The TODO Group’s mission is to identify key policy and process choices related to open source management and engagement within organizations and create tools and educational materials that promote best practices. As part of this mission, the TODO Steering Committee gathered on November 18 at the Linux Foundation Member Summit for their annual End-of-Year meeting.The session provided an opportunity to reflect on the group’s strategic goals for the year, and outline the priorities for the upcoming year, based on recent studies and open source management trends.

To foster community engagement, the Steering Committee also hosted an Ask Me Anything session during the summit, for the community to engage directly, ask questions, and gain valuable insights.

Four out of the seven TODO Steering Committee members and TODO General Member at Linux Foundation MemberSummit 2024. Starting from left to right: Brittany Istenes (Fannie Mae), Stephen Augustus (Former Cisco), Ashley Wolf (GitHub) and Georg Kunz (Ericsson)

In this article, we summarize the key discussions, outcomes, and areas of focus from the Steering Committee Meeting and AMA session, highlighting the steps ahead for the TODO Group.

Source: The 2024 State of the Open Source Management and OSPO study

Recommended Strategic Cohorts to Be Driven in 2025

Strategic Cohort #1 - Develop Shared Goals with Partner Communities

OSPOs are cross-skilling in specific industry verticals and technologies according to the 2024 State of OSPOs and Open Source Management report. Articulating actions to develop shared strategic yearly goals with aligned capacity across key projects supporting the verticals and technologies where OSPOs are specializing seems like a logical milestone for TODO to pursue. To establish cohesive practices across the entire LF Ecosystem, the TODO Steering Committee recommends starting small and then scale across peer communities.

We invite peer groups and communities like OpenSSF, OpenChain, and LF AI & Data to partner with TODO and establish shared goals. These efforts will communicate the value of open source policy and process decisions that require strong partnerships with legal, security, business leaders, and policymakers.

Steering Committee Member - Ashley Wolf, Director, Open Source Programs GitHub

Regulation and standardisation of security practices impacting open source software are a key concern of OSPOs. Intensifying the collaboration between the TODO Group and key communities, such as the OpenSSF and OpenChain, aims to develop the tools and processes which enable OSPOs to address these future challenges.

Steering Committee Member - Georg Kunz, Open Source Manager, Open Source Program Office at Ericsson

The same approach applies to collaboration with the InnerSource Commons Foundation, the community supporting the InnerSource movement that empowers organizations and people worldwide to apply and gain the benefits of open collaboration in their internal work.

Strategic Cohort #2 - Establish Touchpoint Committee

Touchpoints are the backbone of TODO Community. The TODO Steering Committee recommends revitalizing these calls through a series of actions:

• Conduct a survey to build an open source management cross-skilling list to identify mentors & influencers across different specializations (open source manager in security, open source manager in AI, open source manager in internal education, etc)
• Forming a Touchpoint committee to manage sessions and plan focused themes in advance
• Broadening discussions to open source management instead of just OSPO when communicating the TODO mission

Gathering OSPO practitioners together to share best practices and collaborate on solutions to common pain points is one of the most valuable services provided by TODO Group. By evolving the charter of our Touchpoint calls, we will provide our community participants with stronger connection points and support in achieving the goals specific to their role, career tenure, and industry.

Steering Committee member - Leslie Hawthorn, Director of Industry Community Strategy, Red Hat Open Source Program Office

Strategic Cohort #3 - Recognize TODO Contributors

As TODO scales, we aim to clarify and standardize the structure, roles, and aspirations of TODO working groups, as well as the documentation and responsibilities of the ambassador program. The TODO Steering Committee will work on ways to ensure that recognized contributors have the support and templates to effectively assist TODO.

Note: TODO is accepting responses for our yearly Community Satisfaction and Engagement Survey until December 21st. We would love to hear your feedback and identify areas of interest where you’d like to participate

Meeting Summary – Strategic Goals Progress Review in 2024

Develop a Certification Exam

As part of efforts to support the self-sustainability of TODO and address the needs of open source managers focused on building education and career path materials for engineering teams and developers, the TODO Group has been collaborating with LF Education

Achievements in 2024

More than 25 subject matter experts (developers working in open source across various industries) contributed to creating over 200 exam questions and provided peer-to-peer reviews. These experts come from organizations such as Fannie Mae, Porsche, Alliander, Sony, Ericsson, Bloomberg, Cuemby, Huawei, and more.

