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📝 council(ROOT): Expand FCA responsibilities, decision-making, comms

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This commit provides a comprehensive update to the FCA role charter. The
goal of these changes is to evolve the document from a high-level job
description into a more detailed and actionable strategic charter. The
revisions are based on a deep-dive into the core responsibilities of the
role, aiming to provide clarity for the role holder, community members,
and Red Hat stakeholders.

The core motivation was to move beyond abstract statements and define
the specific actions, accountabilities, and guiding principles of the
FCA. This was achieved by systematically expanding each section to
reflect the practical, day-to-day realities of the work.

Key changes include:

* **Decision-Making & Guiding Principles:**
    * Clarified the FCA's role as a bridge between Red Hat's interests
      and the community's health, explicitly acknowledging the
      sponsorship bias while establishing the Four Foundations as the
      primary ethical framework for decisions.
    * Refined the tone to be more professional and grounded, avoiding
      overly dramatic language while retaining the core principles of
      trust and responsibility.

* **Roles & Responsibilities:**
    * **Budget Management:** Expanded to detail the full lifecycle of
      the role's financial duties, from strategic forecasting and
      proposal development to negotiation with OSPO and ongoing
      accounting. Explicitly added the FCA's permanent position as Chair
      of the Mindshare Committee.
    * **Flock Conference:** Rewritten to be action-oriented, defining
      the FCA's duties in data analysis, venue selection, committee
      leadership, and overall project management.
    * **CommOps Collaboration:** Redefined the relationship to reflect
      the FCA's designed role as the primary leader and strategic
      advocate for the CommOps team, specifying responsibilities in both
      community enablement and analytics.
    * **Code of Conduct Chair:** Detailed the specific duties of the
      chair, including facilitating meetings, acting as a liaison for
      new cases, coordinating transparency reports, and maintaining the
      Committee's official documentation.

* **Communication:**
    * Overhauled the section to reflect the FCA's role as a project-wide
      communication hub, moving beyond a narrow focus on the Council.
    * Outlined the primary stakeholder teams (Mindshare, DEI, CommOps,
      etc.) and the purpose of the FCA's communication with each.
    * Specified the FCA's responsibility for proactive public
      communication through blogs, forums, and other channels.

