[DRAFT] Delegate Directive

[mcmasterdonia]

Delegate Directive #1​

Section 1: Government Guidelines

This document is a directive from the Delegate on the organization of the Executive Branch. Violations of this directive are punishable by removal from the appropriate executive role.

Section 2: Alteration

1.In an emergency the acting Chairperson reserves the right to alter this document unilaterally so long as there are not two objections by any Cabinet members. An emergency alteration is effective immediately but voided with immediate effect by the second objection.
2.Otherwise, an absolute majority of the Executive Council may alter this document with immediate effect.
3.If any part of this document is illegal or unconstitutional, it and it alone is void. When any part is found to be illegal or unconstitutional by the Court, any member of the Executive Council may remove it.


Section 3: Executive Council Meeting Protocol

1.The acting Chairperson will open any meeting.
2.The Chairperson is the individual legally empowered to exercise the duties of the delegate. In the event of an announced absence, the Chairperson may designate a member of the Executive Council to act as Chairperson.
3.The presence of a majority of the council members or their deputies is necessary for the meeting to take place.
4.Council members may empower a Deputy to vote for them in their absence. Voting Deputies will be considered full Council Members. Such a deputy will be considered a Councillor for the purposes of this section.
5.All minutes and transcripts of any Executive Council meeting must be published publicly unless a majority of present councillors vote to classify some segment.


Section 4: Structure of Government

1.There will be seven ministries:
a.The Defence Ministry, led by the Minister of Defence (MoD),
b.The Communications Ministry, led by the Minister of Communications (MoC)
c.The Foreign Affairs Ministry, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)
d.The Culture and Entertainment Ministry, led by the Minister of Culture and Entertainment (MoCE)
e.The World Assembly Affairs Ministry, led by the Minister of WA Affairs (MoWA).
f. The Home Affairs Ministry, led by the Minister of Home Affairs (MoHA)
g. The Education Ministry, led by the Minister of Education (MoE)
6.Every Minister will endeavor to have a Deputy Minister.

Section 5: Defence Ministry

1.The Defence Ministry will be in charge of the North Pacific Army (NPA).
2. The NPA is required and categorically authorised to carry out training operations. The NPA must be trained in both offensive and defensive operations (including Defences, liberations, and detags).
3. The NPA is required and categorically authorized to defend our allies. Actions in the Defence of our allies may be taken when legally requested or when an invasion of the ally is actually in progress.
3.The NPA is categorically authorized to attack any region we are in a declared state of war with or which the Council recognizes as hostile.
4.The NPA is categorically authorized to defend against any attack by a region or organization we are in a declared state of war with.
5. The Minister must promptly post in a thread in the Defence Forum to announce successful operations to keep the region abreast of operations.
6. The Minister will promptly process NPA applications. This task may be delegated to their designee or the General Corps of the NPA.
6.The NPA may fly the Flag of The North Pacific or variants thereof indicating rank.
7.The Minister may maintain & amend the NPA Code of Governance with the consent of its members.
8.The Minister will lead recruitment efforts for the NPA.
8.Promotions and demotions take place at the discretion of the Minister within the parameters of this section and the NPA Code of Governance.


Section 6: Communications Ministry

1.The Minister will promptly process Executive Staff applications for the Communications Ministry.
2.The Ministry will publish information about events in TNP and abroad on a regular basis in a publication entitled The Northern Lights.
3.The Ministry will promptly publish the public minutes and transcripts of Executive Council meetings.
4.The Delegate will ensure the transmission of these reports to all nations in TNP that do not opt out of this TNP bulletin, with credit appropriately given, within 48 hours of receiving the bulletin.


Section 7: Foreign Affairs Ministry

1.The Minister may employ any number of citizens as Ambassadors or Envoys to assist them in their duties.
2. The Minister will promptly process Executive Staff Applications for the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
2.The Minister may grant ranks and awards within the Ministry to respect the service and competence of Ambassadors.
5.The Minister will approve a template for reports for every region TNP has an embassy with, unless that region is exempted from reporting by the Minister.
4. The Minister will maintain and may amend the Diplomatic Corps Protocol as appropriate.
6.Ambassadors will report to TNP in the appropriate board about their assigned region(s) at least once every week, unless their region is exempted from reporting by the Minister.
7.Ambassadors will post TNP updates to their assigned regional embassies within 3 days of being notified of the update and reminded of their assigned regions.



