Update – see the agenda here.
The Decision-Making Plenary (DMP) is the session where BiCon makes decisions about things like who’s going to run BiCon in future years, any bi projects that BiCon might help to fund and whether any changes need to be made to the BiCon guidelines.
The DMP is important because BiCon makes its decisions as a whole community and everyone present at BiCon should be able to contribute to those. Because it’s so important, it’s never scheduled against other sessions, and it will be blended (in person and online) which allows everyone at BiCon to attend. This year it’s on Saturday afternoon. If you want to raise an issue at the DMP you should if at all possible bring it to the pre-DMP session on Friday (also blended). This allows the issues to be discussed in a smaller, more manageable group, where suggestions can be made, and the ideas may be refined. It also allows the issues to be publicised on the notice board and online so that BiCon attenders know what’s coming up. Please do read the notices if you’re intending to come to the DMP – things run more smoothly if everyone knows in advance what’s going to be discussed.
If you can’t make the pre-DMP session for any reason, and can’t find someone to go in your place, please leave a note in the team post-box before 5pm on Friday so that we can at least publicise the issue. Some small issues may be raised at the DMP without prior warning (it’s not that formal) but not changes to the Guidelines as those really do require more notice.
The BiCon Guidelines
The BiCon guidelines, originally written and agreed at the 1998 BiCon, are guidelines describing what BiCon is and how it should be run. They’re intended to make things easier for teams running BiCon rather than being restrictive, and to make sure that any BiCon covers the bare minimum of requirements for content and accessibility. Occasionally they get added to and amended at the DMP. The full text of the BiCon guidelines is available online at www.bicon.org.uk/guidelines.html and a copy will be available at the reception desk and at the pre-DMP session.
Bear in mind that they’re not intended so that you can walk around BiCon ticking them off and awarding marks to the current BiCon team; you’ll make yourself very unpopular if you do that!
Please do come to the DMP though. It’s important that decisions made on behalf of BiCon are made by as many people at BiCon as possible.
The pre-DMP session is at 17:00 – 18:00 on Friday in the Lecture Theatre.
The DMP is at 15:30 – 17:30 on Saturday in the Lecture Theatre.
Both sessions will be run as a blended in-person/online session using Zoom.