Potential Foundation Tasks

There are at least five types of tasks that the foundation can undertake to support its projects: developer support, user support, education, promotion and funding activities. The following summarizes potential responsibilities that the foundation could take on. Some ideas mirror those from other open source software foundations. This list is intended to catch as many ideas as possible, regardless of feasibility in the short or long term. There are overlaps between many points.

Developer Community Support

These services are available to each project, but not necessarily required to be adopted.

1.Tool infrastructure

1. Web site, CVS, mailing lists and bug tracking

2.Long-term code stability

1. Define process for accepting/approving source code contributions

3.Legal protection

1. Develop review process for adopting source code

2. Foundation serves as legal entity managing the code, to help minimize the risk of personal liability to individual developers

4.Project governance

1. Develop formal structure/guidelines for planning technical direction, reviewing proposals and decision-making

5.Fund code development

1. Gather funds and distribute them to fund further code development

6.External compliance testing

1. Seek certification from 3rd party organizations (e.g. OGC specification compliance)

7.New Project Adoption / Membership

1. Review proposals for new projects that want to join

2. Assess feasibility of adoption, ensure clean code compliance

User Community Support

These services provide templates, tools, infrastructure and ideas for projects to use to develop their communities.

8.Web portals

1. Maintain high quality, professional appearance for projects on the web

2. Hardware/software support for web space, mailing lists, forums, newsletters, etc.

3. Organize content update and quality assurance working groups

9.Conference organization

1. Plan and deliver annual conference

2. Solicit, collect and manage conference funding

10.User group development

1. Develop localized, regional user groups by coordinating speakers and topics

2. Coordinate meet-ups that bring foundation user groups together with other technology events

Education

11.Training material developments

1. Collect material for use in workshops/tutorials

2. Provide tools (via web portal) for submitting and moderating new material

3. Identify gaps in current training materials and find areas to collaborate with other projects on broader material

12.Academic Extension

1. Develop course material

2. Seek funding to help support development of open source course material

3. Develop a certification program that identifies specific levels of expertise

Promotion

13.Dedicated promotion plan

1. Develop a long-term direction for promoting projects and increasing user base

2. Maintain a booth/display for use at conferences

3. Develop and lead presentations at conferences, user groups, etc.

4. Send presenters to represent tools to potential users/adopters

14.Produce material

1. Produce news and press releases

2. Develop promotional material (documents, posters, brochures, etc)

3. Develop a well-known brand that projects can be certified against

Funding Activities

15.Donations / fund raising

1. Provide mechanism for projects to receive donations

2. Actively solicit funding, write proposals for grants, etc. and manage funding

3. Provide for-fee services to raise funds (e.g. lead workshops, presentations, consultation)

16.Award and grants

1. Evaluate and award project funding proposals

2. Award scholarships

3. Organize work experience/job exchanges