FOSS4G Advisor Role

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************THIS IS A DRAFT************

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Description

The FOSS4G Advisor role will be a partially funded OSGeo position, to help coordinate the annual FOSS4G international event as it rotates around different regions of the world, and maintain consistency between events.

Background

Each year the OSGeo Conference Committee publishes a request for hosting the FOSS4G event, with the goal of moving the event around different regions of the world each year. The winning bid's local organizing committee is then responsible for putting together a successful event. OSGeo invests in each event financially (providing approximately 20,000 USD in seed funding to help the local committee get started), and it is also responsible for any financial losses occurred.

The reality has been that each year a lot of work must occur to make sure the local committee delivers a consistently good FOSS4G event. In the past this has meant a lot of volunteered/donated time. However, (especially as the event prepares to move into another region for the first time, and as OSGeo is putting together a new financial focus), this role of making sure the event operates smoothly has become very important.

Responsibilities

• act as a liaison between the local committee and the OSGeo Board
  • report to OSGeo Board on the event status monthly
• review Professional Organizer contract with local committee
• review Venue contract with local committee
• verify event insurance
• review the event's budget (proposed, as well as monthly updates)
• attend weekly conference calls with local committee (often start 6 months before event)
• assist the local committee with their web presence/marketing
• on-site visit to venue before event
  • examine layout/logistics of venue with local committee
• provide constant input on the program, as the OSGeo representative
• make sure essential OSGeo items are included in program planning (AGM, Code Sprint, Sol Katz Award, next-event-invitation)
• during event, provide troubleshooting with the local committee
• Manage FOSS4G archives
  • obtain financial reports and other relevant documents from completed FOSS4G events and make sure they are archived
  • stored in SVN back to 2003 (http://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/)
• Cameron Shorter: I see the primary benefit of this role as being a conduit of knowledge from one FOSS4G event to the next. I also think that this role should include supporting both international and emerging local FOSS4G events for the year.
• Cameron Shorter: As such, I see one of the key deliverables to be contributing to the development of a FOSS4G cookbook, which in turn should make it easier for FOSS4G events to be developed around the world.

Qualifications

• familiar with FOSS4G organizing tasks
• passion for FOSS4G
• able to commit the time needed to help the local committee produce a great event
• Cameron Shorter: I suggest that a strong preference be given to members of prior FOSS4G organising committee members, as I believe the key value in this role is in carrying experience from one FOSS4G year to the next.

Compensation

• 4 days per month @ 640 USD/day (30,720 USD annual)
  • plus travel (flight & hotel) for initial venue trip, as well as for the actual event
  • Cameron Shorter: While useful, I don't consider a scoping site visit essential as the LOC should be able to explain the site appropriately. I'd prioritise advising time over a site visit.

Duration

• one year contract
• possible renewal on approval from OSGeo Board

Filling the Position

• open to all OSGeo members
• Cameron Shorter: I suggest that a strong preference be given to members of prior FOSS4G organising committee members, as I believe the key value in this role is in carrying experience from one FOSS4G year to the next.

Next Steps

• propose role/position to OSGeo Board
• once approved, introduce new role to FOSS4G 2012 local committee
• do the work!