If you’re interested in making a priority proposal, this video will explain how it all works. You must be a member in good standing with the NAD to make a proposal regarding an issue you feel is important and should be a top focus for the NAD over the next two years. Your proposal must be submitted prior to the deadline, for the conference where it will be processed. If you miss the deadline, and attempt to submit it after the deadline, the proposal will not be discussed at the conference. If you’re interested in making a proposal, be sure to check out past Priorities of the NAD to see what has been accomplished over the years.
Using an online form, you can submit your proposal in English, or ASL – if submitting in ASL, you can include links for unlisted YouTube videos in the same form. Regardless of which language is used, it is important that the proposal is clear on what issue needs to be addressed, how it should be addressed by the NAD, and the elements of fiscal impact of the proposal.
Another critical aspect of this proposal is that it must be made by an individual member of the NAD. The individual can represent an organization and make a proposal on behalf of them, but it cannot be submitted by an organization, but it can be mentioned. The motion must be seconded by an individual member. It will be moved by an individual, and seconded by an individual – no organizations can make submissions.
The steering committee will assign a code to all submitted proposals based on the appropriate category of the proposal.
A few things to keep in mind as you make your proposal. Be prepared to do your homework to gather information and data for the proposal to justify why it should be considered. Consider whether this issue has been worked on in the past, and if so, what are the gaps that need to be addressed and include that in your proposal.
At the conference, delegates and members at the forum will have the opportunity to ask you about your proposal. Be prepared to answer their questions with valid information and data justifying why the proposal is important.
The proposed priorities will be distributed to State Associations, Affiliates, and NAD members prior to the conference for their review. At the conference, there will be a forum for members to deliberate the proposed priorities in which will be narrowed down to the top picks and sent off to the Council of Representatives (COR). COR will then review the proposed priorities and vote on the top priorities. As an author, you will be responsible for keeping track of the progress of your proposed priority. If you are unable to attend the conference, ask someone whom you know will be attending to speak on your behalf in answering questions regarding your proposal.
There are five (5) components to the proposal.
The first component is the title, which is the name of the proposal. It will be used to refer to the proposal itself.
The second component is what issue or gaps do you want the NAD to address.
The third component is focused on what do you want to be done to address the issue, whether it will resolve the issue or not, or a position statement to support our community regarding the issue. It is basically an idea of what you think should be done to address the issue.
The fourth component is the rationale. This is where you can explain why this issue is important, and why members at the forum should vote upon it to be carried into COR, and why delegates at COR should vote upon it as a top priority for the NAD Board to work upon. This should explain the reason why, along with supporting information, it should be selected as a top priority.
The last component is the fiscal impact. What fiscal impact does this proposal entail? Are there costs involved in your proposal? Will it require funding to pay for staffing to work on this proposal? Will it be outsourced with a professional to work on it? Are there travel costs? Will a committee need to convene to work on the proposal? Those are some examples. Will there be any potential revenue with this proposal?
Those are the components you will need to include in your proposal.
Keep in mind of the three C’s as you work on your proposal. Ensure it is concise, clear, and complete. As you review your proposal, remember the three C’s and make sure it is concise, clear and complete.
Here’s a sample of a proposed solution. Title: Delegates should wear red shirts. Problem to be addressed: It’s difficult to differentiate delegates from the membership during COR at the conference. Proposed Solution: Delegates should be required to wear red shirts, and members who are not part of the COR will not need to wear red shirts. Rationale: It will be easier to differentiate delegates from the membership. It will be clear who is within the operations of the COR. We can detect who has voting capability within the COR. Fiscal Impact: The NAD would need to buy shirts for the delegates, in various sizes. Each delegate would get two shirts each, and there are approximately 125 delegates. The NAD may collect payment from delegates. There may be shipping costs involved. This is what may be involved in the cost for this proposal. This sample proposal is concise, clear, and complete.
Title
For the title, it is important to keep it brief. A long title is not necessary and can be brief. The title should reflect what the proposal is about. If it is not relevant with the proposed content, it may cause confusion. Keep the title consistent with the proposal.
Problem to be Addressed
For the problem that you want the NAD to address, specify what problem you would like to be addressed. Try not to present generic issues such as “VRI is an issue”. Try to be as specific as possible on the main issue. If there are several problems you’d like for the NAD to address, please create separate priority proposals for each problem, especially if it is not relevant with one another.
