Resolution for the creation of standards to evaluate chapter work

Laura W and Cate R.

Whereas DSA is a big tent organization with members of various political tendencies and at different stages of political development;

Whereas every New Orleans DSA member should be empowered to shape the work of the chapter;

Whereas New Orleans DSA does not have standards to weigh the strategic benefits of taking up work;

Whereas the lack of these standards relies on members individual political beliefs and understanding of the political landscape, power structures, and the chapter itself to drive the work of the chapter;

Whereas business presented to the membership without standards for the evaluation often results in the membership being asked to approve business rather than participate in a deliberative debate;

Be it resolved that New Orleans DSA adopt the following as a publicly available member resource

Be it resolved that the following shall be included in agendas and packets whenever business is being conducted

Be it resolved that the following is a rubric for the evaluation of potential chapter work, and that the membership shall retain all voting rights regardless of whether a proposal meets these standards

• How is this work socialist?
• Does this work present opportunities to struggle alongside the BIPOC working class?

• Which workers are most directly affected by this campaign, and how do we organize with them?

• How does this work build power for the working class?
• What other community support will be necessary to win? (Churches, politicians, activist groups, labor unions, parents, etc.)
• What is the history of this work in New Orleans, and do we have the capacity to power map our organizing conditions?
• What does victory look like?

• What are some benchmarks and escalation opportunities?
• What are our red lines, or non-negotiable positions?

• Does this campaign grow the chapter?

• Is it something that will be identified with New Orleans DSA, to raise our visibility among the city’s working class and create an incentive for people to join?
• Does this work actively recruit new members through a structured campaign, or rely on activist interest and passive recruitment?

• Is this campaign scalable?

• Are there opportunities for members of all levels of chapter involvement to participate in this work?
• Is it something dozens of members can participate in at one point or another?

• Who will lead this campaign? How many leaders will need to be elected from the general membership? What will the terms be?
• What are the capacity needs from the membership and from established Committees and/or working groups?
• What chapter resources will this work require?

• Membership mobilization, design, social media, budget, GSuite

• Will this work involve working in coalition with other New Orleans organizations?

• Are we in a position to lead and/or pull the strategy left?
• Which organization/s? How do our principles align/where do our principles deviate?
• Do we have an established relationship with these organizations?

• What training, political education, and membership development will be a part of this campaign?

• Six-step organizing conversations?
• Power mapping?
• Historical context?

• What is our plan to debrief? How will we evaluate and integrate these lessons into our institutional knowledge?