Policy and Document Room
Governance-, Expense-, Health & Safety Policies, MoU’s & Contracts
Ktopia Governance
Ktopia is a virtual, planetary Ecotope Cooperation — a living lab, an imaginary ecoregion, a mythology, and a real fiction with no legal body.
We connect and gather as consortia of value-aligned partners, working in agile project circles to work for the common good.
We are a circle of freelancers and partners, identifying as Ktopia Core Contributors.
We work without hierarchy — no top-down, no bottom-up — only cooperation from all directions of a moving circle.
Each of us is free and responsible, equal in voice, and trusted to lead in our domain.
We nurture the soil of trust through daily and weekly individual and team practice.
Within the circle, Core Contributors who naturally express leadership may form a project lead team.
This role arises only when needed — for example, to coordinate processes, approve offers and expenses, or represent the project in external agreements.
The project lead team is not above the circle; it is an expression of service to the circle.
Membership is fluid and situational, based on responsibility, expertise, and trust.
Once the specific need passes, the role dissolves back into the circle.
In this way, leadership in Ktopia is not fixed but emergent, contextual, and accountable to the collective.
Our governance is rooted in Consensus (con-sensus: “to be conscious and aware together”).
We understand sensus as conscious awareness — a verb, the practice of sensing and aligning together.
We call this practice Consenseing.
Consenseing means:
Listening deeply to resonance and dissonance in the group
Practising honest, clear communication
Building and maintaining trust as the ground of our collaboration
Like a jam session of musicians:
Sometimes one voice leads, sometimes another, sometimes a subgroup of instruments
Harmony flows when we are in tune
When dissonance arises, we pause, listen, and re-tune
From this root, other practices emerge when needed:
Delegation when specialist knowledge is trusted
Consent when speed matters (everyone is informed; if nobody objects, it goes through)
Spontaneous agreement for small, everyday choices
Whatever the form, the rhythm is the same: Consenseing — our committed practice of tuning in together in conscious awareness, for the growth, development, and impact of our co-produced Open Educational Resources for the Common Good.
Transparency is core to our cooperation.
We practice open finance and public documentation on the web.
Through Open Collective, all financial transactions are visible in real time to the public.
Only information that requires data protection is redacted.
All expenses are documented in full, in line with our expense guidelines.
We inform and share our open development through live documentation on our website and across our social media channels.
We document and collaborate in our self-hosted open-source cloud, ensuring every Core Contributor is informed and able to participate.
By practicing open finance and open documentation, we not only build trust inside Ktopia but also strengthen our public credibility.
Anyone can see how resources flow and how knowledge evolves, anchoring our work in accountability, integrity, and shared confidence.
Ktopia Expense Policy
Purpose
Cover only those costs that directly support and progress defined common good edu ktopia projects.
Who this applies to
Core Contributors, Collaborators, Consortia working on shared projects. ktopia does not employ; all contributors act as self-employed individuals/SMEs/Non-Profits and are responsible for legal registration, invoicing, taxes, and compliance in their country.
1) Project services
Hosting, domains, open-source support, and professional services (e.g., design, development, facilitation), including reimbursements for services prepaid by ktopia members.
2) Print costs (for analogue card games)
Coordination, print design, printing, and logistics, prioritising the highest feasible sustainability standards (e.g., recycled/FSC materials, low-waste packaging).
3) Core Contributor essential-needs (benchmarked, not salaries)
Contributors may invoice the equivalent value of modest, essential living needs adjusted to their country’s cost of living.
- Full-Capacity (100%): Food (basic healthy diet), Housing (modest rent incl. essential heating), Electricity, Internet (standard rates).
- Half-Capacity (50%): Food, Electricity, Internet (standard rates).
Notes: charge only what is necessary for the period worked; these are ceilings, not entitlements.
4) Tools, materials & travel
Hardware, software, workshop materials, and essential travel directly related to project delivery. Pre-Confirmed Travel should use modest options (e.g., public transport/economy)
1. Offer before standing invoices
Before submitting any invoice, Core Contributors must submit an official service proposal. The offer must be pre-approved by the project lead team and/or be included in relevant grant agreements. Expenses are paid only if sufficient funds are available in the public, transparent budget. When funds are limited, payouts are prioritised for urgent, basic needs.
2. Documentation
Each offer/invoice/expense must include:
- Vendor details: name, address, and tax ID (if applicable).
- Description: services/goods and how they support the project.
- Total amount: with tax and, where relevant, a line-item breakdown.
- Recurrence: one-time or monthly.
- Proof: receipt/invoice (and proof of payment for reimbursements).
- Pre-confirmation: attach evidence where required by the project lead team.
- Submit on Open Collective
- Use Open Collective’s expense system with a clear justification and the correct category (Invoice or Reimbursement). Link to the relevant ktopia project or grant where applicable.
- Mission-aligned & modest: choose cost-effective, ethical, and sustainable options.
- Transparency: all expenses must be clearly documented and ready for review by the project lead team and fiscal host.
- Non-eligible examples: personal/luxury items, fines/penalties, and non-project costs.