Unify Montrose Assembly Process Update!

Oct 25

Here’s what’s been happening during the Unify Montrose Assembly:

Delegate Experience Per Week

Delegates watched a 9-minute “Lowdown video” about the process of deliberation and how the Unify Montrose deliberation will work.
Delegates met their Trust and discussed their reasons for serving in the deliberation in the small group.

Delegates met in person at the Ute Indian Museum.
Delegates spent time getting to know members of their Trust with a series of questions.
Delegates generated lists of ground rules by Trust, and then submitted them to Unify Montrose.

Delegates adopted the Ground Rules by a >95% vote.
Delegates watched a 7-minute Lowdown video about confirmation bias and experience bias (also known as “bubble bias”).
Delegates watched a 9-minute Lowdown video about collective wisdom in deliberation, being a better listener, and how to make their case using a “Connect the Dots” formula of state it, support it, summarize it.
Delegates spent time in their Trust discussing the Lowdown material and practicing making their cases using the “Connect the Dots” formula

Delegates watched about 40 minutes of Lowdown videos about the Status Quo that featured information about the childcare problem and interview footage with local childcare experts and parents.

Delegates deliberated 8 Actions. Each Week featured 2 Actions, each with a Lowdown video, an Action description, details, and benefits and tradeoffs.
In their Trusts, Delegates delegates had time to consider each action, including its benefits and tradeoffs.
Delegates submitted over 150 questions about the status quo, the deliberation process, and Actions. Answers to these questions were published on the Delegate Information page.
Delegates also submitted over 120 ideas for improvements to Actions, which were summarized by combining like ideas into 52 Improvements for consideration in Week 9 (see a spreadsheet of Improvements suggested and the Improvement Summary).

Having now discussed each Action, Delegates will take stock of all Actions. As part of that deliberation, Delegates will consider the 52 improvements submitted by their fellow Delegates. Improvements are designed to make the action better.
Delegates will vote on the 52 Improvements. Any improvement that receives more than 50% of the voting Assembly’s support will be adopted.
NEW ADDITION TO THE PROCESS BASED ON DELEGATE FEEDBACK: Delegates will also reflect on what may be missing from the 8 Actions, and have a chance to generate and submit new ideas for actions.

Delegates will consider the revised Actions, now including delegate supported Improvements, alongside estimated budgets and an economic impact analysis from Dr. Nathan Perry (Colorado Mesa University).

Delegates will discuss the delegate-generated Ideas for Actions and vote on them.
Delegates will vote on the Actions. Any Action receiving two-thirds of the Assembly’s support will be considered a recommendation from the Assembly.
Delegates will vote on funding levels and give feedback on funding sources.