Section 8: Culture and Entertainment Ministry

1.The Minister may employ any number of citizens to assist them in their duties.
2. The Minister will promptly process Executive Staff applications for the Ministry of Culture and Entertainment.
2..The Ministry will be responsible for promoting cultural activities on forum, including but not limited to roleplay, spam games, and other activities
3.The Ministry will encourage activity through holding regional tournaments and competitions
4.The Ministry may plan joint cultural events with other regions with the consent of the Council
5. The Ministry will assist the Chairman of the Democratic Union in recruiting Members for the DU, and in the administration of out of character matters as required.

Section 9: World Assembly Affairs Ministry

1.The Minister may employ any number of citizens to assist them in their duties.
2.The Minister should employ at least one assistant with differing WAGA ideology (NatSov/IntFed) from their own.
3.The Ministry will post topics in the appropriate areas for new proposals. While these topics may be posted before a proposal enters the queue, they must be posted within 24 hours of the proposal entering the queue.
4.The Ministry will prepare brief summaries for the information for voters service as to what a proposal does, the arguments in favor, and the arguments in opposition, within 48 hours of a proposal entering the queue in either the GA or the SC.
5.The Delegate will ensure the transmission of these summaries to all WA nations in TNP that do not opt out of the information for voters service, with credit appropriately given.
6.The Delegate's vote on all WA resolutions will be determined by referendum conducted on The North Pacific's offsite forum and open to all World Assembly Member residents of The North Pacific and for members of the North Pacific Army on active service.
10.The Executive Council is empowered to override the results of a referendum on a WA resolution when the Delegate judges that the vote determined by the referendum would be detrimental to the interests of The North Pacific.

Section 10: Home Affairs Ministry

1. The Minister may employ any number of citizens to assist them in their duties.
2. The Minister will promptly process executive staff applications for the Ministry of Home Affairs.
3. The Minister will coordinate recruiting efforts for all areas of the region, with other Ministers, the Delegate, and the Vice Delegate.
4. The Minister will publish regular “press releases” in the form of dispatches. The Minister shall coordinate on the distribution of press releases with the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
5. The Minister will oversee the Home Affairs Mentorship program, and ensure that all new citizens are offered the assistance and guidance of a mentor.
6. The Minister will ensure that all new members and citizens on the regional forum are appropriately welcomed.

Section 11: Education Ministry
1. The Minister may employ any number of citizens to assist them in their duties.
2. The Minister will promptly process executive staff applications for the Ministry of Education.
3. The Ministry will be responsible for the oversight and running of the North Pacific University.
4. The Minister may propose regulations for the management of the University.
5. The Minister will oversee a rewrite of TNP FAQ’s and FAQ dispatches.
6. The Minister will be responsible for the planning of the 2015 Lecture Program.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

This is a draft Delegate directive for how the cabinet should operate during my term. These "directives" were relatively common place when I was last Delegate.

SillyString has helped me with editing. If there are any issues with the above, or suggested edits. Please bring them up now.

 

[Crushing Our Enemies]

4.Deputies may vote for their superiors in their absence. Such a deputy will be considered a councillor for the purposes of this section.

6.Every Minister will endeavor to have a Deputy Minister. If a Minister fails to appoint one, the Council may select one for them.

Both of these strike me as problematic. I think ministers should retain autonomy over the role deputies play in their ministry. I have no problem with a deputy joining a council meeting, but I think that should be up to their minister, not automatic. Also, I don't think there are any circumstances under which it would be appropriate for anyone to choose a deputy but the minister themselves.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Yes, I agree. Potentially problematic. I am fine with removing those two clauses.

The only time I can reasonably foresee the council (or myself) appointing a Deputy would be to manage a special project, or if we are awaiting/hoping for the Minister's return.

 

[SillyString]

I never really finished going over this.

Violations of this directive is punishable

Violation is, or violations are.

2.The acting Chairperson is the first person in the legal order of succession (Delegate, Vice Delegate, ordered list of Security Council members under the order of succession) who has been active in the last 24 hours either onsite or offsite.

This timeframe still seems really short to me. If McM doesn't log in for one day, I get to hold a cabinet meeting and potentially change all his policies? If McM and I have both taken a day, Roman gets to do so? No. I would suggest

The Chairperson is the individual legally empowered to exercise the duties of the delegate. In the event of an announced absence, the Chairperson may designate a member of the Executive Council to act as Chairperson.

