A Tier 3 project is an open collaboration effort where the work is conducted in public. The project is led by smaller, semi-open teams but encourages limited external contributions. The work is typically open source, but the direction and maintenance of the project are CMS-led, controlled by a smaller group or team, rather than a large, decentralized community. Tier 3 projects may be public-facing tools, utilities, or websites, where external contributions are welcomed but managed closely by the core team.
- Collaborative in public, where the work is open to external stakeholders.
- Led by a CMS team (often organizational or tool-specific).
- Accepts limited contributions from external sources, typically following specific guidelines.
- Publicly accessible code and documentation.
- Maintenance and decision-making are generally led by CMS.
There are specific files that are required and recommended to include in the repository as part of the CMS Open Source Program Office's repository hygiene guidelines and standards.
File | Requirement | Description |
---|---|---|
LICENSE |
Mandatory | Defines the licensing terms under which the project is distributed. |
SECURITY.md |
Mandatory | Outlines the agency's security policies, including how to report security issues or vulnerabilities in the code. |
README.md |
Mandatory | Provides a comprehensive overview of the project, including its purpose, how to install or use it, and any relevant information for users or developers. |
CONTRIBUTING.md |
Mandatory | Offers guidelines for contributing to the project, including code standards, how to submit issues, and creating pull requests. |
MAINTAINERS.md |
Recommended | Lists the individuals responsible for maintaining the project as well as reviewing and approving pull requests. |
GOVERNANCE.md |
Recommended | Describes the governance model of the project, such as decision-making processes and rules for contributing. It ensures a transparent process for managing the project. |
CODEOWNERS.md |
Recommended | Defines ownership of various sections of the repository. |
COMMUNITY_GUIDELINES.md |
Mandatory | Defines expectations for interactions within the project's community, including how external contributors should engage and behave. |
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md |
Mandatory | Establishes guidelines for acceptable behavior within the community, setting expectations for how contributors should interact in a respectful and collaborative manner. |
For more information about required sections and content within the files above, please visit maturity-model-tiers.md.
Located in the .github
directory are GitHub Action workflows that can be used to regularly update your repository.