1. Introduction

The work of The Open Group relies on cooperation among a broad cultural diversity of organizations, peoples, ideas, and communication styles.

This document provides guidance for individuals participating in The Open Group Forums and Work Groups as we work together to develop multiple, interoperable technologies for Boundaryless Information Flow™.

This document supplements and defers to The Open Group standard governance procedures contained in The Open Group Standards Process. Information on The Open Group Standards Process is available at: https://www.opengroup.org/standardsprocess.

The purpose of this document is to provide a basic guide to using GitLab® that will enable you to collaborate with members of The Open Group to create content.

A Focus on Publications Development

This document focuses on development of publications. Executable standards will typically produce alternate forms of deliverables; for example, XML reference models, schema definition files, API libraries, etc.

1.1. Guiding Principles for Forums and Work Groups

1.1.1. Principle #1: The Primacy of Principles

All the Forum/Work Group decisions, and decision-making processes, will be based on principles that are agreed by, and openly accessible to, members of the Forum/Work Group.

1.1.2. Principle #2: We Inherit the Principles of The Open Group

We are committed to the achievement of The Open Group vision, mission, and to adhere to its principles: Openness, Consensus, Public Availability of Published Standards, No Legal Impediment to Implementation or Adoption, Confidentiality, and Executable Standards.

1.1.3. Principle #3: Collaboration

Everything we do is done through goodwill, trust, and collaboration:

  • The Forum/Work Group must be inviting, open to hearing everyone’s voice

  • We need to express rationale, not just positions

  • Decision-making is collaborative and informed

1.1.4. Principle #4: Shared Purpose

Our shared purpose is to advance a common standard:

  • Everyone has a business rationale for participation

  • Everyone has come here to make the industry better

  • Everyone shares the credit and the benefit

1.1.5. Principle #5: Formal Process

We follow formal processes for planning, operations, decision-making, and reaching consensus.

1.1.6. Principle #6: Obligations of Leadership

The higher up you are, the more you serve the Forum/Work Group and its members:

  • The obligation of the Chair and Vice-Chair(s) is to facilitate the Forum/Work Group to pursue its agreed objectives, and to enable it to make its decisions balanced by consensus, fairness, and the voluntary nature of the organization

1.1.7. Principle #7: Openness and Assumption of Good Intent

Seek to collaborate and understand:

  • By validating assumptions and inferences

  • By clarifying the meaning of special words used

1.2. How to Use this Document

It is recommended that as you read this document you try out some of the examples shown.

Playground Projects

There are two playground projects set up to allow you to try out the GitLab environment:

  1. Cats and Dogs: a free-form project developing lists of cats and dogs

  2. The Cats and Dogs Standard: a project using The Open Group Standard Template

To be added to these projects, please contact Andrew Josey.

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