Writing an Agenda Item: A Short Guide: Difference between revisions

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This document is a collection of some of the things you may wish to consider when trying to put an agenda
There is no single template for writing agenda items but you can benefit from a collection of some of the things you may wish to consider when trying to put an agenda item together for a meeting. 
item together for a meeting. There are some obvious basics in terms of information that is needed,
and then it drifts into more of an art of thinking what the meeting might want or need, and laying
out what you are asking the meeting to consider or decide upon.


Hopefully this will be useful to people in terms of thinking through and submitting your ideas to the
Hopefully this will be useful to you in terms of thinking through and submitting your ideas to the
General Meetings.
General Meetings.


The Office, Secretarial and Working Groups can help with shaping an agenda item, often it helps to
 
have several people thinking an idea through and asking questions.
 
== What are you asking the meeting to do ==
GM agenda items generally fall into 3 basic categories, with some crossover. 
* Discussion - it might be a simple discussion on a thing or it may be a prop
* Decision
* Information - reports, feedback etc


== Basic information ==
== Basic information ==
* What is your idea?
* What is your proposal ?
* Does it fit within one of our existing working groups?
* Does it fit within one of our existing working groups?
* Are there any costs involved? the Co-op rarely agrees to anything without at least an estimated cost.
* Are there any costs involved? the Co-op rarely agrees to anything without at least an estimated cost.
* Does it need volunteers to make it happen, how many?
* Does it need volunteers to make it happen, how many?
* Who will co-ordinate the work?
* Who will co-ordinate the work?
== What are you asking the meeting to do ==
 
* Is it a discussion item?
 
* Are you testing an idea for support before developing it further?
== Does your proposal need funding ? ==
* Does the meeting need to make a decision on the matter urgently?
Does your proposal need funding ?
* Is it a one off project, or a commitment to start a process/offer something regularly?
Proposals that have costs need you to fill out a [[Media:Costed_proposal_cover_sheet.docx|Download the Costed Proposal Cover Sheet]]. The form itself suggests how you might compose your proposal. 
 


== Providing additional information/Pre-empting regular questions ==
== Providing additional information/Pre-empting regular questions ==
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financial planning?
financial planning?
If within an existing working group area, have the group been contacted? Do they support the idea?
If within an existing working group area, have the group been contacted? Do they support the idea?
Of course help is available with your agenda item if you wish and there are literally countless historical examples of GM Agendas to get inspirtaion from. The co-operative value of self-help encourages you to try and do this for yourself. Below is an example of a GM Agenda item where there the meeting is being asked to choose from a list of contractors to do a thing in the co-op. 

Latest revision as of 18:06, 4 January 2026

There is no single template for writing agenda items but you can benefit from a collection of some of the things you may wish to consider when trying to put an agenda item together for a meeting. 

Hopefully this will be useful to you in terms of thinking through and submitting your ideas to the General Meetings.


What are you asking the meeting to do

GM agenda items generally fall into 3 basic categories, with some crossover. 

  • Discussion - it might be a simple discussion on a thing or it may be a prop
  • Decision
  • Information - reports, feedback etc

Basic information

  • What is your proposal ?
  • Does it fit within one of our existing working groups?
  • Are there any costs involved? the Co-op rarely agrees to anything without at least an estimated cost.
  • Does it need volunteers to make it happen, how many?
  • Who will co-ordinate the work?


Does your proposal need funding ?

Does your proposal need funding ? Proposals that have costs need you to fill out a Download the Costed Proposal Cover Sheet. The form itself suggests how you might compose your proposal. 


Providing additional information/Pre-empting regular questions

Can we check in partway through, or review this a few months down the line to see if it is working and whether any adjustments are needed? Does the cost fit within annual budgeting, or if a large spend, how does it impact our long term financial planning? If within an existing working group area, have the group been contacted? Do they support the idea?

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