Table of Contents

Program Overview

Mission

Regions that Require Representation

Qualifications

Responsibilities

Operations and Procedures

Compensation

OASIS Support

Application Process

Contacts

Program Overview

OASIS believes that open standards are best created when all affected organizations and individuals participate. A geographically diverse membership is key to creating standards and best practices that are widely adopted and meet the needs of the global marketplace.

OASIS is an international and language-neutral organization. Members of each OASIS Committee elect to work in the language that best suits their needs and objectives. Vendors, users, government agencies, universities, research institutes, consulting groups, and individuals are all encouraged to participate in the work of the Consortium, regardless of where they are located. Currently, there are OASIS members in more than 100 countries across four continents.

In addition to OASIS staff, who are located throughout North America and Europe, the Consortium designates a select group of OASIS Regional Offices-staffed by organizations that act as local points of contact for the Consortium, promoting the work of OASIS and opportunities for participation within specific communities. OASIS Regional Offices provide local language assistance, help broaden the geographic base of OASIS, and encourage greater international participation in OASIS activities. Organizations that wish to advance the mission of OASIS in their region are encouraged to consider participating in the OASIS Regional Office program.

Mission

The mission of an OASIS Regional Office is:

To encourage greater local participation in the development of open standards at OASIS, to facilitate convergence of efforts where beneficial, to raise awareness and promote the adoption of OASIS Standards and specifications within a specific geographic community.

Regions that Require Representation

While OASIS seeks participation and adoption from around the globe, it is not necessary, practical, or desirable to establish OASIS Regional Offices in every country or region. Instead, the Consortium seeks to identify specific geographic areas or countries in which local support would prove particularly beneficial to a community and encourage greater involvement. OASIS will only allow one authorized Regional Office within a specified territory.

Appropriate regions or countries include those in which:

• current OASIS membership is low in relation to the local industrial and technological potential,
  
  
• language barriers and/or lack of awareness may be hindering participation,
  
  
• local input--due to geography or industry sector dominance--is key to the development and adoption of one or more OASIS Standards.

Qualifications

The typical OASIS Regional Office comprises a part-time staff of one or two persons, hosted by an organization that meets the following requirements:

1. Vendor neutrality

Research institutes, universities, non-profit organizations and government agencies are ideal candidates to host an OASIS Regional Office.

2. OASIS membership

Familiarity with OASIS processes and a working knowledge of the Consortium ensures that a Regional Office host organization possesses the skills and background to assist others. Currently active members of OASIS are preferred.

3. Strong community relationships

A broad network of contacts within the region is essential for effectively promoting OASIS and encouraging membership.

Responsibilities

OASIS Regional Office hosts agree to engage in the following activities:

1. Identify, recruit, and assist organizations to participate in OASIS
   
   
2. Provide support for members within their region
   
   
3. Host seminars, tutorials, etc. on OASIS Standards
   
   
4. Speak at conferences on behalf of OASIS
   
   
5. Translate and/or solicit translations of OASIS Standards, specifications, and other documents
   
   
6. Represent OASIS interests with local government agencies
   
   
7. Provide input to OASIS on regional needs and concerns
   
   
8. Maintain a localized version of the OASIS website, following a common style, which showcases activities in the region and includes staff contact information. Translations of key pages from the main OASIS site may also be included. (It is understood that a complete translation of the entire OASIS web site is not practical given the limited resources of a Regional Office host organization.)
   
   
9. Translate and distribute weekly issue of OASIS News via email
   
   
10. Coordinate local media relations--briefing editors and analysts, arranging for interviews with OASIS executives, translating and distributing OASIS press releases
    
    
11. Submit monthly reports to the OASIS President (or his designee) on the OASIS related activities and plans within your region.
    
    
12. Send representative to USA to participate in annual staff meeting near Boston, MA.

OASIS Regional Office host organization are not responsible for collecting member dues.

Operations and Procedures

The typical OASIS Regional Office comprises a part-time staff of one or two persons.

