What is Collective Process?
Collective process is a structure different from that of most organizations in that it is not hierarchical. There is no President, no Secretary, no Board of Directors; we do not reach decisions by a vote.
How does it work? Making decisions through collective process means a group must reach a consensus, or rather, everyone in the group must agree that a decision is acceptable. How do you accomplish this? Mainly, through group discussion.
Certainly, this does not mean everyone in the collective will always be happy with a decision. It does mean that everyone will agree the decision was reached fairly and is the proper course of action.
Why does WSAC use collective process? Because in traditional organizational structures, minority voices tend to be marginalized through other systems such as election or voting. If only a few people in the group feel a certain way, and the group takes a vote, that minority opinion can easily be ignored, for there is nothing requiring the group to consider their standpoint.
It is the goal of collective process to avoid this marginalization by using a structure which encourages open discussion and diversity in the group.
To learn more about the specifics of how collective process works, check out Dr. Peggy Chinn's book entitled, Peace and Power: Building Communities for the Future (WSAC uses the fifth edition). You can borrow this book from our resource library.