Thread:Policy or guideline? (1)

mmmm thinking out loud here,

It seems to me that consensus document describes preferred processes for decision making, in other words WE encourages the consensus model for decision making. In this regard, the Consensus document seems to be more aligned with a guidelines document rather than a policy document. My concern is that I don't think we can "regulate" decision-making behaviour through policy. In the event that consensus on a topic or issue is difficult to achieve, the interested participants may decide to vote on a matter -- when a group moves over to voting it is not necessarily a consensus model.

I'm wondering whether it would be better to classify the Consensus document as a guidelines document? So for example, should a Community mediation or arbitration committee be requested to resolve a difficult dispute, the composition and processes required to be adopted by the Arbitration committee would need a policy.