Working Group Process: Unlocking Member Passions

Current OSI Governance Model

• 11 member volunteer Board
• Limited funding
• All actions Board actions
• Maximum achievement limited by Board volunteer time

Proposed OSI Governance Model

• Elected Board of 11 Members
• Staff team
• Funding proportional to membership
• Facilitating Member actions
• Maximum achievement limited by Member vision and resources to sustain it

Working Groups: A Channel For Member Passions

• Making OSI Member-Powered
• Board-chartered Working Groups
• Deliverable-focused
• Time-bounded
• Any proposal that delivers OSI's mission
• Propose - Charter - Deliver - Sustain

In support of reusing what works, and within the context of the OSI's own mandate, we generally model the OSI working group structure upon the business patterns outlined in section 6 of the World Wide Web Consortium Process Document. (Here is a useful example.)

Proposal Requirements

Available to any OSI Member. Proposal must include:

• Start date
• Initial group members
• Resources needed by group (mailing list, virtual server, budget etc)
• Deliverable that will be created
• Description of how that deliverable satisfies a part of OSI's mission
• Target completion date

Chartering Process

• OSI Board reviews proposal
• Determines viability, bona fides and mission match
• Charters working group

Deliverables/Outcomes

• Working Group collectively creates deliverable
• Presents to Board by end date
• Includes sustaining plan
• Board appraises deliverable

Sustainability

Sustainability plan to specify:

• OSI staff responsibilities?
• OSI infrastructure needs?
• Ongoing Member community?
• If ongoing costs involved, how they are met?
• A working group deliverable plan accepted by the Board will be sustained by OSI

Launch for Working Groups

• Process alpha-tested for DC meetings
• Now in beta-test; your passions invited!
• Send proposals to osi@opensource.org
• Will be made a public process when OSI General Manager is hired