Consensus¶

Consensus involves seeking a solution to which all those involved actively agree. Unlike consent, it is not merely a matter of the absence of objections, but of a decision that is genuinely supported by all.

How it works in Rhizome¶

All those involved contribute their views. Objections are discussed and the proposal is amended until everyone agrees. This process may require several rounds.

Objections and vetoes¶

Participants may agree or raise an objection. Unlike ‘consent’, an objection causes the consensus to fail – it requires the agreement of everyone, and an objection is the opposite of that. Objections must be justified – optionally, a proposed solution may be provided at the same time. Objections may be responded to, for example by co-creator or the person who put forward the proposal.

Anyone who has raised an issue can edit it themselves, mark it as resolved or delete it.

As well as objections, there are vetoes. In terms of the outcome, this makes no difference in a consensus-based decision-making process: both cause the decision to fail as long as they remain outstanding. The difference lies in how they are resolved.

An objection can be accepted – whoever revises the proposal marks it as accepted in a specific version, and the person who raised the objection can reject this and reopen it. A veto does not follow this process: only the person who imposed it can lift it. A new version of the proposal does not do this.

Versions¶

Anyone wishing to incorporate an objection can use the three-dot menu on the proposal to create a new version of it. This allows you to edit the title and description, as well as set a new deadline – for example, if the objection was received shortly before the deadline.

When a new version is released, all previous contributions are reset. All participants are asked to submit their views again. In this way, consensus becomes an iterative process with versioning.

Suggest alternatives¶

Since a consensus always addresses exactly one proposal, it may happen that an objection cannot be resolved by a new version, because the new version would have to address a different issue. In that case, the alternative is the solution.

It halts the current consensus – which is then deemed to have been terminated – and Rhizome initiates a resistance poll between the two proposals. The winner of this poll is then reinstated as the consensus. Both steps are created as drafts and must be initiated.

Advanced decision rules¶

Quorum¶

In the consensus process, the quorum is set by default to Everyone must participate, as consensus naturally requires the participation of all members. If this is not practicable – for example, because a person is absent for an extended period but is still formally part of the group – the quorum can be reduced to a specific number or percentage.

This flexibility makes it possible to use consensus even when full participation cannot be guaranteed – whilst ensuring transparency regarding the actual scope of the agreement.

You can find a complete list of all available rules under Special Rules.

Use cases¶

Consensus is suitable for fundamental decisions that affect the entire team or the identity of an organisation. The process takes more time, but results in a high degree of shared commitment.