DRAFT - UNDER REVIEW |
Every Foundation project has an associated maturity level. Proposed Foundation projects should state their preferred maturity level. Projects of all maturities have access to Foundation resources.
All Foundation projects may attend TAC meetings and contribute work regardless of their stage.
Definition
At Large projects are projects which the TAC believes are, or have the potential to be, important to the ecosystem of Top-Level Projects or the Edge ecosystem as a whole. They may be early-stage projects just getting started, or they may be long-established projects with minimal resource needs. The At Large stage provides a beneficial, neutral home for these projects in order to foster collaborative development and provide a path to deeper alignment with other Foundation projects via the graduation process.
Examples
Expectations
End users should evaluate At Large projects with care, as this stage does not set requirements for community size, governance, or production readiness. At Large projects will receive minimal marketing support from the Foundation. Projects will be reviewed on an annual basis; they may also request a status review by submitting a report to the TAC.
Acceptance Criteria
To be considered for the At Large Stage, the project must meet the following requirements:
Definition
The Growth Stage is for projects that are interested in reaching the Impact Stage, and have identified a growth plan for doing so. Growth Stage projects will receive mentorship from the TAC and are expected to actively develop their community of contributors, governance, project documentation, and other variables identified in the growth plan that factor in to broad success and adoption.
In order to support their active development, projects in the Growth stage have a higher level of access to marketing and other resources, which will be agreed upon and reviewed on a yearly basis. A project's progress toward its growth plan goals will be reviewed on a yearly basis, and the TAC may ask the project to move to the At Large stage if progress on the plan drops off or stalls.
Examples
Expectations
Projects in the Growth Stage are generally expected to move out of the Growth stage within two years. Depending on their growth plans, projects may cycle through At Large, Growth, or Impact stage as needed.
Acceptance Criteria
To be considered for Growth Stage, the project must meet the At Large requirements as well as the following:
Stage 3: Impact Stage (formerly 'Top-Level')
Definition
The Impact Stage is for projects that have reached their growth goals and are now on a sustaining cycle of development, maintenance, and long-term support. Impact Stage projects are used commonly in enterprise production environments and have large, well-established project communities.
Examples
Expectations
Impact Stage projects are expected to participate actively in TAC proceedings, and as such have a binding vote on TAC matters requiring a formal vote, such as the election of a TAC Chair. They receive ongoing financial and marketing support from the Foundation, and are expected to cross promote the foundation along with their activities.
Acceptance Criteria
To graduate from At Large or Growth status, or for a new project to join as an Impact project, a project must meet the Growth stage criteria plus:
Definition
Emeritus projects are projects which the maintainers feel have reached or are nearing end-of-life. Emeritus projects have contributed to the ecosystem, but are not necessarily recommended for modern development as there may be more actively maintained choices. The Foundation appreciates the contributions of these projects and their communities, and the role they have played in moving the ecosystem forward.
Examples
Expectations
Projects in this stage are not in active development. Their maintainers may infrequently monitor their repositories, and may only push updates to address security issues, if at all. Emeritus projects should clearly state their status and what any user or contributor should expect in terms of response or support. If there is an alternative project the maintainers recommend, it should be listed as well. The foundation will continue to hold the IP and any trademarks and domains, but the project does not draw on foundation resources.
Acceptance Criteria
Projects may be granted Emeritus status via a 2/3 vote from the TAC, majority vote of the Governing Board and with approval from project ownership. In cases where there is a lack of project ownership, only a 2/3 vote from the TAC is required.
The TAC shall develop an annual review process to determine whether projects are in the stage that accurately reflects their needs and goals.