Formalize Fedora's Digital Public Goods Alliance representative responsibility #576

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opened 2026-07-30 13:54:58 +00:00 by jflory7 · 0 comments

jflory7 commented

2026-07-30 13:54:58 +00:00

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Summary

The Fedora Council needs to formally assign and document the responsibility of representing Fedora Linux in the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA). This responsibility has been held informally by the Fedora Community Architect; with the FCA role transition announced today, the Council should decide who carries this responsibility going forward and where it is documented.

Background

Fedora Linux has been a recognized Digital Public Good since December 2022 (DPG ID: GID0090035). The DPGA is a multi-stakeholder initiative endorsed by the United Nations Secretary-General, facilitating the discovery and deployment of open source technologies that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I (Justin) have informally held the DPG representative role due to my prior involvement as a contributor to the DPG Alliance before joining Red Hat. This responsibility was never formally assigned to the FCA role or documented anywhere in Fedora's governance structure.

With the FCA transition to Shaun McCance, this is an appropriate time for the Council to decide how this responsibility should be carried forward. There are a few possible options:

Assign to an existing Council role. The FCA, FPL, or FOA could absorb this as part of their documented responsibilities.
Assign to another Council member. An elected Council representative or the DEI Advisor could take this on, depending on the Council's assessment of fit and capacity.
Create a new Council seat or advisor role. Similar to how the DEI Advisor seat was established, the Council could create a dedicated representative for international standards and digital public goods engagement.
Delegate to an existing team or committee. FESCo or the Mindshare Committee, for instance, could take ownership of the DPGA relationship as a delegated responsibility from the Council.

The Council should own the assignment decision, regardless of which option is chosen.

Details

The DPG representative role involves the following ongoing responsibilities:

Monthly calls: Attend the DPGA Product Owners calls, where representatives from recognized DPG projects share updates, coordinate on shared challenges, and discuss the DPG ecosystem.
Annual renewal: Complete the annual renewal form from the DPGA to maintain Fedora's recognition as a Digital Public Good. This involves verifying that Fedora continues to meet the DPG Standard across indicators such as open licensing, documentation, data privacy, and platform independence.
Profile maintenance: Ensure the DPGA profile for Fedora Linux is up-to-date and accurate, particularly regarding where our source code and key documentation exists.
Thematic discussions: Occasionally present or lead discussions around common issues faced by DPG projects, particularly those aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals that Fedora's work supports.
Events outreach: Engage with the DPGA on events outreach, including providing swag, messaging, and other forms of engagement around events where the DPGA participates, such as Open Source Week at the UN General Assembly in New York City.
Community liaison: Participate in the DPG Alliance Matrix rooms and serve as Fedora's point-of-contact for DPGA staff.

This list covers the primary responsibilities as understood today, but there may be additional smaller tasks that are not documented here. The newly assigned person or team should expect to discover and absorb these as part of the handoff process.

Urgent note on timing: Fedora's current DPG recognition expires on August 26, 2026. The DPGA system auto-generated a refresher application on June 27, 2026. The renewal needs to be completed in the next few weeks to avoid a lapse in recognition. I am happy to complete this renewal while the Council deliberates, but ideally I would work together with the newly assigned person so they can learn how the renewal process works firsthand. Since this is an annual task, a collaborative handoff on the first renewal ensures continuity for future years.

To resolve this ticket, the Council should:

Decide which role, member, or team will carry this responsibility going forward.
Document the assignment in the appropriate place (e.g., the relevant role page in the Fedora Docs, or the delegated team's documentation).
Ensure a smooth handoff to the designated person or team before the end of the FCA transition period (Fedora Linux 45, October 2026).

Outcome

Fedora's representation in the Digital Public Goods Alliance is formally documented and assigned to a specific role or team, ensuring continuity of Fedora's DPG recognition and ongoing participation in the DPGA community beyond any single person's tenure.

