The Initiative is an ambitious project, so in order to keep it pointed at its ultimate goal of presenting a complete electrical system there must be some form of organization.

 

The top level element of the Initiative's organization is the Board of Directors for OSAEI, Inc., the non-profit corporation at the heart of the Initiative. Their job is to operate the corporate entity that will act as the core for the operation. The corporation will provide the following services to contributors that are funded by both donations and licensing fees for commercial application of Initiative projects:

• Part acquisition assistance. If you need a part for testing or prototyping, you may request it through the Initiative, which will then seek engineering samples if they are available or acquire parts from various suppliers.
• Prototyping subsidies. When a project reaches the stage of development where a full-scale working device must be constructed, the Initiative will provide assistance in the build process such as parts kits and PC board manufacturing. (One Initiative goal is to have a complete in-house PC board production facility just for our contributors.)
• Marketing assistance. When a project is completed, the Initiative will do what it can to commercialize the project and generate revenue for both the Initiative (to fund the above programs) and the contributors that worked on the project.
• Ownership protection. When a project reaches the stage of development where it is made accessible to the public, the Initiative will mail out copies of submitted material to both the submitting contributors and to itself, storing the self-sent copies in archives to establish proof of ownership and creation time. If any dispute arises over ownership of a design both the contributor and the Initiative will have matching documentary proof to support the contributor's claims.

PLEASE NOTE: The above services will be directly funded by donations and licensing fees paid for the commercial application of Initiative projects. The Initiative may suspend some services if funds are not available to sustain them. You can help keep that from happening by donating!

 

The next layer of structure are the steering committees. Each major category of project has its own, and membership on a steering committee is open to manufacturer representatives, standards body representatives, agents representing world governments, and selected members from both the contributors and collaborators helping develop Initiative projects. These committees will define project requirements, goals, and standards, and will thus be able to steer project developments from concept to real-world usability.

 

Next are the contributors, the people that make the magic possible. Anyone able to enter into a legally binding contract may apply to become a contributor, and contributors will receive royalties for commercial licenses for their submissions. Contributors also have the ability to vote outstanding members of their number to steering committtees to represent their interests in how the Initiative moves toward its goal. Contributors need not have any credentials, education, or employment history - if you can contribute a usable design, we want you!

 

Another group with an important role is the set of collaborators. They provide ideas, a sounding board, and extra eyes that can convert a raw project idea into an artfully designed finished device. Collaborators are not eligible for royalties - one must contribute something tangible to a project for that - but contributors can credit collaborators for their assistance in making a good design great, and those credits are displayed for the entire world to see. Collaborators may also select representatives from amongst themselves in order to represent the group on steering committees.

 

Our final layer of organization are the normal users, the people that make use of Initiative projects. You, the end user of Initiative technology, are who we build things for.