| dc.description.abstract | his thesis addresses current gaps in the governance of open-source software ecosystems (OSSECOs), particularly in the context of publicly funded, cross-border digital infrastructure within the European Union. While OSSECOs offer substantial benefits, existing governance models often overlook long-term challenges related to sustainability.
This thesis introduces the European Open-Source Governance Framework (EOGF), a framework designed to support sustainable OSSECO development in EU public-private partnership (PPP) settings. The EOGF builds on four established models—CHAOSS, OSEHO, DAO OSS, and the Standard for Public Code. These models are combined with qualitative insights derived from expert interviews analysed using the Gioia method. The final EOGF defines five core governance criteria: community health, funding and procurement, documentation and knowledge, governance structure, and standards and compliance. These are operationalised through fifteen sub-criteria and 46 metrics, with sources grounded in both academic and practitioner literature.
Preliminary validation from expert interviews indicates that the EOGF addresses key limitations in current governance approaches by providing more actionable, EU-aligned guidance. Future work should focus on piloting the framework in live OSSECO environments, integrating tooling for metric tracking, and exploring links to emerging EU digital policy frameworks such as the Interoperable Europe Act and the Cyber Resilience Act. | |
