😁Merit System

How It Works

You can view the full list of badges here.

This system is brand new! We are starting it in November 2022, but we have been designing it since July 2022.

Think of the merit system as an on-chain resume of Dream DAO activities and accomplishments: it shows people inside and outside of Dream DAO just how engaged members are and what they have contributed.

You can also think about it like Boy Scout badges. Lots of people are Boy Scouts— but very few have lots of badges, and even fewer reach the highest level of recognition— “Eagle Scout”. Someone can say that they are a Boy Scout, but people will not really understand the contributions they have made until they see the Boy Scout’s badges.

We use this merit system to allow members to qualify for certain perks based on the merit they have achieved. Members with more merit badges will given top-priority when it comes to selecting members for:

• Conferences to attend

• Events to participate in

• Opportunities for additional projects or bounties, such as the Explorers Program

The Dream DAO merit system is self-managing. Instead of having one person in charge of tracking all activity in the DAO and then rewarding the relevant badges (which would be messy and unmanageable), members are be responsible for themselves:

• There is a list of merit badges and instructions for how to obtain them

• Once a member completes a requirement for a badge, they fill out a form with proof of completion

• If an individual member or working group has defined a specific merit badge, the form will go to them to review

• At the end of the month, there is an individual responsible for approving all merit badge requests that meet the requirements, and they are distributed

Defining merit badges was a decentralized effort, led by 3 groups:

• Co-Stewards: Defined badges that transcend the scope of any individual working group.

• Working Group Leads: Created badges relevant to the scope of their working group.

• Individual Submissions: Are able to submit ideas for merit badges in a form, which are reviewed by the co-stewards.

One of our Builders, Julieta, created the art for the badges. The badges are all Polygon NFTs, and we use Third Web to mint them.

Each badge is given a value of 1-3, 3 being the highest level of contribution (for instance, participating in the Explorers program), and 1 being the lowest (for instance, writing a proposal).

Levels are not used to gatekeep Builders from opportunities, they are simply a way to measure/quantify engagement. For instance, any Builder will be able to run for working group leads, but voters may take the Builder’s “level” into consideration when choosing their top candidates. The same goes for the Explorers Program, conferences, and more.

Bounties can have merit badges assigned to them— there is no correlation but they may overlap. For example, let’s say the Partnerships working group decides that filling out a grant application is worth a merit badge. However, the lead may also decide to reward a $30 bounty for the work.

Essentially, we should see bounties as compensation for work and merit badges as recognition for contribution. Most of the time, bounties are time-bound and can only be completed by one person. But merit badges can be done at any time and completed by many individuals.

Why We Created This

Without a merit system, it is hard to distinguish the difference between each Dream DAO member’s actual level of activity in the DAO. Two members could say they are a part of Dream DAO, but that could represent very different levels of engagement. Before the merit system, the only way we could only recognize members for their contributions was money in the form of bounties. This works when there is a project, something to manage, or a specific achieved outcome, but it isn’t sustainable nor is it suitable to all types of merit-worthy activities. And financial rewards can actually harm the social fabric of the DAO if people only contribute when they are paid. Recognition is a valuable use of a merit system. Additionally, the merit system also provides utility in the form of benefits to more active members of the DAO. This also makes elections clearer and more transparent. Candidates are able to promote their merit badges, and voters can refer to each candidate’s merit badges as an immutable and visible indicator of a candidate’s commitment to the DAO.

Learnings

Sometimes, if a DAO tool does not exist to serve your needs, you need to create one of your own. We had a need, and we were able to fulfill it (and we are proud of what we created!). We anticipate this current structure is only the foundation of our merit system, and that it will continue to evolve as we do.