the WG on Working Structure 34-L-XA-PRS-001Proposal on some PR matters by LBG Chania

Guidelines on how to vote in a BEST GM

In a voting session in a BEST General Meeting you have four options available. The effects are explained below. Note: you can have your vote registered. This means it will be entered into the GM minutes.

to vote for the approval of the proposal

to vote against the approval of the proposal

to abstain from voting

to withdraw from a voting round

Withdrawal: Role: for a given voting round to be valid, more than 50% of all full members have to participate in it. If you decide to withdraw, you are not counted as being present in that particular voting round.When to use: if you think that a given proposal should not be voted upon in this GM. Remember that you have to announce your withdrawal before the given voting round.Note: for extra-ordinary voting sessions to be valid, more than 75% of the full LBGs have to be present in a given voting round. (Only GAs have extra-ordinary voting sessions.)

AbstentionRole: with abstentions the quorum for the approval is reduced. The quorum means the number of LBGs that have to vote for the approval of the proposal for it to be approved. The quorum is calculated in the following way: ((number of LBGs participating) (number of LBGs abstaining)) * (the required ratio of LBGs voting for the approval)When to use: when you cannot decide whether you are for or against a given proposal, but still think that the issue should be voted upon. Abstention is voting blank you let those who vote for or against make the actual decision.

For the approvalRole: for a proposal to be approved, a given number of LBGs participating in the voting round (and not abstaining) have to vote for its approval. The amount of approving votes required (quorum) is simple majority (i.e. over 50% of the votes), unless otherwise specified in some regulation.When to use: if you think that a given proposal should be approved.

Against the approvalRole: opposite of for the approvalWhen to use: if you think that a given proposal should not be approved.

Examples:

The following examples assume there are 90 full member LBGs.

1. A General Meeting where 90 LBGs are registered, for a given voting round 48 out of those LBGs decide to withdraw meaning that only 42 LBGs counts as being present for it. Because this is not more than one half of the LBGs, the voting round is not valid, and no decision has been therefore made regarding the proposal.

2. A General Meeting voting round where 90 LBGs are present and voting upon a change in IT standards. As there are no special rules governing the approval of IT standards, simple majority (over 1/2 of votes) is enough. 20 LBGs decide to abstain from a voting round (90-20 = 70 that voted yes or no), 38 LBGs vote for and 32 LBGs vote against. Calculating the quorum: more than [(90-20)x0,5 = 35] 35 LBGs have to vote for the approval, if the proposal is to be approved. As there was 38 LBGs voting for, the approval, the change of IT standards, is therefore approved.

3. A General Meeting voting round on a change of the Internal Regulations (approval ratio is more than 2/3 of participating LBGs). Assume that there are 90 LBGs present, out of whom 20 abstains, 38 vote for and 32 vote against. As abstentions in voting on changes in Internal Regulation abstentions are counted in the votes cast, the quorum for approval is more than 87*2/3 = 60 votes. Because only 38 LBGs voted for approval the proposal is not approved.

Overview of voting rulesType of proposalWhere it can be voted upon?Quorum*Approval ratioAbstention counted in votes cast?**

Statutesonly GAmore than 3/4

more than 2/3 of the votes castYES

Internal documents:

Committee Regulations

Financial Rule Package

Internal Regulations

Regulations on Admission and ExclusionGM or VIPmore than 1/2

more than 2/3 of the votes castYES

Budgetonly GAmore than 1/2more than 2/3 of the votes castYES

Financial Reportonly PMmore than 1/2more than 2/3 of the votes castYES

Other documents, including:

reports

membership proposals

selection of GM organisers

people election (e.g. Committees Coordinator) other official documents (e.g. Vivaldi Handbook, IT Standards) non-document-changing proposalsGM or VIPmore than 1/2more than 1/2 of the votes castNO

*Quorum - the minimum number of Full members necessary to be present for the voting session to be valid

**Abstention, means voting blank

Election of the Board Members

Elections of the Board of BEST has separate rules than any other voting.

During General Assembly there will be rounds of Nominations, where people present at the plenary will have possibility to propose candidate for any Board position. After that proposed persons will have some time to think about given nomination and decide if he/she wants to confirm it or not during Confirmation Round. After last confirmation round candidates who confirmed running for any position in the Board will get a deadline until when they have to submit their CV and Motivation Letter. CVs and MLs will be distributed in printed version to all LBGs delegates present at GA. In case of any unexpected situation, this procedure might be adjust by the Board and the Speakers, which always will be announced to the plenary.

During last day candidates will be giving a short presentation, when they will introduce themselves and tell more about their motivation, experience and plans. The plenary will have possibility to ask them questions. In case more than one person is running for a given position, you can ask question to all candidates or specify to which candidate is it. Please, ask only one question at the time. In case you have more questions rise your tag again and if there will be time, Speaker of GA will give you possibility to ask again. If it wont be possible, dont be afraid to go to delegates after the session and talk to them in private. Remember that those people will be leading BEST for next year, so be sure that you make right decision!

In the end of General Meeting the voting session will be held. You will be voting during every round on paper that will be provided to you. Its important to put names in exact version as Speaker proposed, if you will write anything else on your paper, your vote will not be valid. E.g. John Doe and Jenny Doe are running for the President of BEST. Speaker asked to vote for: John, Jenny or blank, but you will write Johnny on your voting paper your vote will not be counted in favour of John, and will be counted as blank.

Once candidate will receive more than 1/2 of the votes cast, he is elected for the position.

Situation gets a bit more complicated, if more than one person is running for the given position. Than every time the sum of votes for all candidates has to be checked. In case its more than 1/2 of the votes cast, a new voting round takes place, without candidate (or more in case of ties) who received the least votes. If no candidates would be left to vote, a new voting round will be made with the same candidates.

If after three consecutive voting rounds with the same candidates, no one is elected, a new nomination round will be called, followed by new voting round.

Voting for the Board position will happened in following order: President, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice-President for External Services, Vice-President for Internal Support and Vice-President for Local Group Support. First three positions forms Executive Board the representative body of BEST, they are also responsible for BEST in legal matters. This is why only members of Full Member LBGs can run for those positions.

34-G-XA-BRD-998