Board/Minutes/2023-03-S2S/Setting an agenda for 2023 and beyond

From OpenStreetMap Foundation

Draft.

Outcome of the session "Setting an agenda for 2023 and beyond", which took place during the March 2023 screen-to-screen board meeting. The content below is based on a collaborative document created by the board during the meeting and post-processed by board members and Dorothea.

  • [Name=] Denotes board members responsible for the completion of the first action item in that section, not for the whole section. Once the first action item gets completed, the board member should make sure that there is a follow-up action item, with someone set to be responsible for it.

MUST be finished/accomplished/resolved by end of 2023

Deeply impactful for OSM, Completed tasks, not ongoing tasks

FUNDRAISING

  • Met 2023 fundraising targets and set 2024 fundraising plan in motion [name=Mikel Maron]
    • The OSMF must have collected over 500k GBP in total
    • Fundraising sources are more diverse - more donors of more types
    • Q1 2023 Objective: 2023 Plan reviewed and finalized
    • Q2 2023 Objective: Fundraising Campaign launched
    • Q3 2023 Objective: Fundraising Campaign concluded
    • Q4 2023 Objective: 2024 Plan in place

(The USA Season of giving applicable to foundation and individual donors is just before Christmas so keep on fundraising in December - CA)

ORGANIZATION/FOUNDATION OPERATION

  • EU registration is complete or nearly complete [name=Sarah Hoffmann]
    • We have agreed on a plan to move to the EU (see previous boards) and already established contacts with external people to help with the process clarify, and see previous boards?).
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Review previous plans and decide on one (two?) target countries. (2022 board had decided to go with Luxembourg because of matching criteria, existing familiarity with legal system (Guillaume Rischard) and existing contacts)
    • Q2 2023 Objective: Have found local points of contacts to clarify legal questions.
    • Q3 2023 Objective: Have a list of formal actions to do for the move.
    • Q4 2023 Objective: Process formally announced
  • Executive director discussion has started [name=Craig Allan]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Establish what we'd want an executive director to do/not do.?
      • Look at how setting up an executive director responsibilities in OSMF will impact on the Board functions and the independence of Working Groups.
    • Q2 2023 Objective:
    • Q3 2023 Objective:
    • Q4 2023 Objective:
  • Budgetary controls are established to the point that "suddenly we have 0 funds in our account" does not happen unexpectedly. Plus other alignment of financial systems with commercial norms,eg. per project budgets are set and can't be exceeded without Board approval.
    • (Note: two people check is already in place, but not board-public real time tracking. Full-public tracking might expose personal data of contractors and members, thus is unwanted) [name=Roland Olbricht]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Present a process (spreadsheet) how each board member can track (can track what? expenses and income). Review the existing budget tracking spreadsheet and create a list of bugs to fix before using.
    • Q2 2023 Objective: Have invoked the feedback (clarify?) such that any board member could answer at any time how much has been spent on any large item (do you mean budget line? No, match actual vs planned).
    • Q3 2023 Objective: No action
    • Q4 2023 Objective: Confirm that no budget item has been overrun (treasurer's formal report on first half of December)

LEGAL/POLICY

  • Systematic process for trademark enforcement [name=Guillaume Rischard]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: consult Licensing Working Group (LWG) on process and form letter. Assemble team. Contact known offenders.
    • Q2 2023 Objective: issue tracker for trademark issues.
    • Q3 2023 Objective: more form letters and processes established.
    • Q4 2023 Objective: known "offenders" solved.

PLATFORM

  • Make a decision on the redesign of our database in line with Jochen's document [name=Roland Olbricht]
    • Proposal to change core OSM data model is rejected, or specific step is taken to implement it
    • Q1 2023 Objective: an appointment with Engineering Working Group (EWG), Operations Working Group (OWG), and website's maintainers has been set up
    • Q2 2023 Objective: the feedback from these three groups have been collected and the board agrees what item are board items and what items shall be done in the working groups
    • Q3 2023 Objective:
    • Q4 2023 Objective: having set-up a budget for the figured-out next steps

WEB SITE

  • openstreetmap-website receives several significant code contributions that enhance user experience [name=Mateusz Konieczny]
    • Q1 2023 Objective:
    • Q2 2023 Objective:
    • Q3 2023 Objective:
    • Q4 2023 Objective:

