[Aust-NZ] Re: Strategic Investment in Geonetwork Open Source(draft paper)

Sun Jun 29 20:35:16 PDT 2008

Hi Everyone,

I've a few comments on the Strategic Investment in Geonetwork Open
Source(draft paper) document:

*	Much of the document is an outline of what constitutes
appropriate software project management. In that regard it is a useful
guide when assessing investments, activities and teams for the
uninitiated
*	GeoNetwork stakeholders list is useful in understanding some of
the interactions occurring. Interestingly though it does not mention the
GeoNetwork Project Steering Committee? (There is also an error in the
CSIRO section, the words for the Business Drivers are Rob Woodcock's
(mine) not Rob Atkinson's - just don't want Rob A to be blamed!)
*	The Community Liaison Officer would significantly assist
development contributions (from any participant) in better informing
stakeholders and in prioritising work (informed decision making) across
those organisations that choose to participate through this coordination
process - noting of course that this coordination process is not the
GeoNetwork one (that isn't necessarily a bad thing as the objective is
to better coordinate ANZLIC investments, not take over GeoNetwork)
*	It is entirely possible, potentially useful, for ANZLIC sponsors
to pool their resources and form a critical mass development team with
appropriate project management in order to further their goals with
GeoNetwork. - this may in fact be all that the document is describing
but it isn't clear to me that is the case, as my next point describes,
and if it is then how do other projects, like NCIRS SISS, interact given
they can directly assist the ANZLIC objectives if properly informed?
*	I'm concerned that the document confuses the multiple community
objectives that make up "GeoNetwork" development, bundling them into a
single geonetwork activity. I believe it is important that this be
understood more clearly as it impacts stakeholder expectations - for
example, expecting a production grade outcome from a project
contribution that, whilst adding the desired feature, is only resourced
and intended to add a demonstration feature. More over, I'm concerned
that this confusion leads to a proposition that "developers can be
pooled together under a common project and project manager but still
answerable to their respective organisations". Whilst that may be
possible under a secondment style arrangement for resources the ANZLIC
sponsors control, that isn't the type of situation that exists in many
useful cases. Groups like BlueNet previously and NCRIS SISS which are
funded to deliver to their stakeholders have project management and
contractual obligations - they can't second staff to nor be answerable
to an Aust/NZ steering committee. Indeed, I can't see those resources
being leveraged in a useful form if an external Project Manager attempts
to manage those projects, it may cause conflict. These project types,
where willing, can respond to a clear call for features or bug fixes etc
and/or allow their contributions to be leveraged elsewhere (where their
contractual terms permit and the communication of those development
priorities are clear). Indeed, many open source project operate
effectively on this principle. 

Achieving critical development mass, particularly around quality issues
and production releases, has been one of the principle objectives of the
NCIRS SISS project setup. It is unusual in that regard because it isn't
focussed on building features for its stakeholders but on tackling a
"gap" in the current community investments in the spatial services stack
that is hampering deployment efforts by multiple organisations
(including some ANZLIC ones) that NCRIS would like to see happen. The
NCRIS SISS project stakeholders are in fact interested in responding to
a clear call for features and bug fixes!

The other main objective has been to work towards a "customer"
engagement model which provides a more informed decision making process
- the Community Liaison role suggested is one such approach, especially
when matched with an equivalent developer liaison role so the "pair" can
inform both up and down the communications pipe. Ben Searle is on the
NCRIS SISS Project Committee to assist in this regards, though Ben is
still keen to see this model improved further.

Regards,

Rob

Project Director - Auscope Grid

SISS - Project Manager

Dr Robert Woodcock

CSIRO Exploration & Mining ,

ARRC, 26 Dick Perry Ave, 

Kensington, WA 6151 Australia

Phone +61 8 6436 8780 Fax +61 8 6436 8586

  _____  

From: aust-nz-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
[mailto:aust-nz-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of
Bruce.Bannerman at dpi.vic.gov.au
Sent: Thursday, 26 June 2008 1:57 PM
To: Aust-NZ OSGeo
Subject: Re: [Aust-NZ] Re: Strategic Investment in Geonetwork Open
Source(draft paper)

IMO: 

Cameron Shorter <cameron.shorter at gmail.com> wrote on 26/06/2008 09:45:02
AM:

> >
> > Perhaps we could put this into a wiki to allow other members of the 
> > community to help develop it further.
> Yes, good idea. I planned originally to use a wiki but migrated to
word 
> as I find it easier to write in and collate reviews. Once the document

> has stablized and when I next have a spare few hours I'll move it
across 
> (in a week or 2).
> >

OK. 

I intend making some comments / additions. I'll use track changes within
Word and post my version of the document back to the OSGeo-AustNZ list
so that we have an audit trail and archive. 

Cheers. 

Bruce Bannerman 

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