Governance for LF Energy is outlined in the project charter. We follow in the footsteps and share the DNA of our sister projects, who represent the world’s most successful open source communities. Governance is the secret sauce that makes it possible for multiple entities to collaborate and cooperate, yet still achieve independent, strategic goals. Separating business and technical decision-making is a best practice for all Linux Foundation open source projects:
Governance
- The Governing Board oversees business decision—making, e.g., building alliances and growing membership and allocating the budget to the highest benefit of LF Energy projects. Membership to the Governing Board is composed of: Premier Members, each with a seat on the Governing Board; one or more General Members – a representative is elected per 10 General members; and the Chair of the Technical Advisory Council (TAC).
- The Technical Advisory Council (TAC) oversees technical decision—making, e.g., which projects should be part of LF Energy, how projects should run, and how to coordinate projects.
- The TAC is made up of the Chairs (or maintainers) from each project, plus a representative from each Premier member.
- The TAC also integrates the core LF Energy Framework leaders around functional and data architecture, security, and infrastructure.
- The TAC Chair represents the projects to the Governing Board as a voting member.
- Each project has a Technical Steering Committee (TSC), which oversees the project’s development and guides the project’s technical community. All TSC Chairs (or maintainers) attend TAC meetings.
- Participation in the supported technical projects is open to anyone, whether or not they are an LF Energy member, subject to compliance with the projects’ technical charters.
- Membership is not required to become a Committer or to submit contributions, though it is strongly encouraged so that stakeholders in each project have a voice in how the project is run.
- Working Group and TSC participation is solely based on contribution and advancing roles based on a “do-ocracy” via technical merit and community recognition.
- The legal entity for LF Energy is The Linux Foundation, which oversees LF Energy’s staff and guides leadership in open source best practices. Membership in The Linux Foundation is required in order to become a member of LF Energy.
- Participants are encouraged to support the project by becoming members of the community. LF Energy offers two levels of membership support options (Strategic and General), plus an Associate membership level for academic and registered non-profit institutions. Associate membership requires board approval.