COMMUNITY

  • Maintain and improve good working relation with Overture Maps, MapBuilder, corporate actors in general [name=Mikel Maron]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Have touched base with both Overture and Bing and have clearer understanding on how to effectively collaborate
    • Q2 2023 Objective: Reestablish regular Advisory Board meetings with meaningful agendas
    • Q3 2023 Objective:
    • Q4 2023 Objective: Refreshed corporate membership tiers and expectations in place
  • Communication with community has taken place for major decisions (executive director/data model/etc) in way that at least allows comments to reach board before decision is implemented [name=Arnalie Vicario]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Identify channels where feedback will be gathered
    • Q2 2023 Objective: Board has identified / shared next steps for major decisions and consultation has launch
    • Q3 2023 Objective:
    • Q4 2023 Objective:

BOARD

  • All Board members have taken up at least one area of responsibility and are driving implementation [name=Guillaume Rischard]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Self assessment by each Board member quarterly
    • Q2 2023 Objective:
    • Q3 2023 Objective:
    • Q4 2023 Objective:

In-person US board meeting in June [user=Mikel Maron]

  • Guillaume Rischard: +1, or earlier in London?
  • Mikel Maron: +1
  • Roland Olbricht: -1 June would be more probable
  • Sarah Hoffmann: +1
  • Arnalie Vicario: +1 June
  • Mateusz Konieczny: +1 [24 June impossible] (but unsure about opportunity cost, maybe these funds can be spent better?)
  • Craig Allan: +1 May/June Ok London requires me to get a new visa

SHOULD be finished/accomplished/resolved by end of 2023

High priority stuff that is not the must

PLATFORM OPERATIONS

  • Ensure fully resilient and reliable operation of systems hardware software [name=Guillaume Rischard]
    • Operations/Senior Reliability Engineer (SRE): rapid failover between data centers - make possible and try out.
    • Operations/Senior Reliability Engineer (SRE): document and measure infrastructure reliability, failovers, redundancy.
    • CA- there are commercial measures like 99.9%(+) uptime.
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Discussion with Grant. Agree on metrics. Map areas where we're nervous about failover.
    • Q2 2023 Objective: Work on replicating non-redundant systems. Work on database failover. Agree on level of service by service - instant failover, manual failover, restore from backup?
    • Q3 2023 Objective: Manual failover attempted (Amsterdam to Dublin [Data centers])
    • Q4 2023 Objective: Process for semi-automatic failover implemented.

WEBSITE

  • Decision to proceed with the Vector Tiles project [name=Guillaume Rischard]
    • Vector tile project is funded and progressing
    • Q1 2023 Objective: set up Engineering Working Group/Operations Working Group/board meeting, agree on go/no go
    • Q2 2023 Objective: secure funding
    • Q3 2023 Objective: implementation
    • Q4 2023 Objective: production

COMMUNICATION

  • Regular effective communication with our stakeholders -- members, other organisations [name=Mikel Maron]
    • The OSMF must have published at least three quarterly reports about its action.
    • Regular external communication cadence established by Communication Working Group + Board
    • Q1 2023 Objective: First quarterly post from OSMF Board Chair
    • Q2 2023 Objective:
    • Q3 2023 Objective:
    • Q4 2023 Objective:
  • Incoming enquiries to the board and Licensing Working Group (LWG) are answered quickly. [name=Guillaume Rischard]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Meeting with LWG set up to discuss state of communication, process, possible solutions, possible outsourcing. Targets set.
    • Q2 2023 Objective: Ticket system for board enquiries (automatic Gitlab issues? OTRS? Dorothea opens ticket for each?)
    • Q3 2023 Objective: Communication works better (possibly outsourced to paid help)
    • Q4 2023 Objective:
  • Have established communications between the Engineering Working Group (EWG) and the developer community. [name=Sarah Hoffmann]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Meeting with EWG to discuss possible communication venues.
    • Q2 2023 Objective: Contact developers and set up an initial meeting
    • Q3 2023 Objective: Establish regular meetings.
    • Q4 2023 Objective:

ORGANIZATION/FOUNDATION OPERATION

  • Corporate membership has been reinvented [name=Roland Olbricht]
    • Redesign and make explicit our relations with Corporate Members
    • Q1 2023 Objective: discuss tiers of corporate membership (with whom? the board). Establish financial targets, discussion of benefits (consult Michelle [Heydon - OSMF accountant] for legal implications).
    • Q2 2023 Objective: get in touch with a point of contact of each corporate member to ask for advice (fathom potential for switching to a larger tier)
    • Q3 2023 Objective: make new tiers public, together with at least two upgrades (if no upgrades exist then the whole approach is futile)
    • Q4 2023 Objective: respond to feedback

this is underway, can update from consultation so far [name=Mikel Maron]

