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Meetings of FINOS projects

caution

To ensure FINOS meetings are conducted in a manner that is fair and respectful to all participants, FINOS aligns to The Linux Foundation privacy policy that excludes the use of AI chatbots and scribing services participating in any public or private virtual meetings hosted by FINOS.

This document describes requirements and recommendations for holding meetings of FINOS projects, special-interest groups (SIGs), working groups, and other bodies. Note that individual projects may have their own meeting requirements, in which case those should be followed except where they conflict with any FINOS policy.

Schedule the meeting​

  • Organizers should schedule meetings at least 7 days in advance, preferably at a time that works for most participants.
  • Organizers should use WebEx for teleconferences unless all members are able to use another system. The FINOS team can help to schedule a call on the Foundation's WebEx system.

Prepare and circulate an agenda​

  • Before each meeting, organizers must circulate an agenda listing the topics to be discussed and decisions to be made at the meeting, and circulate the agenda via the group's preferred communication channel.
  • See this sample agenda for an example.

Keep minutes​

  • Organizers must keep minutes of meetings, capturing:
    • The names of all attendees
    • For each agenda item:
      • A brief summary of the matter discussed (one sentence is often enough)
      • Any significant positions/proposals put forward (one sentence each is often enough)
      • A record of any decisions made or actions taken, including a record of the vote (i.e. votes in favor, votes against, and abstentions)
    • Any action items assigned, including the assignee and the deadline (if any)
  • Minutes must not attribute any statement to an individual or organization without their express prior approval. This is to ensure that people feel free to speak candidly.
  • Minutes should be concise records of the important parts of the meeting. They should not be an exhaustive transcript. (See this example.)
  • Organizers must post a public link to meeting minutes after the meeting.

Run the meeting​

  • Organizers must ensure that the meeting adheres to the LF Antitrust Policy
  • Organizers should display the Antitrust Policy summary slide at the beginning of the meeting
  • Standards project organizers should display the standards project compliance slides at the beginning of the meeting
  • Organizers should run the meeting according to the following best practices:
    • Ensure a good audio connection. Laptop audio is often worse than a phone call.
    • Minimize background noise. Mute yourself and (if necessary) other participants when you or they are not speaking.
    • Open the conference call 5 minutes before the scheduled start time.
    • Start the meeting 5 minutes after the scheduled start to give people time to join.
    • Keep the meeting to the agenda. Move off-topic discussions to the agenda for the next meeting, or the mailing list.
    • If a discussion becomes unproductive, move on. Ask the participants to send their proposals via issues/pull requests, on the mailing list or as agenda items for future meetings.
    • End the meeting on time, even if you don't get through the agenda, so those with other appointments do not miss important discussions.

Call votes as needed​

Organizers should call a vote on any agenda item requiring one, according to the voting procedures of the group.

About AI chatbots and scribing services​

To ensure FINOS meetings are conducted in a manner that is fair and respectful to all participants, FINOS aligns to The Linux Foundation privacy policy that excludes the use of AI chatbots and scribing services participating in any public or private virtual meetings hosted by The Linux Foundation.