🤓Maintainer Retainer

This is a working draft. Nothing here should be treated as final until formally approved. Formal OSC approval to follow.

Executive Summary

Maintainer Retainer Program provides recurring funding to experienced contributors responsible for maintaining critical Cardano open-source repositories, ensuring projects remain secure, regularly updated, and actively developed.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify, maintainers must:

• Be active contributors to eligible Cardano open-source repositories.

• Have achieved at least Trusted Committer Level according to the Contribution Ladder Framework.

• Consistently contribute in areas like code commits, issue resolution, documentation, or governance.

• Maintain projects in one of the Incubation, Growth, or Maturity stages per the Project Lifecycle Framework.

• Pass an initial 30-day evaluation period, demonstrating technical capability, responsiveness, and community engagement.

• Commit to following best practices, including open-source governance standards, repository security, documentation accuracy, and community mentoring.

Project Qualification Criteria

For a project to qualify:

• It must be categorized at the Incubation, Growth, or Maturity stage.

• It must provide critical infrastructure, foundational technology, or developer tooling for the Cardano ecosystem.

• Demonstrate active and significant usage within the Cardano community (developers, dApps).

• Maintain clear governance procedures, an active roadmap, structured issue resolution processes, and up-to-date documentation.

• Obtain formal approval from both the Technical Steering Committee (TSC) and the Open Source Committee (OSC).

Funding Structure & Resource Allocation

The Maintainer Retainer Program provides recurring, ongoing financial support to approved maintainers. Funding allocation is executed through the following process:

1. Project Approval: Reviewed and approved by TSC & OSC based on eligibility and project criteria.

2. Maintainer Selection: Maintainers must meet Contribution Ladder requirements and successfully complete an initial 30-day evaluation.

3. Funding Disbursement: Funding is provided on a recurring schedule contingent upon successful quarterly and annual performance reviews.

4. Performance-based Renewals: Continuation of funding depends on maintainers consistently meeting established benchmarks and evaluation criteria.

Oversight & Governance:

• Technical Steering Committee (TSC) ensures funding aligns with Cardano’s core infrastructure and technical priorities.

• Open Source Committee (OSC) oversees adherence to open-source best practices, licensing, and security compliance.

Review & Evaluation Process

The Maintainer Retainer evaluation process is structured as follows:

• Initial 30-Day Evaluation Period:

  • New maintainers must demonstrate contributions, community engagement, and adherence to governance and best practices. A self-assessment report is required at the end of this period.

• Quarterly Performance Reviews: Evaluations every three months include:

• Contributions (commits, PR reviews)

• Security and stability practices

• Community engagement and mentorship

• Documentation quality

  • Consecutive failures result in warnings and potential funding suspension.

• Annual Renewal Review:

  • A comprehensive annual assessment of the maintainer’s effectiveness, continued relevance, and potential succession planning. Results dictate continued funding or reassignment/removal from the program.

Performance Metrics & Responsibilities

Maintainers must meet strict performance benchmarks, including:

• Regular Code Contributions: Active updates, enhancements, bug fixes, and performance improvements.

• Security & Stability Maintenance: Timely application of security patches, dependency updates, and maintaining zero unresolved critical vulnerabilities.

• Community Engagement: Active support for contributors, responsiveness to community inquiries, mentoring new contributors, and promoting a healthy open-source culture.

• Documentation Quality: Keeping accurate, clear, and accessible documentation (README files, APIs, developer guides).

• Alignment with Roadmap: Activities must clearly support Cardano's long-term technical and infrastructure goals.

Evaluation Methods Include:

• Commit history reviews

• Issue resolution tracking (via GitHub/GitLab)

• Security audits and dependency checks

• Community interaction logs and feedback

• Documentation reviews

Failure to meet expectations triggers performance warnings, followed potentially by removal from the program.

Appeals & Reapplication Process

Maintainers facing negative evaluations have structured options:

• Appealing Negative Reviews:

  • Maintainers can appeal within 14 days, providing justifications and evidence of overlooked contributions. Appeals result in either probationary periods or denial of funding.

• Reapplication after Removal:

  • Maintainers removed due to performance may reapply after six months, demonstrating:

• Renewed open-source contributions

• Improved community engagement

• Updated adherence to maintenance best practices

  • Reapplications require endorsement from current maintainers or committee members.

Governance & Decision-Making

Maintainer Retainer Program governance involves:

• Technical Steering Committee (TSC):

  • Ensures alignment with Cardano's technical roadmap, infrastructure, and security standards. Reviews technical contributions, project approvals, and feature alignment.

• Open Source Committee (OSC):

  • Oversees open-source compliance, community engagement, sustainability, and licensing/security governance.

• Collaborative Decision-Making:

  • Both TSC and OSC must agree on all approvals, reviews, funding renewals, and program terminations. In disputes, joint sessions are held to reach consensus.