The community operates according to rules established in the community charter (and by-laws) and enforced by members of the community. The community may make changes to the governance structure over time according to established procedures.

The open source community has been chartered with a set of guiding principles:

Community of Volunteers: Individuals, not organizations, are community members. Community membership has no cost and participation is on a volunteer basis, that is, not remunerated by or through the community organization. The TRANSIMS open source community does not hold financial assets or distribute funding in any way to community members.

Meritocracy: Achieving decision-making status within the community is based on the frequency and magnitude of an individual’s contributions to the community. Observers are welcome, but they are excluded from community governance and will not have a voice in the management of community assets. Promotion or election to community leadership positions is informed by the weight of contribution made by an individual to the community over time.

Cluster Structure: The community is organized around the concept of cohesive work groups, or clusters. This is predicated on the notion that members are affiliated with or “clustered” around one or more specific core assets to develop new capabilities or apply methods or software on a project. Community members must join one or more clusters to influence TRANSIMS development.

Community members gain standing within the community as their level of participation increases.

• Friends are entry-level cluster members, acting as observers but not active in cluster leadership or decision-making.
• Contributors have been recognized for their contributions to the enhancement, maintenance or application of cluster core assets. Contributors are eligible to take on leadership positions and have a vote in the election of cluster leaders.
• Cluster Stewards are elected lead contributors in a cluster, guiding the development of the assets they steward. They are responsible for making sure version control is maintained, that contributed software, documentation, and data sets meet the community standards for inclusion within the clearinghouse.
• Community Stewards are elected trustees charged with ensuring the integrity and availability of the community infrastructure, managing the organizational structure of the community, and keeping the community on-track with its stated mission, principles and goals. Community stewards may also adapt organizational policies when necessary.

Details on the processes and procedures established for the management of the community are provided in the charter. A discussion of the options considered for community organization can be found here.