Proposed Solution
The proposed solution segment focuses on what can be done to address the problem presented. Focus on how the problem can be addressed, what tasks the NAD board (and its committees) can do to address the problem. Make sure the solution you are presenting is clear for members and delegates to understand, allowing them to make an informed decision to support your proposal. You should do some research to see if a similar proposal has been made as a priority at past NAD conferences, and if so, what is different about your proposal that the NAD board should do. If you’re curious about past priorities that the NAD has had, take a look at the NAD website. Your proposal should be simple and shouldn’t be very long which may cause confusion for members and delegates. With a lot of detail, it may become difficult to move forward – simplicity allows for more flexibility within the committee to work with the ideas presented, and possibly attempt other approaches to address the problem.
Rationale
Rationale is the opportunity for you to explain why members at the Forum should consider and select your proposal to carry on to the Council of Representatives (COR), as well as why the COR should consider this proposal as one of the top priorities for the NAD board to work upon. How will your proposal help Deaf America? What are the benefits of having the NAD focus their time and energy on this proposal.
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact. It’s important to include possible fiscal impacts regarding your proposal. Will this cost NAD money for employee time on the project? Will this proposal require people to travel someplace for a meeting? Will this require a gathering of experts to discuss the solution? Will there be any possible revenue? Those are examples of costs that may be involved in your proposal.
Sample Proposal
Here’s a sample of a proposed solution. Title: Delegates should wear red shirts. Problem to be addressed: It’s difficult to differentiate delegates from the membership during COR at the conference. Proposed Solution: Delegates should be required to wear red shirts, and members who are not part of the COR will not need to wear red shirts. Rationale: It will be easier to differentiate delegates from the membership. It will be clear who is within the operations of the COR. We can detect who has voting capability within the COR. Fiscal Impact: The NAD would need to buy shirts for the delegates, in various sizes. Each delegate would get two shirts each, and there are approximately 125 delegates. The NAD may collect payment from delegates. There may be shipping costs involved. This is what may be involved in the cost for this proposal. This sample proposal is concise, clear, and complete.
Motions, Steering Committee, and Process
Conference Motions and Proposed Priorities. Proposed Priorities must be submitted prior to the deadline. Proposed priorities will not be accepted at the conference. The delegates are tasked with determining the top priorities during the Council of Representatives. However, prior to making that decision, members have the opportunity during the Forum to determine which proposed priorities should be carried to the COR or consideration. The delegates during COR will need to determine the top priorities from the list of proposed priorities carried through the Forums.
Motions can be made during the COR, however it is limited to three different types. They are: Bylaws Amendments for consideration, Finance motions such as after getting the report, and needing to make a motion regarding it, and thirdly resolutions can be made during the COR. All motions and proposed priorities that are carried, and are not carried, is of official decision from the COR. Motions and proposed priorities made outside of COR are not official decisions for the NAD. As mentioned, if you want to make a motion during COR, it can only be limited to three types – Bylaws Amendments, Finance, and Resolutions. Please know that Bylaws Amendments are only for this very conference, and the proposals made at this very conference, and should not include potential future bylaws proposals, or past proposals.
There is a Steering Chair and committee. The president will select the Chair for the Steering Committee. The chair will then reach out to delegates for people to join the committee. The committee is responsible for collecting and reviewing all proposed priorities. They will ensure that the proposals are clear, concise, and complete. Proposals that are not clear or incomplete will result in the committee reaching out to the author for clarification and make edits/adjustments as needed. If the proposal is submitted in ASL, the committee will translate it into English. All proposals will be translated to ASL. During the conference, the Steering Committee will present the proposals for delegates. The Steering Committee is also responsible to watch the progress of the proposals including amendments, and whether they are carried from the Forums to COR, or if other changes have occurred. They will keep the president informed of these changes as they happen.
Now I will explain the process for all proposed priorities upon arriving at the conference. First, after individual members of the NAD have submitted their proposed priorities online, they are then distributed to all NAD Members prior to the NAD conference. Upon arrival at the conference, members will have the opportunity to debate the proposed priorities at the Forums. There will be several forums for different topics, depending on the areas and topics of the proposed priorities that were submitted. In each breakout session for the Forums, they will review proposed priorities and narrow them down to a few top picks and carry them out to the Council of Representatives. The delegates during COR will then narrow down the proposals to the top priorities that will be worked upon over the next two years. The Top Priorities is officially selected for the NAD to focus on. Please note that the Steering Committee has the right to edit proposed priorities if they do not meet the guidelines. Updates regarding the Proposed Priorities will be made periodically throughout the conference. Proposed Priorities that have been submitted will be shared with members 30 days prior to the conference.