[Osmf-talk] Board statement - Membership Working Group report on unusual signups before OSMF election

[Heather Leson]

Dear Membership

The board would like to thank the Membership Working Group for their
thorough and insightful investigation of these registrations. We received
the report at the end of December, when several board members were away and
we had a black-out period on circular resolutions[1]. In the January 17th
board meeting we discussed this in the closed portion of the meeting[2]. We
organized a call with GlobalLogic to discuss the registration without
disclosing the report. After this, we agreed that the Board should release
the report to the membership, with advance release to GlobalLogic[3]. We
did not have sufficient time to do this in advance of the MWG publishing
the report. The Board would like to improve its responsiveness in the
future.

We are now looking to hear clarification from GlobalLogic to the membership,
for their views on this report. We will be considering our next steps
following that.

At the same time, it is clear to the board that this investigation has
implications beyond these recent signups, as it relates to various aspects
of membership policy: Whether there should be more prerequisites for
becoming a member, to what extent corporations may influence their
employees' participation in the foundation, and similar questions regarding
improvements to election handling and governance. We intend to work with
MWG and the community to improve our understanding of members' role in the
OSMF and the project as a whole.

Among the topics to consider further:

   - Governance: what implications does this have for OSMF expectations of
   membership? Are changes needed in type and process?


   - Election handling: how can we learn and improve this process in the
   future?


   - Corporations in OSM/OSMF: Corporations are today participating in mapping
   and other aspects of the OSM project, and they can become corporate
   members of the OSMF. How can we document and communicate our expectations
   for this relationship?


[1]
https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Board/Minutes/2018-12-20#Holiday_-_blackout_for_circulars
[2]
https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Board/Minutes/2019-01-17#100_account_sign-ups_from_India_on_15.11.2018
[3]
https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Board/Minutes/2019-02-20#Circular_Resolutions

Thank you,

Heather

-- 
Secretary
OpenStreetMap Foundation

Name & Registered Office:
OpenStreetMap Foundation
St John's Innovation Centre
Cowley Road
Cambridge
CB4 0WS
United Kingdom
A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales.
Registration No. 05912761.
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