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Governance - GDE Americas Hub

This document describes the governance model, community roles, and contribution ladder for the GDE Americas Hub project.

Table of Contents

Project Mission

The GDE Americas Hub aims to provide a centralized, high-quality repository of technical content created by and for Google Developer Experts in the Americas region. We are committed to:

  • Quality: Maintaining high standards for all published content
  • Inclusivity: Welcoming contributions from all GDEs regardless of expertise area or location
  • Collaboration: Fostering a supportive environment for knowledge sharing
  • Sustainability: Building a long-term maintainable knowledge base
  • Impact: Helping developers across the Americas learn and grow

Community Principles

All community members must adhere to:

  1. Code of Conduct: Follow the Code of Conduct
  2. Respectful Communication: Provide constructive, kind feedback
  3. Quality First: Prioritize accuracy and clarity in all content
  4. Attribution: Give credit to sources and contributors
  5. Collaboration: Work together to improve content iteratively

Roles and Responsibilities

Contributor

Definition: Anyone who contributes content, reviews, or improvements to the hub.

Requirements: - Must be a Google Developer Expert (active or alumni) - Follow the Contributing Guidelines - Adhere to the Code of Conduct

Privileges: - Submit Pull Requests for content - Participate in public discussions - Attend community events

Responsibilities: - Create quality content following templates - Respond to review feedback - Test content locally before submission

How to Become a Contributor: - Fork the repository and submit your first PR! - No formal nomination needed

Reviewer

Definition: Trusted community member who reviews and provides feedback on contributions.

Requirements: - ✅ Active GDE Status: Must be an active Google Developer Expert - ✅ Contribution History: At least 5 quality contributions over a period of time, demonstrating: - Understanding of content standards - Technical accuracy - Consistency in participation - ✅ Review Track Record: History of providing constructive feedback on PRs - ✅ Community Engagement: Active participation in discussions or events - ✅ Commitment: Able to review PRs within 7 days

Privileges: - Review and comment on all Pull Requests - Request changes on submissions - Participate in reviewer discussions - Listed in project credits

Responsibilities: - Review PRs within reasonable timeframe (target: 7 days) - Provide constructive, actionable feedback - Verify technical accuracy and quality - Help contributors improve their content - Stay up-to-date with contribution guidelines

How to Become a Reviewer:

  1. Demonstrate Contributions: Make at least 5 quality contributions (codelabs, blog posts, resources, or substantial improvements)
  2. Build Review History: Participate in PR discussions with helpful comments
  3. Nomination: Any Maintainer can nominate you by opening an issue
  4. Approval Process:
  5. Nomination must be seconded by at least one other Maintainer
  6. 3-day community feedback period
  7. Approved by majority of Maintainers (simple majority)
  8. Acceptance: Accept the nomination and reviewer responsibilities

Removal from Role: - Inactive for 6 months (no reviews or contributions) - Violations of Code of Conduct - Loss of GDE status (automatic removal) - Personal request

Maintainer

Definition: Core team member responsible for project direction, code ownership, and final approval of contributions.

Requirements: - ✅ Active GDE Status: Must be an active Google Developer Expert - ✅ Reviewer for 3+ Months: Must have served as a Reviewer for at least 3 months - ✅ Sustained Contributions: At least 15 substantial contributions to the hub - ✅ Broad Knowledge: Familiarity with multiple areas of the hub - ✅ Community Leadership: Demonstrated ability to mentor and guide contributors - ✅ Time Commitment: Minimum 4 hours per month for maintenance duties

Privileges: - Merge Pull Requests - Write access to repository - Vote on governance decisions - Nominate Reviewers and Maintainers - Approve releases and major changes - Manage GitHub issues and projects

Responsibilities: - Review and merge PRs in a timely manner - Maintain documentation and guidelines - Ensure quality standards are met - Mentor Contributors and Reviewers - Participate in governance decisions - Monitor project health and sustainability - Plan and coordinate releases - Represent the project in the GDE community

How to Become a Maintainer:

