The proposed research project aims to conduct action research on OpenGov systems, particularly focusing on mechanisms of decentralized governance, participatory decision-making, and the application of governance frameworks within the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystems. The objective is to assess the effectiveness of these systems and provide actionable insights to improve the governance processes.
OpenGov represents a significant innovation in decentralized governance, promising more democratic, transparent, and efficient decision-making processes. However, the practical implementation of these systems presents challenges, including participation barriers, potential centralization of influence, and ensuring the sustainability of governance processes. This research is motivated by the need to address these challenges by generating empirical data and insights that can inform the development of more effective governance systems.
Problem Statement:
The main problem this research addresses is understanding the practical implications of OpenGov systems within the Polkadot and Kusama networks. Specifically, the research will explore how these governance frameworks function in practice, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
Research Questions:
Methodology:
The research will adopt an action research methodology, involving iterative cycles of data collection, analysis, and feedback. The research process will include:
Team Background:
Universaldot Foundation is a DAO focusing on research and development of decentralized infrastructure and governance. For more information, please refer to our website: https://universaldot.foundation
Future Plans:
Following the completion of this research, we plan to expand the scope of our work by conducting longitudinal studies to track the evolution of OpenGov systems over time. Additionally, we aim to explore the scalability of the OpenGov framework by applying our findings to other blockchain networks and decentralized organizations.
The request for this proposal has been inspired by RFP from WEB3 Foundation and can be seen here: https://grants.web3.foundation/docs/RFPs/action_research_opengov
Full version of the RFP can be found here: https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/pull/2397/files?short_path=474cf73#diff-474cf73fb8941d7c013b9b52798d46d41446da7d523b1e3cba597786e9d5c5e4
This research project is about studying OpenGov systems, which are new ways of making decisions in a group without a boss. The researchers want to look at how these systems work in two places called Polkadot and Kusama. They want to find out what's good and bad about these systems and how to make them better.
The researchers have some questions they want to answer:
They will read other studies, look closely at Polkadot and Kusama, talk to people who use these systems, and then analyze all the information they get. They will then give suggestions on how to improve these systems.
The people doing this research are from a group called Universaldot Foundation, which works on making decentralized systems better. After this research, they want to keep studying how these systems change over time and see if they can use what they learn in other places.
This research idea came from a request by the WEB3 Foundation, and you can find more information about it on their website.
Threshold
Definitely out of the budget.
Voted NAY.