Research-Feb-13-2007
From Common Energy UVic
Research Meeting Minutes February 13, 2007
New Time Line
Last two weeks in Feb - working group drafting, and focus on developing the knowledge base. March - working group meetings.
Knowledge base
writers are not the coordinators, however they have a better sense of what is, and what should be, in the knowledge base. As a result, they need to be very proactive in keeping the knowledge base up to date, and incorporating new information. Front page, look at the energy page (Nice work Mike). As the knowledge base develops, it will turn into the encyclopedia engine for the working groups and visitors.
Also, some feedback we recevied at the Feb 5 conference is that it would have been nice if we could have had access to more information. The knowledge base would help mitigate this problem.
The knowledge base will also provide more direction and context for the writers. I.e. what are pathways for our discussions.
How should the minutes be recorded? There is value in recording the minutes very carefully, so we can see where ideas come from, and so we can trace recurring themes. The information should be constructed under headings>minutes>documents. Analysis of minutes after meetings for clean up is a must.
Dan's solution - have the minutes recorded in the Discussion/Talk page, and notes on the article page.
IDEA: Minutes in Talk page > Summary (for writers) in Articles Page > DRAFT
Joe - doesn't want the writers to be bogged down with unnecessary tasks. How can we make this more efficient?
Refer to communications - list serv etiquette.
IDEA: Have a table of contents for each working group. This will be easier for the writer to manage and retract information What do we call the draft document page for the working groups? Updates and Questions Naomi - structure be damned, writers will do what works for them.
Brandy - Are will able to audio record the meetings to retain all details.
SOLUTION: Need to record minutes as a page. Writers job to put them into the draft document, and keep update and questions page updated. This speaks to writers responsibilities, and how they must ensure that the document gets done.
Dan - suggested more detailed agendas; need to have a parking lots for ideas to be discussed later. Introductions. Meetings need to start on time. Jamie put foot in mouth (literally).
Working Group Meetings
How should the meetings be organized? Not a rigid structure, but setting the appropriate tone. Each meeting has a goal.
Meetings should have a goal (in synch with the larger timeline):
Meeting One: Establishing the questions
The purpose of the first meeting is to refine the questions that need to be researched, leaving each participant with something to do and report back on for the next meeting. It would be important to establish these right off the bat.
Each participant should be introduced to the knowledge base at this meeting and how to use it, and encouraged to add their research findings to the KB.
Once questions are brainstormed, conversations (open space) should happen.
Meeting 2: Discussing the Research
From this point on - there should be a reporting back at the beginning of each meeting so people can landscape where the research is going. Problems should be discussed so there can be group problem solving.
Then, further refining of the questions needs to take place.
We need facilitators for working groups. The writer cannot be a facilitator. All groups, specifically the small ones, will not need a facilitator. Coordination can be the faclitator.
RESULT - the coordinator is responsible for finding/being the facilitator, and setting up the meetings; the researcher updates the wiki and writes the document. The tasks for the coordinator, communicator and researcher need to be very clear and concise.
Within the knowledge base, have a structure: problems, possible solutions, programs for action.
IDEA: have a sample agenda for each working group.
MARCH MADNESS
Internal Common Ground & Workshops
If the goal is to have this document by the end of April, and had engaged people in making it, what do we need from the workshops and the internal common ground session?
Internal common ground = an opportunity for the working groups to mingle their ideas. Synthesis. Sunday March 11th.
Workshops - bringing specialists in to speak about the topic to the working group and the public.
Joe - we should also encourage the WGs to look at each other's wiki minutes.
Dan - timing is important, and we need to have flexibility in terms of an end date. I'm afraid that if people don't know what the time changes are, we could have the wrong assumptions leading to poor outcomes. Everyone must know the status of the enddate at all times.
Joe - deadlines make us work.
Dan - we have to be prepared for the possibility that people from the community might not be able to meet deadlines.
Joe - we have to be prepared for that.
