INTERIM OPERATING PROCEDURES
MOVEMENT FOR A PEOPLE’S PARTY
December 15, 2020
MPP will become the People’s Party so we’re moving towards the kind of structure required in a political party, with Chairs and Vice Chairs rather than Coordinators.
1. AUTHORITY
These Procedures shall govern the entirety of the Movement including all Circles, Working Groups, Hubs, and states.
a. Parliamentary Authority
The parliamentary authority for the Movement shall be Robert’s Rules of Order, 12th Edition in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with any bylaws, rules, procedures, or any special rules of order the Movement may adopt.
2. GENERAL
a. Membership
Every person who is a resident or citizen of the United States, its territories, commonwealths, or possessions, who subscribes to the values of the Movement, shall be eligible for membership. Any person meeting the requirements above who is below the age of 18 and/or is a member of an accredited institution of higher learning shall be eligible to be associated with Students for a People’s Party, which shall have both High School and University divisions.
b. Non-Discrimination
Movement for a People’s Party shall not tolerate any discrimination, harassment, or retaliation to any person based on age, race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, sex, sexual preference, gender, marital status, handicap, or religion.
c. Community Agreements
Members and anyone participating in any Movement space, function, or action at any level (local, state, or national) shall abide by our Community Agreements and additional rules where specified.
3. LEADERSHIP
a. Chairs
Chairs are Active Members who lead a Working Group or Circle. Chairs shall be the voice of their respective Working Group as determined by the majority of the Active Members in their Working Group and within the mandates set forth in any procedures and rules of the Movement. Chairs are encouraged to delegate tasks relevant to the Working Group or Circle to Active Members within their Working Group. National Working Group Chairs and Vice Chairs may not hold elective or full time, non-career appointive public office.
b. Vice Chairs
Vice Chairs are Active Members who lead a Working Group or Circle in the absence of the Chair.
c. Coordinators
Coordinators are Members who coordinate field organizing at the local, state, and regional levels.
d. Facilitators
Facilitators are Active Members who lead meetings of Circles and Working Groups in the absence of a Chair, Vice Chair, or Coordinator.
4. HUBS
a. Approval of Hubs
Local Hubs may be approved by the Regional Coordinators Circle upon the application of one or more persons in a region or state. For purposes of approving Hubs, the District of Columbia, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and all other lands, territories, commonwealths, and possessions under the jurisdiction of the United States of America shall be considered states.
b. Hub Coordinators
A Regional Coordinator and/or State Coordinators with approval of their Regional Coordinator shall appoint one or more persons to act as Hub Coordinators while building the local Hub. Hub Coordinators shall coordinate and oversee all field organizing activities within their Hub until such time that the Hub grows to fifty (50) or more Active Members and holds elections, at which time their terms shall end and their positions shall cease to exist.
c. Hub Building Process
States without established Hubs are encouraged to build at the state level with Hub Coordinators making up the state team. This team, with their Regional Coordinator, shall help oversee and manage the organizing efforts of the entire state until such time as individual Hubs within the state have fifty (50) or more Active Members. When a local Hub has reached fifty (50) or more Active Members, the Hub shall be considered chartered and shall form all remaining Working Groups. Active Members of each local Working Group shall elect Chairs and Vice Chairs within one (1) month of formation.
d. Hub Working Groups
i. Hubs with up to five (5) Active Members shall just have an Organizing Working Group.
ii. Hubs with five (5) to twenty (20) Active Members shall just have the Organizing, Political Outreach, and Media and Messaging Working Groups.
iii. Hubs with twenty (20) to fifty (50) Active Members shall just have the Organizing, Political Outreach, Media and Messaging, and Action Working Groups.
iv. The six (6) working groups for each local Hub with more than fifty (50) Active Members shall be: Action, Creative Arts, Finance, Media and Messaging, Organizing, and Political Outreach. Each Working Group shall be empowered to perform the work within their mandates on the local level as set forth by Section 5 of these procedures and the rules and procedures of the Movement. Each local Working Group shall elect one Chair and one Vice Chair from within the Active Members. These Twelve (12) Coordinators shall sit on the local Coordinators Circle along with the national Tech & Data Working Group Liaison. To ensure that work is being completed and that people are not overburdened, Members shall not be in more than two (2) Working Groups and in no more than three (3) Circles. Chairs and Vice Chairs of a Working Group may issue an exemption to the restriction in the previous sentence upon request.
v. A summary of minutes from each Working Group and local Coordinators Circle meeting shall be posted in an approved Movement platform on a monthly basis.
e. Local Coordinators Circle
Local Coordinators Circles shall consist of the twelve (12) Working Group Chairs and Vice Chairs and the national Tech and Data Working Group Liaison for a total of thirteen (13) Members. The local Coordinators Circle shall be the governing body of the local Hub, with the authority to set policies and direct actions in alignment with the mission of the Movement and as empowered by the rules and procedures of the Movement. All Members of any local Coordinators Circle shall also be Active Members of the national Working Group for which they serve as Chair or Vice Chair at the local level.
