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| Duties & Responsibilities Of PSF Directors | Duties & Responsibilities of PSF Directors |
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| In a nutshell, the Directors work to fulfill `the mission of the PSF <http://www.python.org/psf/mission>`__; we take responsibility for moving Python and the PSF forward. The formal responsibilities of Directors and Officers are listed in `the bylaws, articles V and VI <http://www.python.org/psf/bylaws>`__. Please see `the minutes of the monthly Board of Directors meetings <http://www.python.org/psf/records/board/minutes>`__ for specific actions and decisions taken. |
In general, Directors help to fulfill `the mission of the PSF <http://www.python.org/psf/mission>`__; we take responsibility for moving Python and the PSF forward. |
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| The PSF's Directors and Officers conduct business via monthly meetings (one hour on IRC) and an active mailing list. We discuss the work being done and the work to be done, and Directors vote on resolutions. |
Check out the PSF's video titled Life as a Python Software Foundation Director: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLKj6FaQA4M . |
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| Directors are currently volunteer positions, although certain Officers (Treasurer and Secretary) do receive a nominal salary. |
Please see `the minutes of the monthly Board of Directors meetings <http://www.python.org/psf/records/board/minutes>`__ for specific actions, decisions, and reports given. |
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| There are two sides to a Director's responsibilities: | ------------------------------------------------------ What are the responsibilities of board members? ------------------------------------------------------ * Understand and help the PSF fulfill its mission. When necessary, help determine any changes or updates that need to happen to the mission. * Stay on top of communications (emails, blogs, reports) and engage in discussions * Support & evaluate the Executive Director. When necessary, help select a person for this role. * Help with strategic planning * Monitor and strengthen the PSF's programs and services (such as our grants program, PyCon, fiscal sponsorship, trademarks, etc) * Ensure adequate financial resources * Protect assets and provide financial oversight * Help recruit a diverse and competent board * Ensure legal and ethical integrity * Be an ambassador of the PSF * Fiduciary duties (care, loyalty, obedience) (https://boardsource.org/fundamental-topics-of-nonprofit-board-service/roles-responsibilities/) |
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| (1) Regular/adminstrative tasks to keep the PSF's legal standing healthy, and to respond to things like requests to use trademarks or questions about the licensing of Python. |
------------------------------------------------------ How do Directors and Officers conduct business? ------------------------------------------------------ |
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| (2) Special projects, the most neglected of which include general funding raising, reviving our grants process, and doing something about the fact that python.org is not really being maintained. |
* 90 minutes meetings, every other month, via conference call & Slack (note during crisis planning it can be monthly like during COVID-19) * an active mailing list and also our internal Slack channels * at two in-person meetings: one at PyCon US and a stand alone face-to-face meeting usually in November (for 2020 our PyCon meeting has been changed to virtual. May happen for the November meeting as well) |
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| We need both people who can learn over time about the PSF so they can eventually take over more of (1), and we need people willing and capable of helping with some aspect of (2). |
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| Obviously, some of (2) could be done outside of being a director of the PSF, but typically some PSF-level leadership is needed even for more general things like the python.org maintenance quandary. |
------------------------------------------------------ What is the flow of meetings? ------------------------------------------------------ |
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| While we have 8 directors now, we need more because we have found it's the directors and officers that do most of the work and as volunteers we're simply not finding enough time to take care of everything. The bigger the board, the more gets done. |
(1) Introduction and Roll call (2) The PSF uses a `consent agenda <https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/sites/default/files/documents/a3e8abbfab7a4d088d56ba3e563c6c061.pdf>`_ for actions that a consensus is made on prior to the board meeting. (3) We then discuss new business. Resolutions that come up during the meeting require a standalone discussion and vote. (4) Then we enter the discussion portion of the meeting. This is the most important part of the meeting and we try to have this phase be the bulk of our meeting. We typically have a handful of items that need discussion, action, or decision. Sometimes we use this time to move certain projects forward such as strategic planning. |