Focus Areas and Enhancements in 2025

The certification for Open Source Certified Developers in an Enterprise Context is nearing completion. However, a beta version is not expected to launch until February, as it is aimed to review existing questions to be neutral-themed, with the advice and input of Open Source Initiative as co-creators.

Collaboration with Communities: InnerSource Commons and OpenSSF

The 2023 OSPO Survey highlighted challenges in fostering an open source culture within organizations and identified a strong connection between OSPOs and security teams. To address these challenges and raise awareness, the TODO Group selected two key communities (InnerSource Commons Foundation and OpenSSF) for direct collaboration. These communities were chosen due to their strong co-engagement with TODO members, community participants and contributors. Below are some of the achievements in 2024 from this collaboration:

• TODO members participated in multiple talks about ISPOs and OSPOs throughout the year, including cross-collaborations with FINOS on topics like GenAI and InnerSource patterns.
• InnerSource Commons Foundation was invited to act as an advisor and distribution partner for the State of OSPOs and Open Source Management 2024 Report, contributing valuable insights on open source culture and InnerSource in the survey study.
• TODO members participated in multiple talks at OpenSSF conferences, including SOSS Community Days in North America, Japan, and Europe, where they promoted the security best practices OSPOs can lead within organizations.

Focus Areas and Enhancements in 2025

While this year showcased clear collaborative efforts, a key takeaway from the meeting was the need for mutual alignment and dedicated support to scale these initiatives effectively. Establishing shared goals with these communities and allocating dedicated capacity will be essential moving forward.

According to the last Open Source Management & OSPO Research Study, 91% of OSPOs provide advice to security teams.

With 91% of OSPOs advising security teams, this collaboration highlighted the critical role OSPOs play in enhancing organizational security. Shared goals and dedicated capacity with the Open Source Security Foundation are needed to further develop this partnership.

Steering Committee members serving in the 2024 period recommend focusing on the following areas next year:

• Collaborate on a shared goal with ISC. For instance, develop a case study or a dedicated section on InnerSource in the OSPO Book, powered by ISC, to emphasize its value in fostering open source culture.
• Collaborate on a shared goal with OpenSSF and dedicate capacity to advocate for the value Open Source Managers bring in building more secure software.

Open Office Hours in TODO Touchpoints

The TODO Touchpoint calls were restructured to include open office hours, moderated by Steering Committee members, to foster mentoring and open discussions under Chatham House Rule.

Focus Areas and Enhancements in 2025

While established and moderated by Steering Committee members, participation declined over the past months. Right now OSPOs are under a lot of pressure, finding time to join free agenda meetings is challenging for them to justify. Having focused themes might help to justify their time on these calls.

Steering Committee members serving in the 2024 period recommend focusing on the following areas next year:

• Identify Open Source Management/OSPO evangelists within TODO and build a categorized list of experts based on specializations, archetypes, or hybrid roles (e.g., OSPO Security, OSPO AI Engineering, OSPO Compliance, OSPO DevRel, etc.)
• Establish a rotation of speakers and form a committee to guide key touchpoints
• Frame discussions around “open source management” rather than limiting them to “OSPO”

OSS Review Toolkit Collaboration

No progress was made due to lack of volunteers in the Steering Committee able to lead this. Steering Committee members serving in the 2024 period recommend focusing on the following areas next year:

• Pivoting towards collaboration with wider umbrella projects developing standards / best practices, such as OpenChain, rather than single technologies.

AI SIG Collaboration

Progress was limited in 2024 but something that brings a lot of attention. Data from the 2024 State of OSPO and Open Source Management Report showed that 84% of OSPOs are involved in managing GenAI infrastructure.

Steering Committee members serving in the 2024 period recommend focusing on the following areas next year:

• Collaborate on a shared goal with allocated time: Recruit ambassadors from AI SIGs and seek LF support for these roles.
• Integrate OSPOs into broader LF initiatives around AI and open data.

What’s Next? Make Your Voice Heard

TODO Steering Committee members serving in the 2024 period aim these recommendations and progress review shared in this article serve two primary purposes:

• Guidance for Community Participants: Help community participants and TODO members understand where TODO needs support in 2025, highlighting areas where they can contribute effectively.

• Direction for Future Steering Committee Members: Provide an overview for incoming Steering Committee members, offering a foundation to refine and finalize TODO’s strategic goals in collaboration with the rest of the Steering Committee for 2025.

TODO is accepting responses for our yearly Community Satisfaction and Engagement Survey until December 21st. We would love to hear your feedback and identify areas of interest where you’d like to participate.