5. STATE COORDINATORS
a. State Coordinators shall, with their Regional Coordinator, coordinate and oversee all Hub field organizing activities within their state.
b. State Coordinators shall, with approval of their Regional Coordinator, appoint Hub Coordinators in Hubs of fewer than fifty (50) Members.
c. State Coordinators shall report directly to their Regional Coordinator.
6. REGIONAL COORDINATORS CIRCLE
a. The Regional Coordinators Circle shall include up to one (1) Regional Coordinator per each of the nine (9) regions of the United States (New England, Mid Atlantic, South Atlantic, Midwest, South, Great Plains, Rocky Mountain, and Pacific), one (1) Regional Coordinator for the US Territories and one (1) Regional Coordinator for Members not currently residing in the US for a total of eleven (11) Regional Coordinators.
b. Regional Coordinators shall coordinate and oversee all field organizing activities at the state level and for all Hubs within their region.
c. The Regional Coordinators Circle shall nominate and elect qualified Members to fill any vacant position on the Regional Coordinators Circle.
d. The Regional Coordinators Circle shall nominate and elect qualified Members to fill any vacant State Coordinator position.
e. Regional Coordinators shall appoint Hub Coordinators, with consultation from Members at the appropriate level of appointment, within Hubs with fewer than fifty (50) Members or in the absence of a decision among Members of the Hub.
f. The Regional Coordinators Circle shall report directly to both the Chair and Vice Chair of the Organizing Working Group and the national Coordinators Circle.
7. NATIONAL WORKING GROUPS
The seven (7) national working groups shall be: Action, Creative Arts, Finance, Media and Messaging, Organizing, Political Outreach, and Tech and Data. These Working Groups shall have the authority to set policies and oversee projects in alignment with the mandate of that Working Group and as empowered by the Coordinators Circle. Working Groups shall also have the right to hear and weigh in on issues and projects concerning the mandate of the Working Group. To ensure that work is being completed and that people are not overburdened, Members shall not be in more than two (2) Working Groups and in no more than three (3) Circles. Chairs and Vice Chairs of a Working Group may issue an exemption to the restriction in the previous sentence upon request to the Chair or Vice Chair of the Working Group. The Tech and Data Working Group shall maintain and manage all tech and data operations for the Movement. Working Group mandates (except for Tech and Data) shall be as follows for both local and national Working Groups:
a. Action
i. Develop and plan direct actions and civil disobedience
ii. Receive action ideas from across the movement
iii. Coordinate trainings and logistics on direct action
iv. Keep apprised of actions other groups are doing
b. Creative Arts
i. Banners, flyers, art, light projections
ii. Graphic design, memes
iii. Music, spoken word, poetry, other forms of creative expression
iv. Photography, videography, video and promotional content editing
v. How we show up and present in physical space (costumes, make up, etc.)
c. Finance
i. Develop and implement fundraising strategies
ii. Maintain fundraising platforms
iii. Develop grassroots recurring donations
iv. Budgeting
v. Merchandise
vi. Correspond with and show appreciation to grassroots donors
d. Media and Messaging
i. Messaging
ii. Newsletter and email blasts
iii. Press
iv. Social media (Facebook Page, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Reddit)
v. Run the app and build membership
vi. Answer general organization contact email
e. Organizing
i. Field organizing
ii. Build and support local Hubs
iii. Develop and host organizing trainings for Hubs, including on implementing SOS
iv. Recruit, welcome and onboard volunteers to national Working Groups
v. Plan grassroots organizing events and meetings
vi. Answer organizing email and run mass texting
vii. Foster a regenerative culture of care and respect; nurture a beautiful, joyous, compassionate, and resilient movement
viii. Moderate group communication platforms, uphold the community agreements, including nonviolent communications
ix. Provide support to Members, identify potential sources of tension, prevent conflict and burnout, plan social and fun events, and provide mediation
f. Political Outreach
i. Build relationships and partnerships with other organizations
ii. Win over and involve influential allies such as movement thought leaders
iii. Plan events with allies and endorsers
iv. Ballot access and legal strategies
g. Tech and Data
i. Maintaining platforms and software
ii. Identifying software and tech needs for the organization and future party
iii. Development of new technologies, or external sourcing of technologies
iv. Technical training on platforms
v. Website design
vi. Drafting policies, including those focused on Cybersecurity and IT
vii. Identifying, handling, and preventing cybersecurity threats to the organization
viii. Overseeing and providing for the security of confidential and privileged data including all forms of PII
ix. Production of data models to benefit and inform the work of other Working Groups and Circles
x. Only the national organization will have a Tech and Data Working Group, all other levels of organization will be represented by liaisons who will also be Members of the national Working Group.
