Open SCE

Purpose

The purpose of this charter is to establish guidelines and principles for the OpenSCE open-source community. This community aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and the development of high-quality open-source projects to deliver a collection of tools and applications which enable more efficient workflows for statistical programming organizations to deliver quality statistical analyses for regulatory submissions, interfacing with the Domino Data Lab platform and other technologies. By promoting transparency, inclusivity, and shared ownership, we strive to create a vibrant and welcoming environment for individuals passionate about open-source software and driving positive change through data science and statistical programming in pharmaceutical research and development.

Principles

Openness

We believe in the power of open-source and its ability to drive positive change. All projects and contributions within this community shall be released under an open-source license, ensuring that everyone can access, use, modify, and distribute the software freely.

Collaboration

We encourage collaboration and value the input of diverse perspectives. Collaboration includes not only developers but also designers, testers, documenters, and users. We strive to build a culture of respect, trust, and effective communication to maximize the potential of collaborative efforts.

Inclusivity

We are committed to fostering an inclusive community that welcomes and respects individuals from all backgrounds and identities. We reject discrimination, harassment, and any form of harmful behavior. We actively encourage diverse participation and seek to provide equal opportunities for everyone to contribute and thrive.

Transparency

We promote transparency in decision-making processes, project management, and governance. Community discussions, project roadmaps, and important decisions should be documented and made accessible to all members. Transparency helps build trust and enables informed participation.

Quality

We are dedicated to delivering high-quality software. We strive for excellence in design, code, documentation, and user experience. Through continuous improvement, peer reviews, and feedback, we aim to maintain and enhance the quality of our projects.

Governance

Organizational Structure

Board of Trustees

Decisions regarding community-wide matters, such as project direction, major changes, or the adoption of new initiatives, should be made collaboratively through open discussions and consensus building. In matters of conflict, the board of trustees will vote on resolutions.

Content Management

Each project will have a team responsible for managing and approving the quality of new content and standards applied to contributions (e.g. proper documentation, code quality, etc.). Updates to content will be managed on a project basis by project leadership which will be subject to the standards as they are defined by the project leaders. Project leaders will also be responsible for engagement on their projects.

Framework Management

There will be one team responsible for ownership and management of the Open-SCE GitHub Organization Framework. This team will approve new projects, create new repositories as required, and manage access. This team will set the documentation and project quality standards for projects, as well as manage the Open-SCE website and communications.

Communications Management

There will be one team responsible for outwardly facing communications, promotion, community building.

If you are interested in joining the board of trustees, please reach out to us via the contact form below

Community

Decision-Making

Decisions regarding community-wide matters, such as project direction, major changes, or the adoption of new initiatives, should be made collaboratively through open discussions and consensus building. All members shall have an equal opportunity to voice their opinions and contribute to the decision-making process.

Conflict Resolution

In the event of conflicts or disagreements within the community, members are encouraged to engage in constructive dialogue to find resolutions. Mediation, facilitated by team leaders or the board of trustees, may be utilized when necessary. The goal is to promote understanding, find common ground, and preserve the community’s well-being.

Project Ownership

Projects initiated within the community shall be owned collectively, with no individual having exclusive control. The community may establish project maintainers or core teams responsible for overseeing specific projects, but these roles should be based on meritocracy and open to rotation. The community shall ensure that no individual or group unduly influences project direction.

Contribution Guidelines

Code of Conduct

All community members are expected to adhere to the community’s code of conduct, which outlines acceptable behavior, inclusivity, and respect for others. Harassment, discrimination, and offensive conduct will not be tolerated.

Contribution Process

We encourage contributions from all members, regardless of their level of expertise. Contributions can include code, documentation, bug reports, feature requests, design suggestions, translations, and more. A well-defined contribution process shall be established by the Framework Management team, including guidelines for issue tracking, code review, and project submission.

Recognition

Contributions shall be recognized and celebrated within the community. Acknowledgement can take various forms, such as credits in documentation, listing contributors in project repositories, or highlighting significant contributions in release notes. Recognition motivates and encourages community members to continue their valuable contributions.

Community Resources

Communication Channels

The community shall establish and maintain open communication channels, such as mailing lists, forums, chat platforms, and social media.