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Mission Statement: Difference between revisions

Updated text based on approved circular 2023/Res43 https://osmfoundation.org/wiki/Board/Minutes/2023-11#2023/Res43_Update_OSMF_mission_and_scope Reworded historic info at the bottom.
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(Updated text based on approved circular 2023/Res43 https://osmfoundation.org/wiki/Board/Minutes/2023-11#2023/Res43_Update_OSMF_mission_and_scope Reworded historic info at the bottom.)
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== Mission Statement ==
The OpenStreetMap Foundation is an international, not-for-profit, democratic organisation with the tasks of supporting the OSM project, running and protecting the OSM database, and making it available to all. The OSMF membership is open to all who want to support the project and participate in the OSMF’s democratic process.
 
The OpenStreetMap Foundation is therean international, not-for-profit, democratic organisation. Its mission is to support the OSM project, run and protect the OSM datadatabase, toand keepmake it available to all as Free and Open data.
 
OSMF membership is open to all who want to support the project and participate in the OSMF’s democratic process. The OSMF represents its members and encourages all with interest in OSM to join.
The OpenStreetMap Foundation represents the OSMF members, and wants to grow the membership.
 
=== Core Values ===
This is the non-exhaustive list of the Foundation’s core values for OSM:
The Foundation's core values for OSM are (this list is not meant to be exhaustive):
 
* The Best Map: We want to make the best map data set of the world
* OSMFree and Open: Our Datadata is available under a Free and Open licence to everybodyeveryone
* Community: OSM is powered by its Community. Engage positively with the Community, be a good and respectful neighbour and assume good intent.
* Useful: We want OSM data to be used as widely as possible.
* Ground Truth: OSM favours objective personal knowledge and “Ground Truth” over all other sources
* Self motivated: OSM wants you to map the things you care about and will ensure that you have the freedom to do so. This safeguards the accessibility of our map to diverse users with differing needs.
 
=== Scope of the OSMF ===
Overall, the OSMF is responsible for needs that require an organization, and gaps that can not be filled by OSM’s volunteer driven community.
* Answers press inquiries
* Leads the charge on communicating OSM's work to the world
 
=== Infrastructure ===
* Supports a diverse community
* Handles legal challenges to project and its people
* Makes sure OSMF membership represents project as much as possible
* Is responsible for filling in gaps left by volunteer driven community (comms, legal, new user support)
 
* Ensures access to OSM data
* Is responsible for raising funds
* Provides and maintains core technical infrastructure
* Acquires donations
* Ensures the financial sustainability of the OSM project
 
=== Legal ===
* Helps the community to resolve conflicts
* Is responsible for handing problematic community members (once escalated)
* Provides access to OSM data
 
* Handles legal challenges to the project and its people
* Is responsible for providing or maintaining infrastructure (legal, devops)
* Maintains the license of the data
* Makes sure core technical infrastructure is running
* Ensures that data users comply with the license
* Provides financial support for the maintenance of core servers
* Protects OSM related trademarks from misuse
 
=== Community ===
* Affirms tagging conventions, mediates tagging conflicts
 
* Supports a diverse community
* Makes sure OSMF membership represents the project as much as possible
* Approves local chapters and signs agreements with them
* Helps the community to resolve conflicts, and handles escalated problematic community members
* Mediates tagging and editing conflicts
* Supports the software ecosystem where requested.
 
=== Communications ===
* Is responsible for allocating funds to diverse worthwhile software projects with grants and microgrants
 
* Is responsible for maintaining the license of the data
* Leads the charge on communicating OSM’s work to the world
* Ensures that data users comply with the license
* Ensures OSM is promoted and shown off at full potential
* Protects the OSM related trademarks from misuse
* Answers press inquiries
 
=== Financial ===
 
* Ensures the financial sustainability of the OSM project
* Raises funds and acquires donations
* Provides financial support for the maintenance of core servers
* Allocates funds to diverse software and community projects with grants and microgrants
 
=== The OSMF does not ===
 
* Does not decide what to map or how to map
* Does not actively bootstrap community where none exists yet
* Does not commit the project as a whole to agreements with corporations or governments
* Does not createget toolsinvolved forin usingsoftware OSMproject datadesign beyonddecisions dataor dumpsdaily maintenance.
* Does not manage software projects
 
