On Free software project boards and governance

As always, these are just my opinions. A board needs a clear, accepted remit If the remit of the board is not clear to all concerned - the broader community, not just the members of the board - and if that remit is not accepted, argument and politics around what the board should be doing are inevitable. This wastes everyone’s time, on meta debates and side issues, and leads to conflict and division. Does the board set the strategy? Define the policy? Hold an executive to account? Mediate or arbitrate disputes? Act as a point of escalation? Fundraise? And so on. That remit may change over time, and I see no problem in that, as that change is in itself both clear and accepted. A board needs clear, measurable, documented priorities Similar to the point above, without a clear focus, and a set of documented and measurable objectives / priorities, the board is but an iceberg, bobbing around in the ocean, haphazardly knocking against interesting things. Without priorities, the board may be…