Initiative title: Provide a concise and descriptive title for your initiative. Use the format [Draft/Discussion] [OBRA] Your Initiative Title - Author for submission.
[Draft] [OBRA] Enhancing Governance Accessibility and Participation at SafeDAO - StableLab
Abstract: Provide a brief summary of your initiative
StableLab proposes a comprehensive strategy to boost governance participation within SafeDAO, focusing on regular governance updates and interactive community engagement initiatives
Aligned strategy: Which pre-approved strategy is this initiative driving forward?
[Strategy 5] Increase governance participation
Funding request: What resources are being requested from SafeDAO in USDC?
24,000 USDC
We aim to continue engaging with SafeDAO on a “Seasonal Fee” basis. The fee specified above will cover the remainder of Season 1 at SafeDAO which ends on Feb 19, 2024, and the entirety of Season 2 (Sprint 1-4).
If applicable, upfront funding: Indicate if upfront funding is needed. Refer to 'Payout’ under Get funding from SafeDAO for lump sum payment options
Not applicable
Relation to budget: State the requested funding as a percentage of the total initiative budget (e.g. if you ask for 50k for Strategy 1: 25%)
The funding request represents 16% of the total initiative budget.
Metrics and KPIs: Which metrics and KPIs will the initiative be measured against?
The proposed initiative will impact the following KPIs:
- Amount of individual voters: By making SafeDAO governance more accessible to the community through frequent updates, summaries, and digests, we aim to increase the number of individual voters at SafeDAO who feel empowered and informed enough to contribute to decision-making processes in the DAO.
- Engagement levels in community discussions: Measured by active participation in forums and live sessions.
- Growth in the number of high-quality governance proposals, as a result of increased community input and awareness.
- Reduction in abstention rates in SafeDAO votes which will demonstrate enhanced community commitment and understanding.
Initiative Description: What is the initiative about?
DAOs often face challenges with fragmented information, low stakeholder engagement, and opaque processes. These issues not only diminish community trust but also complicate governance participation for even the most experienced members.
Our grant proposal is designed to tackle these challenges head-on by further streamlining SafeDAO’s governance process. We aim to boost engagement and open new pathways for community contributions. Our approach includes enhancing community updates, increasing the frequency and detail of updates, and stewarding community discussions within SafeDAO forums, thereby making governance more accessible and encouraging broader participation. With the implementation of OBRA, we anticipate a surge in both the frequency and complexity of proposals. It’s crucial, therefore, to keep the community well-informed about ongoing discussions and proposals to facilitate informed and effective decision-making.
We see various opportunities to further empower SafeDAO:
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Elevating Visibility: Our recent live discussion on X, co-hosted by StableLab and SafeDAO, attracted over 60 participants—a record turnout for the DAO’s live sessions. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community on this session underscored the potential of these forums to enhance visibility for SafeDAO’s initiatives. By increasing the frequency of these live discussions on public platforms, we can spotlight ongoing initiatives and attract more active participants and diverse contributions to the DAO.
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Leveraging Governance Expertise: StableLab’s team, with its rich experience in guiding high-stakes projects across prominent DAOs, brings a wealth of knowledge to SafeDAO. Our involvement in initiatives like the Arbitrum STIP has furnished us with invaluable insights into the efficacy of DAO processes, community engagement strategies, and incentive programs. Sharing these learnings with SafeDAO will not only enhance the DAO’s governance practices but also foster a more engaged and informed community.
As delegates with sufficient voting power, we are also available to continue supporting the SafeDAO workstreams with various ad-hoc tasks such as proposal review, feedback, vote signalling, Snapshot proposal sponsorship, and more.
Current status: Does the offering (product/service) already exist or is the funding used to create it?
StableLab has already started operating SafeDAO’s community updates and engagement activities and has received great feedback from the community. You can check them out in our dedicated SafeDAO forum thread, along with the relevant supporting engagement in Safe Discord channels and StableLab’s Twitter and Newsletter. Besides, you can also find other community engagement activities conducted by StableLab, such as the “Delegate Roles and Responsibilities” Twitter Space. We’re also excited to announce the upcoming SafeDAO Governance Handbook, which will be integrated with existing documentation systems and maintained in collaboration with the SafeDAO Governance Workstreams.
