Broadleaf
Standard

The Broadleaf project structure can be thought of as a rooted directed acyclic graph.Each node (vertex) in the graph represents a goal. The root node of the graph is the ultimate goal that the project wants to achieve. This ultimate goal is broken down to (sub-)goals that need to get done in order to achieve the ultimate goal. There can be many levels of goals. The links (edges) between the nodes represent dependencies, shown as arrows. The node at the start of an arrow depends on the achievement of the goal at the end of the arrow (its 'sub-goal'). Goals from different branches can depend on the achievement of the same (sub-)goal (therefore, the Broadleaf project structure is not a hierarchical tree, but a graph).This specific structuring reflects Broadleaf's values. All goals and tasks are connected, and they are all on a direct path to the ultimate goal. No one working on a task should need to ask themselves what purpose they fulfil, or what they are helping to achieve. No one can make up tasks out of thin air, without justifying them with a clear link to an existing goal.

Whatever needs to get done within the project represents a goal. There are two special types of goals:Ultimate goal: The goal on the highest level (the starting point of the graph) is called the 'ultimate goal', because its achievement is the ultimate purpose of the project. Task: The goals on the lowest level of the graph are called 'tasks'. This is to distinguish the fact, that this type of goal does not depend on any other goal at the time of its creation. A task can become a goal again if the owner of the task realizes that the task does in fact depend on other tasks getting done.

A task is a goal without further dependencies at the time of its creation. It results from the breakdown of a goal into different workstreams that need to be performed in order to achieve the goal.When a task owner takes on a task, they might realize that the task needs to be broken down further into workstreams for which they need to engage other Contributors. When this leads to the creation of (sub-)tasks, the task itself becomes a goal, and the task owner becomes a goal owner.The Broadleaf specifications provide exact guidelines for how to create a task and make it available to contributors to apply for it. This is important in order to ensure as much clarity as possible to anyone who is interested in taking on the task. Most importantly, the guideline defines The description consists of:A concise task name and the goal to which the task is linked [mandatory]Useful information, such as the background of the task, the problem that should be solved, a list of helpful resources, descriptions that help the Applicant to make an adequate proposal [optional]Specification of the desired end-product: Request [mandatory]* The process that will be followed to select an applicant: Selection Process [mandatory]

A contributor is a person or an organisation that contributes to the achievement of the ultimate goal of the project by committing themselves to delivering a concrete task. Contributors can take on two different roles:Task ownerGoal owner

Task owner: this person or organisation is responsible for completing a concrete task.

Goal owner:   * When a task has to be broken down to subtasks that require engaging additional contributors for completion, the task becomes a goal, and the task owner becomes a goal owner.   * In addition to typically taking on one or more of the newly created tasks themselves, the goal owner is responsible for coordinating all the workstreams that compose the goal.   * A goal owner who provides high-quality leadership and support to their contributors has higher chances to successfully achieve their goal, and to secure the loyalty of good contributors for future endeavours.

While any project that makes use of Broadleaf has its own values and goal, there are three fundamental values that define the Broadleaf mindset which guides the organisational setup.