Page History

...

16. Responsibility for Monitoring Neutrality

Neutrality is a PPMC responsibilityThe PPMC is responsible for monitoring whether project governance remains open, public, and independent. All PPMC members are expected to notice and draw attention to anything that may limit participation or indicate private decision-making. This responsibility applies throughout incubationsuggest that decisions are occurring outside ASF channels. Mentors also help identify neutrality risks, particularly especially early in incubation when outside perspectives an external perspective can highlight issues that are less may not be visible to project participants.

Other groups parts of the ASF may surface related relevant signals, including:

• trademarks@apache.org when reviewing during branding reviews
• infra@apache.org when reviewing websites or build processes
• IPMC reviewers when reading assessing podling reports

Anyone may raise a potential issueneutrality concern, but the PPMC is accountable for understanding evaluating it and ensuring that project governance remains open and independenttaking any necessary steps to ensure that the project continues to operate through public, documented governance.

17. Raising, Escalating, and Resolving Neutrality Concerns

...

24. Related Resources

• Vendor Neutrality - Ensures Apache projects are community-controlled, not dominated by a single company or contributor, supporting sustainability and trust.
• Incubator Case Studies - Compiles case studies of podlings that illustrate patterns of success, retirement, and challenges such as vendor dominance in the Apache Incubator.
• Expanded Incubator Case Studies - Provides more detailed and in-depth examples of the successes, challenges, and outcomes of various Apache Incubator podlings.  
• Practicing The Apache Way - Explains the fundamental principles, values, and practices (like meritocracy and open communication) that govern how all Apache projects operate.
• ASF Release Policy - Documents the required process, approval, artifacts (source packages, signatures), and licensing compliance for making an official Apache Software Foundation release.
• ASF Trademark Guidelines -  Outlines the rules for the allowable use of ASF-owned trademarks, service marks, and logos by other parties to protect project brands and ensure vendor neutrality
• Training Scenarios. - Offers fictional but realistic situations and discussions to train mentors and PPMC members on applying ASF policies in practice.
• PPMC Onboarding Guide -  A guide to help new Project Management Committee (PPMC) members understand their responsibilities, ASF culture, and governance duties within an Incubator podling
• Mentor Quick Reference - Common Red Flags. - A checklist for mentors to quickly identify potential problems, such as governance issues or lack of community diversity, that could prevent a podling's graduation.
• The Employer Dominated Podling  - A scenario describing the challenges and steps required to diversify a podling whose contributions and governance are overwhelmingly controlled by a single company.