Burn2 Leadership and Structure
There were questions sent to the leadership of Burn2 from a small group of individuals in the community. The questions are answered below in a simple question-and-answer format. All of these answers can be found in the "Departments and Roles" and "Volunteering in Burn2" pages in this site.
Publicly open the volunteer process for Leads and Co-Leads to the entire community.
The volunteer roles and descriptions, including the progression to a department co-lead or lead role are documented on the website at https://www.burn2.org/who-is-burn2/departments-and-roles/.
Make the Lead selection process transparent and public along with the criteria for the roles.
Documented on the website at https://www.burn2.org/who-is-burn2/departments-and-roles/.
Make Lead, Regional Contact & Owner “succession plans” and details transparent and public.
For leads, already stated above.
The process for the Regional Contact is found on the Burning Man website. 3Vilyn is the Regional Contact for Burn2. SuperSuz stepped down in January 2023.
Currently, Burning Man has said that we must wait for their availability to assist Burn2 in adding a second RC. In the meantime, plans for Regional Contacts and continuity/ownership of Burn2 are being discussed.
Make public the full description, responsibilities and powers of the Regional Contact role.
This is defined on the Burning Man website. Burn2 is a regional of Burning Man and so the Regional Contact role description is under the auspices of Burning Man.
This is a link to what is part of the Burning Man contract for Regional Contacts and describes the duties- https://tinyurl.com/5ddkzhx3.
Create a Contingency Plan for the future transfer of the SL group & community funds.
Succession planning has been and continues to be worked on by the regional contacts and the information about the process will be shared with the community when there is such a plan decided.
Start updating the community on your bi-weekly Lead Meetings again and make it public.
Any updates that the department leads agree on in their meetings that are important to share with the community will be made public.
Add the agenda & minutes from the Lead meetings to the public BURN2 Meeting agenda sheet.
The agendas and minutes from the leads meetings have never been shared publicly, although parts of discussions that are important for the community to know or to weigh in on will be shared.
Add the complete chat log files from the Planning Meetings to the Planning Meeting Doc.
Make the rules and operating procedures of the “new” 007s manual public, for the record.
The 007s manual can be seen here.
Define and make public the criteria for being banned from the community, for the record.
There are several reasons for banning an individual from the community, the most obvious being that the person presents a threat or has inflicted serious harm to members of the community or presents a threat to the regional. We do not have an all-inclusive list of every thing that could constitute a bannable action, but a ban is such a serious thing that it is an action of last resort.
Post the new “public version” of the Ranger Manual for the community when it's ready.
Yes, when it is ready, it will be published on the Burn2 website.
UPDATE: The public Rangers Manual can be found in the menu, under Policies.
Post the Breakout Meeting agendas and minutes for the community to access, on the record.
To be accurate, there were no agendas for the breakout meetings. Notes are posted here:
Breakout Session 1- https://tinyurl.com/yckh3tmt
Breakout Session 2- https://tinyurl.com/ycyb5b93
Relax the ejection and banning rules for the Breakout Meetings so people are not afraid to talk.
Anyone can talk and express their views as long as they are on-topic, and speak when they are given their turn by the moderator. Ejections occur when a person disrupts a group discussion already in progress, insists only on their own agenda, refuses to stop when asked by the moderator, and/or communicates in ways that violate Burn2’s Code of Conduct. Be polite, be respectful, and be kind.
Allow banned avatars to attend Breakout Meetings rather than just their alts being allowed.
Banned avatars are not permitted to attend breakout meetings. By definition, a ban excludes an avatar from participating in any and all activities of the regional.
Create and make public a “Standards of Operation” manual for the Burn2 Leads, RCs & Owner.
Each department may or may not have a manual outlining procedures that the leads and teams are responsible to perform and/or how they are done. This is up to the individual departments.
The responsibilities of the Regional Contacts are outlined on Burning Man’s website. Additional information that was shared previously: https://tinyurl.com/5ddkzhx3.
Create an “Exit Review” process for the community members who leave or quit the group.
There is no need for an exit review process for all departing members, but a departing member or the Volunteer Coordinator can request one. The impact of any member's exit will always be reviewed by the leads group and any necessary issues addressed. The leads group will protect the privacy of the individuals involved and determine if any of the information needs to be made public.
Create a Google Doc. space individual departments can add/edit/share on the Burn2 drive.
The members of a department can contact their lead about having a folder in the Burn2 Drive for the department’s use as a document repository.
How did the current leads get their positions, chosen, voted in, advanced from co-lead etc?
Most became leads by being actively involved in the department and offering to lead when there was an opening. Recent updates of the way leads and co leads are chosen are on the website: https://www.burn2.org/who-is-burn2/departments-and-roles/.
How many departments can one person lead at a time?
No limit has been established.
How does “Consensus” or “voting” work among leads at their meetings?
Consensus is not the same as voting. If everyone is not in agreement, we discuss different points of view and try to come to a compromise that is acceptable to everyone, guided by the moderator. We make a best attempt to have everyone in agreement in a compromise. In cases where not everyone agrees, those with differing opinions can agree to go along with the decision of the majority.
