Handbook/Governance
From Open Knowledge Foundation
Contents |
Introduction
The Open Knowledge Foundation's activities are organized around individual working groups and projects, each focused on a different aspect of open knowledge, but united by a common set of concerns, and a common set of traditions in both etiquette and process. These are explained in more detail below, but can be summarized as:
- Commitment to open knowledge
- Open discussion
- Meritocracy
- Tolerance
Structure
Open Knowledge Foundation Board
There is a formal Board of the Open Knowledge Foundation which exists to oversee the legal and financial integrity of the Open Knowledge Foundation. The Board reviews and monitors the finances of the Foundation and discharges the standard statutory responsibilities (such as delivering accounts).
Though in the past it has been an "active Board" with members heavily involved in Foundation projects, now the Board is trying to hand over responsibility for everyday running of the Foundation to the Coordination Group.
Abridged minutes of Board meetings are published on the okfn website once they have been approved by the Board (usually at the next scheduled meeting). Annual company accounts are also published on the okfn website.
Coordination Group / Projects Committee
The Coordination or Coord Group is made up of the leadership of every Open Knowledge Foundation project and working group. The Coordination Group will deal with all project and working group related matters including incubating, approving, retiring project and working groups, monitoring their progress, etc. There will be at least one Board member who sits on the Coordination Group.
Projects and Working Groups
A project should have at least one Member and working groups at least two Members. Project and working groups will have autonomy as regards the running of the project; responsibility is devolved. The project/working group can recruit as many participants as it sees fit, and is responsible for signing up further participants as they progress.
Community Membership
Loosely speaking, there are two categories of individual affiliation with the Foundation: Community Participant and Community Member.
Community Participants
The broadest category, that of Community Participant, is for those who are not formally registered on the website but who nonetheless contribute code, help out on committees, follow the various mailing lists, and otherwise participate in Foundation activities. Anyone can be a Community Participant.
Community Members
The second category is simply termed Community Member. Individuals in this category have the same level of rights to work on Foundation activities as the Participant category, but with the important distinction that these individuals have self-registered themselves on the website.
By registering, an individual is "opting in" and publicly acknowleging their connection to the Foundation. This registration process also provides the Foundation with a known, countable membership base. For example, the Board or various Committees may, from time to time, wish to poll the all Members on some important issue. Anyone can be a Community Member and you can sign up as a member here.
NB: 'Community Membership' in the sense discussed here is not formal "membership" of the Open Knowledge Foundation Limited (the company limited by guarantee which forms the underlying legal entity for the Foundation). 'Membership' in the sense discussed above implies no rights or responsibilities in regard of this company limited by guarantee, and in particular implies no right to elect the board of that entity.
Supporters
A Supporter is someone who donates money (or other resource) to the Foundation. Being a Supporter of the Foundation does not result in any specific rights or responsibilities though supporters are usually publicly acknowledged and thanked (unless they request otherwise!).
Member Responsibilities
As a Member of the Foundation, you are expected to act in accordance with the basic goals and philosophy of the Foundation as set out below. You are expected to act in a professional and responsible manner. You are expected to treat your fellow members with respect and courtesy.
Membership Change and Revocation
If the Board deems that any member is not acting in the best interests of the Foundation (e.g. by not adhering to the above Membership Responsibilities) they may, by majority vote, revoke the membership of that member.
Philosophy, Goals and Operation
Projects and working groups are the chief decision-making units. This reduces friction and allows greater diversity to emerge than in a top-down monoculture model. Each project and working group is delegated authority over its activities, and is given a great deal of latitude both in what it does and how it does it, but all share a similar core philosophy.
Commitment to Open Knowledge
All projects and working groups should be involved in promoting open knowledge. Promotion can be interpreted broadly and would include running events, producing tools and services to assist in the production or dissemination of open knowledge as well as creating open material directly.
Open Discussion
Open discussion allows the most promising ideas to come to the fore, and for decisions to be reached on a consensus basis. Communication within projects is typically carried out via mailing lists. These enable all individuals to contribute, at a time convenient to each. They also provide a record of the development process which is available to all users and project members.
Meritocracy
The OKF believes that authority must be matched by responsibility. Merit should be respected and encouraged. Concretely this means active and able contributors will have the greatest control over the project's activities; our governance structure is simply there to ensure that there is a solid institutional framework to support these activities.
Tolerance
A pre-condition for all projects, and essential to a meritocracy. Differences are recognised as a creative force: when discussed openly and without aggression, they allow a group's thinking to be clarified.
Acknowledgement
Many of the ideas for our governance were derived from those of the Software Foundation. Some of the details of membership structure (and its wording) were derived from OSGeo Foundation
