Rules of Procedures of KDE e.V. Board
Preamble: What does the board do?
The board of KDE e.V. is elected to run the business of KDE e.V., and represent KDE e.V. and the community where more formal representation is needed. It executes the decisions of the membership, but also plays an active role in preparing and proposing decisions. Here are some of the specific tasks that board members will commonly perform:
- Help put together the yearly budget
- Help plan Akademy
- Plan and run the Annual General Meeting
- Maintain and manage the official list of members
- Evaluate and approve or deny requests for travel support or other funding
- Write text for the annual report
- Manage personnel: hiring, supervision, evaluation, advancement, and termination
- Fundraise for Akademy and the general fund
- Disburse funds held in trust as appropriate
- Communicate with Patrons' representatives, peer organizations, and stakeholders
- Write letters of invitation for people requiring visas to travel to KDE events
- Sign petitions and make official statements on topics affecting KDE
- Make introductions and connections between people, groups, and organizations
- Generally handle email comments and requests made to the board mailing list
- Ensure KDE's trademarks are protected
- Maintain and update this website
- Deliver an annual report of the board on these activities
- Coordinate with Working Groups as needed
The board works as a team. It holds its members to a high standard of constructive collaboration. Board members are expected to be available and responsive to perform the daily business, and diligent about taking and transferring responsibility. Board decisions are expected to be announced "with one voice", based on the decision that was agreed upon internally.
While board members apply their skills and experience for KDE e.V. and the KDE community, they also learn and grow in and through their position.
The board delegates work to the membership where appropriate, and involves KDE e.V. and community members in activities and decisions to tap into the wide potential of the people of the community to advance KDE's cause: to bring free software to end users.
These rules of procedure for the board of KDE e.V. detail how the board operates based on the ground rules defined in the articles of association.
Roles
The board elects a number of its members to take over special roles according to the articles of association. These roles are president, vice president, and treasurer. Their specific responsibilities are described below.
Notwithstanding the special roles, the board takes responsibility for all decision as a team.
President
The president is responsible for convening and managing board meetings, and representing KDE e.V. publicly.
Treasurer
The treasurer is responsible financial activities and preparing the numbers for the budget and other financial reports and decisions.
Decisions about expenses are taken by the board as a whole.
Vice President
The vice presidents are the backup of the president.
Communication
The board primarily communicates through electronic means in order to allow every board member to participate on the same level, independent of location or time zone.
The private board Matrix room is the central communication channel where information is discussed. There is also a board mailing list, which is the primary point of contact for all questions and other communication towards the board. The board list is also private to the board. By unanimous consent, the board can permit specific individuals to be subscribed to the board list as well.
The board uses an electronic document archive to provide persistent storage of all relevant content created by or relevant to the board work. The archive is also private to the board. By unanimous consent, the board can permit specific individuals to have access as well.
All written communication is in English to allow present and future board members to participate.
Meetings
The board has weekly meetings to discuss board business and make decisions. The results of these meetings have to be documented for the board, and communicated to the membership. The board may exclude specific topics from the communication to members, if there is good reason to do so, e.g. privacy issues.
The president or another board member invites participants to board meetings at least 24 hours before the meeting and presents an agenda. The agenda can be modified later as needed.
Board members are expected to participate in all board meetings. In case they cannot attend a meeting, they must announce this to the rest of the board.
Decisions
Board decisions are made in meetings, the Matrix channel, mailing list, or anywhere else a sufficient number of board members participate, e.g. a personal meeting or a phone call.
In general, decisions are taken by a simple majority. To approve or reject a proposal the majority of the board members has to vote with yes or no.
The board decides the rules of procedures of the board by a unanimous vote. These rules are published to the membership.
Budget
The board decides the annual budget of KDE e.V. The membership is consulted for input and feedback when preparing the budget. The budget is decided at the end of the calendar year preceding the year covered by the budget.
The treasurer is responsible for tracking the budget during the source of the year.
Adjusting limits of budget items in a way which does not affect the annual result requires a majority vote of the board.
Adjusting limits of budget items in a way which does affect the annual result requires a unanimous vote of the board.
Expenses in pre-approved parts of the budget covering fixed costs do not need further decisions beyond the approval of the budget as a whole. This covers things like the rent for the office, office supplies, or ongoing expenses for small merchandise items. These items are marked in the budget accordingly.
Expenses in the budget areas of variable costs require a majority vote of the board. This is mostly travel expenses for Akademy, sprints, and similar community activities.
Employees and contractors
The board manages the employees and contractors of KDE e.V. responsibly and according to professional standards.
For each employee or contractor, the board appoints one person who is responsible for managing that person. This board member is the primary contact for that person is responsible for overseeing or evaluating their work.
The managing board member maintains regular communication with the employee or contractor, including an an annual review meeting.
Conflicts of interest
The board maintains a high standard in dealing with conflicts of interest. Each board member is required to follow the conflict of interest policy and sign the required documents.
This policy is maintained by the board of the KDE e.V.