=== Scope of the OSMF board ===
The OSMF board and board members are responsible for:
 
=== Governance ===
* Operate AGMs, elections and the other structures required by law and our own rules
* Ensures compliance with companies' act and other law
 
* Operates AGMs, elections and the other structures required by law and our own rules
* Board members vote or abstain on circulars and other votes
* Ensures compliance with Companies’ Act and other legal requirements governing the OSMF as an organisation
* Board members participate in board discussions
* Participates in board discussions, and takes part in votes
* Ensures OSM is promoted and shown off at full potential
* Approves OSMF wide policies
* Defines procedures to promote participation in the OSMF
* Establishes or winds up working groups and committees
* Is responsible for a friendly environment for people to participate in OSM
 
* Sets core values for OSM (via consultation)
=== Working Groups===
 
* Support and develop good relations with working group volunteers
* Hears appeals of Working Group decisions
* Ensures Working Groups are meeting their responsibility
* Engages and consults with volunteers in working groups on matters legal, technical and other areas of focus in the working groups
 
=== Communications ===
 
* Answers Board and OSMF questions from membership and external inquiries
* Represents the Foundation in meetings and correspondence with OSMF Members and donors
* Consults with the community on major decisions and direction
 
=== Community ===
 
* Responsible for an inclusive environment for people to participate in OSM
* Develops working relationships with OSM related voluntary organisations, users of OSM data
* Supports the development and operations of OSM Local Chapters globally.
 
=== Strategy ===
 
* Takes active steps to safeguard project relevance, future and success
* Defines a strategic vision
* Maintains a set of clear project goals, which may be a subset of all possible goals
* Takes active steps to safeguard project relevance, future and success
* Is ultimately responsible for having a durable infrastructure
* Ensures Working Groups are meeting their responsibility
* Reviews and is responsible for the budget
* Defines procedures for transparency
* Answer board and OSMF questions from membership
 
=== Finance ===
* Does not drive mapping in a particular direction
 
* Does not decide what to map or how to map
* Build and present financial modelling for planning expenditure, fundraising income and the management of reserves.
* Has no role in setting tags
* Develops, reviews and is responsible for the budget
* Prepare and publicly post regular reports to keep membership up to date on the finances and operations of the OSMF
* Ensure that financial transactions meet OSMF legal and policy responsibilities
* Hold relationships with OSMF donors to support our annual fundraising goals
* Ensure that financial administration and accounting processes are in place and are followed.
 
=== Human Resources ===
 
* Attract, recruit, and retain members of the paid workforce as necessary
* Develop and implement standards and procedures for HR functions.
* Manage HR matters for the paid workforce of OSMF
* Assist with volunteer recruitment activities to build our volunteer base.
* Implement succession and resilience planning for key paid and voluntary technical roles.
* Develop and implement procedures to properly on-board both appointees to paid and volunteer roles and new Board members.
 
=== Does not ===
 
* Does not drive mapping in a particular direction, or decide what to map or how to map, or take a role in setting tags
* Does not provide external parties legal / technical guidance
* Does not undermine the Working Groups by takingtake on tasks that could be advanced by themWorking Groups
* Does not do day-to-day OSMF business
* Is not responsible for day-to-day uptime of infrastructure
 
''(This Mission Statement was decided at the [[Board_Meeting_Minutes_2012-11-03|November 2012 Face-to-Face meeting]] of the OSMF board, and slightly amended at the 2012-11-27 board meeting.)''
 
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''Core values and the scope of the OSMF and board are from the [https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Board/Minutes/2015-02-16 February 2015 Face-to-Face meeting].
=== ''Historic'' ===
''The original Mission Statement was decided at the [[Board_Meeting_Minutes_2012-11-03|November 2012 Face-to-Face meeting]] of the OSMF board, and amended during the 2012-11-27 board meeting and via the [[Board/Minutes/2023-11#2023/Res43_Update_OSMF_mission_and_scope|2023/Res43 circular]]''.
 
''Original core values and the scope of the OSMF and board were from the [[Board/Minutes/2015-02-16|February 2015 Face-to-Face meeting]].