CHAOSScast Episode 129: Using Metrics in your OSPO
Thank you to the folks at Sustain for providing the hosting account for CHAOSScast!
CHAOSScast – Episode 129
In this episode of CHAOSScast, host Harmony Elendu is joined by Matt Germonprez and Johan Linåker to explore how Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) can use metrics to understand and demonstrate impact. The discussion centers around Chapter 6 of the TODO Group’s OSPO book and how organizations can systematically measure the value of their open source engagement.
[00:02:00] Introduction to OSPOs
Johan explains what an Open Source Program Office (OSPO) is: a center of excellence that supports organizations in adopting open source strategically, aligning culture, governance, and business goals.
[00:04:41] The Four Impact Areas
Matt outlines the four key impact dimensions OSPOs should measure:
- Partner Impact
- Community Impact
- Ecosystem (Supply Chain) Impact
- Organizational Impact
[00:06:29] Partner Impact
How to assess which companies are contributing to the same projects, their level of influence, and how agendas align or conflict.
[00:11:00] Community Impact
Measuring contributor influence, merged pull requests, leadership roles, and employee growth within open source communities.
[00:15:19] Ecosystem & Supply Chain Impact
Why organizations must evaluate upstream dependencies and long-term project viability, especially in light of regulations like the Cyber Resilience Act.
[00:23:00] Organizational Impact & Governance
Aligning open source strategy with business goals, managing risk, automating dependency health checks, and enabling developers to contribute upstream efficiently.
[00:29:31] Metrics Over Time (Not Snapshots)
Why there is no universal red/yellow/green metric set. Context matters, and observing trends over time is critical for meaningful health assessments.
[00:36:00] Resources & Working Groups
Introduction to CHAOSS practitioner guides, OSPO metrics working groups, and research publications.
Value Adds (Picks) of the week:
- [00:39:25] Harmony’s pick is reflecting on old photos.
- [00:36:10] Matt's pick is embracing the opportunity to do winter sports.
- [00:37:54] Johan’s pick is to enjoy parenting moments.
Panelists:
Harmony Elendu
Matt Germonprez
Guests
Johan Linåker
Links
OSPO Book
TODO Group
CHAOSS Project
OpenSSF Scorecard
CHAOSS OSPO Metrics Working Group
Harmony Elendu website
Harmony Elendu LinkedIn
Special Guest: Johan Linåker.