Django’s new governance model

Starting today, Django has a new governance model. Previously, a small “core team” made most decisions, including electing a Technical Board to own decisions about each release. Now, the “core team” is gone; all power rests with the Technical Board. Anyone who’s made substantial contributions to Django is now eligible to run, and the board is now elected by the DSF Membership at large. You can read more about the change in today’s announcement, and if you want to full details they’re in DEP 10. 

This has been in the works for over a year. It’s been something I’ve been anticipating highly; it’s a change I strongly support. Here’s what I wrote when I formally voted for this change; it’s a good explanation of why I, personally, support this:

+1

When I stepped down as BDFL, it was because I believed that the BDFL model of governance had run its course. I believed that for the project to continue to grow, it needed a more democratic leadership model. I’m pretty happy to see that I was right: improvement has been way better over the last six years than if we were still funneling everything through me and Adrian.

Now, I likewise believe we’ve reached another growth maximum, and it’s time for more change. This time our main obstacle is inclusion; to grow further we need a broader talent pool. I believe this change will get us there (or at least take some good steps in that direction).

My thanks to everyone who worked on this — there were many! I particularly want to thank James, who wrote several drafts of DEP 10, listened carefully to feedback, and iterated until it was right.