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| A Director's physical location is not an overriding factor. All of our monthly meetings are virtual; we meet on IRC. We only meet face-to-face once per year, at PyCon, and even then, it's rare for all the Directors to attend. We currently have Directors in the USA, Canada, the UK, and Germany. Having Directors in other parts of the world and other time zones may pose a logistical problem, but this will be worked around. |
------------------------------------------------------ Additional items to know ------------------------------------------------------ |
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| The time commitment is up to you -- what you want to work on, and how much time do you want to spend on it. Some activities are heavy, others aren't; take your pick. Attending the monthly Board meetings are extremely important -- we need a majority of Directors in attendance in order to acheive quorum and pass any resolutions. The PSF-Board mailing list typically sees about two or three messages a day, but it can peak at ten or twenty around PyCon, when the members' meeting is held and we have major business to deal with. |
(1) The position of Director is unpaid, purely volunteer. (2) `Staff positions <https://www.python.org/psf/records/staff/>`_ receive a salary. (3) A Director's physical location is not an overriding factor. Most of our meetings are virtual. We currently have Directors in the Zimbabwe, UK, India, Germany, Australia, and USA. Financial support is available our in-person meetings. (4) Having a diverse board ensures we have a variety of point-of-views and is highly desirable. (5) Every new director goes through a 2 part on-boarding (~ an hour each). (6) The formal responsibilities of Directors and Officers are listed in `the bylaws, articles V and VI <http://www.python.org/psf/bylaws>`__. |
Duties & Responsibilities of PSF Directors
In general, Directors help to fulfill the mission of the PSF; we take responsibility for moving Python and the PSF forward.
Check out the PSF's video titled Life as a Python Software Foundation Director: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLKj6FaQA4M .
Please see the minutes of the monthly Board of Directors meetings for specific actions, decisions, and reports given.
What are the responsibilities of board members?
- Understand and help the PSF fulfill its mission. When necessary, help determine any changes or updates that need to happen to the mission.
- Stay on top of communications (emails, blogs, reports) and engage in discussions
- Support & evaluate the Executive Director. When necessary, help select a person for this role.
- Help with strategic planning
- Monitor and strengthen the PSF's programs and services (such as our grants program, PyCon, fiscal sponsorship, trademarks, etc)
- Ensure adequate financial resources
- Protect assets and provide financial oversight
- Help recruit a diverse and competent board
- Ensure legal and ethical integrity
- Be an ambassador of the PSF
- Fiduciary duties (care, loyalty, obedience) (https://boardsource.org/fundamental-topics-of-nonprofit-board-service/roles-responsibilities/)
How do Directors and Officers conduct business?
- 90 minutes meetings, every other month, via conference call & Slack (note during crisis planning it can be monthly like during COVID-19)
- an active mailing list and also our internal Slack channels
- at two in-person meetings: one at PyCon US and a stand alone face-to-face meeting usually in November (for 2020 our PyCon meeting has been changed to virtual. May happen for the November meeting as well)
What is the flow of meetings?
- Introduction and Roll call
- The PSF uses a consent agenda for actions that a consensus is made on prior to the board meeting.
- We then discuss new business. Resolutions that come up during the meeting require a standalone discussion and vote.
- Then we enter the discussion portion of the meeting. This is the most important part of the meeting and we try to have this phase be the bulk of our meeting. We typically have a handful of items that need discussion, action, or decision. Sometimes we use this time to move certain projects forward such as strategic planning.
Additional items to know
- The position of Director is unpaid, purely volunteer.
- Staff positions receive a salary.
- A Director's physical location is not an overriding factor. Most of our meetings are virtual. We currently have Directors in the Zimbabwe, UK, India, Germany, Australia, and USA. Financial support is available our in-person meetings.
- Having a diverse board ensures we have a variety of point-of-views and is highly desirable.
- Every new director goes through a 2 part on-boarding (~ an hour each).
- The formal responsibilities of Directors and Officers are listed in the bylaws, articles V and VI.