Online registration for EGP supporters
A proposal
Foreword
One of the EGP’s priorities for the coming years is, to expand the Individual Supportership scheme. One of the simplest ways to make progress is to simplify registration and administration through an online registration form directly linked to the EGP’s – and individual parties’ – sites. The Supporters’ Network, which is, together with the EGP committee, in charge of the promotion of the IS scheme, hereby proposes how such a facility and database could be created and managed.
We first outline the conditions needed to make the system function the way we want, then we describe the registration process, and lastly we propose a mechanism to implement it.
Conditions
The purpose of the supportership scheme is
(1) to link individuals living in Europe to a transnational political movement that is capable of both parliamentary and grassroots action, and
(2) to create more spaces for cross border debate and action.
Therefore
• We need a database that contains minimal information on the supporter: identity, full address, mail, and a choice of ways in which the supporter wishes to be involved: only financially; receiving news and invitations to activities; through active participation
• Those who want to be actively involved, will be asked to provide extra information on their interests and capabilities.
• All individuals should be able to register directly in the database. The responsibility for the veracity of the information lies with the individual herself.
• Parties have the right to veto individuals living in their nation/region. Therefore we need a transparent mechanism that allows those parties to prevent determined individuals to become EGP supporters.
• Supporters contribute financially at annual fees that are already determined, therefore we need a mechanism to cash and administer these contributions in a transparent and accountable way, under the responsibility of the EGP. Such a mechanism must allow for financial contributions to be made/collected on a regular basis.
Process
An individual living in Europe hears about the EGP and wishes to join. She visits the EGP website and fills in an online form, thus creating an identity in a social network web-space. This registration gives the right (but not the obligation) to receive news from the EGP, GGEP, Supporters’ Network, but not yet access to internal Supporters’ Network discussion forums.
The registrant is checked to be a real person, and not an automatic spammer. Registrants are also identified by country of origin. This process is automated, not needing human intervention.
Her membership is on a proof-basis period, awaiting approval by the parties. Within each national or regional party, a person responsible for Supporters is granted access to the members registered in the database corresponding to her country, and also gets regular an automated notification of new applicants. If the party decides to revoke the application, this supporters’ contact notifies the EGP /Supporters’ Network responsible*, mentioning the reason of the veto. The registrant in question will receive an automated copy of this notification.
If after a month the party hasn’t vetoed the registration, the registrant is admitted and asked to pay her financial contribution online. Once the payment is received, the supportership is effective and the supporter will also have access to Network’s discussion forums and other activities as well as the minutes of Network meetings. If the applicant is vetoed, mailings and access to the site will stop.
Contributions are registered in full detail and are open to auditing by the EGP treasurer.
Proposal
Existing software for social networking allows to set up a mechanism that complies with what is described above, especially the software drupal (www.drupal.org), which several European green parties (such as GroenLinks) use to manage their internet presence, and members’ administration.
The Supporters’ Network will contract the setting up of a drupal site tailored to the above-mentioned needs. In our experience such a website implies a maintenance level from one to four hours a week, which the Supporters’ coordination team can provide. The tailoring and installation costs don’t have to surpass five thousand euros, plus a few hundreds per year for renting the secure connection services.
The only action not automated is the checking of individuals by national parties. It is indeed the task of the Supporters’ Network coordination team, in coordination with the EGP, to convince the national parties to assume these responsibilities. What we are talking about here is two hours a month at most for scrutinising new applicants by logging in to the registration site and (a) do nothing or (b) veto individuals, which will be automatically informed of the decision and the reason. Vetoed individuals, if still interested, are invited to address the national party to clear up their situation. The final decision remains with the national party.
Closing lines
The setting up of the described proposal is a matter of relatively small funds and short time. Those not familiar with automated procedures might have doubts about the security of the process outlined above. But it is important to notice that today in Internet almost uncountable resources are made available for the managing of groups and funds. Technically speaking, we are not proposing anything too difficult or demanding, but rather standard. Existing extensions of the drupal platform can handle our requests without mayor adaptation. In any case, if there are questions or remarks, we are certainly open to improvement and discussion.
Inti Suarez inti.suarez@scicha.org
