Working Groups

Working Groups

Working groups are made up of members from all different collectives as well as individuals who are not affiliated with any collectives but want to join the collective effort of the Omni. These groups function as a way to collectivize the labor required to operate the space. Working groups are a great way to get involved, share skills, ideas, opinions and learn from each other how collective action takes place. If you'd like to join one of the working groups, please join one of the mailing lists below to receive information on meetings and actions to be done.

See the Calendar for information on upcoming working group meetings, and to find past meeting notes!

Communications Working Group

We work on public-facing communications (messaging, outreach, press and public relations) as well as internal communications (inter-group collaboration tools, wiki, mailing list and other tools for communication and collaboration).

• See: Internal Communications for an intro to our communications resources.
• Bottom-liners: Jenny, Elaine

Mailing List

https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/omnicomms

Meeting Notes

We keep our notes on a Riseup Pad named OmniComms.

• Event:2014/05/05 Communications Committee Meeting
• Event:2014/05/12 Communications Committee Meeting
• Event:2014/05/19 Communications Committee Meeting
• Event:2014/05/26 Communications Committee Meeting
• Event:2014/06/02 Communications Working Group Meeting

Challenging Dominant Culture Working Group

Exploring bias and issues of diversity and inclusion in the space. Challenging dominant cultural influences and developing projects and relationships more in line with values of social justice, safe space, radical commoning, and anticapitalism.

• Bottom-liner: Sarah P. and Niki S.

Mailing List

https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/omni-cdc

Meeting Notes

• Event:2014/04/28_Inclusion_Task_Force_Meeting
• Event:2014/05/12_Challenging_Dominant_Culture_Meeting
• Event:2014/05/15_Challenging_Dominant_Culture_Meeting
• Event:2014/05/19_Challenging_Dominant_Culture_Meeting
• Event:2014/05/26_Challenging_Dominant_Culture_Meeting
• Event:2014/06/25_Challenging_Dominant_Culture_Meeting

Facilitating Collectivity

Coordinating logistics around legal consultations, permitting, and governance/decision-making, as well as helping to coordinate concrete proposals around collectivizing and encouraging collectivization of group members in the space. We meet every Tuesday, 7:00 - 8:30pm at the Omni.

• Bottom-liners: Stephen (novotny[dot]stephen[at]gmail[dot]com)

Outstanding resource: Step-by-Step Guide for Starting a California Nonprofit

Mailing List

https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/omnicollectivity

Meeting Notes

• Event:2014/06/19 Legal Governance Meeting
• Event:2014/06/02 Legal Governance Meeting
• Event:2014/06/01 Legal / Governance Hackathon

Finances Working Group

Ensuring the continued financial health of the Omni Oakland Collective.

• Bottom-liner: Hol

Quarterly Financial Health Questionaire

• [Financial Health Questionaire]

Mailing List

https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/omnifinance

• This is a private list. If you would like to join, please send a request to omnifinance@lists.riseup.net or attend a Finance working group meeting

Meeting Notes

• Fundraising Conversation 8/11
• 2014/08/19 Finance Meeting Minutes
• 2014/09/2 Finance Meeting Minutes

Ballroom Working Group

Focusing on scheduling and coordinating use of the ballroom.

• Bottom-liners: Maryanna (maryannalachman@gmail.com) and Jeremy (jdalmas@gmail.com)

Meeting Notes

• Event:2014/09/03_Ballroom_Working_Group

Building Construction and Maintenance Working Group

Focusing on physical construction, maintenance and alteration projects. Including organizing work parties, sharing skills

• Bottom-liners: Patrik is willing to co-bottomline; LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO HELP, especially someone with construction skills and/or who can commit to organizing regularly scheduled working times.

Mailing List

https://groups.google.com/group/omni-building

Working Group Protocols

(NOTE: For help creating correct wiki pages and adding events to the calendar, contact Vicky (vknoxsironi at gmail dot com], Jenny [jenny at sudomesh dot org] or Matt [mattsenate at gmail dot com])

In order to make progress on many different aspects of this project, please use the following protocols. The intention is to support horizontal, consent-based, transparent, good-faith collaboration.

Start a Working Group

• Create Working Group wiki page and link to it here: http://wiki.omni-oakland.org/w/Working_Groups
  • Articulate "mission" or purpose, goals, and any tasks you already know.
• Schedule regular meetings and add them to the Calendar: http://wiki.omni-oakland.org/w/Calendar
• Announce upcoming meetings on the omni-announce list at least 24 hours prior to meeting: omni-announce@lists.riseup.net

Hold Working Group Meetings

• Before the meeting begins, designate a facilitator and a scribe to take notes
• Conclude the meeting with Outcomes or Action Items and schedule next meeting
• Post meeting notes to the wiki on the Event page (making it discoverable through the calendar)
• Prepare report-back for weekly Omni Collective meeting.

Join a Working Group

• Check the Calendar and attend the next meeting of the working group.
• Directly contact the individual(s) bottom-lining the group.
• Show up to a meeting, or use the communication channel specified for that group to stay in touch.

Make Progress in a Working Group

• Set goals that aspire to deliver on the working group's "mission" or purpose.
• If necessary, outline tasks in order to reach each goal.
• Make progress on and seek to accomplish any tasks that contribute to the working group's goals.
• When a working group's goals require feedback, formal approval, or simply consent from the Omni Collective, create a proposal:
  • Present this proposal to the Omni Collective delegates meeting to ensure each member-group can build consent in their respective community as necessary.
• When a working group has several divergent options or ideas and cannot come to resolution on them alone, then create proposals that represent these options and present these in some way to the whole collective:
  • Present proposals at an Omni Collective meeting for feedback
  • Ask for feedback on the omnilogistics@lists.riseup.net email list
  • Ask for feedback from other working groups, member-groups, or individuals that are not involved with your working group.
  • Rinse, repeat until you have garnered improvements to your proposal from the invaluable experiences and contributions of everyone involved with the omni collective, ultimately building consensus among the entire collective.