**Definition**: A protocol is a documented, repeatable process for coordinating specific types of action within the Alliance. **Characteristics**: - Clear purpose and scope - Step-by-step process - Defined participants and roles - Initiation and completion conditions - Associated assets and membranes - Living documents that evolve with learning **Purpose**: - Enable consistent coordination - Provide clarity on processes - Distribute knowledge of "how we do things" - Support scalability and delegation - Allow for evaluation and improvement - Reduce need for ad-hoc decision-making **Protocol Components**: ### Purpose What the protocol accomplishes and why it exists ### Initialization What triggers the protocol or when it applies ### Participants Who is involved and in what roles ### Steps The actual process, ideally step-by-step ### Decision Points Where and how decisions are made within the protocol ### Documentation What gets recorded and where ### Completion How the protocol concludes **Types of Protocols**: ### Governance Protocols - [[Decision-Making Protocol]]: How decisions are made - [[Steward Selection Protocol]]: How stewards are selected - [[Constitution Amendment Protocol]]: How constitution changes ### Asset Protocols - [[Definition Stewardship Protocol]]: How definition evolves - [[Index Moderation Protocol]]: How index submissions are reviewed - [[Brand Usage Protocol]]: How brand assets are used - [[Publishing Protocol]]: How content is published ### Cultural Protocols - [[Conflict Transformation Protocol]]: How conflicts are addressed - [[Messaging Protocol]]: How Alliance messages publicly - [[Community Engagement Protocol]]: How community is facilitated ### Operational Protocols - [[Operations Protocol]]: How operations are coordinated - [[Member Protocol]]: How membership works - [[Reading Circle Protocol]]: How circles form and operate - [[Initiative Registration Protocol]]: How initiatives register **Protocol Design Principles**: ### Light Touch - Simple enough to follow without bureaucracy - Appropriate to Alliance scale and resources - Enabling rather than constraining ### Clear - Written in accessible language - Specific enough to be actionable - Examples where helpful ### Flexible - Room for judgment and adaptation - Can evolve with learning - Different paths for different situations where appropriate ### Accountable - Clear documentation requirements - Transparent to community - Enables evaluation of outcomes **Protocol Lifecycle**: 1. **Creation**: New protocol developed for identified need 2. **Testing**: Initial implementation and learning 3. **Refinement**: Updates based on experience 4. **Maturity**: Stable and well-understood 5. **Evolution**: Ongoing adaptation 6. **Sunset**: Deprecated if no longer needed **Protocol Governance**: - **Minor Updates**: [[Steward Council]] can make clarifying updates - **Significant Changes**: Require community advice and consent - **New Protocols**: Can be proposed by any member - **Deprecation**: Clear process for retiring outdated protocols **Documentation Requirements**: Each protocol should include: - Clear purpose and scope - Initialization conditions - Step-by-step process - Associated roles, assets, and membranes - Decision-making approach within protocol - Documentation and transparency requirements **Relationship to Constitution**: - Protocols implement constitutional principles - More detailed than constitutional principles - Easier to update than constitution - Must align with [[Values]] and [[Purpose]] - Can be created as needed without constitutional amendment **Protocol vs. Practice**: - **Protocols**: Documented, formal processes - **Practices**: Emergent, informal patterns Healthy balance between both. Not everything needs a protocol. Protocols emerge when: - Process needs clarity or consistency - Coordination happens repeatedly - Multiple people need to execute similarly - Accountability requires documentation - Learning needs to be captured See [[Protocols Index]] for all Alliance protocols.