User:CHGiffen/CPDL organization
This is a draft document: Official version to be maintained at ChoralWiki:CPDL organization
Preface
[ not yet written ]
History
- Main article: CPDL history
Goals of CPDL
Since its inception, the primary purpose of CPDL has been to create a large repository of editions of public domain choral music. Over time, this purpose has expanded to include other aspects of choral vocal music. The following reflects the present and ongoing goals of CPDL:
- The primary purpose of CPDL is to collect and make available, without download cost or fees, sheet music for choral and solo vocal music, which is in the public domain or otherwise distributed under a free license. This will be achieved and furthered by the following subsidiary goals:
- Maintain and develop CPDL's website, providing a platform for free downloads of public domain or freely licensed sheet music.
- Support development of a viable collaborative model for sheet music compilation and distribution, allowing anyone to contribute editions that are consistent with the primary purpose.
- Encourage and assist modern composers who wish to distribute their works under a free license through CPDL.
- Publish public domain or freely licensed choral and solo vocal scores that are not commercially available.
- Catalog other websites offering free choral and solo vocal sheet music.
- Foster discussion, community, scholarship and collaboration among those interested in all aspects of music for voices and singing.
Organizational structure
CPDL is an organization made up of volunteers, and the organizational structure reflects this. Nevertheless, to give purpose and continuity to its operation, CPDL is organized into several work groups, whose Leaders and Deputies form an Executive Committee.
Work groups
CPDL is currently organized into five work groups (teams), carried over from the Transition Committee:
- Management and Administration
- IT Operations
- User Interaction
- Maintenance and Improvement
- Copyright Issues
- Membership in work groups
Because each team at CPDL is staffed by volunteers, it is understood that each volunteer may have varying amounts of time to devote to working with a group and might leave a group at any time. To ensure continuity, each team is headed by a Leader and a Deputy.
The Leader (Head or Manager) of a team oversees the functioning of that group, sharing certain responsibilities with the Deputy and allocating specific duties with other active members associated with that group as necessary. The Deputy assists the Leader, often with an agreed upon division of responsibilities, and steps to assume leadership role if the Leader is unavailable for an extended period of time. Other members of a team may assume specific roles or responsibilities with the approval of the team Leader.
The Founder of CPDL, Rafael Ornes, shall have special status for as long as he chooses, as an ex officio member of the Management and Administration group and of the Executive Committee.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is the formal, legal ownership body of CPDL and represents CPDL in all official capacities, including financial and legal matters. The Executive Committee of CPDL consists of the Leaders and Deputies of the working groups, as well as any other members that the Executive Committee agrees to include. Presently, the Leader and Deputy of the Management and Administration group serve respectively as Chair and Vice Chair of the Executive Committee.
Management and Administration
The Management and Administration (M&A) group is charged with the overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations CPDL. The Leader is designated as the Manager of CPDL. Specific responsibilities include:
- assign resources (funds, responsible persons).
- coordinate operations of the other working groups, delegating responsibilities as appropriate.
- maintain and update as needed portions of this CPDL Organization document not requiring formal ratification.
- periodically review the status and performance of CPDL.
- oversee the implementation of any decisions made by the Executive Committee.
- make decisions necessary for the smooth operation and improvement of CPDL.
By virtue of their roles on the Executive Committee, the Leader and Deputy for M&A must be United States citizens.
IT Operations
The main role of the IT Operations group is to provide all necessary IT resources for CPDL, including:
- the ChoralWiki website.
- the CPDL Forums (a.k.a. the phpBB).
- the CPDL servers.
- other IT tools necessary for upgrades, backups, etc.
- periodically submit performance summary to the Management and Administration group.
User Interaction
The User Interaction group handles aspects of CPDL directly relating to how users interact with CPDL or the Forums, such as:
- new user registrations
- the process by which new scores, texts-translations, music publications, etc. are added to ChoralWiki
- requests for scores and other information
- the help system
- downloading of scores and associated sound or source files
- periodically submit performance summary to the Management and Administration group.
Maintenance and Improvement
The Maintenance and Improvement group treats aspects of CPDL that maintain and enhance the usefulness of ChoralWiki and the Forums, including:
- manage efforts at improving the quality of CPDL as a score library.
- improve searchability of ChoralWiki through various methods and criteria.
- repair or remove broken links and superfluous redirects.
- clean up pages, especially those marked with the CleanUp tag.
- where possible and permitted, move scores from external servers to ChoralWiki.
- identify errors in scores.
- develop and maintain structures which organize scores, text-translations, score requests, music publications, etc. that make ChoralWiki a useful resource to users.
- periodically submit performance summary to the Management and Administration group.
Copyright Issues
The Copyright Issues group manages issues pertaining to copyright status and public domain issues for CPDL scores.
- establish and moderate CPDL Copyright and CPDL License policy for scores hosted at ChoralWiki.
- establish and moderate suitable copyright policies for scores listed and linked externally from but not hosted at ChoralWiki.
- take remedial action for instances at variance with CPDL copyright policy.
- seek or retain legal consultation on copyright policy and questions.
- periodically submit performance summary to the Management and Administration group.
It is recommended that the Leader be a United States citizen and the Deputy be from Europe.
Additional topics
Ratification of this document
This document shall become the official CPDL Organization document upon ratification by a majority of those votes cast by members of the Transition Committee: Arie Fokkens, Bobnotts, Carlos, CHGiffen, Choralia, Johnhenryfowler, Vaarky. Deadline for voting is 15 February 2009. Abstentions or votes not cast by the deadline shall be deemed to be in support of the majority of votes actually cast.
Changes to this document
The official version of this document is to be maintained at ChoralWiki:CPDL Organization. However, from time to time, it may be necessary to refine or change portions of this document. Changes to the Organizational structure section of this document must be ratified by a majority of those votes cast by members of the Executive Committee. Deadline for voting on any such change will be two weeks after the close of discussion for such change. Abstentions or votes not cast by the deadline shall be deemed to be in support of the majority of votes actually cast.
Current staffing of work groups and the Executive Committee
Management and Administration
- Manager: CHGiffen
- Deputy: Vaarky
- Members: Arie Fokkens, Bobnotts, Carlos, Choralia, Johnhenryfowler, Rafael Ornes (ex officio).
IT Operations
- Leader: johnhenryfowler
- Deputy: Choralia
- Members: Carlos, Bobnotts, CHGiffen, Rafael Ornes
User Interaction
Maintenance and Improvement
Copyright Issues
Executive Committee
- Chair: CHGiffen
- Vice Chair: Vaarky
- Members: Bobnotts, Carlos, Choralia, Johnhenryfowler, Rafael Ornes (ex officio).