Governance Taskforce Recommendation "Improve Definitions of Representation, Leadership, and the Expected Higher Standards"

Drupal is a professional community across the globe. When people step into a representation or leadership role, they are expected to represent the values and good standing of the project and community.

What we heard:

Our community has people that use Drupal, contribute to Drupal, have dedicated roles within the community, run camps, and more. In some respects, all of these people represent the Drupal community. And while some community members have greater responsibilities, the same standards cannot be broadly applied to everyone.

To exemplify this point: someone who simply chooses to use Drupal has not made the same choice to represent Drupal as someone who leads an initiative. Attending an event does not warrant the same elevated standard as organizing an event.

Representing Drupal is broadly applicable. We must better understand who is representing Drupal and what is expected of them. It is expected that those representing Drupal, especially in official capacities, maintain a higher standard to not misrepresent the community.

What we recommend:

Representing Drupal is often a choice participants make. Anyone may choose to host a Drupal meetup or give a presentation at an event about Drupal, but it is implied that anyone who is actively choosing to represent Drupal agrees to a community standard. We must define what constitutes representing Drupal and the applicable standards.

Our community expects more from it’s leaders beyond just effectively representing Drupal. We believe there should be elevated standards. Leaders not only represent Drupal, but have responsibility for things like effective communication and conflict resolution. This also motivates our training recommendation. These skills help seek consensus and promote healthy community operation. Such positions include roles like core maintainers, initiative leads, and members of working groups. We must define leadership and the higher standards for leaders throughout the community.

If new standards are also established for leadership positions within the community, it should not be assumed that people automatically consent to this. There should be consent from leaders already participating in specific roles in the community. All identified leaders should be asked to consent to the newly defined leadership standards.

It is prudent for community members to be informed of the applied standards. As an example, community members may be more inclined to attend events knowing camp organizers and volunteers agree to uphold a set of standards. We recommend the creation of a badge or certification program that can identify when such standards have been adopted.

Let’s also recognize that community leaders may need additional support to be effective. Under the umbrella of community training, we should provide leaders with training, resources, and mentorship. We demand a higher standard, but we cannot expect perfection, and we must allow room for growth.