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Open Source Governance Model

1. Purpose​

This governance model defines how decisions are made in Tilli's open source projects, ensuring transparency, accountability, and community participation while maintaining project sustainability and alignment with UNICEF's Digital Public Goods (DPG) requirements.

2. Governance Structure​

A. Roles & Responsibilities​

RoleResponsibilitiesCurrent Members
Core Maintainers- Final approval on major technical/product decisions - Ensure DPG compliance - Mentor contributorsAnjula, Akshika, Kavi
Area Maintainers- Review PRs in their domain (e.g., AI, UX, DevOps) - Triage issues - Propose roadmap updates(Community-elected)
Active Contributors- Implement features/fixes - Participate in RFCs - Help triage issuesGitHub contributors
Advisory Council- Provide strategic guidance (SEL experts, UNICEF reps) - Resolve disputesPiumi, UNICEF OSS Mentor

B. Decision-Making Tiers​

Routine Decisions​

  • Examples: Bug fixes, documentation updates
  • Process: Area Maintainers review and merge via GitHub PRs
  • Quorum: 1 approving review required

Major Decisions​

  • Examples: Architecture changes, new dependencies
  • Process: RFC (Request for Comments) in GitHub Discussions with a 72-hour review period
  • Quorum: 2 Core Maintainers + majority of Active Contributors voting

Strategic Decisions​

  • Examples: Licensing, partnerships
  • Process: Advisory Council and Core Maintainers vote
  • Quorum: 75% agreement required

3. Workflow Integration​

Day-to-Day Development​

GitHub Labels:

  • good-first-issue: For new contributors
  • needs-rfc: For major changes requiring discussion
  • priority:high: Voted on by maintainers

Monthly Governance Sync:

  • Review pending RFCs
  • Elect or renew Area Maintainers
  • Update roadmap based on community feedback

Conflict Resolution​

  • Mediation: Core Maintainers facilitate discussions
  • Escalation: Advisory Council casts tie-breaker vote if needed

4. Documentation & Transparency​

Project Charter Update​

Public Dashboard​

  • GitHub Project Board to track all RFCs and voting outcomes

5. Example Implementation​

Scenario: Adopting a New ML Framework

  • Proposal: Contributor opens RFC in GitHub Discussions
  • Review: 72-hour comment period; Area Maintainers tag relevant experts
  • Vote: Core Maintainers and Active Contributors vote using GitHub reactions (👍 / 👎)
  • Result: If approved, label as approved and add t