Building a community collaborating to support a common vision
Achieving our vision is a lofty goal that cannot be done alone. To extend the reach of technology into the remote areas where it is needed the most, we must harness the power of community.
The power of an open source community lies in the multiplier effect. We don’t have to do it on our own—the community if given the right tools, right culture, and appropriate environment can help us achieve our ultimate vision. COSM’s goal is to provide the tools, resources, and environment to unite and enable our community.
We’re taking the brightest minds from the technology community, innovative and entrepreneurial in-country grass-roots IT service providers, and the on-the-ground MFIs serving the poor to unite them behind moving more and more Maries out of poverty.
Combining the powers of open source community and the microfinance community knowledge and innovation flows worldwide:
Provide Structure and Governance:
COSM will provide the tools for Mifos volunteers to self-organize into teams to most efficiently complete the vast amount of work distributed across the many areas of the project. Members of the community must also be able to grow the community and manage it; COSM will implement a governance committee, overseeing it and instilling it with the mandate to guide the project to achieve its vision.
Enable Open Communication and Collaboration:
Above and beyond the online collaboration tools specifically described for each audience in previous sections, COSM will maintain the overall community website, mifos.org, which unites these audiences and promotes the entire project. One of the most fundamental threads that tie communities together is communication. COSM will maintain open communication channels and initiate regular updates on community activity and recognition of contributions. This is necessary to create a sense of belonging across the community and encourage further contribution.
Foster a Participatory Culture:
Mifos must have not only the infrastructure but also the culture and environment that are conducive to collaboration. To create this environment, we will create and maintain formal community processes, enforce a community code of conduct that fosters participation and create a welcoming culture.
Grow the Community:
Aside from growing each of our three audiences – finding new users, educating new specialists, and recruiting more volunteers, we must seek out broader support for the Mifos project and vision. The Mifos community cannot achieve its vision alone and COSM will promote the project to seek out new volunteers and new donors seeking to achieve our vision.
