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Public Sector Open Source Program Offices - Archetypes for how to Grow (Common) Institutional Capabilities

Johan Linåker, Astor Nummelin Carlberg, Ciaran O'Riordan

TL;DR

Six distinct OSPO archetypes are identified, providing insights into their organisational structures, responsibilities, and contributions to OSS adoption, and offer guidance on how PSOs can design their own OSPOs, taking into account their specific context, resources, and policy goals.

Abstract

Context: Open Source Software (OSS) is a crucial component of over 90\% of digital infrastructure underpinning industry and public digital services, facilitating collaborative software development and dissemination. Its significance in the European public sector has been emphasised through various Ministerial Declarations, highlighting its potential to accelerate digitalisation, transform businesses, and foster a digitally skilled population. Research Aim: This study aims to explore how the adoption, development, and collaboration on OSS can be enabled through organisational support functions or centres of competency, also known as Open Source Programme Offices (OSPOs) within Public Sector Organisations (PSOs) in the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland. Methodology: A qualitative research approach was adopted, involving an interview survey of 18 OSPO representatives across 16 cases of public-sector OSPOs. These cases were cross-analysed and categorised into six OSPO archetypes. The findings were validated and enriched through two follow-up focus groups that included earlier interviewees and additional experts. Results: The study identified six distinct OSPO archetypes, providing insights into their organisational structures, responsibilities, and contributions to OSS adoption. The archetypes, along with policy recommendations, offer guidance on how PSOs can design their own OSPOs, taking into account their specific context, resources, and policy goals. Conclusions: The findings enhance the understanding of OSPOs as strategic endeavours aimed at promoting OSS adoption. The study offers practical guidance for PSOs and policymakers on leveraging OSS to achieve strategic objectives, foster digital sovereignty, drive economic growth, and improve the interoperability and quality of digital services.

Public Sector Open Source Program Offices - Archetypes for how to Grow (Common) Institutional Capabilities

TL;DR

Six distinct OSPO archetypes are identified, providing insights into their organisational structures, responsibilities, and contributions to OSS adoption, and offer guidance on how PSOs can design their own OSPOs, taking into account their specific context, resources, and policy goals.

Abstract

Context: Open Source Software (OSS) is a crucial component of over 90\% of digital infrastructure underpinning industry and public digital services, facilitating collaborative software development and dissemination. Its significance in the European public sector has been emphasised through various Ministerial Declarations, highlighting its potential to accelerate digitalisation, transform businesses, and foster a digitally skilled population. Research Aim: This study aims to explore how the adoption, development, and collaboration on OSS can be enabled through organisational support functions or centres of competency, also known as Open Source Programme Offices (OSPOs) within Public Sector Organisations (PSOs) in the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland. Methodology: A qualitative research approach was adopted, involving an interview survey of 18 OSPO representatives across 16 cases of public-sector OSPOs. These cases were cross-analysed and categorised into six OSPO archetypes. The findings were validated and enriched through two follow-up focus groups that included earlier interviewees and additional experts. Results: The study identified six distinct OSPO archetypes, providing insights into their organisational structures, responsibilities, and contributions to OSS adoption. The archetypes, along with policy recommendations, offer guidance on how PSOs can design their own OSPOs, taking into account their specific context, resources, and policy goals. Conclusions: The findings enhance the understanding of OSPOs as strategic endeavours aimed at promoting OSS adoption. The study offers practical guidance for PSOs and policymakers on leveraging OSS to achieve strategic objectives, foster digital sovereignty, drive economic growth, and improve the interoperability and quality of digital services.
Paper Structure (122 sections, 2 figures, 5 tables)

This paper contains 122 sections, 2 figures, 5 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background and related work
  3. What defines an OSPO?
  4. Structures of an OSPO in the industry
  5. Roles within an OSPO in the industry
  6. Responsibilities of an OSPO in the industry
  7. OSPOs from a public policy perspective
  8. Policy implementations and support initiatives beyond OSPOs
  9. Challenges and barriers for OSS adoption
  10. OSPO-like means of addressing challenges and barriers
  11. Conceptual framework
  12. Research design
  13. Research cycle one: Conceptualisation of industry practice
  14. Research cycle two: Semi-structured interview survey
  15. Interview sampling
  16. ...and 107 more sections

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: Overview of the conceptual framework based on the related work haddad2020ospos. Structure-related categories are explained in Section \ref{['subsec:OSPO-structures']}, and responsibility-related categories in Section \ref{['subsec:OSPO-responsibilities']}.
  • Figure 2: Overview of the research process over three research cycles, including i) conceptualisation of practitioner-produced literature, ii) a semi-structured interview survey, and iii) focus groups.