Rules for the TYPO3 Unit Cooperation Panel 

1 Definition and Purpose 

The Unit Cooperation Panel is a permanent body for cooperation between all Units. It creates the TYPO3 Product Roadmap in alignment with the TYPO3 Association and TYPO3 Product strategies and ensures that the Units work together in partnership, support each other, and jointly address cross-Unit issues.

The Panel is the TYPO3 CMS Product Owner. It is represented by its Chairman.

2 Governing Authority 

3 Composition 

4 Tasks and Responsibilities 

5 Meetings 

6 Reporting 

The Chairperson or their delegate must regularly publish reports on the Panel’s meetings and activities to the TYPO3 Association Members.

The report must be published on news.typo3.com every three months.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Won’t the Chairperson easily be overloaded with the tasks involved in chairing, reporting, and possibly also serving as one of the two delegates to the TYPO3 Association Board?

A good chairperson will delegate tasks, but some kind of compensation will likely be necessary. It could be time donated individually, from an employer, or as a budget decision by the TYPO3 Association Board. At the same time, the Panel is supposed to coordinate. It is natural to expect that most of the real work will take place in the Units. Assembling the roadmap is a good example, as it can build on detailed proposals submitted by the units.

2. Why can’t the TYPO3 Association Board member be elected Chairperson?

Since the TYPO3 Association Board defines budgets for Units, this is an effective way to avoid potential conflict of interest around budget decisions.

3. Is the Unit Cooperation Panel a mediator in interpersonal conflicts?

No, it only deals with matters of jurisdiction or conflicts of interest between Units. Interpersonal conflicts should be resolved elsewhere using TYPO3’s conflict handling processes and policies. The TYPO3 Association Board can update the Unit Charters to make areas of responsibility clearer. In cases where Unit Coordinators are unable to cooperate, the TYPO3 Association Board as the option of removing them from their role.

4. What is the role of the two delegates from the Unit Cooperation Panel in the TYPO3 Association Board?

The delegates have a right to be present and speak in all TYPO3 Association Board meetings, but do not have voting rights. This means they will take part in all discussions and processes within the Board, but without the final decision-making rights. This configuration avoids the conflict of interest arising from the Unit Coordinators’ role as budget owners.

5. Why is the quorum defined as two thirds of all Unit Cooperation Panel members? It can be hard to get people to participate, and decision making shouldn’t be blocked.

It would be a sign of serious dysfunction if less than two thirds of the Unit Cooperation Panel can meet. It would mean that two thirds of the units — and possibly the TYPO3 Association Board too — are unable to assign a person to attend the meeting. Such an issue would have to be dealt with on a higher level.

6. Is the requirement for decisions to be at least two thirds of the votes cast a possibility for deadlock?

In this setup a positive decision requires two thirds of the votes cast to be “yes”. It does not count abstentions or missing votes from absent members. Since this is the cooperation panel, it should be based on healthy cooperation and consensus. An inability to come to a consensus would be a sign of dysfunction, an issue that must be dealt with outside of the Panel itself.

7. With only one representative per Unit, how will cross-cutting topics like accessibility get a reliable voice?

Considering relevant compliance requirements (including accessibility) should be part of every decision. It would be the Stability & Compliance Unit’s responsibility to define and promote them. The Unit would need to make recommendations or ask the TYPO3 Association Board to establish formal policies. Many have given feedback about the need to document a general decision-making process. Compliance could be an explicit part of such a process, meaning that considering compliance with accessibility requirements/best practices becomes mandatory everywhere.

8. Will the Unit Cooperation Panel have fewer members if someone is Unit Coordinator for multiple units?

One person can only represent a single body in the Unit Cooperation Panel, so a person who is Unit Coordinator for multiple units will have to delegate another person to be the representative of one of the units.

9. Which decision-making best practices apply to the Unit Cooperation Panel?

The Governance Working Group has asked that the TYPO3 Association Board implements a project-wide decision-making best practice.

10. Can changes to these Rules be made to require a decision by the General Assembly?

It is not normally the General Assembly’ task to change rules and policies. This is the Association Board’s domain. Normally, the Board would be able to change the Panel rules alone, but section 2 requires both the TYPO3 Association Board and the Unit Cooperation Panel to vote in favor. This adds an additional level of control. The General Assembly has supreme decision-making authority in the TYPO3 Association and can always override or force a change to happen.

11. Is the Unit Cooperation Panel a Product Owner according to the SCRUM definition?

The Unit Cooperation Panel is not tied to any specific product development philosophies or methodologies, like SCRUM, Agile, or Kanban. The Panel has the role of product owner in the sense that it defines, prioritizes, and guides product development to deliver maximum business and user value.

12. Why four meetings a year? It makes the Unit Cooperation Panel slow.

The Panel is not limited to four meetings a year. That is only the lower limit. Section 5.1 defines it as "regularly, at least once each quarter."