## Technical Committee Formation

All work at OASIS is done within the framework of a Technical Committee. Each Technical Committee, or TC, has a specific scope which forms the boundaries of the work items to be undertaken and the deliverables that are to be produced, which is explicitly defined in the Charter.

The OASIS TC Process Policy requires a number of items to be included in the Charter, including:

- the name of the Technical Committee
- statement of purpose, including a definition of the problem to be solved
- scope of work
- list of deliverables
- IPR Mode
- anticipated audience
- language in which the TC will conduct its business

Preparing a Draft Charter for Submission to OASIS

A Charter is typically a collaborative effort among a group of co-proposers, each of which has an interest in seeing the work progress under the auspices of OASIS. Additional co-proposers may be added before submitting the draft Charter to the TC Administrator.

In addition to the items noted above, the draft Charter must also include the following:

- identification of any similar or applicable work
- date, time and location of first meeting
- projected ongoing meeting schedule
- names, email addresses and affiliation of co-proposers
- name of Convener
- Member Section, if any
- list of anticipated contributions, if any
- draft FAQ (recommended, but optional)
- proposed working title and acronym, if any

Charter submission

Charter submissions may be associated with specific dates making the timing significant. Important dates might include:

- press release or other media event
- industry conference or trade show
- first meeting date

The Technical Committee Formation worksheet is designed to help determine the various milestones in the submission process.

- Technical Committee Scheduler Workbook in Microsoft Excel format
- Technical Committee Scheduler Workbook in OpenDocument format (OO, Symphony)

This video will introduce you to the spreadsheet and its usage.

It is not uncommon for a Convener to send a draft Charter to the TC Admninistrator for preliminary approval prior to the formal submission. This helps to ensure that delays will not be encountered once the formal submission is made.

The Charter must be submitted to the OASIS TC Administrator in plain text, typically in the body of a plain text email message. This ensures faithful reproduction in all announcement messages. The email message should be sent to tc-admin@oasis-open.org, an alias that is distributed to several OASIS staff members, including the TC Administrator.

Upon receipt of the Charter, the TC Administrator will:

- acknowledge receipt,
- ask each person identified as co-proposer to confirm their intent, and
- verify that all of the requirements have been met. If any deficiencies are discovered, the Charter will be returned to the Convener and co-proposers for modification.

Member review

Once the proposed Charter has been reviewed and determined to meet the requirements of the OASIS Technical Committee Process, the TC Administrator will post an announcement to all Members of a fourteen (14) day review.

During this time OASIS Members are encouraged to submit comments on the proposed Charter. All submitted comments will be logged, discussed at the Convener Call, and all resolutions noted before the formal Call for Participation can be issued.

Convener Call

After the member review period has closed, a call is held between the OASIS TC Administrator and the Convener. All co-proposers are invited to participate, and other OASIS members are welcome to attend. The agenda includes:

- welcome
- identification of participants
- review of any comments received
- staff comments
- recruiting
- marketing
- review of remaining schedule
- review of any action items

Final Charter Submission / Comment Resolution

Shortly after the Convener Call, the Convener must submit the final Charter - that is, an updated version of the draft Charter containing any changes made as an outcome of comments received, additions to the co-proposer list, or other modifications agreed upon by the proposer group.

A log must also be submitted noting the resolution of all comments received during the Member review.

Call for Participation

The formal announcement of a new Technical Committee is the Call for Participation. At the time the Call for Participation is issued, Members are able to join the committee in anticipation of the First Meeting.

Indication of Candidacy

Two weeks prior to the First Meeting date the TC Administrator will send a message to the Technical Committee mailing list asking for indications of candidacy for Chair or Co-Chair. Technical Committees may elect a single Chair or two Co-Chairs.

Formal nominations will take place during the First Meeting.

Eligible Voting members

To be considered a Voting Member at the First Meeting of a Technical Committee, individuals must:

- be an OASIS Member,
- join the Technical Committee as a Member (not as an Observer) and appear on the roster at least 7 days prior to a teleconference meeting, or 15 days prior to a face-to-face meeting, and
- attend the First Meeting.

If you join the Technical Committee after the deadline, or are unable to attend the First Meeting, you will remain a Member of the Technical Committee and will gain Voting Rights via the normal process.

#### Related Information:

OASIS Technical Committee Process Policy - TC Formation