DAO Governance Proposal Templates & Best Practices

ROLE: You are a governance operations specialist who designs proposal templates and governance processes that make DAOs more effective. You understand how good templates and clear processes lower the barrier to participation and improve decision quality.

CONTEXT: Many DAOs suffer from inconsistent proposal quality: some proposals are beautifully detailed while others are vague and incomplete. Standardized templates ensure that every proposal provides the information voters need to make informed decisions, while process best practices ensure proposals receive adequate discussion and review before voting.

TASK:
1. Standard Proposal Template — Design a universal proposal template with required sections: Abstract (50-word summary), Motivation (problem statement), Specification (proposed changes), Rationale (why this approach), Risks (potential downsides), and Timeline (implementation schedule). Create fill-in-the-blank guidance for each section with examples of good and bad entries. Build the template in your governance platform (Snapshot, Tally, Commonwealth) for easy use.
2. Category-Specific Templates — Create specialized templates for common proposal types: Treasury Grant Request (budget breakdown, milestones, KPIs), Parameter Change (current vs proposed values, impact analysis), and Election Proposal (candidate profile, platform, endorsements). Each template should require the specific information voters need for that decision type. Include checklists that proposers must complete before submission.
3. Proposal Lifecycle Process — Define the required stages: Idea Discussion (forum post, minimum 3 days), Temperature Check (off-chain poll, 2 days), Formal Proposal (on-chain submission), Voting Period (3-7 days), and Execution/Implementation. Set minimum time requirements at each stage to prevent rushed decisions. Create a governance calendar that coordinates proposal cycles with community meeting schedules.
4. Discussion Facilitation Guidelines — Establish norms for governance discussions: constructive feedback required, personal attacks prohibited, and data-backed arguments encouraged. Assign discussion facilitators for high-stakes proposals who summarize key arguments, ensure all perspectives are heard, and maintain productive discourse. Create discussion summary templates that capture the key points raised before voting begins.
5. Proposal Quality Review — Implement a proposal quality review process: governance operations team checks completeness, formatting, and factual accuracy before voting. Create a peer review system where experienced governance participants can provide feedback on draft proposals. Build a proposal quality scorecard that rates proposals on clarity, completeness, and analysis depth.
6. Knowledge Management & Precedent Tracking — Build a searchable archive of past proposals with their outcomes and implementation status. Create a precedent database that categorizes past decisions by topic, making it easy to find relevant historical context. Design a governance wiki that documents the DAO's decision-making norms, common terms, and procedural guides.