Reorganization of the Steering Circle
The Plone community is restructuring its steering circle to improve communication and coordination among teams.
The Plone community’s Steering Circle will undergo a reorganization in order to improve communication and coordination among various teams within the project, and to ensure that the technical and historical foundation of the Zope team is included in the decision-making process. As part of this reorganization, the Framework Team will be dissolved and a new Community Manager role will be introduced.
The initial task of the Framework Team was to take over the decision-making work previously carried out by project founders Alex Limi and Alan Runyan, after the Plone Foundation was formed in 2004. However, with the development of Plone 6 and the expansion of the project in different directions and at different paces, it has become necessary to broaden the view on the system to include the new sectors. In order to do this, the Steering Circle with its various teams will serve as the successor to the Framework Team, taking on the role of making important decisions for all components of the Plone framework. The Steering Circle will be able to delegate decision-making back to the teams if necessary.
Plone teams are responsible for a variety of tasks, including technical work such as maintaining various aspects of Plone or related projects, ensuring the infrastructure is functioning properly, and addressing security issues, as well as marketing and user experience. These teams are the main drivers of innovation within the Plone community. Teams are formed by volunteers who are interested in working on a specific aspect of Plone or a related project. These volunteers may form a team by organizing themselves and identifying a specific focus or area of work, and then recruiting additional members as needed.
Eric Steele, Plone’s long-time Release Manager, will take on a new role as Community Manager, responsible for leading the new Steering Circle. The new Steering Circle will bring together representatives from each team and the Foundation Board to discuss important topics and make decisions that impact the overall direction of the project. To ensure that all voices are heard and that no single person is overburdened with representing multiple teams, each team and the Board will be encouraged to send one or two members to the meeting.
The inclusion of the Zope team in the decision-making process will help to ensure that the framework remains true to its roots while also adapting to the changing needs of its users. The wealth of knowledge and experience that this team brings to the table will be invaluable in guiding the direction of the Plone framework and ensuring its continued success.
Overall, the reorganization of the Steering Circle is expected to have a positive impact on the Plone community, fostering greater unity and cooperation among teams and helping to ensure the continued success of the project. As the project continues to grow and evolve, the role of the Steering Circle in facilitating communication and coordination, and in making important technical governance decisions, will become increasingly important.