Community

The TDWG community is organized in Interest Groups. These can have dedicated Task Groups to work on a standard or recommendation. Ratified standards are maintained by Standard Maintenance Groups.

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TDWG interest (IG) and task (TG) groups undertake one of TDWG’s core functions — the development and maintenance of biodiversity information standards. The TDWG Process describes the steps for establishing and maintaining interest and task groups as well as the process for ratification of standards under the guidance of a Review Manager. Most important among these for new interest or task groups, is the guidance for writing the group’s charter and steps for having it reviewed by the TDWG Executive Committee (Exec). An interest or task group charter describes the group’s goals, how it works, pointers to background and specifications in progress, as well as how to participate. The TDWG Exec is responsible for ensuring that the group’s plan is scientifically sound and politically open and inclusive. Advice from the TDWG Technical Architecture Group (TAG) ensures that the methods and approach are technically sound. The charters of active interest and task groups are linked below. Guidance for group conveners can be found in the community management guidelines.

Collaboration methods

In the past, members of an interest or task group collaborated through face to face meetings and email discussion lists. Technologies have improved and most groups now collaborate through teleconferences and collaboration platforms, such as GitHub and/or Google Docs. Nevertheless, face to face working meetings are still an important way to get work done, particularly when the wider consensus building has been done and a small number of experts can be convened to do a few days of very focussed work. Accordingly, TDWG has established the Community Support Fund (CSF) to support critical working meetings, as funds allow.

Community support fund

TDWG is committed to supporting the work of I/TGs by contributing to the costs of up to two working meetings a year. The size of the fund is adjusted annually by decision of the TDWG Executive Committee. Applications are usually solicited early in the calendar year through an announcement to I/TG conveners. Read more.

Interest and Task Groups