_{Assisted-by: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context)}

## Summary The Fedora Council needs to formally assign and document the responsibility of representing Fedora Linux in the [Digital Public Goods Alliance](https://digitalpublicgoods.net/) (DPGA). This responsibility has been held informally by the Fedora Community Architect; with the [FCA role transition announced today](https://fedoramagazine.org/shaun-mccance-next-fedora-community-architect/), the Council should decide who carries this responsibility going forward and where it is documented. ## Background Fedora Linux has been a recognized [Digital Public Good](https://digitalpublicgoods.net/r/fedora-linux) since December 2022 (DPG ID: GID0090035). The DPGA is a multi-stakeholder initiative endorsed by the United Nations Secretary-General, facilitating the discovery and deployment of open source technologies that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I (Justin) have informally held the DPG representative role due to my prior involvement as a contributor to the DPG Alliance before joining Red Hat. This responsibility was never formally assigned to the FCA role or documented anywhere in Fedora's governance structure. With the FCA transition to Shaun McCance, this is an appropriate time for the Council to decide how this responsibility should be carried forward. There are a few possible options: 1. **Assign to an existing Council role.** The FCA, FPL, or FOA could absorb this as part of their documented responsibilities. 2. **Assign to another Council member.** An elected Council representative or the DEI Advisor could take this on, depending on the Council's assessment of fit and capacity. 3. **Create a new Council seat or advisor role.** Similar to how the DEI Advisor seat was established, the Council could create a dedicated representative for international standards and digital public goods engagement. 4. **Delegate to an existing team or committee.** FESCo or the Mindshare Committee, for instance, could take ownership of the DPGA relationship as a delegated responsibility from the Council. The Council should own the assignment decision, regardless of which option is chosen. ## Details The DPG representative role involves the following ongoing responsibilities: - **Monthly calls:** Attend the DPGA Product Owners calls, where representatives from recognized DPG projects share updates, coordinate on shared challenges, and discuss the DPG ecosystem. - **Annual renewal:** Complete the annual renewal form from the DPGA to maintain Fedora's recognition as a Digital Public Good. This involves verifying that Fedora continues to meet the [DPG Standard](https://digitalpublicgoods.net/standard) across indicators such as open licensing, documentation, data privacy, and platform independence. - **Profile maintenance:** Ensure the [DPGA profile for Fedora Linux](https://digitalpublicgoods.net/r/fedora-linux) is up-to-date and accurate, particularly regarding where our source code and key documentation exists. - **Thematic discussions:** Occasionally present or lead discussions around common issues faced by DPG projects, particularly those aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals that Fedora's work supports. - **Events outreach:** Engage with the DPGA on events outreach, including providing swag, messaging, and other forms of engagement around events where the DPGA participates, such as Open Source Week at the UN General Assembly in New York City. - **Community liaison:** Participate in the DPG Alliance Matrix rooms and serve as Fedora's point-of-contact for DPGA staff. This list covers the primary responsibilities as understood today, but there may be additional smaller tasks that are not documented here. The newly assigned person or team should expect to discover and absorb these as part of the handoff process. **Urgent note on timing:** Fedora's current DPG recognition expires on **August 26, 2026**. The DPGA system auto-generated a refresher application on June 27, 2026. The renewal needs to be completed in the next few weeks to avoid a lapse in recognition. I am happy to complete this renewal while the Council deliberates, but ideally I would work together with the newly assigned person so they can learn how the renewal process works firsthand. Since this is an annual task, a collaborative handoff on the first renewal ensures continuity for future years. To resolve this ticket, the Council should: 1. Decide which role, member, or team will carry this responsibility going forward. 2. Document the assignment in the appropriate place (e.g., the relevant role page in the Fedora Docs, or the delegated team's documentation). 3. Ensure a smooth handoff to the designated person or team before the end of the FCA transition period (Fedora Linux 45, October 2026). ## Outcome Fedora's representation in the Digital Public Goods Alliance is formally documented and assigned to a specific role or team, ensuring continuity of Fedora's DPG recognition and ongoing participation in the DPGA community beyond any single person's tenure. <sub>_Assisted-by: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context)_</sub>

jflory7 added this to the Fedora Linux 45 milestone

2026-07-30 13:54:58 +00:00

jflory7 added the

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