Create a Proposal

Learn how to create and submit governance proposals to shape Namada's future.

Time & Difficulty

⏱️ 30 minutes | 🎯 Difficulty: Advanced

Prerequisites

• NAM tokens for deposit and gas
• Clear proposal idea
• Community discussion completed
• Understanding of proposal types

Before Creating a Proposal

1. Community Discussion

Before submitting on-chain:

1. Draft your idea - Write a clear proposal document
2. Forum post - Share on forum.namada.net
3. Discord discussion - Get initial feedback
4. Iterate - Refine based on feedback

Don't Skip This

Proposals without prior discussion often fail. Build consensus first!

2. Gather Support

• Talk to validators
• Engage community members
• Address concerns
• Build coalition of supporters

Proposal Types

Default Proposal

For general governance:

• Parameter changes
• Protocol upgrades
• Non-funding decisions

PGF Funding Proposal

For funding requests:

• Continuous funding
• One-time grants
• Steward actions

PGF Steward Proposal

For steward elections:

• Add new stewards
• Remove stewards

Proposal Structure

Required Components

Component	Description
Title	Short, clear description
Abstract	1-2 paragraph summary
Motivation	Why is this needed?
Specification	Detailed technical changes
Impact	Who/what is affected?
Timeline	Implementation schedule

Good Proposal Example

Title: Increase Block Gas Limit by 20%

Abstract:
This proposal increases the block gas limit from X to Y, 
enabling more transactions per block and reducing fees.

Motivation:
Recent network growth has led to congested blocks during 
peak usage. Users report delayed transactions and higher fees.

Specification:
- Change `max_block_gas` from 50,000,000 to 60,000,000
- Effective after voting period ends

Impact:
- More transactions per block
- Lower average fees
- Slightly larger block sizes
- Validators need adequate hardware

Timeline:
- If passed: Immediate effect next epoch

Create Using CLI

Step 1: Prepare Proposal JSON

Create a file proposal.json:

{
  "proposal": {
    "author": "tnam1youraddress...",
    "content": {
      "title": "Your Proposal Title",
      "authors": "your-name@email.com",
      "discussions-to": "https://forum.namada.net/t/your-topic",
      "created": "2024-12-17",
      "license": "CC0",
      "abstract": "Brief summary of the proposal",
      "motivation": "Why this change is needed",
      "details": "Technical specification and implementation details"
    },
    "type": "Default",
    "voting_start_epoch": 100,
    "voting_end_epoch": 105,
    "grace_epoch": 108
  }
}

Step 2: Calculate Epochs

# Get current epoch
namadac epoch

# Plan your timing:
# voting_start_epoch: Current + 2 (minimum)
# voting_end_epoch: Start + voting_period (usually 5 epochs)
# grace_epoch: End + grace_period (usually 3 epochs)

Step 3: Submit Proposal

namadac init-proposal \
  --data-path proposal.json

Step 4: Pay Deposit

Proposals require a deposit:

• Returned if proposal passes
• Slashed if proposal fails to reach quorum (optional)

# Deposit is automatic with init-proposal
# Ensure you have sufficient NAM

Proposal Deposits

Proposal Type	Typical Deposit
Default	500 NAM
PGF Funding	500 NAM
PGF Steward	500 NAM

Deposits are returned if:

• Proposal passes
• Proposal fails but meets quorum

Deposits may be slashed if:

• Proposal is clearly malicious
• Spam proposals

PGF Funding Proposal

For funding requests:

Continuous Funding

{
  "proposal": {
    "author": "tnam1youraddress...",
    "content": {
      "title": "Continuous Funding for XYZ Project",
      "abstract": "Request 1000 NAM/month for development"
    },
    "type": {
      "PGF": {
        "continuous": [
          {
            "target": "tnam1recipient...",
            "amount": "1000",
            "token": "NAM"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

One-Time Grant

{
  "proposal": {
    "type": {
      "PGF": {
        "retro": [
          {
            "target": "tnam1recipient...",
            "amount": "5000",
            "token": "NAM"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

After Submission

Track Your Proposal

# Find your proposal ID
namadac query-proposal

# Check status
namadac query-proposal --proposal-id YOUR_ID

Campaign for Votes

1. Announce on Discord
2. Post on Twitter
3. Update forum thread
4. Engage with validators
5. Answer questions

Monitor Voting

Track votes throughout the period:

• Check quorum progress
• Engage with concerned voters
• Address objections

Proposal Lifecycle

1. DRAFT
   Write proposal, gather feedback
   
2. DISCUSSION
   Forum post, Discord, iteration
   
3. SUBMISSION
   Submit on-chain, pay deposit
   
4. VOTING PERIOD
   Community votes
   
5. TALLY
   Votes counted, result determined
   
6. EXECUTION
   If passed, changes implemented
   
7. DEPOSIT RETURN
   If successful, deposit returned

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Consequence
No prior discussion	Low support, failure
Vague specification	Confusion, No votes
Wrong epochs	Invalid proposal
Insufficient deposit	Proposal rejected
Poor timing	Low attention

Best Practices

Do

• ✅ Build consensus before submitting
• ✅ Be specific and detailed
• ✅ Engage with feedback
• ✅ Allow adequate voting time
• ✅ Have backup plan

Don't

• ❌ Submit without discussion
• ❌ Be vague about changes
• ❌ Ignore criticism
• ❌ Rush the process
• ❌ Attack opponents

FAQ

How much does it cost?

Deposit (~500 NAM) + gas (~0.1 NAM). Deposit returned if proposal succeeds.

Can I cancel a proposal?

No, once submitted, proposals cannot be cancelled.

What if my proposal fails?

Learn from feedback, iterate, and try again. Many successful proposals failed initially.

How long is voting?

Typically 5 epochs (~2.5 days). Check current parameters.

Next Steps

• Vote on Proposals - See voting in action
• Apply for PGF - Funding process
• Governance Basics - Deep understanding