By default, when you register for a user account on the Initiative website, you gain access to users-only sections of the site such as areas of the message board, and you also gain access to the project file repository so you can download project information, diagrams, and instructions.

However, this isn't all there is to the initiative...

If you represent any of the following, we want you as a member of one or more of our steering committees:

• Any manufacturer that wishes to sell products that use or are built from Initiative technology. Examples include automakers (of course), manufacturers of motorcycles and scooters, makers of small-engine equipment, watercraft manufacturers, and basically any company that builds and sells engines or products that use them.
• Any standards body whose defined standards influence normal development and implementation practices for the types of devices we design here at the Initiative. The best examples here would be the Society of Automotive Engineers and the International Standards Organization.
• Any government agency that oversees any device or product that could use Initiative technology. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency would be a good example as they set emissions standards for automobiles.
• Any organization that influences fields where Initiative technology may see implementation.

Joining a steering committee gives your organization a chance to influence Initiative policy, and does not obligate your organization in any way aside from what's spelled out in our contract. Participation is voluntary and happens over the Internet, so geography poses no limitations - all committee meetings take place online.

Both collaborators and contributors are also tapped to participate in the steering committees that manage project development by category and area of influence.

 

To join a steering committee, first become a user if you haven't already done so. Then, there's one extra step to discuss: a contract. Because steering committee members will have specific authority and requirements, and a specific agreement with OSAEI regarding their activities on the Initiative website, we require a signed contract between OSAEI and each person that wishes to represent a manufacturer, standards body, government agency, or other organization. The procedure is simple:

1. Print out two copies of the contract below.
2. Read it thoroughly. If you need to have the legal department in your organization check the contract over, by all means do so.
3. Sign and notarize both copies. Be sure to fill out the section regarding what products your organization produces as this will be used to determine which steering committees to grant access. (Yes, you can join more than one. We suggest that organizations select one individual per committee though.)
4. Obtain a letter of introduction from any officer whose position exceeds yours in your organization (or any other board member, if you are a board member yourself) that specifies that you are authorized to represent your organization's interests on the steering committee.
5. Obtain a legible photocopy of any state, national, or military ID you have that shows your full name and mailing address. (For most of North America, a driver's license will be perfect.) This step is strictly to verify your identity.
6. Send both contract copies, the introduction letter, and the ID photocopy to OSAEI. Our address is on the contact page.
7. When we receive the contracts, we'll sign and notarize both copies and send one back to you. The other will be filed in our document archive. We'll also set your user account here to reflect your new status and you'll gain access to the steering committee sections of the website, as well as read-only access to all of the projects on the website and full access to talk with contributors and collaborators.

 

The contract:

OSAEI Steering Committee Membership Application and Agreement - Coming soon (once our lawyer says it's ready!)