Organizing Policy Consultations with Tech Communities

This document maps out the roles and tasks involved in carrying out public consultations with the tech community to participate in the policy-making process.

Roles

Managing Editor: to keep track of tech policy developments, organize these consultations, and coordinate with the subject matter experts. They will also draft submissions to Ministries in response to calls for comments.

Note-taker: to make notes of key concerns and recommendations during the consultation call which will be used to make the final submission.

Subject Matter Experts and/or Moderator: to participate in the consultation and contribute to the submission.

Social Media Manager: to promote the consultation on social media and Telegram groups, observe audience engagement, and promote the submission/summary of the consultation once it is published.

Logistics: depends on the format and location of the consultation. If it is held over a Telegram call or Twitter Spaces, the call will be recorded. For consultations over Zoom, AV support will be required. For in-person consultations, meetup logistics will be required.

Workflow

1. Editorial team prepares a document outlining the key concerns from news articles and other publicly available documents (Medianama and IFF are good sources). Make the document open to all for comments and feedback before the actual call.

2. Social media team publicises the document everyday through updates on the project, as well as reminders on the following Telegram groups:

   • Rootconf
   • Fifthel
   • Privacy Mode
   • FOSS United
   • Kaarana
   • IFF

3. Social media team and editorial publicises the Rootconf Telegram group as the place to discuss concerns and to join the call. This is done via posting Updates on the project page to everyone on Rootconf, and on Telegram groups. The social media team to also post on Twitter and LinkedIn.

4. Executing the consultation through Telegram call/Twitter Spaces:
   a. Subject matter experts are informed about the document for comments prior to the consultation, and they have added their comments/organized the document, so that they can use the document to lead the call.
   b. The subject matter experts are added as resource people on the project page, and they are publicized as leading the call when promoting comments on the document and link to Rootconf Telegram group for joining the consultation call.
   c. The subject matter experts open the call by setting the Chatham House Rules - no attribution to quotes (call may be recorded to aid the drafting of the submission).
   d. The subject matter experts set the context of the topic in 10 mins, including 5 mins to explain key concerns.
   e. Subject matter experts then take up each concern and discuss with participants on the call. Participants are encouraged to add notes to the document.
   f. Note taker makes detailed notes.
   g. Audience engagement watches over personas and their motivations to participate.
   h. Subject matter experts wrap up the call after all key concerns are discussed, and outline the next steps to participants.

5. Next steps after the consultation:
   a. Participants are given a deadline to add comments.
   b. Managing editor and note-taker write up the response document (and writes the key concerns and suggestions in any format that the specific Ministry/government organ has prescribed). Note taker includes the key concerns from the document and the call.
   c. Note-taker shares the final doc with subject matter experts and gets their review and feedback.
   d. Managing editor/note-taker publish the final document on hasgeek.com project page as a submission, and the document is sent to the specific Ministry/government organ.

6. Keep the community updated on future developments regarding the policy.