# Creating a Proposal

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The content below is a living document. Its origin is the structure described in [PIP-1](https://star-atlas-dao.gitbook.io/knowledge-base/archive/foundational-pips/pip-1-star-atlas-dao), which the Council has refined and extended.
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## Structure

Any member of the Star Atlas community may draft a PIP as long as it adheres to the Star Atlas ecosystem’s guiding principles and the requirements outlined below.

A PIP **must** contain the following information:

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### Header

* **Title** —  A concise title describing the nature of the proposal
* **Author** — Name of the author(s)
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### Summary

Provide a succinct overview of the proposal in a few sentences. Clearly state the main action or change being proposed.
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### Motivation

Description of the proposal’s purpose. In essence, explain why this PIP is needed.
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### Specification

Provide a detailed description of the proposed changes or actions. This should be the most comprehensive section of the Proposal. Include:

* Definitions of key terms or concepts
* Specific changes or new features being proposed
* How these changes will be implemented — keep it functional & non-technical.
* Any new processes or systems that will be introduced
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### Stakeholder Impact

Describe the potential impact this proposal might have on different stakeholders and parties within the Star Atlas ecosystem. Include:

* A list of the different stakeholders and how this proposal might affect them.
* Stakeholders that are affected positively and those affected **negatively**!
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### Implementation Details

Outline the plan for executing this PIP if approved. Provide a summary of the steps needed to implement the proposal in chronological order. Make sure to include:

* Information for off-chain actors
* Parties responsible for each step
* Any technical requirements or changes needed
* Potential challenges and how they will be addressed
* Hosting solution (if off-chain service)
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### Timeline

Estimated implementation timeline. Provide a realistic timeframe for implementation. Include:

* Expected start date — This could be expressed as a time window after the PIP was approved.
* Key milestones or phases (if applicable)
* Estimated completion date — This could be expressed as the number of days/weeks/months after implementation kicked off.
* Any dependencies on other projects or (proposal) implementations
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### Cost & Resource Allocation

**One-time Costs:** Costs of making the initial implementation

* Breakdown of all monetary and nonmonetary costs (such as efforts or other resources)
* Justification for the proposed expenditure
* Source of funding (e.g., DAO treasury)
* Consideration of alternative funding sources (if applicable)

**Ongoing Costs:** Ongoing costs after a potential implementation

* Breakdown of all monetary and nonmonetary costs (such as efforts or other resources)
* Hosting & maintenance costs (if it's a software solution)
* Justification for the proposed expenditure
* Source of funding (e.g., DAO treasury)
* Consideration of alternative funding sources (if applicable)
* Who is going to manage these ongoing efforts?
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### Additional Details

* **Conflicts of interest** — Potential conflicts of interest and steps taken to mitigate them should be disclosed.
* **Earlier versions** — The rejection of an earlier version of the proposal and steps taken to improve it should be disclosed.
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If any (sub)section is not applicable, please answer it with **N/A**. This way, no one will have to ask if you considered it or if it should have been a part of your proposal.
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## Clarifications

Some additional clarifications on the above structure can be found below.

### "2. Summary"

Consider starting your PIP's Summary with:&#x20;

> *This proposal seeks funding of \<amount> for \<idea>....*

If a proposal contains parameters (values) that could be changed later through a follow-up PIP, please leave them out of the summary.

*Example 1:* If you propose to make a one-time donation of ATLAS to a specific charity, please include the exact amount in the summary.

*Example 2:* If you propose to send some ATLAS to a charity every month, please leave the amount you initially want to set aside for this purpose out of the summary. That detail should be mentioned in the **Specification.**

### **"3. Motivation"**

Consider the following:

* How does it align with the DAO's goals and values?
* What benefits will it bring to the Star Atlas ecosystem?

### **"6. Implementation Details"**

Outline the plan for executing this proposal if/when approved. Provide a summary of the steps needed to implement the proposal, including information on necessary off-chain actors. Provide the steps needed to implement the proposal in chronological order.

Ensure that you include instructions for all parties involved. The instructions should allow each party to implement this proposal without requiring further clarification from you.

Make sure these details are concrete! Nothing here should be vague or open to interpretation.

### "9. Additional Details: Conflicts of interest"

Start with yourself or any parties/entities/organizations/stakeholders you represent. If one of the parties involved in the implementation stands to benefit when this proposal passes, and you have any kind of relationship (e.g., employee, owner, family member, friend) with that party, this constitutes an apparent conflict of interest.

*Example:*  If you want a website built and you found a for-profit company willing to do this, but you are also an employee (or owner, even) of that company, then there is a conflict of interest.

Note: Other PVP Stakeholders are not considered as a party with whom there may be a conflict of interest. This section refers to other entities that can be (potentially) identified beyond PVP holders.

## Additional Notes

### Resubmission

You can resubmit a stranded PIP, and there are no limits to how often you can do this. Of course, if you make no changes, there is no reason to expect a different outcome.

Note that if the Star Atlas Foundation flagged any concerns, they must be solved before the PIP can be brought back up for a vote again.

## Additional Requirements

Beyond the structural requirements, a PIP must adhere to the rules laid out in [pip-requirements](https://star-atlas-dao.gitbook.io/knowledge-base/governance/creating-a-proposal/pip-requirements "mention").

## Tips

### Keep it Simple

Keep your proposal as simple as possible. Try to propose only one key thing and leave embellishments and/or extensions for a follow-up proposal. This will improve the chances of your PIP passing.

If a PIP can be split into multiple smaller (sub-)proposals, we recommend doing so.  If these sub-PIPs could proceed separately through the legislative process, we strongly suggest pursuing the [Comprehensive PIP](https://star-atlas-dao.gitbook.io/knowledge-base/governance/creating-a-proposal/comprehensive-pips) route.

{% content-ref url="creating-a-proposal/pip-requirements" %}
[pip-requirements](https://star-atlas-dao.gitbook.io/knowledge-base/governance/creating-a-proposal/pip-requirements)
{% endcontent-ref %}
