v2025.05-governance-refresh

NI Open-Source Governance Refresh — May 2025

🔖 Tag Version

v2025.05-governance-refresh

📝 Description

This milestone formalizes the full governance framework for the NI Open-Source Program.
Built from community feedback and Steering Committee insight, this release establishes scalable policies for prioritization, contributor recognition, and structured collaboration.

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📚 Included Governance Documents

File	Description
PROGRAM-GUIDE.md	Outlines program lifecycle and introduces CLA vs DCO guidance
PRIORITY-SCORE.md	Defines scoring model used to evaluate priority across four dimensions: Practicality, Market Breadth, Value, Interest
STEERCO-GUIDELINES.md	Clarifies SteerCo authority, responsibilities, and engagement model
CONTRIBUTOR-RECOGNITION.md	Launches badge system for Maintainers, SteerCo, Testers, and other contributors
ENGAGEMENT-GUIDE.md	Defines contributor interaction norms across GitHub (Issues, Discussions, PRs, test reporting)
MEETING-POLICY.md	Sets cadence, scoping, and documentation expectations for all open-source meetings
GOVERNANCE-CHANGELOG.md	Tracks every governance update—what changed, why, and when

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🚀 Highlights

• Transparent scoring tied to role ownership (R&D, PM, Community)
• SteerCo defined as influence-based—not decision authority
• Badges and certification integration tied to GitHub-visible activity
• Meeting structure protects contributor time and emphasizes execution
• GitHub used as the single platform for coordination, recognition, and accountability

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🧭 What's Next

• Automate badge issuance based on GitHub metadata
• Integrate recertification tracking for contributors via NI Certification team
• Formalize dashboard or contributor insights based on GitHub activity

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🙌 Thank You

To the SteerCo members, community contributors, and NI collaborators whose input made this structure possible:
You’ve helped turn open source from a project into a program.