Overly complex governance
Open communities often aspire to strong governance structures—specifically those supporting openness as a value. However, when these governance models become overly complex or formalized, they can unintentionally create barriers to participation and reinforce existing power dynamics within the open ecosystem.
Solutions
1.
Adopt flexible, minimal governance structures
Adopt flexible, minimal governance structures that grow with projects and coalitions as needs emerge. Emphasize transparent decision-making and, where possible, embed those decisions into existing community organizing practices, rather than imposing formal tech governance models.
2.
Keep a 'Future To Do' list
Acknowledge the things that still need to be done that can be better accomplished when capacity increases or higher priority items have been completed.
3.
Include non-technical collaborators in governance decisions
Complex terminology can create barriers that prevent valuable input from partners with different experiences or levels of expertise. Where possible, use plain language in governance documentation.
Know of another resource or solution?
Resources
Building Welcoming Communities
Building Welcoming Communities explores the importance of governance in open source communities, offering advice on creating clear structures, decision-making processes, and codes of conduct. It helps project leaders build inclusive, sustainable, and well-governed communities.
CommunityRule
CommunityRule is a toolkit for structuring collaborative governance and role-sharing useful for the concept of "open maintainers."
OKFN's Open data governance and open governance: interplay or disconnect?
OKFN's "Open data governance and open governance: interplay or disconnect?" examines the relationship between open data governance and open governance, discussing whether they complement or conflict with each other. It highlights real-world examples and offers insights on aligning data practices with transparent decision-making.