The Open Group
Architecture Forum Operating Charter
1.
Introduction
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this document is
to record the guiding principles, the roles of the Officers, and specific
procedures for operation of The Open Group Architecture Forum. This document
supplements The Open Group standard governance processes by making specific
choices, for example defining how projects and standing committees operate. A
secondary purpose for this document is to assist in the provision of continuity
for forum operations as and when the officers of the Architecture Forum change.
1.2 Principles
The guiding principles for the
operation of the Architecture Forum are as follows:
Principle
#1 – The primacy of principles
·
All the Forum’s decisions, and
decision-making processes, will be based on principles that are agreed by, and
openly accessible to, members of the Forum.
Principle
#2 – We Inherit the Principles of The Open Group
·
We are committed to the
achievement of The Open Group vision, mission, and to adhere to its principles:
o Openness, Consensus, Public
availability of Published Standards, No Legal Impediment to Implementation or
Adoption, Confidentiality and Executable Standards
Principle
#3 – Collaboration
·
Everything we do is done through
good will, trust, and collaboration.
o
The Forum must be inviting, open
to hearing everyone’s voice.
o
We need to express rationale, not
just positions.
o
Decision making is collaborative
and informed.
Principle
#4 – Shared Purpose
·
Our shared purpose is to advance a
common standard.
o
Everyone has a business rationale
for participation.
o
Everyone has come here to make the
industry better.
·
Everyone shares the credit and the benefit.
Principle #5 – Formal
Process
·
The forum follows formal processes
for planning, operations, decision-making, and reaching consensus.
Principle
#6 – Obligations of Leadership
·
The higher up you are, the more
you serve the Forum and its members.
o The obligation of the Co-Chairs is to
facilitate the forum to pursue its agreed objectives, and to enable it to make
its decisions balanced by consensus, fairness, and the voluntary nature of the
organization.
Principle
#7 – Openness and Assumption of Good Intent
·
Seek to collaborate and understand
o
By validating assumptions and inferences
o
By clarifying the meaning of
special words used
1.3 Overriding Processes
These procedures are designed to
operate within the governance processes defined in The Open Group Standards
Process1, which override this operating charter in the event of any
conflict.
In
addition, the following handbooks provide overriding guidance:
·
A Handbook for Elected Officers of
The Open Group Forums and Work Groups (Document no. I122)
·
A Handbook for the Consensus
Decision-Making Process (Document no. I121)
·
A Handbook for Individuals Acting
as The Open Group Liaison to Another Organization (Document no. I123)
·
A Handbook for Publications
Development (Document no. I153)
Additional guidelines including
how to start new work items and templates are available from the Standards
Process Resource website at https://www.opengroup.org/projects/spectools/ .
1.5
Status
Revision 2.1. Not approved.
1.6
Revision History
|
Version
|
Date
|
Status
|
|
1.4r3
|
27 April 2007
|
Approved by the forum at
the April 2007 meeting in Paris
|
|
1.4r4
|
27 June 2007
|
Updated after the first set of change requests.
|
|
1.5
|
February 2010
|
Revisions to better describe
Working Groups (previously termed projects) and the process for when
chairs/vice-chairs/facilitators are unable to complete their terms.
|
|
1.6
|
March 2013
|
Editorial refresh to revert back to Projects from
Working Groups and also to update for consistency with the 2012
edition of The Open Group Standards Process.
|
|
2.1
|
April 2019
|
Draft version modified to allow for multiple
co-chairs.
|
1 http://www.opengroup.org/standardsprocess/
2.
Forum Officers
2.1
Forum Co-Chairs
The Forum Co-Chairs (typically
2) are the Elected Officers of the Forum and are accountable to the membership
of the Forum and to the Governing Board of The Open Group for operation and
achievements of the Forum.
Each Forum Co-Chair is elected
by the members of the forum for a period of 2 years. One co-chair is elected
each year.
Each Co-Chair shall take responsibility
for specific groups of Forum activities, and shall carry out the
responsibilities listed below within their agreed scope. After each election,
the co-chairs shall agree how responsibilities are to be shared and make that
known to all members of the Forum.
Specific
responsibilities of the Forum Co-Chairs include
·
Convening meetings of the Forum
and agreeing the objectives and agenda for each meeting with the rest of the
Leadership Team.
·
Chairing meetings of the Forum and
the Leadership Team; managing the Forum meetings to achieve their objectives
within the published agenda.
·
Convening meetings of the
Leadership Team.
·
Reporting to The Open Group Governing
Board (and any ad-hoc groups established
by The Open Group Governing Board) on the activities of the Forum.
· Reporting any direction given by The
Open Group Governing Board to the members
of the Forum.
·
Monitoring the activities of the
Forum and bringing to the attention of the Leadership Team any matter where
there does not appear to be sufficient consensus to meet the formal governance
requirements of The Open Group.
·
Liaison with the Chairs of other
Forums and Work Groups to avoid duplication of effort and to encourage the
adoption of architecture across the whole of The Open Group
·
Ensuring that the consensus
process is adhered to for all decisions of the
forum.
