1Technical Steering Committee (TSC)
2**********************************
3
4TSC Member Role
5###############
6
7The TSC role and its responsibilities is defined in the `Zephyr project charter`_.
8
9Membership
10++++++++++
11
12A TSC member plays a pivotal role in shaping the technical direction of the
13Zephyr Project. TSC members work collaboratively with other TSC members,
14contributors, and stakeholders to ensure the project's success and
15sustainability.
16
17By fulfilling the rights and responsibilities below, TSC members contribute to
18the overall success and growth of the Zephyr Project, ensuring that it remains a
19vibrant and thriving open-source community for years to come.
20
21
22Rights
23------
24
25Decision Making
26  Participate in key decisions related to the project's technical direction,
27  including architectural changes, feature additions, and release planning.
28
29Voting
30  Exercise voting rights on important matters discussed within the TSC,
31  including feature proposals, code contributions, and community initiatives.
32
33Access
34  Gain access to relevant project repositories, documentation, and communication
35  channels to stay informed and contribute effectively.
36
37Leadership
38  Take on leadership roles within working groups or subcommittees dedicated to
39  specific technical areas or initiatives.
40
41Representation
42  Act as a representative of the broader Zephyr community, advocating for the
43  interests of contributors, users, and stakeholders.
44
45Responsibilities
46----------------
47TSC members are expected to fulfill the following responsibilities, though it is
48not mandatory to fulfill all:
49
50Technical Oversight
51  Provide guidance and oversight on technical matters, ensuring alignment with
52  project goals, standards, and best practices through active participation as
53  core members in working groups and committees.
54
55Code Review
56  Participate in code reviews to maintain code quality, consistency, and
57  compatibility with project standards.
58
59Community Engagement
60  Engage with the community through forums, mailing lists, conferences, and
61  other channels to foster collaboration, address concerns, and gather feedback.
62
63Documentation
64  Contribute to the development and maintenance of project documentation,
65  including technical guides, API references, and best practices.
66
67Release Management
68  Collaborate with the release manager and other stakeholders to plan and
69  coordinate project releases, ensuring timely delivery and quality assurance.
70
71Contributor Support
72  Support and mentor new contributors, helping them navigate the project's
73  codebase, processes, and community norms.
74
75Issue Triage
76  Assist in triaging and prioritizing issues reported by users and contributors,
77  facilitating timely resolution and communication.
78
79Compliance and Licensing
80  Ensure compliance with project licensing requirements and open-source best
81  practices, addressing any licensing-related issues that may arise.
82
83Conflict Resolution
84  Facilitate constructive discussions and resolution of technical disagreements
85  or conflicts within the community, promoting a healthy and inclusive
86  environment.
87
88Continuous Improvement
89  Continuously seek opportunities to improve project governance, processes, and
90  infrastructure, driving innovation and sustainability.
91
92
93Appointed TSC Members
94+++++++++++++++++++++
95
96See `Zephyr project charter`_ for more details.
97
98- Appointed TSC members have no term limits besides the term of their employment
99  at the organization they represent or their organization's membership in the
100  Zephyr Project.
101- Appointed TSC members can select an Alternate from the same organization.
102
103Elected TSC Members
104+++++++++++++++++++
105
106Per the `Zephyr project charter`_, TSC members can nominate representatives from
107the technical community at the rate of no more than one per quarter.
108
109- Majority vote is required to confirm a candidate.
110- Once elected, a TSC member serves for 2 years.
111- Elected TSC members do not have the right to appoint an Alternate.
112- To ensure continuity of the TSC, at the end of the 2 year term, the TSC is
113  required to reconfirm the membership of elected members. If the elected member
114  declines a new term or if the TSC fails to reconfirm the term, the seat will
115  be open for new nominations.
116- If an elected TSC member resigns before the end of the 2 year term, their spot
117  will be open for new members outside of the quarterly nomination limit. The
118  elected member will serve a 2 year term.
119- The TSC has the right to terminate elected members who become inactive and are
120  not fulfilling the responsibilities of TSC members as described in this
121  document.
122- The number of elected members shall not exceed 20% of the total of appointed
123  members.
124- Existing TSC members who were elected before May 2024 shall be re-confirmed
125  after completing the 2 year term since they were first elected.
