Governance - that sounds pretty abstract and difficult - but we at oikos believe that it is about the structures that can give us orientation and help us navigate our organization in this ever-changing world. In order to make this possible, we have 3 layers of governance with different degrees of detail and change-ability:
The constitution outlines the necessary shapes needed for oikos as a Swiss legal entity and doesn’t give a detailed insight into how oikos is currently working. Building up on the constitution, the organizational guideline is a more comprehensive roadmap of all organisation-related topics.
The guideline serves to create an overview for everyone who wants to learn more about oikos. It contains summaries and overviews, linking to related documents, our field guides, that offer more detail:
The 3rd layer of our governance, consisting of field guides, is meant to give the most detailed documented insights into how oikos International is working at the moment. They create clarity about the status quo, and the nature of processes. They are living documents, adapting to contexts and other developments. Field guides describe specific processes and topics in detail and provide more guidance.
Keep in mind, all of these layers are only descriptions, only maps of the territory. As we move and live in the territory, it will be continuously changing. Therefore, the map should stay changeable as well and we should keep updating it. You can find more details on the different layers on the next pages.
You want to let people know how to use or apply something? Create a User Guide for the team!
FAQ:
Want to let your team know how to use or apply something? Create a User Guide!
What is a user guide & who is responsible?
User guides are guides for people working with something, people who apply or use a certain thing. They have the form of an entry in this wiki, and are created by the respective circle. If you have a topic that needs explanation to your team members because they should act upon it autonomously, you might want to think of creating a user guide.
User guides vs. Field guides
While field guides are for internal use within a circle, so to say about your backend processes & structures, how & why you organize,
user guides are for the international team to support them in their work, given the case they have some commitments that are related to your circle in a means of using them. Field guides are created in g-docs, based on a template & maintained from the circle itself. They are not directly centralized & accessible for the team. User guides are maintained in this user guide wiki, the process is outlined in here )
HOW to set up a user guide?
Have look around & get inspired by how others set up a user guide
Create a draft on a g-doc & get some advice from your teammates
Hand in the user guide to the user guide coordinator (see below)
The user guide wiki will be updated for you :)
HOW to maintain a user guide?
You can hand in updates whenever necessary. The coordinator will reach out once a year for you to review your entry & propose updates if necessary.
FAQ
Help & Support:
Contact Sophie :)
The way you will be using the constitution will be mainly for information & reference. In this guide you find out more about the structure & updates.
Structure
The document is structured in 14 articles with several paragraphs, each focusing on critical bodies and core activities within the international organization. There is an appendix looking deeper into the nature of chapters. Find the constitution here
Updates
Changes can only be initiated through the legislative assembly, and are recommended only if there is a relevant reason to do so. The process is facilitated by the board member with the role legal matters & a co-president.
FAQ
Help
Reach out to Caro to learn more!
Create a guide for the work of your circle!
Considering that oikos is rather complex, we give our best to create clarity as we ride on the wave of change. Field guides aim to provide this clarity by giving further insight into the work of every circle. They are referred to in the organizational guideline and used by every circle to coordinate & organize their work.
How to set up a field guide
Field guides can have different elements and structures. They are living documents, which means updates can happen in the same document. Here’s a template for a field guide with potential elements that can help you in creating yours. A rule of thumb is: every circle (& if feasible, every sub-circle) should have a field guide & there is no right or wrong way. It is meant to support you in your processes.
Check out the examples from the chapter lifecycle circle, the homecoming initiative or the advisory council.
What goes into a field guide, what doesn't
| GO! | NO! |
|---|---|
WHO is responsible for field guides?
Field guides can in general be set up by any oikos International Team member. The ownership lays by a person(s) who takes over the responsibility in the circle. As this is a tool for better working together, make sure to not only create a field guide and say “hey look, here it is”. Always (!!) involve the people affected and consider storytelling, PP presentations or video tutorials when introducing a proposal or implementing changes to make sure people get how you plan to use it.
HOW to update a field guide?
Field guide changes can be expected regularly. The rule of thumb for the revision process, therefore, is: as often as needed, with at least one annual revision by the roles that are most related to the guide. Once updated, the relevant circle is asked for their consent on the update.
WHERE to store field guides? Store the field guide document in your local folder, close to where the work happens and where you can find it. As a second step, make sure to link the document in the field guide folder, so that we keep an overview of all the guides and make sure they all get updated in time.
HELP & SUPPORT
Contact Sophie or Elena via Discord :)
What’s the ?
Building up on the constitution, the organizational guideline is a more comprehensive roadmap of all organisation-related topics. The guideline serves to create an overview for everyone who wants to learn more about oikos. Like a red thread, the guideline offers orientation about how things link together in oikos. It has the format of a wike, which you can find .
At the same time, it fosters accountability & transparency on multiple levels:
For the team to navigate to more details on certain processes & ways of working; the guideline is also very important for onboarding processes
For the community to understand how we are working as an international organization & network; as well as an inspiration for chapter governance
For externals to understand how we are working as an international organization & network It contains summaries and overviews, linking to related documents that offer more detail.
What’s the structure of the guideline?
The document follows the topics addressed in the constitution chapters, complemented by a glossary & FAQ. The aim is to weave a thread, a guideline through all that is going on in oikos, showing how all is connected and where to find more detailed information.
What belongs into the guideline - What doesn’t
| DO | DOESN'T |
|---|
WHO is responsible for the guideline & how is it updated?
The guideline is updated in an annual revision process stewarded by a board member owning the role. Each circle will be contacted with an invitation to update their respective part. You won't have to navigate the backend of the wiki yourself, no worries :)
The oI team shares their consent for the changes to be accepted. Broad communication of the update to the oikos community is very important. In case changes are required beyond the annual update, the change can be requested.
Current Role Owner: Anna
‘How’ as a guiding question
The same things that are stated in the constitution, guideline, or user guides
Granular topics that change rather often & description of processes how they change
Too much detail: make sure that the document still serves the purpose to provide orientation
Outcomes of processes, current roles etc. Eg. single program outlines
Templates (link them, but rather create an additional document)
Daily processes & descriptions of these
WHAT? as a guiding question: | Things that change very often, eg. on a monthly level |
Things that help understand the bigger picture around oikos | The same things that are stated in the constitution |
More detailed/accessible than constitution, less detailed than the field guides | Details about daily processes & descriptions of these Eg. single program outlines (HOW?) |
Orientation & Overview - what is happening at oikos?, how are we working? | Outcomes of processes, dates, current roles etc. |
Things that don’t change every 6 months (more stable, process overview) Eg. purpose of programs & categories, link to program overviews etc. |