1. Unequal Playing Fields, Showing Gaps, and Adjusting the Rules
Rigged by Roberts
Unequal Playing Fields, Showing Gaps, and Adjusting the Rules  

2. What questions do we need to ask
The prompt – The first sentence of G
“The councils of the church shall give full expression to the rich diversity of the church’s membership and shall provide for full participation and access to representation in decision making…”
“The moderator possesses the authority necessary for preserving order and for conducting efficiently the business of the body. He or she shall convene and adjourn the body in accordance with its own action.” G
In 2010, The assembly approved and sent to the presbyteries for its vote a revised Form of Government (Book of Order). Among the shifts, options for discernment processes in addition to Robert’s Rules of Order explicit in G regarding Meetings.
What are the differences that matter in your context?

3. Timeline 2010 – Exploration of measuring tools for participation
2012 – all paper process, all volunteers, B&O
2014 – paper participation tallys, Google Doc observation report, all volunteers, B&O
2016 – POWA: Process Observation Web Application for GA222, all volunteers, B&O
FUTURE:
Develop Automatic Reporting Functions
Adapt for use by mid councils
Explore for Session use

4. Example of a paper tally sheet for observers
Handouts
Needs to be available in all languages of the group being observed
Time intensive to collect data.
Timed observations so multiple observers feedback can be properly understood
Advantage of app is it logs the time when the app is being used.
Reflects the registration data at one time, may have errors

5. POWA at GA222 Process Observation web application, 2016
Register as an Observer
Login and fill out a profile
observations.ogapcusa .org/register
observations.ogapcusa.o rg/accounts/profile/
Who you are affects what you see and hear.

6. POWA at GA222 - Steps 3 - 6 repeated for all committees observed
Begin an observation
Process Questionnaire
observations.ogapcusa.org/
observations.ogapcusa.org/363/question naire/
Participation tally
Save when complete
observations.ogapcusa.org/363/4/tally/

7. All The Info that fits on a very small screen
On the Participation Tally page we use abbreviated terms to try to get accurate and comprehensive group identity information that was self- reported in registration. The Observer has a view of who is in the room and not relying on their own raced guesses.

8. the power of Observer effect
How the Illusion of Being Observed Can Make You a Better Person
Even a poster with eyes on it changes how people behave
By Sander van der Linden | Scientific American, Published May 3, 2011

9. Necessary conditions to observe processes
Accurate registration information tagged to individual participants.
Observers describe what happened (observe with eyes and ears) but do not pay attention to the content of the discussion/business.
What happened
Who participates
How it impacts final action
A group wanting to increase inclusiveness in its practices
Many Observers required (minimum of 3). Social Location of observer matters.
Council or committee practices that allow observers to identify individual speakers.
Microphones used
Identification of person by name and affiliation (at GA that’s presbytery) before speaking for any reason
Seeking data that will show patterns of participation, not playing “gotcha” with leadership

10. Trends of Robert’s Rules in GA Committees
Older Teaching Elders (over 50) speak more and repeatedly
Particularly men
Occasionally women
Suggests those with most practice with the rules are most proficient.
GA Commissioners tend to be over 40
Those under 40 are usually Teaching Elders
More persons over 55 than the rest combined.
When Committee of the Whole or Consensus is used:
Younger persons participate more
Ruling Elders participate more
Folks of color participate more
Silence patterns vary, but less representation has a major impact.
Even when practices are in place to remind the group of inclusion work, the patterns show.
Observers see different things in the same room at the same time.

11. A Few Key Characteristics of Implicit Biases
Implicit biases are pervasive.  Everyone possesses them, even people with avowed commitments to impartiality such as judges.
Implicit and explicit biases are related but distinct mental constructs.  They are not mutually exclusive and may even reinforce each other.
The implicit associations we hold do not necessarily align with our declared beliefs or even reflect stances we would explicitly endorse.
We generally tend to hold implicit biases that favor our own ingroup, though research has shown that we can still hold implicit biases against our ingroup.
Implicit biases are malleable.  Our brains are incredibly complex, and the implicit associations that we have formed can be gradually unlearned through a variety of debiasing techniques.
The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity is an interdisciplinary engaged research institute at The Ohio State University established in May 2003.

12. More tools for discussion
Implicit Bias Test | Harvard | Project Implicit
Bias Cleanse | MTV and Kirwan Institute
Are Men Talking Too Much? (website)
Do you have a favorite to lift up?

13. Moderators the power to impact Process
Timing speakers
Seeking new voices
Resisting speed so all who wish to speak have the opportunity
Cultural bias – practices emphasize dominant group
Room set-up
Discernment processes – consensus, committee of the whole
And More…

14. New frontiers for POWA
Adapting for mid council use – synods and presbyteries
The smaller the group, the more personal the feedback feels – also less likely that there are persons present to observe only. Practice has to be adjusted if participants are observing too.
Registration – current app loads in real time from the registration system of GA so changes are reflected in tally sheets of participants.
Costs – limited funds have driven choices in how the app functions
Wifi is required for web access
Experimenting with PoliCon (Polity Conference)
How do you see a tool like this being useful?
Testers – are you willing to help us test a mid council version when it is ready?

15. Molly Casteel, OGA THANK YOU|
THANK YOU
Let’s stay in touch. As the app develops, I’d love to have feedback from you on use in your contexts.