[SLUG] Federal Gov Open Source Policy
This looks like a step forward: The policy includes three principles as well as some draft text for government departments and agencies to include in future RFT documentation: * Principle 1: Australian Government ICT procurement processes must actively and fairly consider all types of available software. * Principle 2: Suppliers must consider all types of available software when dealing with Australian Government agencies. * Principle 3: Australian Government agencies will actively participate in open source software communities and contribute back where appropriate. http://www.katelundy.com.au/2011/02/03/welcome-news-for-open-source/comment-page-1/ Policy available in HTML at http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/guide-to-open-source-software/index.html Marghanita -- Marghanita da Cruz http://ramin.com.au Tel: 0414-869202 -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Federal Gov Open Source Policy
* Principle 1: Australian Government ICT procurement processes must actively and fairly consider all types of available software. * Principle 2: Suppliers must consider all types of available software when dealing with Australian Government agencies. * Principle 3: Australian Government agencies will actively participate in open source software communities and contribute back where appropriate. Principle 3 is very vague -- what does 'actively participate' mean in practice? DK -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Federal Gov Open Source Policy
this legislation is meaningless as open source projects cant respond to tenders. vendors are already selling products rooted in, or heavily based on open source. the basis of the softwares development was already irrelevant in the tender process. this legislation should have also included statements requiring software licenses to be strictly adhered to - open source or otherwise - and some commitment to enforcing the disclosure of source code from the vendors when appropriate. Dean On 04/02/2011, at 7:57 AM, Marghanita da Cruz marghan...@ramin.com.au wrote: This looks like a step forward: The policy includes three principles as well as some draft text for government departments and agencies to include in future RFT documentation: * Principle 1: Australian Government ICT procurement processes must actively and fairly consider all types of available software. * Principle 2: Suppliers must consider all types of available software when dealing with Australian Government agencies. * Principle 3: Australian Government agencies will actively participate in open source software communities and contribute back where appropriate. http://www.katelundy.com.au/2011/02/03/welcome-news-for-open-source/comment-page-1/ Policy available in HTML at http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/guide-to-open-source-software/index.html Marghanita -- Marghanita da Cruz http://ramin.com.au Tel: 0414-869202 -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Federal Gov Open Source Policy
David Kidd wrote: Â Â * Principle 1: Â Australian Government ICT procurement processes must actively and fairly consider all types of available software. Â Â * Principle 2: Suppliers must consider all types of available software when dealing with Australian Government agencies. Â Â * Principle 3: Â Australian Government agencies will actively participate in open source software communities and contribute back where appropriate. Principle 3 is very vague -- what does 'actively participate' mean in practice? snip I think this is a step forward and is no doubt something we at SLUG could have some input into - perhaps as part of my session at tonight's SLUG meeting. http://wiki.slug.org.au/january2011lightningtalks Further in Senator Lundy's blog posting: For anyone interested in open source development the policy is well worth reading as I think it is a significant step forward. You can find The Guide to Open Source Software for Australian Government Agencies here. http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/guide-to-open-source-software/index.html Press Release: Special Minister of State Gary Gray ? Government moves to encourage use of Open Source Software. There is some irony (or indication in how far the Federal Government has to go) in this statement in the Minister?s Media Release. ?The Australian Government Policy on Open Source Software is available on the Department of Finance and Deregulation website in PDF and RTF formats.? http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/guide-to-open-source-software/index.html Marghanita -- Marghanita da Cruz http://ramin.com.au Tel: 0414-869202 -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Federal Gov Open Source Policy
Dean Hamstead wrote: this legislation is meaningless as open source projects cant respond to tenders. vendors are already selling products rooted in, or heavily based on open source. the basis of the softwares development was already irrelevant in the tender process. this legislation should have also included statements requiring software licenses to be strictly adhered to - open source or otherwise - and some commitment to enforcing the disclosure of source code from the vendors when appropriate. Hi Dean, This is policy not legislation and principles are broad. I haven't had a chance to check the detail of the policy but there is also this in the blog posting: The policy includes three principles as well as some draft text for government departments and agencies to include in future RFT documentation: Marghanita On 04/02/2011, at 7:57 AM, Marghanita da Cruz marghan...@ramin.com.au wrote: This looks like a step forward: The policy includes three principles as well as some draft text for government departments and agencies to include in future RFT documentation: * Principle 1: Australian Government ICT procurement processes must actively and fairly consider all types of available software. * Principle 2: Suppliers must consider all types of available software when dealing with Australian Government agencies. * Principle 3: Australian Government agencies will actively participate in open source software communities and contribute back where appropriate. http://www.katelundy.com.au/2011/02/03/welcome-news-for-open-source/comment-page-1/ Policy available in HTML at http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/guide-to-open-source-software/index.html Marghanita -- Marghanita da Cruz http://ramin.com.au Tel: 0414-869202 -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html -- Marghanita da Cruz http://ramin.com.au Tel: 0414-869202 -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Federal Gov Open Source Policy
It's been a while since I have responded to slug emails. You need to put this in to perspective. There are a number departments that actually use open source, to some extent. You must bear in mind that there are others who have a strictly microsoft. I know of one department 6 years ago required the skills of Linux and Unix people to convert the department from opensource to microsoft only environment, because said department employed a microsoft ranger, and to this date he is still their CIO. What you have to be aware to be successful with tenders or projects you need to sit on a board of vendors to even be considered for a job or contract for a scope of work. the Federal government is a large market and you have fight your case on a departmental and divisional level. there are other departments who employed the same web technology as President Obama. Yes Open source has a place in Public sector IT but sadly it's not in business critical areas of the sector, and it has been visible for a long time. The policy includes three principles as well as some draft text for government departments and agencies to include in future RFT documentation: * Principle 1: Australian Government ICT procurement processes must actively and fairly consider all types of available software. * Principle 2: Suppliers must consider all types of available software when dealing with Australian Government agencies. * Principle 3: Australian Government agencies will actively participate in open source software communities and contribute back where appropriate. http://www.katelundy.com.au/2011/02/03/welcome-news-for-open-source/comment-page-1/ Policy available in HTML at http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/guide-to-open-source-software/index.html Marghanita -- Marghanita da Cruz http://ramin.com.au Tel: 0414-869202 -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
