[OSGeo-Board] Board Priorities

[Frank Warmerdam]

jo at frot.org wrote:

> http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Board_tasks says that a core task for 
> the full board is to approve the wording of a Mission that can be projected 
> on the public face of http://www.osgeo.org/ and provide a reference point 
> for everyone: thus http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/OSGeo_Mission

Jo,

In fact, the mission and goals statement was approved, and published on
the public web site a couple meetings ago.

   https://www.osgeo.org/content/foundation/about.html

I proposed it, and forget (or never knew) that we had planned to
wait for the full board for this.  I am hopeful that the mission
portion of this will be acceptable to the entire board.  The goals
are somewhat tactical and we should expect to reword, and extend
them from time to time.

> The tasks page above jumps quite suddenly from one point to another:
> #  Approve a OSGeo Mission and Goals statement.
> #  Publish a plan for implementing the Mission.

Well, many of these wiki pages are essentially a few captured idea,
not coherent plans.

> Prioritising the elements of the Mission, makes designing a
> coherent Plan easier, indicating what can provide best value to the
> Foundation for any given amount of Effort. 
> 
> But those bits of the Plan that get implemented, will get implemented 
> largely by volunteer Effort, goodwill and socialising of activity, 
> amongst everyone who has a stake in any element of the Plan; 
> all the active members of the Foundation. 
> 
> If a prioritisation exercise like the spreadsheet gets used in future 
> either to come to terms with the Mission or to help with the design of 
> the Plan, I think everyone who wants to make Effort should be able to
> participate in doing that, and it could be a useful expression of
> collective will to work with.

I think your point here is that other foundation members (voting and
otherwise) should be able to provide input on the priorities, and that
ultimately progress is likely to be made where people wish to invest
effort.  Is that right?

I do generally agree with both of these points.  But I do think that it
can be helpful for the board to identify priority efforts that will
setup a feedback loop of excitement that helps get the foundation rolling
effectively.  Having some worthwhile successes within the next few months
will help motivate more support for the foundation, in volunteer effort
as well as financially.  Furthermore, I think we as the board can provide
some encouragement, and help facilitate efforts we consider high priority.

That said, I don't want to hold people back who wish to pursue an
directions that we might not consider a priority now.  And I also realize
that a declaration on our part isn't going to just make things happen.
Ultimately we are very dependent on volunteer effort.

Best regards,
-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGF, http://osgeo.org