---
title: "Polaris Charter of Co-operation"
slug: "polaris-charter-of-co-operation"
updated: 2026-05-12T11:53:20Z
published: 2026-05-12T11:53:20Z
canonical: "docs.rotary-polaris.ch/polaris-charter-of-co-operation"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rotary-polaris.ch/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Polaris Charter of Co-operation

## 1. Introduction / Foreword

The Polaris community consists of all districts using the Polaris software, as well as the Polaris Team responsible for its development.

The collaboration is based on Rotary's core values:

- Fairness
- Respect

All districts are treated equally – regardless of:

- geographic location
- language
- number of clubs or users

The association **Rotary Communication Services Switzerland-Liechtenstein (**RCS**)** is the legal owner of the Polaris software. The Polaris product manager is represented on and reports to the RCS board.

## 2. Polaris Representatives (Governance Structure)

### 2.1 Composition

- Each district appoints a **Polaris District Representative (PDR)**
- Rotaract clubs appoint a **Polaris Rotaract Representative (PRR)**
- All representatives together form the **Polaris Assembly**

Districts can delegate their representation.

### 2.2 Duties of Representatives

The representatives:

- represent their district or community (Rotary, Rotaract, Inner Wheel)
- support clubs with sound Polaris knowledge
- act as an interface to the Polaris team
- collect feedback, ideas, and requirements
- report issues via RedMine
- actively participate in meetings

## 3. Polaris Team

### 3.1 Role

The Polaris team is led by the Polaris Product Manager and is responsible for the further development of the software.

### 3.2 Main Tasks

The team:

- manages the entire software development (incl. resources & budget)
- communicates with Polaris representatives
- collects and consolidates ideas
- organizes meetings and votes
- defines implementation plans

### 3.3 Decision-Making Authority

The Polaris team can:

- reject ideas
- change priorities

Decisions are also based on economic factors (cost-benefit).

## 4. Contribution and Decision-Making Process

The process consists of **three phases**:

### 4.1 Phase 1: Topic Definition

- Polaris representatives create ideas in Redmine
- Topics have a strategic nature (no technical detail level)
- The Polaris team:
  - collects and evaluates suggestions
  - creates a shortlist
  - publishes topics in advance

*Goal:* Identify relevant topics that have broad significance for the clubs.

### 4.2 Phase 2: Discussion

- Takes place in a **video conference**
- Participation of all representatives is planned
- Only pre-defined topics will be discussed

**Special features:**

- New solutions can be introduced
- New topics must go through the process again
- Moderation by the product manager
- Language: English
- Session is recorded

### 4.3 Phase 3: Decision (Voting)

The decision is made by **electronic voting**. The results are presented anonymously.

**Rules:**

- Each representative receives an equal number of points for voting
- For each district or community, **one voting** representative is designated
- All representatives may vote – for the official voting result, only the votes of authorized representatives count
- The point allocation is determined by the Polaris team per vote
- Total points to be awarded = **Number of topics × points per topic (multiplier)**
- Per topic:
  - Minimum points
  - Maximum points
  - Granularity
- Uncast votes are not considered
- Voting is anonymous
- Polaris team members may vote, but their votes are not eligible and thus do not count towards the official voting result

**Prioritization:** More points = higher priority in implementation

**Result:**

- Publication on the voting page or via email
- Start of the next idea phase

## 5. Basic Principles of Collaboration

- Transparency in the process
- Inclusion of all districts and communities
- Structured decision-making
- Combination of democratic vote and economic evaluation

The group responsible for managing and supporting the Polaris platform, ensuring effective communication and assistance for users.

Rotary Communication Services Switzerland-Liechtenstein

Project management and issue tracking tool used by the Polaris Team and the DICOs for task and ticket management.