Programme Lifecyle

Title: Programme Lifecyle
DRACC: 0020
Category: Informational
Scope: Global
Authors: Leenaars, M.A.G.J.; Šuklje, M.
Date: November 2017
Copyright: The Commons Conservancy
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Programme lifecycle

A Programme within [The Commons Conservancy] has the following lifecycle:

0) Orientation phase

A project informs itself of the possibilities and requirements of participation in [The Commons Conservancy].

1) Initiation phase

The candidate Programme notifies [The Commons Conservancy] of its intention to join [The Commons Conservancy], and upon receiving a notice of eligibility appoints a quartermaster to prepare for subsequent adoption of the Programme by [The Commons Conservancy]. [The Commons Conservancy] appoints a case officer to assist in aligning the scope of the Programme as well as selecting the most suitable governance model.

2) Setup phase

All Programme officials that need to be formally affiliated with the new Programme inside [The Commons Conservancy] sign [The Commons Conservancy] Pledge (see DRACC “Pledge”). The proposed mission and statues of the Programme are defined in conformance with the mission and approach of [The Commons Conservancy].

3) Operational phase

[The Commons Conservancy] formally approves the proposed Programme statutes and officially establishes the Programme. The initial statutes of the Programme are published on the revelant official publication channel(s) of [The Commons Conservancy] (e.g. its website), at which point they enter into effect. The Programme is now fully operational:

[The Commons Conservancy] MAY now accept donations of intangible assets – such as copyright, trade marks, patents, databases, integrated circuit layout design and the like – on behalf of the Programme.
(Access is granted to the relevant facilities and services of [The Commons Conservancy].
Decisions within the Programme are made according to the Programme Statutes, and effectuated by its Governing Body according to the procedure outlined in DRACC “Decision handling procedure”.

The Programme MAY now also interact with other Programmes and with services available to the Programmes. [The Commons Conservancy] has for instance signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NLnet foundation, a not-for-profit recognised as “Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling” by the Netherlands tax authorities. Under the provisions of that Memorandum of Understanding a thematic fund are automatically established for all Programmes upon entering [The Commons Conservancy], allowing a Programme to receive financial donations in support of its mission. In addition, other facilities and services from other organisations with which [The Commons Conservancy] MAY sign an agreement with, MAY become available to the Programme. The Programme itself MAY also request the Board of [The Commons Conservancy] to sign tailored agreements on its behalf.

4) Graduation phase (optional)

As time passes, a Programme’s Governing Body MAY wish to establish its own not-for-profit legal entity. At such point, the Programme MAY request a transfer of intangible assets – such as copyright, trade marks, patents, databases, integrated circuit layout design and the like – to such an entity according to the procedure laid out in DRACC “Graduation”, taking into account any provisions the Programme itself has made regarding the possibility of and conditions for such a transfer.

If a Programme Graduates, it MAY still choose to leave a clone (that MAY allow sharing assets with other Programmes or not) of itself holding an instance of some or all of its assets with [The Commons Conservancy]. Such a clone automatically enters the Hibernation phase (see below), unless other provisions are made through the Programme statutes or regulations.

5) Hibernation phase (optional)

If the appointed governance body of a Programme has retired or – for whatever reason – is no longer responding to official requests from the Board of [The Commons Conservancy] within the required timeframe, its community SHALL be invited to take the necessary actions to repopulate through the procedure as established in its own statutes (e.g. an election, divination, a lottery or other means).

If the Programme is still unable to appoint the minimum amount of officials within a predetermined period of 92 days, the Programme goes into Hibernation unless other provisions were made in the regulations of the Programme. Assets held by [The Commons Conservancy] on behalf of the Programme are handled according to the procedure defined in DRACC “Hibernation of assets”.

6) Revival, forking and termination phase (optional)

Taking into account any provisions a Programme itself has made, a Programme MAY be revived or forked. ‘Revival’ shall mean that a new Programme is established according to the regular procedures described in this document, but enters the Setup Phase with the previous statutes and regulations of the Programme it wishes to inherit.

There are many paths and approaches to reach ones goals, and sometimes the community within a Programme needs to split up to walk alternative paths. A Programme MAY itself set conditions regarding the possibilities and conditions of forking and revival, in line with the procedure defined in DRACC “Hibernation”.