8. NATIONAL COORDINATORS CIRCLE
The national Coordinators Circle shall consist of the Chairs and Vice Chairs of each of the seven (7) national Working Groups for a total of fourteen (14) Members. The national Coordinators Circle shall be the governing body of the Movement, with the authority to set policies, rules, and direct actions in alignment with the mission of the Movement. The national Coordinator’s Circle shall be empowered to create committees to research, consult, or to direct specific tasks of the Movement, as necessary.
9. MEETINGS
a. Notice
Notice to the Membership of any Circle, Working Group, or Hub shall occur at least three (3) days prior to any Regular Meeting. Notice to the Membership of any Circle or Working Group shall occur at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to any Special or Emergency Meeting. Notice shall be served using the appropriate channel on the approved Movement platform.
b. Quorum
The quorum for all meetings shall be fifty percent (50%) plus one of the current Active Membership of the relevant Hub, Circle, or Working Group. There shall be no quorum requirement for meetings of the Movement.
c. Rights of Members
Members in attendance at meetings shall have the right to express their views, arguments or opinions upon any business properly before the meeting subject to these Operating Procedures and the rules and regulations adopted by the Movement pertaining to the conduct of meetings, but no Member in exercising such rights shall evade or avoid their responsibility to the Movement as an institution or engage in or instigate any conduct which would interfere with the Movement’s performance of its legal or contractual obligations. If it should appear to the presiding Chair, Vice Chair, Coordinator, or Facilitator that any Member is so conducting themselves to constitute a threat to the orderly conduct of the business of the meeting, the Chair, Vice Chair, Coordinator, or Facilitator may order them ejected.
d. Active Members
A Member of a Circle or Working Group who has attended more at least four (4) out of the last six (6) Regular meetings and who has actively participated in the work and initiatives of the Circle or Working Group shall be considered an Active Member of that Circle or Working Group. Chairs and Vice Chairs shall be considered Active Members by virtue of their title.
e. Regular Meetings
i. Regular Meetings of Hubs and the Movement shall occur at least monthly. Regular Meetings of all Coordinators Circles shall occur at least weekly. Regular Meetings of each Circle or Working Group shall occur at the discretion of the Chair and Vice Chair with input and approval by the Active Members of the Circle or Working Group, but not fewer than twice per month.
ii. Meetings shall be held at such place and time as shall be designated by the appropriate Circle, Working Group, or Hub with input and approval by the Active Members of the Circle, Working Group, or Hub. The time and place of meeting in effect when these Operating Procedures are adopted shall continue until changed by the Chair and Vice Chair upon reasonable and adequate notice to the appropriate membership.
f. Emergency Meetings
i. Forty percent (40%) of the Active Members of any Circle or Working Group may submit a written petition for an Emergency meeting (stating the reason(s) for the proposed meeting) to the Chair or Vice Chair of their particular Circle or Working Group). Forty percent (40%) of the Members of the Movement may submit a written petition for an Emergency meeting (stating the reason(s) for the proposed meeting) to the national Coordinators Circle for all Emergency meetings of the Movement. The Chair, Vice Chair, or a Member of the Coordinators Circle (in the case of Emergency meetings of the Coordinators Circle, Hub, or the Movement) shall convene the Emergency meeting within twenty- four (24) hours. In the absence of a Chair, Vice Chair, or Coordinator, the matter will be referred to the Chair and Vice Chair of the Circle’s Working Group or the Coordinators Circle.
ii. Reasonable notice of the date, time, and place of any Emergency meeting, and of the questions to be presented, shall be given to the membership of the Circle, Working Group, Hub, or Movement. Such Emergency meetings shall not be considered a substitute for Regular meetings for purposes of satisfying the meeting requirement of Section 9.e.i.
10. VOTING
a. Eligibility
All Active Members shall be eligible to vote in any Circle or Working Group in which they are an Active Member, and in their local Hub of residence. All Members shall be eligible to participate in votes of the Movement. Circles, Working Groups, Hubs, and the Movement are empowered to hold indicative votes prior to the vote of the membership and include all guests present in that vote. Indicative votes will serve as an indication of the will of the people present and will guide the membership in their vote.
b. Voting
All votes shall require a majority of votes from Active Members in attendance to pass. Votes of the Movement shall not occur in a meeting and shall be sent to all Members.
