Financial Proposal: ESD S2 > Carryover ESD S1 Budget to S2

Purpose: S2 ESD Proposal
Status: Proposal Discussion
Voting: 8-15 August Voting Aragon Voice
Authors: @fartunov @daniel @lee0007

Proposal

We request the Main DAO approve the ESD to carry forward all approved ESD funding remaining from season 1 (~450k + Sub DAO Fixed ANT ) to continue ESD work until the end of our one-year term on 21 October 2022. This allows us to uphold our Charter mandate to pay elected Sub DAO members 200ANT each per month and honour ~85k funding to complete the following proposals

This would leave approximately 365k for the duration of Season 2 to help us fund:

  • innovative and novel initiatives that advance Aragon products and the active number of DAO on the network.
  • authors of proposals driving new and novel ESD and Main DAO funding initiatives
  • some availability of “emergency” funding as required within less than the 14 days

1. Rationale

Moving forward, big changes are on the horizon, including a move away from the division of powers of the current Charter and toward delegate-enabled Representative Democracy.

Given this change we do not anticipate the need for September SubDAO nominations and October re-election. However, retiring the goverance Sub DAOs (3) is topic for discussion via Charter Improvement Proposal CIP 3.

In the context that Season 2 is effectively our last season, we see the following opportunities for our remit:

  • Incubate new initiatives: seed-fund teams and guilds that can add value to the AN DAO. We see our ability for a relatively quick turn-around on proposals and lower need to campaign for proposals as an opportunity for new initiatives like Demoing a Tao voting DAO
  • Novel proposals: fund proposals that can keep the AN DAO vibrant and innovative, while still addressing the key strategic issues and especially fund proposals that advance the functionality and capabilities of the Aragon Stack like EVMcripr.
  • Scout funding: to continue to reward authors for driving new and novel ESD and Main DAO funding initiatives.
  • Smaller exceptions: has a guild encountered unforeseen circumstances? Do we need to quickly pay for something that will add significant value or otherwise unblock a team? Let us know, and we’ll try to help.
  • Emergency funding: reserve a portion of the funds for unforeseen emergencies and use our lower threshold of approval to provide swift funding in case of emergencies.
  • Code audit funding: proposal to secure dedicated funding to retain a contract auditor from the list of approved vendors. The ESD will serve solely as an escrow for the funds.

2. Objectives & Deliverables

Objective: Funding Decisions.

  • innovative and novel initiatives that advance Aragon products and the active number of DAO on the network.
  • authors of proposals driving new and novel ESD and Main DAO funding initiatives
  • some availability of “emergency” funding as required within less than the 14 days

ESD Key Performance Indicators

3. Strategic Alignment:

As evidenced by our track record to date S0 S1 we are committed to the growth of the Aragon Network. Although our work is not highly visible or always tangible (as we fund others to deliver proposed value/impact) we actively support individuals and teams, the Aragon community and ecosystems partners with our funding decisions.

4. Limitations / Risks:

  • We are no longer limited to the extent we were for the past nine months due to chronic under resourcing. We finally have the opportunity to seek out innovation and novel opportunities to grow the active number of DAOs on the network
  • limited by the flow of constructive feedback and strategic information available to us to ensure strategic alignment. The AA/AL and the AN DAO transparency, trust and siloed operations continue to create barriers to effectively aligning. This is much less evident when dealing with external teams
  • that people perceive our efforts as presenting conflicts of interest although committed to openly stating and address these concerns

Duration: Until 21 October 2022, effectively the end of the Executive Sub-DAO one-year elected term. Term based on the date that election results were announced - 21 October 2021 here

5. Team Information

6. Carry Over Approved Funding

We request the Main DAO vote simply Yes or No to approve the ESD to carry forward all approved ESD funding remaining from season 1 (estimate ~450k + Sub DAO Fixed ANT ) from August 1 through 21 October. The updated Financial Position will be available following the final payments of contributors’ bounties 15 August 2022. At the end of term funds will be transferred back to the Main AN DAO

2 Likes

Hey, hey similarly to the Budget for tech audit proposal, I believe it’s best if we add clarification on what’s happening to the remaining funds at the expiration of our mandate.

i.e. funds will be transferred to an address controlled by delegated ANT as per THIS proposal, or in case such infrastructure does not exist at the time, back to the Main AN DAO

2 Likes

Very late to reply to this as it slipped under my radar apologies and aware it is already up for vote although not linked in this thread, Therefore a few clarifying qs from my side. I am fully in support of carrying over the budget along side @fartunov proposal of funding tech audits/releasing the funds for them > Here.

  1. Does this follow the same reporting and requirements of the season 1 proposals?

  2. I think $365k is to high given that the ESD has been funding around 80k per month for 5 work streams which have now spun out (good work ESD) I don’t for see a similar amount of funding request being put in therefore allocating a portion to tech audits seems sensible.

  3. Also want to clarify, that the same conditions apply such as not funding more that 20k per month in a given work stream, similar to season One.

&

Agree with defining the final destination of unused funds always helpful to have.

Many thanks,

Aclay

2 Likes

Thank Alex the vote is linked at the top of the proposal and announced twice in Discord. I will post another comment with the link below.

Yes, 2. Objectives & Deliverables include the link to our Key Performance Indicators, so they form a part of this proposal.

The option to vote on including the 200k for tech audits within the rollover of funds is indicated for voting as per Question 2 on the Tech Audit Proposal

We have not discussed changing this however it is not an immutable decision. ESD put this in place to help decentralise the funding decision process towards ANT holders. Where more than 20k is requested it makes decentralised sense that everyone should have a say. However, if “emergency” funding was required - for say security purposes - I personally would act in the best interests of the Network and release funding beyond 20k despite our stated funding limit.

We have funded two external projects in the final months of Season 1 Demoing a Tao Voting DAO and Conflict Mediation. As the author I can indicate that this advice was applied to help internal DAO teams align on the Season’s cadence proposed here. I expect in S2 to be funding projects up until the end of the current term, 21 October 2022.

Voting via Aragon Voice