The OSOR Team is pleased to release the initial version of the OSOR Handbook, a longstanding project aimed at providing essential information to the open-source community within the public sector. This guide is tailored for European public administrations and their officials seeking to develop or implement an open source software (OSS) strategy. Over the past 15 years, OSOR has been a valuable resource, aiding administrations in adopting a comprehensive approach to OSS. The purpose of this handbook is to serve as a guide, consolidating key solutions and insights from the collective experience of the OSOR community.
The creation process of this handbook involved research, expert workshops, and webinars. In 2023, OSOR organised a series of three workshops and three webinars focusing on documenting difficulties, brainstorming solutions, and examining successful implementations. Each workshop was followed by a webinar to present conclusions, with the insights distilled to produce this comprehensive handbook. The knowledge gained from these events was complemented by OSOR's previous research and resources from the open source community.
To prepare for the workshops, research identified eight categories encapsulating challenges faced by public administrations in OSS strategy development and implementation. These categories include releasing software, finding software, selecting software, funding, knowledge sharing, community-building, soft skills, and the reuse of solutions. Discussion groups thoroughly examined each category, providing a platform for substantial knowledge sharing among participants.
This handbook condenses the extensive discussions held during these workshops and webinars, addressing major themes in each chapter and providing potential solutions. The drafting of this handbook, however, is not finished. Experts, including particularly those who participated in the workshops, but also the broader OSOR community, will be asked for review and comments. We look forward to further developing this resource.
Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash
Comments
Thank you for sharing the draft Handbook. The Handbook appears to have been developed for organizations that have already decided to adopt open source software, beginning with sections on "finding and using open source software," "developing open source," and others related to an organization's implementation. Does OSOR have any resources to help organizations that have not yet come to appreciate the value of open source generally, or the specific benefits adoption could provide the organization. I suspect many may need first to understand the value proposition of open source, so they can then make the decision to engage, before working on procurement, development, or implementation.
Thank you - Patrick Masson (Apereo Foundation)
Dear Patrick,
thank you very much for your comment.
As far as I know, we don't have a value proposition document that could be used for convincing organizations who are not yet committed to open source. However, I can recommend looking into the case studies, as they can give some pointers: https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/case-studies
I think a chapter on how to talk about open source inside one's organization would be a great addition to future editions of the handbook.
Please let us know, if we can help with anything else!
Jaakko Karhu