How a TYPO3 Unit Is Organized
Roles, Responsibilities, and Who Decides What
Every TYPO3 Unit has a Coordinator, a Deputy, and a Unit Council, and works within a charter set by the TYPO3 Association Board. Members and Supporters both shape its work, but only Members are accountable for tasks and vote in the Council.
Unit Charter
Each Unit has a Unit Charter defined by the TYPO3 Association Board. The charter sets out the Unit’s name, its area of responsibility, and the decisions delegated to it. Units make operational decisions, while strategy and budgets remain with the TYPO3 Association, and each Unit needs at least five Members, including the Coordinator and the Deputy Coordinator.
Coordinator
The Coordinator’s job is to organize and delegate rather than do all the work, much like a project manager in a web agency. They set priorities, decide who takes on what, help when a task gets stuck, and report on progress. The Coordinator does not need to be the leading expert in the Unit, has the final say in day-to-day matters, and answers to the TYPO3 Association Board.
Deputy Coordinator
The Deputy supports the Coordinator, often takes over a whole area such as the quarterly report or the Unit’s seat on the Unit Cooperation Panel, and stands in fully when needed. According to estimates presented at the Kickoff, a typical active Unit requires four to six hours a week from its Coordinator and about two hours from its Deputy.
Members
Unit Members are permanent contributors who take responsibility for their Unit’s area and are strongly expected to accept assigned tasks. They help grow contribution and participation by sharing their experience and supporting other contributors.
Supporters
Unit Supporters choose their own tasks without a long-term commitment. Becoming a Supporter happens automatically when a task is formally assigned to someone and they decide to accept it.
Unit Council
Long-term policy and strategy sit with the Unit Council, made up of the Coordinator, the Deputy, and all Unit Members, each with one vote. The Council meets monthly and elects the Coordinator and Deputy for one-year terms; it can also remove either of them with a two-thirds majority of the votes cast. It is consulted on long-term priorities, budget policy, and contribution rules, and it votes on admitting new Members.
Working Groups and Initiatives
A Coordinator can set up Working Groups for permanent topics, such as security handling, and Initiatives that deliver one result by a set deadline and then dissolve. During the Kickoff, each Unit discussed which Working Groups it needs and identified cross-cutting topics that concern more than one Unit.
Transparency and Reporting
Tasks, decisions, structures, and roles are documented publicly by default, and all units must publish rules and objective acceptance criteria for contributions. Every Unit publishes a report on its activities and budget status on TYPO3 News every three months.