·
Ensuring that all Standing
Committees and Projects within the forum are
documented in the forum annual plan and roadmap of deliverables.
·
Ensuring that all Standing Committees
and projects within the forum have open accessibility in participation to all
forum members and that all deliverables are regularly accessible.2
·
Actively lead and support the
evolution of the TOGAF standard and its Ecosystem to address new market demands
and trends
Additional Co-Chair(s)
At any time, by resolution of
the Architecture Forum, one or more additional Co-Chair positions may be established.
Such additional Co-Chair(s) shall be elected according to the process set out
in 3 below and shall serve for one or two years to be defined in the
Architecture Forum consent item.
2.2
Forum Director
The Forum Director is
usually a staff member of The Open Group, appointed by the President of The
Open Group and is accountable to the President of The Open Group, or an
appointed delegate. The primary responsibility of the Forum Director is to
ensure that the Forum operates within the operating rules of The Open Group and
to co- ordinate the provision of other resources from The Open Group in support
of the activities of the Forum.
Specific
responsibilities of the Forum Director include:
·
Enabling the Forum members to
execute their work plan using the available processes and tools in accordance
with The Open Group Standards Process.
· Publishing notification of meetings
of the Forum, together with the agenda
and objectives in consultation with the Co-Chairs.
·
Maintaining, in cooperation with
the Co-Chairs, an annual plan and roadmap of deliverables for the Forum.
·
Acting as a facilitator in
reaching consensus within Forum meetings
2 In practice this means ensuring
that regular project updates and deliverables are made available to all
members. Usually this should correspond with the deliverable dates within the
specific project plan.
·
Ensuring that minutes of all
meetings of the Forum are published.
·
Reporting to the Executive
Management Team of The Open Group on the activities of the Forum.
· Reporting any direction given by the
Management Team of The Open Group relating to the activities of the Forum to
its members.
·
Co-ordinating the provision of
other resources from The Open Group to meet
the needs of the Forum. (Technical editing, Marketing, Product/Project
Management etc.)
·
Supporting the Forum Co-Chairs.
·
Liaison with the Directors of
other Forums to avoid duplication of effort and to encourage the adoption of
architecture across the whole of The Open Group.
2.3 Responsibilities
of the Elected Officers
The Elected Officers are
responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the Forum on behalf of the
membership of the Forum. Their primary role is to enhance the effectiveness of
the Forum by formulating recommendations for approval by the members of the
Forum. However, the Elected Officers are authorized to take decisions on behalf
of the Forum, where warranted, subject to subsequent ratification by the Forum.
Specific
responsibilities of the Elected Officers include:
·
Agreeing the schedule of meetings
and teleconferences to progress the work of
the Forum.
·
Soliciting input from Forum
Members with respect to the content of all meetings of the Forum.
·
Agreeing the objectives and agenda
for each meeting.
·
Ensuring that an Acting Chair is
identified and briefed on the objectives and agenda for meetings which both (all)
the elected Co- Chairs are unable to attend.
· Formulation of proposals for [this
does not preclude any other members of the Forum from making such proposals]:
o
Changes to the structure of the
Forum and its operating procedures.
o Establishment of new projects; Changes
in scope of projects; Termination of projects.
o New Standing Committees; Changes in
scope of Standing Committees; Closure of Standing Committees.
o
Resolution of issues.
· Acting as an escalation vehicle to
handle any issues arising from the forum membership.
·
Working with the Forum Director to
develop and maintain the forum annual plan and roadmap of deliverables.
· Ensuring that new work items follow
the established governance guidelines for starting new work items within The
Open Group.
3.
Specific Processes
3.1
Elections of Forum Co-Chairs
A ballot to elect each Forum
Co-Chair is taken annually (or following a resolution of the Architecture Forum
in accordance with 2.1 above).
The specific voting rules
associated with e-mail ballots shall apply (see section 3.6).
The Forum Director shall
announce the need for an election by e-mail to all members of the Forum at
least 4 weeks prior to the date of the election (or in the case of an e-mail
ballot, the start date of the balloting period). Each member of the Forum shall
be entitled to propose a candidate for each post. Self-nomination is acceptable.
A period of 2 working weeks shall be allowed for nominations.
On closure of the nomination
period, the Forum Director shall contact each candidate to obtain confirmation
that the candidate is willing to be serve if elected.
·
If there is a single candidate,
the members of the Architecture Forum shall ballot to accept the candidate.
·
If there are two candidates, the
members of the Architecture Forum shall ballot and the candidate receiving the
higher number of votes shall be elected.
·
If there are three or more
candidates, the members of the Architecture Forum shall ballot. If any candidate receives more than 50% of the
votes cast, that candidate shall be elected. Otherwise, there shall be a second
ballot between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the
first ballot; the candidate receiving the higher number of votes in the second
ballot shall be elected.
