[Osmf-talk] Microgrants conflict of interest: an apology
Allan Mustard
allan at mustard.net
Tue Feb 2 23:30:54 UTC 2021
Good feedback. Thanks, Simon. We are hoping for more such constructive
feedback of the microgrant program before trying it again.
cheers,
apm
On 2/2/2021 6:06 PM, Simon Poole wrote:
>
>
> Am 02.02.2021 um 20:50 schrieb Pete Masters:
>> Hi Simon, do you mind clarifying the PS? I'm not sure what it refers
>> to....
>>
> Assume that for the a project I submit an application that says
> something like
>
> ... doing X will require 40 hours of my time that I'll charge that at
> the bargain rate of $50/hour or whatever.
>
> Project gets accepted and I can do with the money whatever I want, for
> example purchase the new computer that I need to get the work done and
> keep it after that.
>
> or I submit for the same project an application that says
>
> ... doing X will require computer hardware that will cost ~$2'000,
> time is volunteered.
>
> Project gets accepted and I purchase the computer, but I don't get to
> keep it once the project is completed.
>
> The rule that hardware purchased via the grant scheme needs to handed
> over to the community was surely made with the best intentions, but it
> creates an imho an untenable difference in how the projects are treated.
>
> Simon
>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Pete
>>
>> On Tue, 2 Feb 2021, 16:02 Simon Poole, <simon at poole.ch
>> <mailto:simon at poole.ch>> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Am 02.02.2021 um 16:24 schrieb Rory McCann:
>> > On Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:44, Simon Poole <simon at poole.ch
>> <mailto:simon at poole.ch>> wrote:
>> >> Well better late than never, but naturally the damage has
>> already been
>> >> done given that it wasn't exactly secret that grants had gone
>> to groups
>> >> with close ties to the board.
>> > Huh? how do you mean “close ties”? OSM is small in some ways.
>> It wasn't obvious to me at the time of the vote that there were
>> CoI issues.
>>
>> Well to some it was glaringly obvious.
>>
>> >> The amazing thing though, is not that there are people seeking
>> grants
>> >> which would cause CoIs with board members, but that such
>> requests were,
>> >> and continue to be, permitted applications. They should have
>> never been,
>> >> I will share the blame in not noticing that appropriate rules were
>> >> missing way back, allowed in the first place.
>> > We're going to require that applicants do the work of telling
>> us of potentional CoIs with the board so we don't have to do the
>> work.
>> >
>> > Surely if full CoI rules were followed it shouldn't matter if
>> someone close applies, because no-one close will vote. right? In
>> theory it would be the same as if the relevant board member
>> wasn't on the board.
>>
>> I would agree if we are talking about normal contracts etc.,
>> however the
>> micro-grants scheme is a competitive bidding process in which the
>> applicants are competing with each other and clearly stricter rules,
>> providing a level playing field, should apply. As everywhere else
>> that I
>> know of for similar competitions.
>>
>> So, no close relatives in the micro-grant committee, OSMF
>> "contractors"
>> and board, and no involvement of individuals of those three
>> groups in
>> the applicants project. We are not just talking about direct CoIs
>> here,
>> close links to all three groups will have the potential to
>> influence the
>> decisions, if not actually, so definitely in appearance.
>>
>> Simon
>>
>> PS: if the rules get changed and if there is a next time: could
>> the the
>> ridiculous unequal treatment of people that sold their time and
>> got to
>> keep the funds vs. those that didn't charge for their time be
>> addressed?
>>
>>
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