Governance in Practice

Turning ASF Principles into Everyday Project Practice

Purpose

This guide helps podlings apply ASF governance principles as they progress along the Incubation path.

  • Explains what governance looks like day-to-day

  • Describes governance at key milestones

  • Assumes a “typical” podling, variations are normal

Core Principles in Practice

  • Community over Code - Decisions made through open consensus.

  • Trust through Contribution - Responsibility grows with demonstrated participation and collaboration.

  • Transparency - All decisions visible on public mailing lists.

  • Independence - Projects can thrive beyond any one employer.

Decision-Making at the ASF

  • Consensus - Discuss until broad agreement is reached

  • Lazy consensus - Silence implies consent for routine actions

  • [VOTE] threads - Used for binding decisions (e.g., new committers, releases)

  • At least three +1s required for release approval

  • Handle disagreements through discussion, not majority rule

Early Stage (0–3 months)

  • Establish dev@ as the public decision center

  • Form the PPMC with mentors and initial committers

  • Practice lazy consensus and transparent communication

  • Mentors model ASF process and redirect private discussions to the list

Growth Stage (3–12 months)

  • Add new committers based on merit and trust

  • Expand the PPMC with active, responsible contributors

  • Encourage multi-company diversity

  • Produce the first ASF release (~6 months target)

  • Submit timely podling reports

  • Record key decisions publicly (wiki or list archive)

Reporting as a Governance Tool

  • Reports reviewed by the IPMC for oversight

  • Demonstrate transparency and community health

  • Use reports to:

    • Reflect on progress and blockers

    • Ask for help or mentor input

    • Record public accountability

Maturing Stage (12+ months)

  • PPMC leads governance and oversight independently

  • Mentors step back into advisory roles

  • Diversity: no single company dominates committers or PPMC

  • Sustainable governance means continuity through turnover

  • Demonstrate:

    • Sustainable, balanced community

    • Regular ASF-compliant releases

    • Mailing list as the decision hub

Common Governance Pitfalls

  • Private decision-making (Slack, WeChat, or company email)

  • Over-reliance on one vendor or employer

  • Mentors making or approving all key decisions

  • Failing to resolve disagreements through discussion

  • Releases without community involvement or recorded votes

Checklist at Each Milestone

  • 3 months: dev@ active? PPMC formed?

  • 6 months: First release? New committer added?

  • 12 months: Expanded PPMC? Self-governance evident?

  • Before graduation:

    • Diverse, independent, transparent community

    • Regular ASF releases

    • Consensus on graduation resolution

Reflection Questions

  • Are all major decisions visible on the mailing list?

  • Does the PPMC lead governance or rely on mentors?

  • Are contributors recognized promptly through committership?

  • Could the project continue if the sponsor company stepped back?

Summary

  • ASF governance matures through practice.

  • Mentors guide, PPMC leads.

  • Transparency and inclusiveness are essential.

  • Healthy podlings govern themselves, the Apache Way.

  • Graduation isn’t a checklist. It’s recognition that the community already operates as an ASF project.