The efficient operation of any Group of people depends upon their cohesion of purpose, balanced by the identification, separation, and coordination of specific necessary tasks and responsibilities which (assigned or not to specific individuals) are fulfilled within the Group. It is expected that any individuals or established companies utilizing IDCSA’s platform for Crowdfunding will already have their organizational structures in place. But while IDCSA offers all the functions of a Social Network, plus the functions of Crowdfunding – it also introduces a new concept: CauseFunding. CauseFunding has no predetermined leaders. Folks rally around their Cause and form Goal Groups to advance the Cause. Goal Groups start not with established organizations, but as numbers of individual strangers with vague ideas and agreements that something must be done about something. The following is a suggested template for the organizational action for such Goal Groups; it is divided into 8 Divisions.
It starts with the whole Goal Group (as Div 1) refining its statement of exactly what it wants to accomplish. Then Div 1 establishes Divisions 2, 3 & 4 to define and create the internal mechanisms necessary to get the job done. And utilizing the mechanisms laid down by Divs 2, 3 & 4, Div 1 then establishes Divs 5, 6, & 7 to put that machinery to work in Society.
Div 8’s functions (Innovations) are the initial basis of Div 1 – grappling with what the Goal Group can do about the present situation. But it is the last Division to be created and operate on its own. It doesn’t exist as a separate Division until the other 7 Divisions are up and running. Then it is created by Div 1 to continue investigating what else can be done to improve on what has thus far been created.
Div 1 – Goals and Purposes
This Division is made up of the full Goal Group arranged in 8-PAC’s. Each Member of the Goal Group is there because each knows exactly what the basic Goals and Purposes are – and is in agreement with them. Div 1 is always refining the statement of what it wants to accomplish in Society, relative to what is currently going on. This is the whole Goal Group in Congress assembled.
It is senior to all other Divisions. It creates all the other Divisions through general discussion, then retreats leaving the operational structure of that Division to operate on its own.
These other Divisions, 2 through 8, are organized along more conventional business organizational models. Once established, it is unlikely that any one of them would contain more than about an eighth the total number of Members. If needed, they may also utilize an 8’s Matrix to further organize themselves.
Div 2 – Group Structure
This deals with the assignment of, and the continual maintenance of the 8’s Matrix of Div 1: Who is assigned to what 8-PAC; who are the Delegates; how to best reorganize 8-PAC’s for maximum Harmony; and how to compact and complete 8-PAC’s if someone joins or quits.
It also monitors how the Functions of the other Divisions – 2 through 8 – are manned and by whom. Any personnel files required, are generated and kept by Div 2.
It keeps track of the Statistics of each Division, Department and Section, each individual Member, and contracted laborer, according to a measurable Production Unit as determined by Qualifications in Div 3.
Based on the Statistics generated by Div 3, it can request that Div 4 create a new Questionaire for all Members to reassess relative importances. The 8-PAC’s of Div 1 could then be re-assigned to assure maximum Harmony, leading to maximum efficiency and Production.
Div 3 – Qualifications, Analysis, & Correction
The general comportment of the Group is laid out: What is expected of individual Members when they interface with other members – basically the Rules of Etiquette for the Group.
This is where the Goals and Purposes of Div 1 are translated into general Policies of action, and into specific Plans, Programs, Projects, and Targets. A set of steps is laid out to accomplish the guiding Goals and Purposes, who is responsible for what, their job descriptions, exactly what they will produce, and what their expected Production Quota might be.
It monitors Production against Targets, and corrects any inefficiencies, bad products, and any disHarmony among Members.
It certifies when a Correction or a Target has been accomplished.
Div 4 – Communications
This Division is tasked with keeping all Members in easy and efficient communication regarding the ongoing Activities of the Goal Group, and specifically how those Activities apply to each Member in his or her job description.
It is also responsible for reaching out into Society to non-Members. It seeks data, experts, opinion leaders, and resources. It maintains communications with non-Members. All Communications of the other Divs to and from Society are cc’ed to Div 4. All purchased Goods and Services are first received by Div 4 before being sent on to Div 6 for storage, dispersal, or management.
It promotes the Goal Group in Society, and actively recruits for new Members.
Its purpose is to vitalize, expand and strengthen the Goal Group.
These last 3 Divisions are focused on the structure, internal operations, and growth of the Goal Group as a unit. The next 4 Divisions deal with the Goal Group’s active interface with Society to realize the desired Goals and Purposes, by implementing the Plans, Programs, Projects, and Targets determined by Div 3.
Div 5 – Legal and Financial
Before any societal Actions are begun (based on the steps outlined by Div 3, the preliminary information derived by Div 4, and the Purchase Requests from Div 6), all the necessary Legal and Financial rudiments must be put in place: Lawyers, zoning requirements, accountants, tax strategies, corporate papers, projected costs, Member Assessments, bank accounts, petty cash, payroll, escrow accounts, etc.
It assesses Div 1 for all Purchase Orders it has OK’ed, and then executes them when the monies are collected. Copies of the PO’s are sent to Div 4 and Div 6. Div 4 receives the goods, verifies that they correspond to the PO and sends them on to Div 6, with copies of the paperwork back to Div 5.
Any problems which arise in Society regarding the Goal Group are handled by Div 5 to clear the way for Div 7.
Div 6 – Logistics
This Division determines exactly what Goods, Services and Labor will be needed by Div 7 to execute each Plan, Program, Project, or Target – before their initiation or any actual impingement on Society.
All other Divs send Div 6 their Purchase Requests for the ongoing services and supplies they need to function. Div 6 then submits detailed Purchase Requests to Div 5 for what it has determined is needed to realize some Plan, Program, Project, or Target. All pending Purchase Requests OK’ed by Div 5 are balanced against Member Assessments, then if approved, Div 5 issues Purchase Orders to suppliers. All Goods and Service Agreements are received by Div 4, then sent to Logistics for storage, disbursement, and/or management.
Div 6 is responsible for the care, maintenance, and disbursal of any Capital Goods or Services the Goal Group acquires through purchase, rent, or service agreement – from office buildings to paperclips to garbage collection, plus the assignment of any needed workers hired by Div 5.
Div 7 – Production
This is where things actually get done in Society. Supported by the legal and financial foundations put in place by Div 5, the steps laid out by Div 3 are acted upon with the Goods, Services and Labor Div 5 OK’ed and Div 6 supplied.
The job is done when Div 1 acknowledges that its Goals and Purposes have been met.
The Goal Group then either dissolves, or adopts more or other Goals and Purposes to pursue.
Div 8 – Innovations
Throughout the whole process, Div 8’s job is to push the envelope of every aspect of the Goal Group. It is constantly on the lookout for better ways to do things, and better things to do. It is very interested in what Div 4 learns from the experts it queries, and from other data it has found.
Innovations is interested in both the internal and external activities of the Goal Group. Any Member with a bright idea, or unsolved problem is invited to send it on to Div 8. Any innovation deemed worthy is shared with those interested Members in other Divs. From saving money on paperclips, to how some Program or Plan could be used for another beneficial Goal, Div 8 is always asking, “How can that be done better?” and “What’s next?”
___________________________________________
The above covers the basic functions of any organization – separated into 8 Divisions. Every Goal Group could apply these Divisions in its own unique way. And as the Group grows and becomes more complex, the Organizing Structure could be further fleshed out by designating Departments within the Divisions, and Sections within the Departments. (The 7-Division Organizing Board developed by L. Ron Hubbard is the basic model from which the above was derived and refined.)
