Is there any budget for the DSA team (or hardware replacement budget)? Would probably save the need for approval each time.
(I'm the new guy on these issues, excuse me if I'm stepping on anyone's toes) Kaplan On Thu, Sep 12, 2013 at 1:46 PM, Lucas Nussbaum <lea...@debian.org> wrote: > Hi, > > Let's try to restart the discussion on this. (the previous thread is at > https://lists.debian.org/debian-project/2013/08/msg00041.html ). > > I would like to create a simpler process to allow DSA to make some expenses > without waiting for the DPL approval. > > The process currently used by DSA is the following: > 1. For some reason, DSA would like to make an expense (typical example: buy > replacement hardware, pay shipping costs) > 2. DSA gathers an estimate of the cost > 3. DSA asks the DPL for approval > 4. The DPL approves > 5. DSA makes the expense > 6. DSA asks a Trusted Organization for reimbursement > > The steps 2-3-4-5 are quite inefficient. It often requires DSA to make all > the steps required for a purchase just to get the estimate, then wait for > the DPL approval (which can take a couple of days), and then do all the > steps > again. Of course, it makes sense to do the long process for major expenses > (e.g.; a new server), but not so much for more minor and noncontroversial > expenses such as buying a replacement hardware after failures, or paying > shipping costs. > > I would therefore like to create the following process, which is only > an agreement between DSA and the DPL (it does not change anything for > TOs, which would still wait for DPL approval to proceed with the > reimbursement): > > DSA can make expenses for up to US$400 to support the operation of > Debian infrastructure (pay shipping costs, purchase of cheap hardware > such as cables, replacement disks, etc.). > > DSA does not need to wait for DPL approval to make such expenses. The > DPL will always approve such expenses, provided that the total > outstanding amount spent in advance of DPL approval never exceeds > US$400. > > The process can be revoked at any time by the DPL. Expenses that were > already made at the time of the revocation, and that meet the other > conditions, will still be approved by the DPL. > > The expected implementation of the process is: > 1. DSA agrees internally on making an expense > 2. DSA proceeds with making the expense > 3. DSA submits the approval request and the reimbursement request > in the same email (see [1], "How to get your reimbursement" for > details). > 4. DPL approves. > 5. TO reimburses DSA. > > [1] https://wiki.debian.org/Teams/DPL/Reimbursement > > Note that this is not new in Debian. DebConf has the same kind of > simplified process for using money: > https://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/MoneyFlow > > Comments? > > - Lucas >
