Contribution Systems Workshop
Contribution systems are a class of institution (evolved from commons) for solving collective action problems toward specific goals aligned with value creation. This atavistic social technology that has been mostly outcompeted by more powerful institutions such as firms, markets and governments. However, contribution systems have begun to develop important new capabilities through smart contracts and AI. Contribution systems might have the potential to reshape how we coordinate and sustain decentralised and permissionless collective action at scale.
The workshop will explore four key themes relating to the rise of contribution systems:
Science – What are Contribution Systems? How and why do they work? Where did they come from? Where are they going?
Basic economic theory of contribution systems (Potts)
Recent ethnographic studies of contribution systems in the wild (Rennie)
Innovation – Tools for Contribution Systems
Innovation in organisational technologies – How new tools (esp. AI and web3) are driving the evolution of contribution systems.
What gaps or missing tools could enhance their performance?
Analysis – Refining a Framework for Evaluation
What do we know about the success, failures and evolution of these systems? Measures, accountability, incentives.
How can we understand causes of failure in contribution systems? Evaluation and lessons.
How can we re-engineer contribution systems for improvement? Strategy and management.
Build – Problems Contribution Systems Address
What challenges are contribution systems already solving. Can these be developed?
What other domains or issues could they be applied to? (e.g. ecological restoration, digital infrastructure, local public goods, grants and charities, government reform and social welfare, space)
The session will combine presentations with structured discussions.
Who Should Attend?
The workshop is open to those working on or researching contribution systems, including developers, researchers and community members.
Intended outcomes:
- Shared understanding of the tools and approaches shaping contribution systems.
- Expanded insights into their applications and potential.
- Refined framework for assessing their effectiveness and sustainability.
- Connections to a network of peers working in this field.
- Advancing the creation and development of a new field of economics/ organisation science systems engineering applied technology
Jason Potts is a Distinguished Professor of institutional economics at RMIT University. Ellie Rennie is a Professor of digital ethnography at RMIT University. For a backgrounder of their work on contribution systems, please read this paper.