Slim Governance

Team Size Assessment Guide

Before selecting a template, assess your team size and organizational needs:

Small Teams (2-5 active contributors)

Characteristics:

• Direct communication between all members
• Simple decision-making process
• Minimal bureaucracy needed
• Close collaboration on most decisions
• Limited formal roles required

Best for: Early-stage projects, research projects, small utilities, proof-of-concepts

Medium Teams (6-20 active contributors)

Characteristics:

• Mix of direct and structured communication
• Need for some formal roles and processes
• Multiple areas of expertise/ownership
• Balance between flexibility and structure
• Growing external contributor base

Best for: Established projects, multi-component systems, growing communities

Large Teams (20+ active contributors)

Characteristics:

• Formal communication structures required
• Complex decision-making processes
• Multiple committees or working groups
• Diverse stakeholder representation
• High volume of contributions and decisions

Best for: Enterprise projects, multi-organization initiatives, mature ecosystems

Template Selection Workflow

Step 1: Assess Your Current State

Ask these key questions:

1. Team Size: How many active contributors do you have?
2. Growth Trajectory: How quickly is the team expected to grow?
3. Organizational Complexity: How many organizations are involved?
4. Decision Complexity: How complex are typical technical decisions?
5. Compliance Requirements: Are there government/institutional requirements?

Step 2: Choose Your Template

Choose Small Teams Template when:

• ≤5 active contributors
• Single organization primary
• Simple technical decisions
• Rapid iteration needed
• Minimal bureaucracy preferred

Choose Medium Teams Template when:

• 6-20 active contributors
• Multi-organization involvement
• Moderate decision complexity
• Balance of speed and process needed
• Growing external interest

Choose Large Teams Template when:

• 20+ active contributors
• Complex multi-organization structure
• High-stakes technical decisions
• Formal process requirements
• Established community governance needed

Step 3: Consider Special Requirements

Government/NASA Projects:

• Choose template one size larger than assessment suggests
• Ensure compliance sections are properly filled
• Include institutional copyright requirements
• Add security and export control considerations

Government Project Specifics

NASA/JPL Compliance Considerations

When working on NASA or other government-sponsored projects:

1. Institutional Requirements:

   • Include appropriate copyright headers
   • Reference institutional policies
   • Ensure export control compliance
   • Follow security guidelines

2. Role Definitions:

   • Include government oversight roles
   • Define contractor vs. civil servant responsibilities
   • Establish foreign national participation rules
   • Set up approval workflows for sensitive decisions

3. Documentation Standards:

   • Meet federal record-keeping requirements
   • Ensure transparency in decision-making
   • Maintain audit trails for key decisions
   • Follow accessibility standards (Section 508)

4. Contribution Guidelines:

   • Implement contributor license agreements (CLAs)
   • Set up IP clearance processes
   • Define acceptable contribution sources
   • Establish security review procedures

Customization Guide

Common Customizations

1. Project Information:

   • Replace [INSERT PROJECT NAME] with your project name
   • Update [INSERT PROJECT DOMAIN] with your domain area
   • Add your project's specific links and contacts

2. Role Modifications:

   • Adjust role names to match your organization
   • Modify permission levels based on your needs
   • Add specialized roles (e.g., Security Officer, Documentation Lead)
   • Define term limits for leadership positions

3. Decision-Making Processes:

   • Choose voting thresholds (majority, supermajority, consensus)
   • Define escalation procedures
   • Set meeting schedules and formats
   • Establish tie-breaking mechanisms

4. Communication Channels:

   • Specify your discussion platforms (GitHub Discussions, Slack, etc.)
   • Define which decisions require public discussion
   • Set up mailing lists or forums
   • Establish meeting cadences

Example Customizations by Team Size

Small Teams:

• Combine Product Manager and Technical Lead roles
• Use informal consensus for most decisions
• Weekly team check-ins instead of formal meetings
• Direct GitHub issues for most governance discussions

Medium Teams:

• Separate Product and Technical Steering
• Establish Working Groups for specialized areas
• Monthly steering committee meetings
• Formal RFC process for major changes

