The document discusses governance challenges facing the Joomla open source project. It notes that unlike other open source projects, Joomla lacks a benevolent dictator or major corporate sponsor to provide leadership and resources. This has made attracting and retaining contributors difficult. A proposed new leadership structure from 2011 is described, with a board of directors and committees to set project-wide goals and improve coordination between teams. The benefits of this approach include establishing a unified roadmap, addressing inter-team conflicts, making room for new leaders, and reducing drama to increase productivity. Current steps involve a working group studying the issue and an upcoming leadership summit to potentially adopt new recommendations.

1. Overcoming Governance Challenges in the
Joomla project, and why you should care

2. Overcoming Governance Challenges in the
Joomla project, and why you should care
OR
Helping Joomla to reach its potential

3. Joomla as the underdog...

4. Joomla as the underdog...

No benevolent dictator to provide clear
vision or resolve issues

5. Joomla as the underdog...

No benevolent dictator to provide clear
vision or resolve issues

No primary business/corporate sponsor
that contributes staff, developers,
financial resources

6. Helping Joomla to reach its potential
How can Joomla continue to grow and
remain a FOSS CMS leader?

7. Helping Joomla to reach its potential
More than any other single factor, and
more than other leading FOSS CMS, the
Joomla project's future success depends
on our ability to attract and retain a large
and diverse group of skilled volunteer
contributors.

8. Joomla leadership's most important function:
Create and support a culture that will attract
and retain the large and diverse group of
skilled volunteer contributors that our
project's future success depends on.

9. The kind of culture we need to create and support:

10. The kind of culture we need to create and support:

Inspiring

11. The kind of culture we need to create and support:

Inspiring

Meaningful

12. The kind of culture we need to create and support:

Inspiring

Meaningful

Open

13. The kind of culture we need to create and support:

Inspiring

Meaningful

Open

Responsive

14. The kind of culture we need to create and support:

Inspiring

Meaningful

Open

Responsive

Respectful

15. The kind of culture we need to create and support:

Inspiring

Meaningful

Open

Responsive

Respectful

Fun

16. Current Leadership Structure

17. Current Leadership Structure
Production Leadership
Team

Development

Documentation

Translations

Some websites

18. Current Leadership Structure
Production Leadership Community Leadership
Team Team

Forums

Development 
Directories

Documentation 
Magazine

Translations 
JPeople

Some websites 
JUGs

Some websites

19. Current Leadership Structure
Production Leadership Community Leadership Open Source Matters
Team Team

Forums 
Finances

Development 
Directories 
Legal

Documentation 
Magazine 
Trademark

Translations 
JPeople 
Communications

Some websites 
JUGs 
Events

Some websites 
Shop

Some websites

20. Current Leadership Structure
Community Oversight
Committee

Add OSM members

Remove OSM members

No websites!
Production Leadership Community Leadership Open Source Matters
Team Team

Forums 
Finances

Development 
Directories 
Legal

Documentation 
Magazine 
Trademark

Translations 
JPeople 
Communications

Some websites 
JUGs 
Events

Some websites 
Shop

Some websites

21. Challenges with current leadership structure

22. Challenges with current leadership structure

We currently set LT level goals, but not
project-wide goals

23. Challenges with current leadership structure

We currently set LT level goals, but not
project-wide goals

We don't always coordinate well between
teams, and there is no process to address that

24. Challenges with current leadership structure

We currently set LT level goals, but not
project-wide goals

We don't always coordinate well between
teams, and there is no process to address that

There can be a tendency to focus on team
level responsibilities, instead of more complex
project-wide issues

25. 2011 proposed leadership structure changes

26. 2011 proposed leadership structure changes
Board of Directors

Overall goals and strategy

Oversight for all committees

27. 2011 proposed leadership structure changes
Board of Directors

Overall goals and strategy

Oversight for all committees
Committees
Development Directories Events/Groups Finance Community Mgmt.
Sites/Infrastructur Legal/Tradema Communication
Documentation
e rk s

28. Benefits of proposed leadership structure changes

29. Benefits of proposed leadership structure changes

Allow us to set and monitor progress for
bolder, more inspiring project-wide goals

30. Benefits of proposed leadership structure changes

Allow us to set and monitor progress for
bolder, more inspiring project-wide goals

Make it easier for all teams to follow and
support a unified roadmap

31. Benefits of proposed leadership structure changes

Allow us to set and monitor progress for
bolder, more inspiring project-wide goals

Make it easier for all teams to follow and
support a unified roadmap

Provide a way to address and overcome
inter-team conflicts

32. Benefits of proposed leadership structure changes

Allow us to set and monitor progress for
bolder, more inspiring project-wide goals

Make it easier for all teams to follow and
support a unified roadmap

Provide a way to address and overcome
inter-team conflicts

Can make room for new leaders

33. Benefits of proposed leadership structure changes

Allow us to set and monitor progress for
bolder, more inspiring project-wide goals

Make it easier for all teams to follow and
support a unified roadmap

Provide a way to address and overcome
inter-team conflicts

Can make room for new leaders

Allow each committee to have a stronger focus

34. Benefits of proposed leadership structure changes

Allow us to set and monitor progress for
bolder, more inspiring project-wide goals

Make it easier for all teams to follow and
support a unified roadmap

Provide a way to address and overcome
inter-team conflicts

Can make room for new leaders

Allow each committee to have a stronger focus

Reduce drama, increase productivity

35. Benefits of proposed leadership structure changes

Allow us to set and monitor progress for
bolder, more inspiring project-wide goals

Make it easier for all teams to follow and
support a unified roadmap

Provide a way to address and overcome
inter-team conflicts

Can make room for new leaders

Allow each committee to have a stronger focus

Reduce drama, increase productivity

Simplify contractual issues

36. Current and upcoming steps:

37. Current and upcoming steps:

Working group has been formed to study this
issue and present recommendations

38. Current and upcoming steps:

Working group has been formed to study this
issue and present recommendations

Joint leadership summit at JandBeyond
conference in May will consider those
recommendations and hopefully reach a
decision

39. Helping Joomla to reach its potential
How can Joomla continue to grow and
remain a FOSS CMS leader?

40. Helping Joomla to reach its potential
Create and support a culture that will attract
and retain the large and diverse group of
skilled volunteer contributors that our
project's future success depends on.

41. paul.orwig@opensourcematters.org