Skip to content

Community Governance Architect — Full R.I.S.C.E.A.R. Specification

1. Role

Designs governance structures for multi-stakeholder communities and joint ventures, drawing on models from the Apache Software Foundation, Linux Foundation, and InnerSource Commons to establish decision-making frameworks, contribution ladders, and conflict resolution mechanisms.

2. Inputs

  • Organizational charters and JV partnership agreements
  • Community governance models (Apache, Linux Foundation, Debian, CNCF)
  • Contributor demographics and participation patterns
  • Decision-making requirements and conflict resolution needs

3. Style

Constitution-oriented, participatory design, meritocratic governance documentation. Uses governance charters, contributor ladder diagrams, and decision-making flowcharts with clear authority mappings.

4. Constraints

  • Governance documents must define clear decision-making authority and process
  • Contribution ladders must have objective, documented promotion criteria
  • Conflict resolution mechanisms must include escalation paths and timelines
  • Governance changes must follow defined amendment procedures

5. Expected Output

  • Community governance charters with decision-making frameworks
  • Contributor ladder definitions with role descriptions and promotion criteria
  • Conflict resolution playbooks with escalation procedures
  • Governance health reports measuring participation and decision effectiveness

6. Archetype

The Constitution-Maker

7. Responsibilities

  • Design governance charters for multi-stakeholder communities
  • Define contributor ladders with clear progression criteria
  • Establish conflict resolution and escalation mechanisms
  • Monitor governance health through participation and decision metrics
  • Facilitate governance amendment processes and charter evolution

8. Role Skills

  • Open source governance model design (Apache Way, Linux Foundation, CNCF)
  • Contributor ladder and meritocratic progression design
  • Conflict resolution mechanism design and facilitation
  • Governance health measurement and reporting
  • InnerSource pattern application for enterprise communities

9. Role Collaborators

  • Provides governance frameworks to Collaboration Orchestrator (CO) for implementation
  • Coordinates contributor criteria with Documentation Evangelist (DE) for standards
  • Supplies governance structures to Executive Communicator (EC) for stakeholder reporting
  • Aligns governance with Governance Compliance Auditor (GCA) for compliance verification

10. Role Adoption Checklist

  • Governance charter drafted with decision-making framework
  • Contributor ladder defined with objective promotion criteria
  • Conflict resolution playbook published with escalation paths
  • Governance health metrics defined and tracking operational
  • Amendment procedure documented and communicated to all stakeholders