Large Teams:

• Multiple specialized committees
• Formal governance board
• Quarterly community meetings
• Structured proposal and review processes

Deployment Workflow

Step 1: Check for Existing Governance

ls -la GOVERNANCE.md GOVERNANCE/ governance/

If governance documents exist:

• Review existing structure
• Plan migration strategy
• Consider versioning the transition
• Communicate changes to community

Step 2: Select and Customize Template

1. Copy the appropriate template:

   cp assets/governance-[small|medium|large].md GOVERNANCE.md
   

2. Review and customize:

   • Search for all [INSERT...] placeholders
   • Replace with project-specific information
   • Adjust roles and permissions as needed
   • Add any missing sections for your context

Step 3: Team Review and Approval

1. Internal Review:

   • Share draft with current team members
   • Gather feedback on roles and processes
   • Ensure institutional requirements are met
   • Test decision-making scenarios

2. Stakeholder Approval:

   • Get sign-off from organizational sponsors
   • Review with legal/compliance teams if required
   • Ensure alignment with institutional policies
   • Document any required modifications

Step 4: Community Introduction

1. Announce the governance model:

   • Create issue or discussion explaining the new governance
   • Highlight benefits and opportunities for contributors
   • Explain transition timeline if replacing existing governance
   • Invite community feedback and questions

2. Update project documentation:

   • Link to GOVERNANCE.md from README
   • Update CONTRIBUTING.md with role information
   • Add governance references to project websites
   • Include in new contributor onboarding

Step 5: Implementation and Evolution

1. Put governance into practice:

   • Start using defined roles and processes
   • Hold first governance meetings
   • Begin contributor onboarding process
   • Establish regular review cycles

2. Monitor and iterate:

   • Collect feedback on governance effectiveness
   • Adjust processes based on real-world usage
   • Scale governance as team grows
   • Document lessons learned

Best Practices

Starting with Governance

1. Start Simple: Choose the smallest viable governance structure
2. Grow Gradually: Add complexity only as team size demands it
3. Document Everything: Keep clear records of governance decisions
4. Regular Reviews: Assess governance effectiveness quarterly
5. Community First: Prioritize contributor experience and transparency

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• ❌ Over-engineering: Starting with too complex a governance structure
• ❌ Under-communicating: Not explaining governance changes clearly
• ❌ Rigid Processes: Making governance too bureaucratic
• ❌ Unclear Roles: Defining overlapping or ambiguous responsibilities
• ❌ No Evolution: Failing to adapt governance as team grows

Assets Available

This skill includes three complete governance templates:

• governance-small.md: Streamlined governance for small teams (2-5 contributors)

  • Simple role structure: Contributor → Committer → Product Manager
  • Lightweight decision-making processes
  • Focus on direct collaboration and rapid iteration

• governance-medium.md: Balanced governance for medium teams (6-20 contributors)

  • Expanded roles including Technical Steering Committee
  • Structured decision-making with multiple approval paths
  • Balance of flexibility and formal process

• governance-large.md: Comprehensive governance for large teams (20+ contributors)

  • Complex role hierarchy with specialized positions
  • Formal committees and working groups
  • Detailed procedures for large-scale collaboration

All templates include:

• Role definitions and responsibilities
• Decision-making processes
• Contribution guidelines
• Conflict resolution procedures
• Template placeholders for easy customization

Additional Resources

• Open Source Governance Models
• NASA Open Source Agreement
• Contributor License Agreements
• GitHub Community Guidelines
• SLIM Governance Documentation

Troubleshooting

Q: Which template should I choose if I'm between sizes? A: When in doubt, start with the smaller template. It's easier to add complexity than remove it.

Q: What if my organization has specific governance requirements? A: Use the closest template as a starting point, then customize roles and processes to meet your organizational needs.

Q: How often should governance be reviewed? A: Review governance effectiveness quarterly in the first year, then annually or when significant team changes occur.

Q: Can I mix elements from different templates? A: Yes! The templates are starting points. Customize by mixing and matching elements that work for your specific context.