Steering Circle

Facilitating cooperation. Making important decisions. Fostering greater unity.

Driven by community

The Steering Circle brings together representatives from each team and the Foundation Board to discuss important topics and make decisions that impact the overall direction of the project. The Steering Circle has a positive impact on the Plone community, fostering greater unity and cooperation among teams and helping to deliver continued success.

Bringing us all together

Plone teams are responsible for a variety of tasks, including technical work such as maintaining various aspects of Plone or related projects, ensuring the infrastructure is functioning properly, and addressing security issues, as well as marketing and user experience. These teams are the main drivers of innovation within the Plone community.

Teams are formed by volunteers who are interested in working on a specific aspect of Plone or a related project. These volunteers may form a team by organizing themselves and identifying a specific focus or area of work, and then recruiting additional members as needed.

With the expansion of the Plone project in different directions and at different paces, it has become necessary to broaden the view on the system to include all sectors. To ensure that all voices are heard and that no single person is overburdened with representing multiple teams, each team and the Board are encouraged to send one or two members to the meeting.

History and Origins

Plone governance has a rich history, and the The Steering Circle remains true to its roots. Since the formation of the Plone Foundation in 2004, the Framework Team had been tasked with taking over the decision-making work previously carried out by project founders Alex Limi and Alan Runyan.  The Steering Circle now serves as the successor to the Framework Team. From the first meeting in 2020 to the reorganization in 2023, the Steering Circle has been instrumental in bringing the Plone community and its various teams together and making important decisions for all components of the Plone framework.

Monthly Meeting

Steering Circle Meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at 15:00 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).