Summary and Schedule
Lesson Overview
This lesson introduces learners to strategies for ensuring the long-term sustainability of open source and community-based projects. Drawing from the It Takes a Village (ITAV) guide, it provides practical approaches for navigating governance, stakeholder engagement, infrastructure planning, community health, and resource development. Each episode focuses on a key facet of sustainability and is aligned with one of three lifecycle phases: Getting Started, Growing, and Stable-but-Not-Static.
Objectives
After completing this lesson, learners should be able to:
- Identify foundational elements of governance in open projects
- Map stakeholder groups and assess community needs
- Align technical choices with sustainability goals
- Plan for sustainable resourcing and infrastructure
- Reflect on equity and transparency in decision-making processes
Prerequisites
This lesson is intended for learners who: - Participate in or lead open source, open data, or open infrastructure projects - Are familiar with basic concepts in collaborative or community-based work - Are interested in ensuring the long-term impact of their projects
You don’t need any coding experience.
| Setup Instructions | Download files required for the lesson | |
| Duration: 00h 00m | 1. Establishing Governance for Sustainable Open Projects |
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? ::: |
| Duration: 00h 30m | 2. Identifying Core Community Needs and Stakeholders |
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? ::: |
| Duration: 01h 05m | 3. Selecting Infrastructure and Tools for Longevity |
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? ::: |
| Duration: 01h 40m | Finish |
The actual schedule may vary slightly depending on the topics and exercises chosen by the instructor.
No setup is necessary for this lesson.