  • Redesign and make explicit our relations with the Local Chapters (LCs) [name=Arnalie Vicario]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: consult / discuss with Local Chapters and Communities Working Group (LCCWG) for advice
    • Q2 2023 Objective:
    • Q3 2023 Objective:
    • Q4 2023 Objective:

GROWTH

  • Establish 1-3 further local chapters outside EU /NA [name=Arnalie Vicario]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: complete collection of annual activity report from current local chapters / communicate results
    • Q2 2023 Objective: drafted clearer min. criteria for being a local chapter / acceptability guidelines
    • Q3 2023 Objective: Local Chapters and Communities Working Group (LCCWG) and community consultations on draft revised application
    • Q4 2023 Objective:

(Suggest Q1, Q2 collecting info on and contacting organisations that are active interest groups and not yet Local Chapters (LCs). The Pre-LC organisations. -CA)

  • More diverse working groups [name=Arnalie Vicario][name2=Craig Allan]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: touch base with Membership Working Group (MWG) + other Working Groups (WGs) re how to encourage participation of OSMF members
    • Q2 2023 Objective: information dissemination on how to join Working Groups + clear onboarding - and how participation works like (I joined OSMF board without really being aware what it means)
    • Q3 2023 Objective:
    • Q4 2023 Objective:

(As in Q2 very supportive of clear code of conduct for Working Group members to encourage "interns" to join Working Groups - CA)

STRATEGIC PLAN

  • Prepare a new iteration of the OSMF strategic plan [name=Craig Allan]
    • Understanding and buy in to strategic plan from local chapters and working groups
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Planning the plan
    • Q2 2023 Objective: Gathering and editing amendments
    • Q3 2023 Objective: Publish the new plan
    • Q4 2023 Objective: Push implementation
  • The community should have discussed at least six large project ideas to the point where the feasibility is clear, the order of magnitude of expenses is clear, and the board must have prioritized amongst those projects [name=Roland Olbricht]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: present candidates to the board
    • Q2 2023 Objective: bring in three ideas
    • Q3 2023 Objective: evaluate feedback, bring in further three ideas
    • Q4 2023 Objective: complete evaluations of feedback

('Large project ideas' needs clarification. Projects for what? Projects for OpenStreetMap mappers that the OSMF wants to fund. E.g. data model change is one where we know the structure but not the estimated budget)

ATTRIBUTION (TO BE DISCUSSED)

  • OSMF has taken at least one action in its official capacity to enforce attribution (communication with employees of corporation behind the scenes and being reassured about progress does not count) [name=Mateusz Konieczny]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: start reviewing https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Lacking_proper_attribution, find the worst offenders that are still in active operation (may involve asking other community members to help) [name=Mateusz Konieczny]
    • Q2 2023 Objective:
      • finish that review [name=Mateusz Konieczny]
      • ? announce that board is planning to take action to enforce attribution
      • maybe make a blog posting thanking some data users with exemplary attribution (Organic Maps? Wikimedia Commons Android app?) - that would need to be coordinated with the Communication Working Group (CWG)
    • Q3 2023 Objective: select the offender to take action against, discuss as board which action would be justifiable in this case, maybe take legal advice as needed
    • Q4 2023 Objective: take action against at least single selected offender
  • A realistic assessment of what can be done on attribution [name=Mikel Maron]
    • Q1 2023 Objective: Focused Board discussion on opportunity/risk matrix regarding attribution, our legal standing, and decide on strategy [user=Mikel Maron]
    • Q2 2023 Objective:
    • Q3 2023 Objective:
    • Q4 2023 Objective:

Don't think we can announce or start actions until we agree on our strategy.
Reviewing https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Lacking_proper_attribution should be fine, I guess - but it will be externally visible under my name, at least as edits on the OSM Wiki

WOULD BE NICE to be finished/accomplished/resolved by end of 2023

Let's do it if we can

ORGANIZATION

  • OSMF Board meets in person (USA? State of the Map EU?)
  • More complete board onboarding primer
  • Executive director has been funded and hired

FUNDRAISING

  • Join.osmfoundation.org and donate.openstreetmap.org look less vintage
    • Who maintains that? Is it also openstreetmap-website repository and therefore a sub-problem of a more general issue?

COMMUNICATIONS

  • High profile media story about OSM driven by OSMF engagement
  • A regular newsletter to OSMF members is established.
    • How it differs from Weekly OSM and why duplicating it makes sense?

PLATFORM

  • Find a way to export our data in a geo standards compliant GIS format.
  • Vector tile project is funded and progressing
  • Engineering Working Group has successfully funded at least two projects.
  • Easier process to reach consensus on tagging and enforce it