Governance Metrics from SGP Wave 1 engagement
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Objective: Increase active participation of SAFE available for voting through updates, education, and community activations.
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Metric Tracked: Share of SAFE available for voting that is actively participating, showcased on Dune and Curia dashboards.
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Results:
- Post-SEP 6 (SGP Wave 1) implementation, observed a 10% increase in the share of SAFE voting on SEPs, reaching up to 15% SAFE available for voting in active participation.
- Increase in voting power per SEP, despite a decrease in unique voting addresses.
- Indication of successful delegation awareness, suggesting more active participation through delegation.
Conclusion: Efforts have led to enhanced engagement and informed participation in SafeDAO governance, with a notable increase in voting activity. Future proposals being voted on now, such as the proposal for implementing partial delegation, could help to increase the number of unique addresses voting on SEPs. StableLab’s process of organizing and sharing info has helped build the foundation for the Safe ecosystem to grow rapidly and meaningfully this year.
Key Enhancements in Our Engagement from SGP Wave 1 to OBRA:
- Transitioning from biweekly to weekly updates to accommodate the growing volume and complexity of proposals, ensuring the community remains well-informed.
- We will continue to support the maintenance of new and existing governance documentation. We are also exploring new hosting solutions for the SafeDAO Governance Handbook and all other documentation to enhance accessibility and user experience and even create new contribution pathways for the community. This includes evaluating potential platforms and preparing for a seamless migration.
- Strengthening our collaboration with the SafeDAO Governance Workstream through regular strategy meetings. This will align our efforts more closely with SafeDAO’s overarching goals.
Risks: What risks does the initiative entail?
Primary risks involve the potential for engagement fatigue or information overload in the community, which we plan to mitigate through targeted and concise communication.
Timeline and milestones: Provide a detailed timeline or roadmap, including key milestones
| Sprint/Deliverable | Hours Allocated | Cost (USDC) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 Sprint 4 | |||
| Weekly and Monthly Digests | 35 | $4,242.35 | Preparation of detailed governance updates, summaries, and engagement content for January. |
| S2 Sprint 1 | |||
| Weekly and Monthly Digests | 35 | $4,242.35 | Continued updates for February, plus organization and hosting of a live discussion. |
| Live Discussion | 12 | $1,454.52 | Planning, coordination, and execution of live community engagement session. |
| S2 Sprint 2 | |||
| Weekly and Monthly Digests | 35 | $4,242.35 | Updates and summaries for March, with an emphasis on facilitating community input and feedback on OBRA proposals. |
| Live Discussion | 12 | $1,454.52 | Preparation and hosting of a live session to discuss governance issues in the DAO and gather feedback. |
| S2 Sprint 3 | |||
| Weekly and Monthly Digests | 35 | $4,242.35 | April’s governance updates |
| Live Discussion | 12 | $1,454.52 | Hosting a live discussion for deeper engagement and clarification of SafeDAO governance topics and discussions. |
| S2 Sprint 4 | |||
| Weekly and Monthly Digests | 35 | $4,242.35 | Final sprint updates for May, including summaries and detailed governance insights. |
| Live Discussion | 12 | $1,454.52 | Final live session of the season, summarizing achievements and setting future goals. |
| Total | 198 | $24,025.83 | Comprehensive engagement and governance support across all sprints including Snapshot proposal upload, proposal review calls, strategy meetings with Governance Workstream, and more. |
Initiative lead: Who is the accountable initiative lead? (individual or organization)
Nneoma Kanu (StableLab) - An experienced SafeDAO Delegate with a background in decentralized governance, technical documentation, project management, and community stewardship
Team: How many individuals in total will be working on this initiative and what role do they have? Please provide a brief background of the team members, highlighting their relevant experience and expertise
The initiative will be led by Nneoma Kanu, supported by a dedicated team proficient in DAO governance operations and community engagement.
Additional support/resources: Are there any resources (non-financial) requested from the Safe Ecosystem Foundation or the core contributors?
Biweekly meetings with the SafeDAO Governance Workstream for strategic alignment, scheduling, and prioritizing community needs.