[Businessmtg] KBDM

[Steve Rankin]

Yes, we talk of using the KBDM process in our Business Meetings and ever since adopting KBDM we have worked diligently to follow that process AS WE UNDERSTAND IT. 

Here's a few things that I have discovered in my current research about the KBDM process. 

1. The Al-Anon Board of Directors introduced the KBDM process to the World Service Conference (WSC) 2006. 

2. When I search for "KBDM" on the WSO web site, I'm told to refer to the 2008 WSC Conference Summary.

3. Studying that 2008 Conference Summary, I found the following info:

"The Chairperson of the Board then asked
Conference members to take a look at the
Knowledge-Based Decision-Making (KBDM)
process for an informed group conscience that
was introduced two years ago. It was noted that
not all of the information would be presented
in this format; we have to be flexible and use
good judgment."

NOTE: the "we have to be flexible and use good judgment"

“I don’t know why submitting topics can’t be
a Thought Force or a Task Force. That way we
keep Delegate involvement.”

“Having the topics a year in advance so we
could have dialogue from home would be
KBDM. As it is, when we get the topics, we
don’t really have enough time to get feedback.”

"The final question presented was: “Do WSC
members need more background information
on how to frame topics using the KBDM process?”
Time did not permit the last question to
be discussed. However, the Conference Leadership
Team will use these comments when
forming next year’s agenda."

NOTE: the lengthy time frames these formalized Task Forces and Thought Forces operate on. 

Sandy brought up the " five basic questions used by a Task Force or Thought Force at the start of every KBDM discussion". Excellent points and definitely things that I wish that members would try to do instead of the much more prevalent shooting opinions from the hip we see in most meetings. However, I'm not sure why an Al-Anon meeting would need to go to such extensive lengths to reach a group conscience. So, while I would certainly like members to take the big picture view of issues which is what those questions are trying to achieve, I'm not going to criticize an ordinary Al-Anon meeting for not doing so. 

1. This section of the Service Manual is discussing how WSO works, not how meetings work.

2. ASP is a meeting, not even a "Group" according to the WSC & WSO. We are not a bureaucracy with a Task Force or a Thought Force. 

3. Our Service Manual talks about how a Task Force and Thought Force use the KBDM process, but then it says "None of these groups is a decision-making body". OTOH, the Business Meeting of ASP is THE decision-making body of ASP when it comes to policy decisions. The Steering Committee is the decision-making body when it comes to operational issues. 

I've tried to find a detailed description of the KBDM process on the World Service Office website, but I've only found vague references instead. Fortunately, I have found useful descriptions on several World Service Area websites that I'm sure will assist us in refining the KBDM process at ASP. 

As I said yesterday, I suggest that we revisit our KBDM process and develop a KBDM process that works for ASP. Detailed enough for the leaders to use as tools for guiding the Business Meetings as well as for the members of ASP to use as reference. But also with flexibility to deal with the wide variety of issues - not every issue needs to follow the complete KBDM process. OTOH, there are times when what we thought would be a simple admin issue turns out to be something much more complex and controversial that needs to go back to the full KBDM process. 

Hugs,
Steve