Beginning
(working docs can be found at https://repo.fo.am/foam/manual )
Inspirations
- What were the organizational models that inspired you to create FoAM ?
- How did you would like to differ form existing organizations ?
Purpose
- What was the purpose of FoAM as an organization when you created it ?
- What were FoAM’s vision, mission and values when the organization was created ?
- How do you see the link between FoAM’s structure, internal processes, and mission/vision and value ?
Membranes
Members
- What were the rules to become a member of FoAM ? Was this process formalized ?
- What was the process to consider someone a member ? Was this process formalized ?
- What were the reasons leading to exclude a member ? Was this process formalized ?
- Were there different members status with different right & duties ?
Core team
- As there always been a “core team” ?
- How were people becoming part of the “core team” or leaving it ?
Board
- Where all members of the board FoAM members ?
- What was the role of the board ?
Decision-making
- What kind of decisions were taken collectively ?
- What were the collective decision-making instances ? Where there only the AGM, or did other instances like the Board existed ?
- How did you manage coordination of members work on projects ? Did you have clear roles and personal missions ?
- How was decision-making structured within FoAM ?
- Was there a hierarchy with different members status, more or less involved in decision-making ?
- How was a new project labeled a “FoAM project” ? Could any member start a “FoAM project” on his own, or did he have to ask other members to claim the label ?
- Who was in charge of the financial decision-making ?
Transformations
In your opinion, how many “metamorphosis” FoAM did overcome ?
Purpose
- How did the following elements evolved ?
- Purpose
- Vision
- Mission
- Values
- What/who was a driving for the evolution of these elements ?
- Was it a collective decision ? Of which kind of
Membranes
- Did the rules for membership acquisition/destitution evolved ?
- Did new members statuses appeared / old member statuses disappeared ?
- Did new membranes appeared / old membranes disappeared ?
Decision-making
- How did the decision-making structure evolved with time ?
Forks
- What triggered the creations of the new studios ?
- Is there an explicitly written common ground or agreement linking studios together ?
- Is there a hierarchy in the studios regarding decision-making ?
- Are studios linked financially ?
- Do every studio manage their own projects ? Can each studio claim to launch a “FoAM project” on its own ?
Inspirations
- Did new structural inspirations came along the way ? Did they impulsed change within the structure ?
Plasticity, adaptability, evolvability
The nature of FoAM work, its members, and its structure seem to be very plastic and ever-changing, while still being attached to common interests from the beginning
- How would you name this “DNA”, the part that did not change over the years ?
- Which element(s) / what reason(s) do you see as responsible for this outstanding plasticity ?
Successes & failures
- What do you see as the greatest successes of these structural experiments ?
- What do you see as the failed structural experiments ? What would you have liked to see emerging that did not emerge ?
Legal aspects
- Was the vzw the ideal legal structure for FoAM as an organization ?
- What would be the ideal legal structure for FoAM in your opinion ?