11. WORK OF THE MOVEMENT
a. Projects and Initiatives
Projects and initiatives may originate in any Circle or Working Group, provided that they are relevant to the mandate of that particular Circle or Working Group. Ideas and initiatives that are not relevant to the mandate may be passed to the relevant Working Group or the Coordinators Circle if the project or initiative falls outside of Working Group mandates. Any project or initiative brought to a Circle or Working Group from another Circle (other than a Coordinators Circle) or Working Group may be considered or rejected by said Circle or Working Group at their next Regular Meeting. A project or initiative shall be considered approved upon a majority vote of the Active Members during a meeting of the appropriate Circle or Working Group. Projects or initiatives that are rejected by one or more Circles or Working Groups may be brought to the Coordinators Circle by any Chair or Vice Chair of a Working Group for discussion and approval or denial of the project or initiative at the next Regular Meeting. Projects and initiatives may also originate in the Coordinators Circle. Any projects and initiatives passed by a vote of the Coordinators Circle shall be delegated to one or more Working Groups or Circles to complete, and shall take priority over other work.
b. Assignment of Work
Once a project or initiative is approved, the appropriate Circle(s) or Working Group(s) shall be identified and contacted to collaborate on the project or initiative. Work shall be assigned to the Circle or Working Group by the Coordinators Circle according to the mandates of the Circles and Working Groups. The Coordinators Circle shall have the power to settle all disputes regarding work assigned. Work shall commence based on the availability of the Circle(s) and Working Group(s) with regard to the deadline of the project or initiative.
c. Requests from Working Groups
Working Groups shall have the power to set requirements for requests from other Working Groups and Circles including, but not limited to notice required, time to complete, and content to be produced. The Coordinators Circle shall have the power to settle all disputes regarding Working Group requirements.
12. INTERNAL DISPUTES
a. The national Coordinators Circle or its designee shall enforce the Community Agreements, rules and procedures of the Movement, and Member disputes. Confidentiality shall be maintained when conducting mediation, counseling, and deliberation.
b. When the national Coordinators Circle identifies a dispute in need of mediation, it shall determine the scope of the mediation.
c. As a result of a recurring violation or a pattern of violations, or in a significantly egregious violation, The national Coordinators Circle shall then decide on the appropriate course of action. In the case of a recurring violation, pattern of violations, or a significantly egregious violation, the national Coordinators Circle may restrict a Member’s access to Movement platforms and/or vote to remove the Member per Section 13.b.vi in order to protect the safety of Members and the Movement.
13. REVIEW AND TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
a. The following behaviors will trigger an immediate review process. The national Coordinators Circle reserves the right to review and vote on the removal of any perpetrator of the following acts:
i. Sexual assault or sexual harassment;
ii. Physical violence or threats of physical violence towards another participant;
iii. Psychological or emotional violence;
iv. Seriously misrepresents themselves or failing to disclose major crimes or harm they have previously been responsible for
v. Repeated oppressive, domineering, or otherwise problematic behaviors after having been asked to change them;
vi. Any other behaviors which threaten the health and safety of other participants or the organization;
vii. Substantial disagreement with the principles or policies of the Movement;
viii. Disseminating false information about themselves, other Members, or the Movement; or
ix. Consistently engaging in disruptive behavior, violating the Community Agreements or rules and procedures of the Movement.
b. Review Process
i. Upon notification of any alleged violation or offense, the national Coordinators circle shall elect to begin the Review process on the Member involved.
ii. Once a review process is started, the national Coordinators Circle shall document all testimony and evidence of alleged violation(s). Confidentiality shall be maintained when conducting deliberation and discipline.
iii. Any business conducted regarding matters of review of Members shall be held in a meeting separate from where general business is conducted. Review matters shall not be included in the national Coordinators Circle’s minutes.
iv. The national Coordinators Circle shall deliberate on the alleged violation(s) and make a decision to issue a warning.
v. Should the alleged violation(s) continue, the national Coordinators Circle shall deliberate on the alleged violation(s) and make a decision to issue a second warning.
vi. Should the alleged violation(s) continue, the national Coordinators Circle shall deliberate on the alleged violation(s) and make a decision to vote to remove the Member from the Movement. A Member’s affiliation with the Movement shall be terminated at all levels if the national Coordinators Circle votes to affirmatively remove a Member from the Movement.
c. Documentation
If a Member’s affiliation with the Movement is terminated as result of an action by the national Coordinators Circle, a full record of the proceedings shall be recorded and a letter shall be drafted and sent to them declaring their removal.