126
127Suspensions
128+++++++++++
129
130As noted under Section 8b of the Project Charter, voting rights for a
131representative who misses three consecutive meetings are subject to suspension
132and suspended representatives do not count towards the quorum requirement.
133
134A representative’s suspension will end and voting rights be restored at the start
135of the next attended meeting. The TSC enforces the suspension policy for voting
136members who miss three consecutive TSC weekly meetings.
137
138Multi-day meetings (F2F events) are counted as "one" meeting. The TSC voted on
139February 16, 2022 to discontinue default enforcement of the suspension policy.
140The TSC voted on January 18, 2023 to re-enact default enforcement of the
141suspension policy.
142
143Notice of suspension will be sent to representatives who miss three consecutive
144meetings, noting that rights will be restored upon next attendance of a TSC
145meeting.
146
147.. note::
148
149   As per Section 4b of the Project Charter, Platinum and Silver
150   Members may choose to opt out of a voting seat on the TSC.
151
152   Members who opt out and then wish to reclaim their seat later will have their
153   voting rights restored at the start of the second consecutive meeting
154   attended following notification to the TSC Chair.
155
156
157Voting
158++++++
159
160Voting in the Zephyr Project is defined under Section 8 of the Project Charter.
161
162Additional points of clarity / TSC interpretation have been added below. The
163Governing Board may opt to update the Charter to include the below
164refinements. Until then, additional clarifications (if/where needed) will be
165discussed in the Process Working Group, and approved in the TSC.
166
167- TSC In-Meeting Voting For items requesting an in-meeting vote of the Zephyr
168  Technical Steering Committee (TSC), assuming quorum requirements have been
169  met, the default voting mechanism will be a verbal motion to determine if
170  there is general consensus.
171- If there are no objections to a motion being brought forward, general
172  consensus is assumed and the motion passes.
173- Should there be any objections raised, the vote will move to email, and be
174  executed using the Voting Guidelines outlined in Section 8 of the Project
175  Charter.
176- Should a motion be deemed urgent by the TSC Chair, and assuming quorum
177  requirements have been met, the Chair may call for a roll call vote
178  in-meeting.
179
180Voting Options
181--------------
182
183- Voting Options are:
184
185  - "Yes",
186  - "No" or
187  - "Abstain"
188
189Abstention
190----------
191
192Abstentions do not count in tallying the vote negatively or positively; when
193members abstain, they are in effect attending only to contribute to a quorum.
194
195Abstentions do not impact the number of votes needed to decide a vote.
196
197Quorum
198------
199
200Quorum for TSC meetings shall require 60% of the voting representatives... (ref
2018b of the Charter)
202
203Decisions
204---------
205
206Decisions by vote shall be based on a majority vote, provided that at least
207sixty percent (60%) of the **TSC** representatives must be either
208present or participating electronically or by written action in order to
209conduct a valid vote. (ref 8c of the Charter)
210
211Example A:
212
213   40 eligible TSC voters. 3 abstain from a vote on a motion. 12 vote Yes. 11 vote
214   No.
215
216   Quorum reached: 26 votes cast (quorum = 60% of 40 = 24)
217   Majority vote: 12 Yes vs. 11 No. Yes wins.
218   Motion adopted.
219
220Example B:
221
222   40 eligible TSC voters. 5 abstain from a vote on a motion. 12 vote Yes. 6
223   vote No. Quorum reached? 23 votes cast (quorum = 60% of 40 = 24)
224
225   Vote is not valid. Quorum not reached.
226
227Example C:
228
229   40 eligible TSC voters. 21 abstain from a vote on a motion. 2 vote Yes. 1 votes
230   No. Quorum reached? 24 votes cast (quorum = 60% of 40 = 24)
231
232   Majority vote: 2 Yes vs. 1 No. Yes wins.
233
234Immutable Votes
235+++++++++++++++
236
237Votes are considered immutable once cast. A voter may not change their vote,
238once cast, between the time a Motion is brought forth and the time at which
239results are announced.
240
241.. _Zephyr project charter:
242   https://www.zephyrproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LF-Zephyr-Charter-2023.08.21.pdf
243