Not only does this change let us use the simpler "chairperson" everywhere rather than always needing to include "active", it also sets up a much more sensible system. If McM is going away for a short time, he will name one of us to run any meetings for him, and if the person he names also needs to take some time, they can then re-delegate that authority. However, if McM goes rogue, coups, and is recalled, Chairpersonship falls on me as Vice Delegate, or on the first person in the SC in the line of succession. IMO this makes much more sense.

4.Deputies may vote for their superiors in their absence. Such a deputy will be considered a councillor for the purposes of this section.

I think it would be better to say,

Council members may empower a Deputy to vote for them in their absence. Voting Deputies will be considered full Council Members.

5.All minutes and transcripts of any Executive Council meeting must be published publicly unless a majority of present councillors vote to classify some segment.

It's councilors.

1.There will be six ministries:

Seven, actually. I don't know if it makes sense to include a section on the VDcy and what role it plays on the council, but it might be nice.

6.Every Minister will endeavor to have a Deputy Minister. If a Minister fails to appoint one, the Council may select one for them.

I think I agree with COE that the second sentence here would be better to remove. If we need someone for a project, no reason why the council or delegate can't just name them "temporary minister for X" or something - and if the minister has disappeared, better to replace them and give them the job if/when they come back.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

I know you hadn't finished. But I thought that we might as well get the input of everyone.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

OP updated.

 

[r3naissanc3r]

Regarding the WA Ministry:

3.The Ministry will post topics in the appropriate areas for new proposals. While these topics may be posted before a proposal enters the queue, they must be posted within 24 hours of the proposal entering the queue.
4.The Ministry will prepare brief summaries for the information for voters service as to what a proposal does, the arguments in favor, and the arguments in opposition, within 48 hours of a proposal entering the queue in either the GA or the SC.

Queue-entering is not a good cut-off for when threads should be opened or proposals posted. During busy periods, there can be several proposals in queue, with all but the first one not going to vote for several weeks. In such cases, we'll need to have multiple votes open simultaneously, on resolutions that will be voted on weeks later. This can be very confusing, and result in reduced voter turnout.

Furthermore, the current model for the recommendations is that, rather than posting (or trying to post) a recommendation ahead of the vote starting, we take into account the forum vote. This has the downside that, when the vote is close, the recommendation may be delayed up to 48 hours after the beginning of the vote. Despite this downside, as we have discussed in the past, this model helps increase both the amount and the impact of the deputies' feedback, and also helps reduce the cases when the Delegate's vote disagrees with the recommendation. So, I would prefer to preserve it.

For these reasons, I would suggest changing the above to the following:
3.The Ministry will post topics in the appropriate areas for new proposals. While these topics should be posted before a proposal goes to vote, they must be posted within 12 hours of the proposal going to vote.
4.The Ministry will prepare brief summaries for the information for voters service as to what a proposal does, the arguments in favor, and the arguments in opposition, within 48 hours of a proposal going to vote in either the GA or the SC.

5.The Delegate will ensure the transmission of these summaries to all WA nations in TNP that do not opt out of the information for voters service, with credit appropriately given.

I would like to be able to have Ministry staff (deputies and myself) send out the recommendations through the mass-TG page. This is both in order to be able to send them faster (especially if we need to coordinate with all WALL regions), and in order to make my deputies more involved with the process and more engaged with the regional WA nations. I am hoping to get to a point where there are frequent telegrams exchanged between WA nations and the Ministry staff to discuss resolutions, and having the Ministry staff send out the recommendations would facilitate this greatly.

6.The Delegate's vote on all WA resolutions will be determined by referendum conducted on The North Pacific's offsite forum and open to all World Assembly Member residents of The North Pacific and for members of the North Pacific Army on active service.
10.The Executive Council is empowered to override the results of a referendum on a WA resolution when the Delegate judges that the vote determined by the referendum would be detrimental to the interests of The North Pacific.

First, there is a labelling error (6->10).

Second, is this meant to replace the WA voting policy completely, or to supplement it? If the former, then there are a few things that need to be clarified, most importantly: 1) who exactly qualifies for voting (need to exclude people who join the WA in TNP for one day so that they can vote and then move out); 2) when exactly the delegate's vote is determined (is it live based on the running tally? every X hours? after 2 days?); 3) what happens if a vote begins without a poll having started.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Just noting that I have read your comments, will address them in 48 hours.