What is the difference between a “co-coordinator” and a “co-lead”?
Other than the Rangers, Burn2 departments have leads, not co-coordinators. The term co-coordinator is only used for the Rangers - a term that is used worldwide for Ranger leadership.
How can the community get involved if they believe a lead should be removed from their role? Who decides if a lead should be removed from their role or be asked to step aside?
Leads and co-leads are expected to follow Burn2’s Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct; they are subject to the same oversight as anyone else in the community. Complaints against an avatar, including a lead, can be filed through the Incident Report Form.
Will leads allow “public” community planning meetings or keep full control of the agendas?
The moderator reviews requested agenda items and may remove topics that do not involve group specific events and activities, or whose intent is only to cause harm or disinterest.
A community member can suggest an agenda item prior to the meeting at https://www.burn2.org/planning-meeting-agenda/. At the onset of a planning meeting people can request to add an item to be discussed if time permits. Planning meetings generally are one hour in length.
Are leads still having two meetings a week and/or how often will the lead meetings be held?
The leads were meeting twice a week during the break in early 2022 - they have resumed meeting bi-monthly or as needed.
Where are the lead meeting updates posted and when was the last one posted?
There were updates during the break in early 2022 to keep the community informed about the progress being made on policies. The last one was posted in August. If there are topics in the future that should be shared with the community or that need community feedback, those are typically shared at planning meetings.
Are co-leads allowed to attend the leads meetings so they can learn the role?
Co-leads are invited but not required to attend leads meetings and can attend in place of an absent lead.
Is there a plan for the new lead selection process to be made public and on the record?
The process for choosing a new lead or co-lead is on record and can be found on the website: https://www.burn2.org/who-is-burn2/departments-and-roles/.
Will the current leads be put through the same process in order to keep their lead roles going forward?
Current leads and co- leads will keep their roles until they choose to step down.
Do leads get full estate manager powers ie. eject, ban, return items etc?
No.
Are all the 007s also “leads”? Who polices the leads if 007s are also the leads? Do the 007s have authority over and above the department leads?
The identities of the 007s are confidential. Yes, under certain circumstances it could happen that 007s would have authority over department leads.
The individuals on the 007 committee have been selected and invited by the Regional Contacts and approved by M2, the owner of the sim. The makeup of the 007s is not meant to be composed of leads as a rule. 007s may be asked to decide if an individual’s behavior needs intervention and if there is no resolution, then to remove that person from our community either permanently or temporarily.
The mediation method known and practiced by the Burn2 Rangers, FLAME, is really the core of what the 007s do. They are thus named for "license to kill". The consideration of a ban on an avatar is not a light matter. 007s must be trusted, unbiased individuals, who are not triggered easily by others. They are able to be emotionally calm, leave their egos out of situations, and be willing to listen and facilitate others to develop their own problem solving. The way that all of this is demonstrated is by being a Ranger. So those experiences, as part of "rangering", in mediation and problem solving are the things that reveal a candidate's appropriateness for the role.
Information about the 007 process and procedures can be seen here.
Do Regional Contacts have final say over all lead decisions?
The Regional Contacts do not decide on who is a year-round lead. They serve in an advisory capacity. RCs also vote with leadership and attend the Leadership Meetings. RCs provide communications between Burning Man Organization and BURN2 and play a large part in the development of burner culture by providing information about Burning Man participation and important information. RCs contract with Burning Man on specific duties and contract with BM to make our events an “official” regional event. RCs encourage leads to create opportunities in their departments for participation and volunteer opportunities. As liaisons between BURN2 and Burning Man Organization (BMORG), we pass on information and share guidance from Burning Man Project. For example, SuperSuz has encouraged leadership to take some of the Burning Man HIVE courses which are freely available and contain useful guidance for individuals and teams. Lastly, RCs can and do provide conflict support, mediation and intervention when needed.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
- Additional topic suggested for the Breakout that was separate from the 32 questions above:
(Suggested to) Formalize By-laws
Some items that by-laws would address
* What lead roles (including the 007s) exist.
* What responsibilities and authority go with each role.
* How leads are chosen and for how longWe do not have By-Laws written for BURN2. However, the parts of what could be in a written By-Law that were suggested (with the *’s) are already included in our website.
- If we cannot come to a resolution on basic items, Is it time to have the discussion "Should we just cut ties and move on as two Burning man groups?
Any group can apply to become a Regional for Burning Man. With that said, it is unlikely for Burning Man to support another Regional in Second Life. The Deep Hole region is sponsored and owned by M2. There is no reason why anyone, including those in leadership that recently resigned, couldn’t branch off and make their own community and even adopt the 10 Principles of Burning Man. That said, BURN2 funds will not be transferred to support any other community.
Most of the information in the questions above can be found on the burn2 website: https://www.burn2.org/who-is-burn2/volunteering-in-burn2/.