Working Group Process: Unlocking Member Passions

The OSI is in a period of transition, an

• OSI Governance Model
  • Current OSI Governance Model
  • Proposed OSI Governance Model
• Project Working Groups: A Channel For Supporter Passions
• Proposal Requirements
• Chartering Process
• Deliverables/Outcomes
• Sustainability Plan
• End-of-Project Transition

OSI Governance Model

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

• 11-member board elected by paid supporters
• Funding proportional to paying supporters
• Staff team
• Roles of board and staff are to facilitate supporter actions
• Maximum achievement limited by supporter vision, strategy, commitment, and available resources

Project Working Groups: A Channel For Supporter Passions

• OSI Project Working Groups may be proposed for any project that advances OSI's mission
• "Supporters" involved in OSI Project Working Groups are "Participants" 
• Project Working Groups are:
  • Board-chartered
  • Deliverable-focused
  • Time-bounded
• Working Group Life-cycle:
  • Propose
  • Charter
  • Deliver
  • Sustainability Plan
  • End-of-Project Transition

General Approach: In support of reusing what works, and within the context of the OSI's own mandate, we generally model the OSI Project Working Group structure and governance 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 Supporter
• Approch now in beta-test; your passions invited!
• Send proposals to osi@opensource.org
• Your feedback on this structure and process is welcome. Please contact the OSI General Manager 

Proposal must include:

• Start date
• Initial group supporters
• 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 Plan

• 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

End-of-Project Transition

• Communications with Project participants and stakeholders
• Suitable disposition of Project files, records, websites, URLs, etc.