Content from Establishing Governance for Sustainable Open Projects
Last updated on 2025-04-24 | Edit this page
Overview
Questions
- Why is governance critical for sustainability in open projects?
- What governance models are commonly used in open source projects?
- How can a project decide which governance model fits best?
Objectives
- Explain the importance of establishing a governance structure early in a project’s life.
- Compare common governance models and their strengths/weaknesses.
- Use the ITAV Governance Framework to assess which model aligns with your project’s context.
What is Governance?
Governance defines how decisions are made in your project. It can include:
- Roles and responsibilities
- Decision-making processes
- Policies and codes of conduct
Common Governance Models
- Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL): One or more founders retain final say over decisions.
- Consensus-Based: All major decisions are made collaboratively, often using voting or discussion.
- Meritocratic: Influence is earned through contributions and participation.
- Foundation-Based: A nonprofit organization provides oversight and long-term support.
Governance in Context
There is no universal model—each project should adapt based on its goals, size, and community. Use ITAV’s “Governance Objectives” as a guide for what decisions your team should consider early.
Exercise: Governance Alignment Worksheet
Challenge
Time: 10 minutes
Use the ITAV Governance Worksheet (Appendix A) to assess your current or planned governance structure. Score the importance of aspects like leadership clarity, decision transparency, and community input.
In pairs or small groups, compare your scores and discuss:
- Which governance model seems best suited to your context?
- What trade-offs would your team be willing to make?
Discussion Prompt
Discussion
What governance challenges have you seen in open projects you’ve participated in? How were they resolved—or left unresolved?
In the next episode, we’ll explore strategies for Engaging Communities and sustaining active participation in your project over time.
Key Points
- Governance provides clarity, transparency, and shared responsibility in OSS.
- There is no one-size-fits-all model; effective governance reflects community needs.
- Decisions about structure, leadership, and policies should be revisited over time.
Content from Identifying Core Community Needs and Stakeholders
Last updated on 2025-04-25 | Edit this page
Overview
Questions
- Why is it important to define the community your project serves?
- How can identifying stakeholders support project sustainability?
- What methods can help surface diverse community needs?
Objectives
- Define who the core community and stakeholders are for your project.
- Describe methods for understanding user and contributor needs.
- Use a stakeholder mapping activity to reflect on your project’s inclusivity and reach.
Who is Your Community?
Open projects often have multiple communities: - End users of your tools or outputs - Contributors who build or document the project - Institutional partners offering resources or credibility
Identifying these groups early supports targeted outreach, governance, and technical design.
Stakeholder Types
Stakeholders may include: - Academic institutions - Funders - Developers and maintainers - Advocacy groups - Underrepresented or marginalized users
Methods to Understand Needs
- Community surveys
- User interviews
- Feedback channels (GitHub issues, mailing lists)
- Co-design or participatory design workshops
Exercise: Stakeholder Mapping
Challenge
Time: 15 minutes
Draw a stakeholder map for your project: - Place your project in the center. - Add surrounding stakeholder groups, noting their role or interest. - Use arrows or color to indicate influence, alignment, or gaps.
Reflect in small groups: - Are any key perspectives missing? - Where do you need deeper engagement?
Discussion Prompt
Discussion
Who are the most influential or underrepresented stakeholders in your project or field? What steps could you take to better include them?
Next Steps
In the next episode, we’ll look at selecting tools and infrastructure that serve both your community and sustainability goals.
Key Points
- A sustainable project starts with a clear understanding of who it serves.
- Stakeholders include both internal and external contributors, users, and institutional supporters.
- Effective stakeholder mapping can reveal gaps in engagement or representation.
Content from Selecting Infrastructure and Tools for Longevity
Last updated on 2025-04-25 | Edit this page
Overview
Questions
- How do technical choices affect the sustainability of an open project?
- What are the trade-offs between simplicity, scalability, and maintainability?
- How can we align infrastructure decisions with community needs?
Objectives
- Identify infrastructure components critical to open project sustainability.
- Evaluate tools and platforms based on longevity, support, and community alignment.
- Use a scenario-based activity to choose infrastructure for a sample project.
What Is Infrastructure in Open Projects?
Infrastructure includes all the technical tools and services that support your project: - Code repositories (e.g., GitHub, GitLab) - Communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Discourse) - Data storage and hosting - Documentation systems - Project management tools
Factors to Consider
- Simplicity: Can your team and contributors easily use and maintain it?
- Scalability: Will it still work as your project grows?
- Interoperability: Does it integrate well with tools your community already uses?
- Support and Longevity: Is the tool actively maintained and widely adopted?
- Cost: Are there hidden costs in the long term?
Tool Selection Framework
Use the ITAV framework’s technology facet to guide evaluation: - Prioritize based on current phase (Getting Started, Growing, Stable) - Score options on community adoption, ease of onboarding, sustainability, and flexibility
Challenge
Exercise: Infrastructure Scenario Planning
Time: 15 minutes
You are launching an open educational resource platform. In groups: - Identify 3 infrastructure needs (e.g., code hosting, user contributions, discussion forum) - Choose from a set of provided tools (or your own suggestions) - Justify your choices based on criteria above
Share back with the group.
Discussion
What infrastructure decisions have had a lasting impact (positive or negative) on a project you’ve worked on? What would you do differently now?
Key Points
- Infrastructure decisions are strategic—not just technical.
- Tools must match your project’s phase, team capacity, and community expectations.
- Re-evaluating infrastructure over time is essential to long-term sustainability.
Next Steps
Next, we’ll explore how to fund and resource your project as it grows.