HSP-009: Transfer of the Head of Governance Role from NEAR Foundation to House of Stake Foundation
1. Summary
This proposal transfers the Head of Governance role from the NEAR Foundation (NF) to the House of Stake Foundation (HoS Foundation) so that the HoS governance system is truly decentralized, community-driven, transparent, and accountable.
Under this proposal, the Head of Governance will no longer be hired, funded, or directed by NF. Instead, the role will be embedded within the HoS Foundation and accountable to the HoS community through clear responsibilities, budget oversight, reporting requirements, and collaborative governance development.
2. Problem
Currently, the Head of Governance (also referred to as Governance Lead) for HoS operates under the NEAR Foundation. This presents serious issues:
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Centralized control – NF controls the core governance role of HoS.
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Conflict of interest – The entity being governed (NF) appoints the person running governance.
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No community accountability – The Head of Governance does not report to delegates or token holders.
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Opaque budgeting – Budgets, KPIs, and spending are not transparently shared with HoS.
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Vendor control remains with NF – Key vendors (Gauntlet, Agoga, FastNear, Agora, etc.) report to NF, not HoS.
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HoS cannot be truly decentralized if its core governance role is under NF authority.
If House of Stake is meant to govern NEAR, it must govern itself first.
3. Proposed Solution
Transfer the Head of Governance role from NEAR Foundation to the House of Stake Foundation.
Under this new structure:
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The Head of Governance becomes an official role within HoS Foundation, not NF.
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The role is accountable to the HoS community, not to NF leadership.
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The Head of Governance co-develops governance frameworks with the community (not behind closed doors).
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The Head of Governance manages budgets and vendors on behalf of HoS.
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The Head of Governance must publish monthly governance reports.
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The HoS community can review, renew, or remove the Head of Governance via governance processes.
4. Head of Governance Responsibilities (under HoS Foundation)
4.1 Governance Architecture (Co-Created with Community)
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Co-develop and iterate the HoS Constitution with the community.
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Collaboratively design governance processes and upgrade procedures.
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Use open RFCs, public feedback, and governance votes.
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Maintain clear documentation and accessibility.
4.2 Program & Vendor Management
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Manage all governance-related service providers for HoS (e.g., Gauntlet, Agoga, FastNear, Agora, and future vendors).
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Define clear KPIs, timelines, and deliverables.
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Ensure timely, high-quality execution.
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Recommend renewal, replacement, or removal of vendors as needed.
Exception: The Media Team and the Ombuds Office remain independent to protect communication integrity and dispute neutrality.
4.3 Budget Oversight
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Manage the HoS Foundation governance budget.
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Submit budget proposals to HoS for approval.
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Ensure all spending is tied to performance and value.
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Eliminate NF-controlled funding of HoS-related work.
4.4 Product Delivery
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Coordinate frontend, backend, and smart contract governance upgrades.
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Run a rigorous but lightweight delivery pipeline (issues, sprints, retros).
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Prevent governance downtime.
4.5 Community Stewardship
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Ensure delegates feel supported and heard.
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Enable newcomers to onboard themselves.
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Maintain civil, open, fact-based public discourse.
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Act on community feedback and sentiment.
4.6 Thought Leadership
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Represent HoS at major conferences and events.
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Host Twitter/X Spaces, podcasts, AMAs.
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Publish research and best practices.
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Establish HoS as a governance model across Web3.
4.7 AI-Governance Transition
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Build a phased roadmap to integrate AI into governance:
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Proposal drafting assistance
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Signal aggregation
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Dispute support and resolution
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Work with research partners to deploy AI tooling.
4.8 Reporting & Accountability
The Head of Governance must:
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Publish monthly “State of Governance” reports.
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Share metrics, progress, vendor performance, and upcoming plans.
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Provide transparency on budget usage.
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Incorporate community feedback.
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Be subject to performance review and potential removal by HoS governance.
5. Chain of Command
Under this proposal:
The Head of Governance reports to the HoS Foundation / HoS community.
All HoS governance-related service providers (except Media Team & Ombuds Office) report to the Head of Governance.
The Head of Governance manages HoS Foundation governance budgets.
The Head of Governance may recommend vendor replacement or termination.
The HoS community retains final authority through voting or delegate oversight.
6. Why This Change is Essential
This proposal enables:
True decentralization — HoS, not NF, governs HoS.
Transparency — budgets, processes, KPIs become public.
Accountability — the Head of Governance must report monthly and can be removed.
Coordination — one accountable operator aligns vendors, delivery, and community.
Faster execution — no waiting for NF decisions.
Community ownership — governance belongs to the governed.
You cannot build decentralized governance on a centralized foundation.
7. Transition Plan (within 30 days after proposal approval)
Step 1: Approve HSP-009.
Step 2: NEAR Foundation relinquishes the Head of Governance role for HoS.
Step 3: HoS Foundation appoints the Head of Governance.
Step 4: The Head of Governance defines KPIs and reporting requirements.
Step 5: Transfer vendor relationships and governance operations under the HoS Head of Governance.
Step 6: The community begins ongoing evaluation and oversight.
Step 7: The Head of Governance prepares the governance and office 6-months budget (including remuneration) and submits it to HoS to vote initially and then every six months.
If the NEAR Foundation refuses to transfer this role, the HoS will hold a separate vote to elect a new Head of Governance and formally adopt a working charter that defines the scope, responsibilities, and authority of this role.