  1. Serve as Reviewer: Be an active Reviewer for at least 3 months
  2. Demonstrate Leadership: Show ability to guide contributors and maintain quality
  3. Build Trust: Consistent participation and good judgment
  4. Nomination: Any current Maintainer can nominate you
  5. Approval Process:
  6. Nomination must be seconded by at least two other Maintainers
  7. 7-day community feedback period
  8. Approved by 2/3 supermajority of current Maintainers
  9. Final approval from GDE Americas leadership (if applicable)
  10. Acceptance: Accept responsibilities and commit to time requirements

Removal from Role: - Inactive for 4 months (no activity) - Violations of Code of Conduct - Loss of GDE status (transitions to Reviewer if community agrees) - Personal request - Maintainer vote (2/3 supermajority)

Contribution Ladder

Visual representation of the contribution journey:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Maintainer                       │
│  • 15+ contributions                                │
│  • 3+ months as Reviewer                            │
│  • Merge access                                     │
│  • 4 hrs/month commitment                           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                        ↑
                    (promoted)
                        │
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     Reviewer                        │
│  • 5+ quality contributions                         │
│  • Active GDE status                                │
│  • Review PRs within 7 days                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                        ↑
                   (nominated)
                        │
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   Contributor                       │
│  • Any active or alumni GDE                         │
│  • Submit PRs                                       │
│  • Provide feedback                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Counting Contributions

What Counts as a Contribution?

Quality matters more than quantity. Contributions include:

  1. New Content (high value):
  2. Complete codelab
  3. Technical blog post (1000+ words)
  4. Comprehensive learning path

  5. Resource collection with metadata

  6. Substantial Improvements (medium value):

  7. Major content updates or rewrites
  8. Adding multiple missing sections
  9. Creating content templates

  10. Significant documentation improvements

  11. Reviews and Feedback (medium value):

  12. Detailed technical reviews of PRs
  13. Testing codelabs and providing feedback

  14. Content editing and proofreading

  15. Minor Contributions (lower value):

  16. Typo fixes
  17. Small formatting changes
  18. Link updates

Note: Multiple small contributions may collectively count as one substantial contribution at Maintainer discretion.

Decision Making

Types of Decisions

1. Routine Changes (no approval needed) - Typo fixes - Documentation clarifications - Adding new content following guidelines

2. Reviewer Approval (1 Reviewer or Maintainer) - New codelabs, blog posts, resources - Minor guideline updates - Translations

3. Maintainer Approval (2 Maintainers) - Structural changes to the hub - Changes to contribution guidelines - New sections or categories - Governance updates

4. Major Changes (Maintainer vote, 2/3 majority) - Technology stack changes - Licensing changes - Significant governance changes - Repository ownership transfers

Voting Process

When a vote is required:

  1. Proposal: Open an issue with [VOTE] prefix
  2. Discussion Period: Minimum 7 days for community feedback
  3. Voting Period: 7 days for eligible voters
  4. Vote Format: 👍 (approve), 👎 (reject), 👀 (abstain)
  5. Quorum: At least 50% of eligible voters must participate
  6. Result: Based on required threshold (simple majority or 2/3)

Conflict Resolution

Resolution Process

  1. Direct Communication: Parties attempt to resolve directly
  2. Maintainer Mediation: Any Maintainer can mediate if needed
  3. Governance Review: Maintainers review if unresolved
  4. GDE Leadership Escalation: Final escalation to GDE Americas leadership
  5. Code of Conduct: Violations handled per CoC procedures

Appeals

Decisions can be appealed by: - Opening an issue with [APPEAL] prefix - Providing rationale for reconsideration - Maintainer Council reviews within 14 days - Final decision by 2/3 supermajority vote

Amendments to Governance

This governance document can be amended by:

  1. Any Maintainer proposes changes via PR
  2. 14-day community feedback period
  3. Maintainer Council vote (2/3 supermajority)
  4. GDE Americas leadership review (if applicable)

Acknowledgments

This governance model is inspired by successful open source projects:

Questions?

  • Open an issue with the question label
  • Join our community discussions
  • Contact the Maintainer Council

Current Maintainers: See MAINTAINERS.md

Last Updated: 2026-01-23 Version: 1.0