Governance

Open by Design
Accountable by Default

ODA is governed transparently — every implementation standard, decision, and Working Group output is available and accessible to members and non-members. No closed-door decisions.

Organizational Structure

How ODA is Organized

Tier 1
Board of Directors
The Board provides strategic oversight, approves the annual roadmap, ratifies Working Group charters, and holds final vote on any changes to ODA bylaws or governance structure. Board seats are held by member organizations elected by the full membership.
Tier 2
Committees
Committees provide cross-cutting governance between the Board and the Working Groups. The Technical Steering Committee owns the macro-roadmap, specification releases, cross-working-group alignment, and technical arbitration. The Marketing & Communications Committee governs ecosystem messaging, certification brand guidelines, and the Alliance’s market engagement.
Tier 3
Working Groups
Working Groups drive ODA’s technical and policy output. Each group operates under a Board-approved charter defining its scope, deliverables, and voting rules. Working Group membership is open to all ODA members. Chairs are elected by ODA members annually.
Tier 4
Task Groups
Task Groups are formed within Working Groups to tackle specific deliverables — a use case framework, an implementation standard, a test specification, or a regulatory brief. They are time-bound, output-focused, and dissolved once their deliverable is ratified by the parent Working Group.
Decision-Making & Voting

How Decisions Get Made

01
Proposal Submitted
Any member can submit a proposal — a new feature requirement, a test criteria change, a policy position — to the relevant Working Group. Proposals are logged, assigned, and distributed to group members.
02
Working Group Review
The Working Group reviews the proposal over a defined comment period. Members can endorse, amend, or object. The chair facilitates discussion and ensures all perspectives are recorded in the session notes.
03
Working Group Vote
Following the comment period, eligible members vote. New Task Groups are formed as needed to facilitate newly ratified Working Group proposals.
04
Board Ratification
Proposals that pass Working Group vote are submitted to the Board for ratification. The Board may ratify, return for revision, or escalate to a full membership vote for major standard changes.
05
Published & Effective
Ratified decisions are published to the ODA document library with full version history. All members are notified and the change is reflected in applicable certification criteria on the effective date.
Governance Documents

Foundational Documents

ODA Bylaws
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ODA Antitrust Compliance
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ODA Code of Conduct
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ODA Intellectual Property Rights
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ODA Records Retention
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