Signed-off-by: Justin Wheeler <jwheel@redhat.com>
This commit is contained in:
Justin Wheeler 2025-06-29 01:11:15 -04:00
commit 92816a41c0
Signed by: jflory7
GPG key ID: 7748B15FA8FA4C7E
1 changed files with 71 additions and 18 deletions
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council/modules/ROOT/pages/fca.adoc
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@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
include::ROOT:partial$attributes.adoc[]
= Fedora Community Architect (FCA)
:page-authors: {author}, {author_2}, {author_3}, {author_4}
:page-aliases: fcaic.adoc
:description: The Fedora Community Architect (FCA) is responsible for the stewardship of key community resources, including the Fedora budget, the Flock contributor conference, and Community Initiative support.
:description: The Fedora Community Architect (FCA) is responsible for the stewardship of key community resources, including the Fedora budget, the Flock contributor conference, and Community Initiatives.
Remy DeCausemaker; Brian Exelbierd; Marie Nordin; Justin Wheeler
// Article content last reviewed and verified by a human on…
2025-07-07
{description}
This role is a permanent member of the Fedora Council, focused on the effective management and utilization of resources that enable community growth and governance.
@ -17,15 +21,22 @@ The Fedora Community Architect has the following key responsibilities:
[[roles-budget]]
=== Budget Management
* Develop and manage the annual Fedora community budget in collaboration with the Fedora Council and the Red Hat Open Source Program Office (OSPO).
* Ensure transparent budget allocation and tracking.
* Provide guidance and oversight for budget requests related to community initiatives.
* Serve as the permanent Chair of the Fedora Mindshare Committee, the primary body for reviewing and approving community funding proposals.
* Analyze previous fiscal year spending and event impact to inform future budget strategy.
* Lead the annual budget planning process, gathering requirements from the Fedora Council and community stakeholders.
* Develop the annual budget proposal, creating forecasts based on strategic priorities and anticipated event costs.
* Negotiate the final budget with OSPO leadership, aligning community needs with corporate financial realities.
* Oversee the public processes for event funding requests and other community initiatives throughout the year.
* Maintain accurate accounting of all expenditures, providing regular financial reports to both the Fedora community and OSPO.
[[roles-flock]]
=== Flock Contributor Conference
* Plan and execute the annual Flock contributor conference, including logistics, content coordination, and community engagement.
* Work with community teams to ensure Flock meets the needs of diverse contributors.
* Analyze post-event feedback and survey data to set strategic goals for the next conference.
* Lead the venue selection and negotiation process based on community needs and logistical requirements.
* Assemble and lead the Flock organizing committee, defining clear roles and responsibilities.
* Serve as the overall project manager for the conference, ensuring all functions remain synchronized and on schedule.
* Curate a conference program that addresses key project challenges, showcases innovation, and creates a welcoming environment for all contributors.
[[roles-initiatives]]
=== Community Initiative Support
@ -39,12 +50,20 @@ The Fedora Community Architect has the following key responsibilities:
[[roles-commops]]
=== Collaboration with Community Ops
* Collaborate with the xref:commops::index.adoc[Fedora Community Operations (CommOps) Team] to align resource allocation, documentation efforts, and community engagement strategies with broader community communication and operational strategies.
* Serve as the primary leader and advocate for the xref:commops::index.adoc[Fedora Community Ops Team].
* Set the strategic direction for Community Ops to ensure its work in community enablement and analytics aligns with broader project goals.
* Act as a primary advisor for Fedora teams seeking support from CommOps, connecting them with the appropriate resources.
* Provide ethical and community-centric guidance for all Community Ops data analysis initiatives.
* Facilitate trusted Community Ops members' access to the data, tooling, and resources required to support the health of the community.
[[roles-coc]]
=== Fedora Code of Conduct Committee Chair
* Serve as the chair of the Fedora Code of Conduct Committee, overseeing the enforcement of the Code of Conduct and promoting a positive and inclusive community environment.
* Uphold and champion the psychological safety of the Fedora community.
* Facilitate the xref:project:code-of-conduct:committee.adoc[Code of Conduct Committee]'s operations and regular meetings.
* Present new cases to the Committee and act as the primary liaison between the Committee and the reporting party.
* Coordinate the publication of official Committee responses and annual transparency reports.
* Maintain the Committee's charter, membership records, and official documentation.
[[current]]
@ -64,24 +83,58 @@ You can read more about his participation and history in Fedora https://jwheel.o
[[decision-making]]
== Decision-Making
* The Fedora Community Architect works with the Fedora Council to make decisions related to budget allocation and Council documentation.
The Fedora Community Architect (FCA) is a Red Hat employee, and this context is a primary factor in their role.
The FCA has professional goals and responsibilities within Red Hat's Open Source Program Office (OSPO).
This sponsorship by Red Hat is a bias the FCA must remain aware of and transparent about.
However, the FCA's primary objective is to ensure the long-term health and success of the Fedora Project and its global community.
This requires acting as a bridge between Red Hat's interests and the broader community's needs, advocating for the community's perspective within Red Hat while communicating Red Hat's context back to the community.
Decisions are made through the following collaborative processes:
* Decisions related to budget allocation and official project documentation are made with the xref:council::index.adoc[{team_name}].
* Decisions related to Flock planning are made in collaboration with the Flock organizing team and relevant community stakeholders.
[[guiding-principles]]
=== Guiding Principles
The FCA's core responsibilities provide a framework for day-to-day decisions.
However, situations will arise where these responsibilities conflict, or where the best path forward is unclear.
In these moments, the FCA must navigate the complexity by relying on a deeper set of principles.
This is a role of significant influence and trust within the community.
That influence should be used intentionally and with care.
The FCA has a fundamental responsibility to the community of contributors and the long-term health of the Fedora Project.
When faced with a difficult choice, the FCA should use Fedora's xref:project::index.adoc#_what_is_fedora_all_about[Four Foundations] (Freedom, Friends, Features, and First) as the primary framework for their reasoning.
These are the core values of the project and should consistently inform the FCA's judgment.
[[communication]]
== Communication
* The Fedora Community Architect communicates regularly with the xref:council::index.adoc[Fedora Council], xref:commops::index.adoc[Community Ops Team], Red Hat OSPO, and the broader Fedora community.
* Work with other {team_name} members to identify the short, medium, and long term goals of the Fedora community and to organize and enable the project to best achieve them
* Primary {team_name} member with responsibility for the development of the annual Fedora community budget
* Participate in decision-making about use of trademarks, project structure, community disputes or complaints, and other such issues
The Fedora Community Architect (FCA) acts as a central communication hub for the project.
The FCA is responsible for maintaining strong lines of communication with key stakeholder groups and the community at large.
*Serve as a liaison to key stakeholder teams:*
[[reporting]]
== Reporting
* *Fedora Council*:
Report on the status of key responsibilities and provide context for community needs.
* *Mindshare Committee*:
Lead budget discussions and guide outreach strategy.
* *DEI Team*:
Champion diversity and inclusion initiatives and integrate DEI principles into community-wide planning.
* *CommOps Team*:
Guide strategic direction and enable the team's work in community support and analytics.
* *Mentored Projects*:
Promote internship programs and support both mentors and interns.
* *Docs Team*:
Advocate for the team's needs and facilitate documentation onboarding for new initiatives.
* The Fedora Community Architect provides regular reports to the Fedora Council on budget status, Flock planning progress, and documentation updates.
* _This list is subject to be expanded over time_.
*Communicate regularly and transparently with the broader community:*
* Proactively share updates and progress related to the five core responsibilities of the role.
* Utilize various channels, including the Fedora Community Blog, Fedora Discussion, and Matrix, to reach different audiences.
* Create structured opportunities for community participation and feedback on relevant topics.
[[previous]]
@ -111,7 +164,7 @@ Later, in October 2016, the role title was changed to *Fedora Community Action &
This title was lengthier but better captured what community engagement means in a large, globally-distributed community like Fedora.
Over time, more projects, organizations, and companies working on Free & Open Source Software (FOSS) introduced new roles in community management and leadership.
However, community work does not have an industry-accepted job ladder, as is more common with software engineering.
Red Hat eventually settled on the title of _community architect_ for community work in its pioneering Open Source communities.
Red Hat eventually settled on the title of _community architect_ for a career path in community management in its pioneering Open Source communities.
The title was changed in January 2023 to *Fedora Community Architect* (FCA) to reflect the changing landscape.
Ultimately, the goal of changing the name then was to better describe the role and what the FCA did in Fedora.