Suggested improvements to the incubating/graduated levels

[carolynvs]

TAG Contributor Strategy is spinning up a short-term group to collect feedback on CNCF project levels and process for completing the incubating and graduated levels. If you have feedback that you would like to share with us before we get started, we welcome you to leave it here on this issue. We are looking for feedback (positive and negative), particularly from projects that have attempted to move up a level.

So if you have ideas for how the process or level requirements could be improved, please leave a comment!

[AlexsJones]

Great initiative.

Regarding the endeavour of collecting feedback;

I feel strongly that generating quantitative data here is the key to derive impartiality on improvements and side-step some of the more emotive encounters people may have had.

Having been through the levelling process as an advisor on a few projects now, I believe there is often suspicion and frustration when there are delays or rejections from a project application.

Therefore, I would advise we generate a set of initial hypothesis and perhaps Likert style questionnaire with supporting interviews for context. The net benefit would be a transparent scientific process to identify challenges in the current TOC assessment process and to gain credibility into the validity of our own enquiries.

Needless to say, happy to help if it's useful.

[TheFoxAtWork]

Additional related issues on the TOC repo with existing discussion that may be beneficial for this group:

• Clarify Process of Projects with Sub Projects toc#1015
• Introduce framework of maturity levels for different assets within a project organization toc#1009
• Add clarification to CNCF graduation criteria toc#992
• Add a formal Govenance review to Graduating DD toc#963
• Community stability for maturing projects - updates to Graduation toc#907
• Clarify graduation submission requirements/review toc#1013

[xmulligan]

I'm also happy to help on this once it kicks off

[divya-mohan0209]

I'm happy to help on this too!

[kaiwalyakoparkar]

I would like to help too :)

[thedevelopnik]

I'm interested in helping on this.

[craigbox]

I would be happy to lead, or at the least contribute to, this effort.

I definitely don't presuppose an outcome but I would like, for example, redefining the idea of levels entirely to be on the table. This question is larger than issues related to contribution; it also relates to how companies and projects market themselves based on levels, and the incentives for them to want to move between them.

[TheFoxAtWork]

Adding some notes here as a placeholder for these discussions when they happen:

• Licensing alignment is the the responsibility of GB and CNCF Staff to resolve (as the TOC are not lawyers). TOC checks on due diligence for licensing alignment are to confirm that it has been done or that it is in progress (tracked via ticket).
  • Additional alignment checks that fall outside the scope of technical viability and maturity for moving levels or due diligence should be carefully considered as to whether they are blocking (must be done) or tracked (must be in progress) with documented understanding as to an unexpected outcome of in progress. For instance, if a licensing exception was requested at time of application to move levels but was not approved until after the project moved levels - what then?
• Existing moving levels related docs that touch on these topics and will need updated:
  • Our DD template on the repo dictates documentation of alignment with CNCF where license is called out.
  • The Due Diligence process calls out that licensing “might” inform answers to TOC questions of which there are 4, one is the point on alignment however it is ONLY for “CNCF values and mission” and states that this is handled by CNCF Staff.
  • The Project onboarding calls out that the CNCF will do or help the project to “adopt a license scanning tool” placing this responsibility on the CNCF.

[duglin]

Sorry for not adding this sooner...happy to help as well.
What the status of this work?

[TheFoxAtWork]

I realize we didn't include this on the issue:
For folks interested in this, the work is planned to kick off in Aug/Sept to allow for time to collect enough data sources for this group to consider in their recommendations/plan.

[duglin]

Is there a list that we can look at of the data sources gathered so far?