Policy Framework
Fantastic Queensland is an Incorporated Society, and has certain obligations. These are defined by :
- Our desire to support our target community; those who create, consume, and celebrate speculative fiction in a variety of media.
- The need to be fair and ethical with all those with whom we deal.
- The obligation to recognise and involve the sponsors who enable us to do what we do.
- Recognition of our limitations, because we are a group of motivated volunteers who also have other commitments in our lives.
- The legal requirements of a formal organisation.
These considerations mean that we have adopted the following Policy Framework. Members can initiate change at any time, through debate and discussion at our regular meetings, but we believe there needs to be unanimity when setting policy.
1) All projects must have a sponsor within the FQ committee, willing to provide oversight and feedback. If we do not have a sponsor, we are not ready for the project.
2) All projects must have a budget and a sunset, so we know we are not committed to open-ended projects, or projects that are beyond our ability to resource them.
3) All projects must fit the objectives of FQ.
4) Money spent by FQ is for assets or programs owned in trust by FQ for the spec fic community and sponsors. We cannot transfer FQ assets to FQ members or any other party.
5) FQ must be impartial when buying goods or services from third parties, and must always get the best value for money available for the funds it manages.
6) Projects that help build writers' skills, experience, income opportunities, and CV as paid authors are a priority, because they are practical steps towards developing jobs through developing industry viability.
7) Raising funds is best achieved by linking the funds sought to specific projects.
8) We wish to be seen by the Australian spec fic community as supporting and inclusive of all Australian spec fic creators and fans as much as possible.
9) We must not allow third parties to use the name or reputation of FQ, or allow others to create liabilities for FQ, without having oversight and control of the things they do in our name. We can support worthy new projects with words and praise, but financial participation or FQ stake holding has to have another level of supervision.
10) We must not promise what we cannot achieve
11) We must not overburden our committee members. The committee must primarily focus on policy and resourcing.
12) We must defend the legal and intellectual property rights of creators, especially those associated with FQ and spec fic, because otherwise we undermine the viability of the industry we are trying to create.
