There shall normally be seven Initiative Stages of Progress before becoming law:

1. Source Initiative. The Initiative is under discussion at a variety of sources by informal or formal groups, concepts are being developed, drafts circulated, committee votes taken, documents published in the press or on the Internet, etc. Generally Source Initiatives will originate outside the IQA, though IQA Members or the IQA itself may also source Initiatives by using their citizens’ right to publish proposed initiatives.
2. Communicated Initiative. A Source Initiative is made known at a IQA Plenary Session, and becomes a formally Communicated Initiative. It is now officially taken up by the IQA, catalogued, and tracked.
3. Assigned Initiative. A DTF is assigned to the Initiative to review, develop, identify errors or improvements, and prepare in a complete form. An informative preamble and opinions clearly presenting the pro and con opinions shall be attached. It is then rejected, selected for advancement or returned to the original authors for possible revision by the IQA in Plenary Session.
4. Nominated Initiative. A Communicated Initiative that has been selected for advancement becomes a Nominated Initiative. The citizenship of its authors shall be independently verified as soon as it is nominated. In its final form it must be approved without change by the IQA in Plenary Session in two readings separated by a IQA Session break.
5. Reviewed Initiative. In addition to legal review at earlier levels:
   1. A legislative initiative shall be formally reviewed by experts to ensure that it is likely to be sustained in any challenge to its constitutionality and that it is not in unintended conflict with other laws.
   2. A constitutional initiative shall be formally reviewed by experts to determine if it is in any unintended conflict with the constitution and prevailing law.
6. Draft Candidate Initiative. A Nominated and Reviewed Initiative that has been approved advances to a Draft Candidate Initiative. It shall be published on the IQA’s Internet Site as a Draft Candidate Initiative so that feedback can be obtained. If it is changed, the changes shall be re-approved by the IQA in Plenary Session or the Initiative shall be withdrawn.
7. Candidate Initiative. A Draft Candidate Initiative, after feedback and any re-approval, becomes a Candidate Initiative. It shall be published on the IQA’s Internet Site as a Candidate Initiative, and shall be placed on the Ballot for vote by the Electorate.
8. Ratified Initiative. A Candidate Initiative that has received a double majority vote by the Electorate and the vote certified, shall be a Ratified Initiative, and becomes law.
   The term “proposed Initiative” means only that it is being proposed, not that it is in any particular stage of progress.