Aside from the issues with the Dojo platform, there has been a lack of consistency in terms of having the 'people resources' to provide stability, structure, leadership, and forward motion. A common problem with an all-volunteer Dojo, has been that top contributors are the first ones to get hired and/or are too overloaded w/ work. We've also asked developers/teachers to churn out well produced learning materials. This again, puts a burden on those with very little time.

Even without a formal 'dojo' entity, an organization, leadership, decision making, and incentive structure will ensure that the Dojo has the resources to make it stable and sustainable. To reach that goal we've been looking at entities such as the Drupal Association and have begun to craft a structure - http://groups.drupal.org/node/8131

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gusaus’s picture

gusaus commented
Title: Create an organization, leadership, and decision making structure » Define Kata roles, responibilites, and benefits
Component: Miscellaneous » Documentation
Issue tags: +kata stipends compensation

Instead of trying to turn the Dojo into a training program, we've decided focus our effort on a new, complimentary program. While inspired by the Google programs, the Drupal Kata, hopes to provide additional flexibility and benefit to the community and those who participate. Key differences are as follows:

* We're not relying on a particular program to complete a project (i.e. Google or Knight may be potential funding sources, but not the only one);
* There must be the proper incentives for the mentors, project leads, producers, and administrators to ensure the program is sustainable and projects are completed up to spec.
* Apprentices would only receive stipends for successful completion of the project or task. In utilizing the FossFactory model (http://www.fossfactory.org/), sponsors would only be rewarding something that was completed up to spec.

Similar to a traditional development shop we need to build the admin/overhead into our cost. To do this, it seems, a project would be spec'ed out at a standard rate ($100/hr) w/ a % allocated to fund the overhead , the mentors, and the apprentices. Never having worked at a successful shop, I'm hoping others could provide ideas in terms of a base rate and how project funds could be allocated.

gusaus’s picture

gusaus commented
Issue tags: -kata stipends compensation +kata, +stipends, +compensation

Feedback pertaining to the roles/responsibilities/benefits listed in the wiki will be valuable. What should apprentices receive for completed work? What about benefits/stipends for others? How many man hours/month will it take to administer the program?

gusaus’s picture

gusaus commented
Title: Define Kata roles, responibilites, and benefits » Define Kata roles, responsibilities, and benefits
Issue tags: +incentives
aaron’s picture

aaron commented

subscribe.

the model i would like to see would be for a percentage of monthly income be allocated to pay stipends to mentors according to their popularity/karma/kudos or what-have-you. perhaps in two phases, one for a 'current rating', and another diminishing for 'royalties'.

example:

* the income for the kata in July might be $6000. this would mostly likely be from donations and subscriptions.
* 50% ($3000) is allocated for stipends.
* of the 50%, 50% is allocated to mentors according to a system of weights (say the total ratings by all students assigned to their lessons that month). the rest goes to past mentors, diminished by a level per month.
* so perhaps 'example-mentor' has posted a single tutorial this month, which has received a total rating of 14 (from 3 students). compared to other tutorials posted that month, let's say it's 3% of the total, thus $90. then older tutorials may garner another $32 from royalties, so the mentor gets a whopping $112 that month.
* the rest goes into a capitol fund, for infrastructure, any staff salaries, etc., with the rest built up for rainy day funds, donations back to the d.a., special awards, events, etc.

i know that's probably hard to understand, but it could be written up more formally. i believe this structure to be workable and sustainable. any thoughts?

gusaus’s picture

gusaus commented

My feeling (at least at this moment) is it might be best to provide a a good set of guidelines and the tools that would enable the owners/managers/producers of a given Kata project control of how they want to fundraise and offer incentives. If we can keep the overhead to a minimum, it should be easier to cover that cost and we'd stay out of the issues that might comes with dictating a standard incentive structure.

Does that make sense?

gusaus’s picture

gusaus commented
Title: Define Kata roles, responsibilities, and benefits » Define roles, responsibilities, and benefits
Issue summary: View changes
Issue tags: -kata
gusaus’s picture

gusaus commented
Status: Active » Closed (outdated)