The ASC Software Organization Technical Steering Committee (TSC) is the technical governing body of the ASC Software Organization. It is described in the TSC Charter.
The TSC is responsible for the ASC Core (ISIS3) project, a number of projects depended upon by ASC Core (ISIS3) project, and a number of adjacent projects.
The TSC exercises autonomy in managing its responsibilities and seeks agreement from the ASC Management Team on any change to the scope of those responsibilities as defined below.
ASC Core is defined as the contents of the repository located at https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/ISIS3. This is the location of the ISIS3 low-level API and applications. As the ASC continues to modularize ISIS3 and explores potential name changes this document will be updated appropriately.
Additional projects fall within the TSC's scope of responsibility which are dependencies of ASC Core in that they are required to plan, test, build, document and ship ASC Software releases.
These projects are located in the following repositories:
- https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/isis3_dependencies
- https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/TSC
- https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/eal - currently under incubation
The TSC is responsible for a number of projects that are not strictly required to plan, test, build, document and ship ASC Core releases. Projects that are adjacent are either created from within the technical organization managed by the TSC or are adopted into that organization from outside.
In the case of adopting existing projects, once the TSC has decided that adoption appropriate, it should seek agreement from the ASC Management Team for such adoption as it impacts on the scope of technical activities.
If the ASC Management Team wishes to adopt an existing project, it must seek agreement from the TSC that such adoption is appropriate and that any changes to scope that it entails are acceptable.
Current adjacent projects that are within the TSC's scope of responsibility include:
- https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/CSM-CameraModel
- https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/csm
- https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/CSM-Swig
- https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/autocnet
- https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/plio
- https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/PyHAT
- https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/ISIS3_mission_processing_scripts
The TSC exercises autonomy in setting up and maintaining procedures, policies, and management and administrative structures as it deems appropriate for the maintenance and operation of these projects and resources.
Included in the responsibilities of the TSC are:
- Managing code and documentation creation and changes for the listed projects and resources
- Setting and maintaining standards covering contributions of code, documentation and other materials
- Managing code and binary releases: types, schedules, frequency, delivery mechanisms
- Making decisions regarding dependencies of the ASC Core project, including what those dependencies are and how they are bundled with source code and releases
- Creating new repositories and projects under the USGS-Astrogeology GitHub organization as required
- Setting overall technical direction for the ASC Core project, including high-level goals and low-level specifics regarding features and functionality
- Setting and maintaining appropriate standards for community discourse via the various mediums under TSC control
- Setting and maintaining governance rules for the conduct and make-up of the TSC, Working Groups and other bodies within the TSC's domain
Many of these responsibilities will be delegated by the TSC to appropriate bodies such as the Working Groups.
TSC members are responsible for top level technical community concerns. The role is mostly administrative and is responsible for admitting new Top Level Projects, Top Level Working Groups, and advocating for any needs in the technical side of the foundation to the ASC Management Team.
TSC members can nominate new members at any time. Candidates for membership tend to be people who have a competency for community management and a high tolerance and patience for process minutiae as the TSC delegates most of its responsibilities to other projects and working groups.
A current list of TSC members is maintained in the main TSC repository.
At any one time the ASC Software projects have a number of strategic initiatives underway. The goal of the TSC is to have a champion for each of these initiatives and to support the initiatives in order to enable their success.
For more information look here: Strategic Initiatives
- Working Groups
- Top-Level Projects
- Core TLP
- Core WGs (for example, streams)
The ASC TSC is chartered to oversee the technical governance of all Top Level Projects and Working Groups under the ASC Software Organization. The TSC establishes the default governance, conduct, and licensing policies for all Top Level Projects. Top Level Projects and Working Groups have broad powers of self-governance.
To propose a change or addition to policies or processes that are intended to
cover all Top Level Projects and Working Groups in the foundation, a PR should
be opened in the USGS-Astrogeology/TSC repository.
The pull request can be labeled tsc-agenda to request that it be put on the
agenda for the next TSC meeting.
The ASC Management Team retains certain rights (especially legal considerations). If the TSC endorses a proposal, they will escalate this proposal to the ASC Management Team when required to do so.
In some cases, existing individual groups have the right to refuse changes to their charters. The TSC cannot mandate existing working groups alter their charters. If such a situation arises, the TSC may decide to revoke the group's charter.