In the event that an existing Co-Chair
is unable to complete their elected term then a temporary Co-Chair may be
appointed by resolution of the members of the Forum. A formal ballot shall then
be initiated within 1 month to be completed within 4 months.
3.2 Voting
By default, decisions of the
Architecture Forum shall be taken using the consensus decision-making process
(see 3.3 below).
Voting is
required for:
·
Decisions related to approval of
Standards and TOGAF Series Guides (which must use The Open Group Company Review Process)
· Decisions related to approval of Guides
and White Papers (which must use the applicable review process)
·
Elections of officers (see 3.1 above)
All voting
within the Forum shall be on the basis of one organization, one vote. (The
Forum Director is a voting member of the Forum). The Co-Chairs are permitted to
vote on behalf of their organization, if eligible to do so.
Where there are multiple representatives
from the same organization, the organization shall define an order of
precedence. The senior representative from that organization present shall cast
the vote representing that organization.
3.3
Consensus Decision-Making
The consensus decision-making
process is used within the Architecture Forum to reach decisions.
Consensus is a principle of The
Open Group. The Open Group Standards Process requires Chairs to ensure that all
legitimate views and objections are considered, and endeavor to resolve them,
whether these views and objections are expressed by the
active participants or by others
(e.g., another Forum or Work Group, or a group in another organization).
Decisions may be made during meetings (face-to-face or distributed) as well as
through email. Consensus must be established over a time period sufficient to
give any interested party an equal chance to participate.
3.4 Meetings
of the Forum
The dates and location of all
face-to-face meetings of the Forum and any Teams/Committees shall be published
at least 4 weeks in advance, and the agenda of such meetings shall be published
at least 2 weeks in advance3.
Any matter requiring a
resolution by the members of the Forum shall be notified to members of the
Forum at least 2 weeks in advance. Any member of the Forum may request that a
matter not so notified be deferred to another properly constituted meeting.
Proxy and absentee ballots are
not allowed. Remote teleconference access to face-to- face meetings is
permitted where this is feasible.
3.5
Decision Making Teleconferences
A teleconference may be convened
at any time to progress the work of the Forum.
All teleconferences during which
a consensus decision is to be taken must be announced at least 2 weeks in
advance, together with the specific wording of any resolutions to be proposed
during the teleconference. If such notice is not given, then any decision made
must be submitted to a correctly convened meeting, e-mail process or
teleconference for ratification.
All other teleconferences must
be announced at least 1 week in advance.
Any member may submit a vote by
e-mail in advance to the Forum Director on any resolution that is to be
discussed during the teleconference. It is the responsibility of the Forum
Director to declare these positions during the teleconference.
Should the wording of the
proposed resolution be changed during the teleconference, then the Forum Co-Chair
who is running the conference shall determine whether any votes cast in advance
remain valid.
3.6
E-Mail Ballots
Resolutions of the Forum may be
taken by e-mail.4
All e-mail
ballots must be announced at least 1 week in advance of the start of the ballot
period, together with the specific wording of the resolution(s) which are the
subject of the ballot.
A period of at least 1 week
must be allowed for the ballot itself.
3.7
Minutes
Minutes shall be published of
all meetings of the Forum (including decision making teleconferences) and shall
include at least
·
A list of participants.
·
A list of decisions made
(Resolutions approved or rejected)
3.8
Standing Committees and Projects
3 It is
recommended that the Plato Events facility be used to announce meetings
4 It is
recommended that the Plato Poll facility be considered for conducting such
ballots.
Standing Committees and Projects
may be established from time-to-time by resolution of the membership of the
Architecture Forum:
A Standing Committee is
established to carry out operational tasks and functions, characterized by
·
A defined scope
·
Continuous monitoring and/or
operational activities and
deliverables
·
Possible activation by problem
resolution or member request
·
An indefinite lifetime
·
At least five member organizations
actively participating in the committee on an ongoing basis
A Project
is established to complete a specific piece of work, characterized by
·
A defined task
·
A defined timescale and deliverables roadmap
·
Defined acceptance criteria
·
At least two member organizations
actively participating in the project
Each Standing Committee must
have a Chair (and optionally Deputy Chair) elected annually by members of the
Forum. In the event that the Chair or Deputy Chair is unable to complete
his/her elected term then a temporary Chair or Deputy Chair may be appointed by
resolution of the members of the Forum. A formal ballot shall then be initiated
within 1 month to be completed within 4 months.
Each Project must have a Project
Facilitator appointed by the members of the Forum when the Project is
established and subject to Forum Review. In the event that the Project
Facilitator is unable to continue in his/her role a new Project Facilitator may
be appointed by resolution of the members of the Forum.
Any member of the Forum is
entitled to participate in any Standing Committee and Project.
The Forum Director and other
staff from The Open Group are entitled to attend any Standing Committee or
Project meeting. They are not obliged to attend, and not obliged to become a
member of any Standing Committees or Projects.
All Standing Committees and
Projects shall operate within the terms of this document.
