Technical Architecture Group

Chair

Ben Norton

To see a list of TAG members for the current calendar year and issues under consideration by the group, see the TAG GitHub repository.

Mission

The purpose of the Technical Architecture Group (TAG) is to guide the ongoing development of the TDWG technical architecture and advise the Executive and membership on matters relating to the principles, strategies, and practice for maintaining the common technical framework essential to TDWG’s mission to develop, adopt and promote standards and practice for the recording and exchange of biodiversity data.

Responsibilities

TAG responsibilities will be limited to technical aspects of the TDWG architecture.

On behalf of the executive, maintain oversight and report on:

• Issues of standards acceptance and compliance
• The status of existing standards - their completeness, interoperability, and limits
• The technical evaluation of task group proposals and their reports
• Coordination of technical activities across Interest Groups
• Completeness of standards documentation and management
• Interaction with external standards activity

Working with the membership to advance a common standards framework:

• Coordinate update and maintenance of the TDWG Technical “Road Map” and best practice documentation
• Maintain the TAG GitHub presence

Organization

Charter

According to the TDWG Constitution, the charter may be revised by the TDWG Executive Committee according to the organization’s strategic priorities. Changes to the charter will be put up for open membership consultation for 30 days prior to approval.

Membership

The chair shall be elected by the TDWG membership. The chair is responsible for appointing sub-committee members and a deputy chair. The TAG will ideally include representation from core, standards maintenance interest groups and major implementors. The TAG may call on external expert assistance as required.

Meetings, documentation, and reporting

The TAG reports to the TDWG executive.

The TAG will maintain a public GitHub repository for all TAG documentation and issue and request management.

The TAG will formally convene at least twice each year. Meetings will be conducted using internet technologies, and members may participate online. The agenda for formal meetings will be prepared by the chair and distributed to members in advance of the meeting. In circumstances where a vote is necessary, responses by the voting deadline of at least half of the members will be required in order for the vote to be considered valid.

Because the TAG may receive time-sensitive Executive Requests for advice or response at any time, a combination of issue tracker, e-mail, and internet technologies will be used to conduct TAG business online and to convene extraordinary meetings at short notice, as required.

Minutes for all meetings and all requests, decisions, and responses will be posted to the TAG repository.

Task groups

• TG Standards Mapping Task Group