# Proposal Process

Proposals are the primary means through which a DAO community makes decisions, deploys funds, and adapts behaviors. Proposals can start formally or informally. [Discord](https://github.com/discord) is the primary place for informal proposal discussions. If these discussions lead to the need for a formal proposal, a member should upload a draft of the proposal to Discourse for community input deployed at https://discuss.descier.science. These draft proposals undergo refinement based on that community input until they are ready to advance. When the proposal is ready, the draft in [Discourse](https://github.com/discourse/discourse) becomes the final draft, locked against further edits. If the proposal requires formal governance, a member must upload it using the deScier application for a formal, token-based vote.

To accelerate decision-making and avoid decision fatigue, deScier will also use a soft governance mechanism via Discourse. This type of governance is for the smaller, more numerous decisions that depend on norm-setting and local agreements (as in working groups or specific project due diligence). Soft governance does not apply to decisions on issuing funds or tokens from its treasury. When a funding decision needs to happen, there must be a token-based vote. A summary of the process for creating proposals is as follows:

1. Phase 0 (Idea): Begin the discussion about the idea in Discord
2. Phase I (Draft): Post initial proposal to deScier Proposal Channel in Discourse for community feedback and input.
3. Phase II (Refine): Refine and polish proposal in Discourse until community abandons the proposal or decides it’s worth a formal vote.
4. Phase III (Final): Upload to platform for token-based vote.