Compensation

OASIS Regional Office host organization receives an agreed upon percentage of paid income received from OASIS members in their geographic area. The host organization will be paid monthly by OASIS from income accrued from all revenue sources applicable to their geographic area. OASIS will work with the Regional Office to secure additional launch funds from appropriate funding resources, such as government grants.

The primary motivation for an organization to become an OASIS Regional Office host should center on the benefit of OASIS affiliation and the opportunity to advance open standards locally. Commissions on memberships and other revenue sources are dependent on the potential for participation within a given region and the time and efforts expended by the Regional Office host organization. Consequently, commissions may or may not completely compensate a host organization for their time and operational expenses.

OASIS Support

Each Regional Office host will receive a site visit from OASIS executive staff at least once a year. Ideally, this visit will coincide with a local event, and include joint press briefings and meetings with members and prospects. OASIS staff representatives in their global area (Europe or Asia-Pacific reps) are also available for consultation where time zones or language skills may facilitate more effective communication.

A set of presentation and promotional materials are provided by OASIS staff. Regional Offices are encouraged to translate these documents as needed and post them to their local web sites. Any promotional material created by the Regional Office host must be pre-approved by the OASIS Director of Communication prior to being published or distributed.

OASIS hosts a monthly conference call for all Regional Office managers to discuss tasks, challenges, events, briefings from OASIS staff, etc.

OASIS staff will provide the Regional Office manager with monthly reports on membership actions within their region.

OASIS Regional Office managers will be invited to attend an annual staff and Board meeting so as to become familiar with support personnel and the leadership of the Consortium. Input from the Regional Offices will be sought so that the plans, activities, procedures and policies of OASIS can better support the needs of all our global members.

Application Process

If you represent an organization requesting consideration as an OASIS Regional Office, you should:

Step 1: Evaluate your qualifications and needs.
Ensure you meet the basic Qualifications regarding vendor neutrality, OASIS membership, and strong community relationships.
Analyze your financial needs and calculate projected compensation.

Step 2: Determine OASIS interest and needs.
Contact member-services@oasis-open.org to see if there is support for establishing an OASIS Regional Office in your area.

Step 3: Prepare and submit to OASIS a business plan and proposal that includes:

• Specific geographic region or country you propose to cover
  
  
• General description of your community and region.
  What kinds of industries are active and which OASIS Standards would interest them most?
  
  
• Details on your relationship to the key industries in the region.
  Do you have connections in these industries?
  
  
• List of key prospects for new OASIS membership in the region.
  What is your relationship (if any) to these prospects?
  
  
• Projection of participation growth.
  How many members are you likely to enlist in one year... in two years?
  
  
• General promotion plan for the first year of representation.
  How do you intend to reach these prospects?
  
  
• Background of your qualifications.
  If you are a member, in which OASIS Committees do you participate?
  
  
• Rationale for establishing Regional Office in the area.
  Are there members and/or prospects that are not being served adequately today?
  
  
• References
  May we contact members and/or prospects that would support you as an OASIS Regional Office host?
  
  
• General description of your operational strategy.
  How would you engage with the local technical communities, end user businesses and governments, secure translations if necessary, organize local events, etc?
  
  
• Staff
  Who would serve as the primary contact for members and prospects? What are his/her qualifications, including language fluency? Would access to administrative or other support staff be available through your organization?
  
  
• Resources
  What level of financial and operations support would be provided by your organization?

Step 4: Participate in OASIS evaluation
OASIS management will review your business plan and proposal in a timely manner. The evaluation process will include either a site visit or teleconference with your organization.

Step 5: Launch new OASIS Regional Office
As an approved OASIS Regional Office, you will enter into a contract agreement with OASIS. You will be asked to provide an elaboration of your initial business plan including an implementation timetable. Specific performance criteria will be established. Failure of the Regional Office host organization to achieve performance commitments in two or more consecutive quarters may result in termination of the contract

Contacts

For more information on this program, contact member-services@oasis-open.org.