Product/Area Liaisons (PALs)

What are OMII-UK PALs?

OMII-UK PALs are a key set of individuals, not employed by OMII-UK, that are important through their active and exemplary use of one or more OMII-UK developed components. PALs act as OMII-UK ambassadors helping OMII-UK establish user communities for their software components, providing usage feedback and any requirements that arise from their or their colleagues use. By choosing these individuals as PALs, we recognize their worth to us and to their communities.

The current list of OMII-UK PALs and their handlers can be found here.

Becoming an OMII-UK PAL

OMII-UK PALs are nominated by members of OMII-UK staff through their local OMII-UK Operations Committee representative. Any such proposal is reviewed by the Operations Committee and, if it is seen to be worthwhile, it is passed on to the Management Committee which, if in agreement, will approve the creation of a PAL and associate a handler with the PAL. A PAL’s initial term will be for one year but this may subsequently renewed. In order to be successfully nominated as a PAL, it is expected that the prospective PAL will:

• be an active and supportive participant online and/or offline in their community
• be an active user and proponent of OMII-UK software or its activity (e.g. open source development)
• be an expert in the usage of an OMII-UK component or one of our areas of activity
• agree to a basic code of conduct:
  • Not to associate OMII-UK with anything illegal
  • Not to falsely report anything to do with OMII-UK software
  • Not to bring OMII UK into disrepute through their actions which, if not complied to, may bring a premature end to the PAL contract.
• OMII-UK welcomes fair and constructive criticism of their activities
• contribute at least one article a year to the OMII-UK newsletter describing their experiences

The activity of OMII-UK PALs will be reviewed each year by the Operations Committee to ensure that they are active and still providing value. Generally, it is expected that they will keep their status until their use of the component stops or their involvement in their community stops.

Benefits of being an OMII-UK PAL

OMII-UK PALs receive:

• up to £5000 funding to attend events pertaining to and consistent with their OMII-UK PAL duties
• a quarterly newsletter
• priority support and direct access to the OMII-UK team through a specific handler
• early access to code / repositories
• OMII-UK branded freebies and merchandise
• credit on website and documentation
• the right to call themselves OMII-UK PALs insert one of our PAL logos

If you are a PAL and have questions or comments on the PALs programme please contact your handler. Otherwise please contact support@omii.ac.uk