If you are an org pattern writer, an org pattern user, or have an interest in becoming an org pattern architect, this hot topic is for you.

Organizational patterns are a rapidly growing and powerful paradigm in organizational architecture. In our current historical context, where Knowledge Management and Complexity are the dominant business management trends, organizational patterns play a central role because they provide the means to:

* externalize tacit knowledge as patterns of successful business and software development environments
* distribute and combine knowledge among practitioners at the team, corporate, and market levels
* learn and internalize successful business practices invented on site and "elsewhere"

Therefore, organizational patterns are an important tool to increase the competitive advantage of an organization and to facilitate the growth of individuals in that organization.

However, the body of organizational patterns produced by the patterns community is growing haphazardly. New submissions are presented every year in patterns conferences worldwide, but there is little effort to ensure that these new patterns "fit the big picture" of a CPL (Common Pattern Language). (I will use CPL to mean "the common pattern language for organizational architectures".)

No doubt, these individual contributions represent important captured knowledge and are substantial contributions for the betterment of businesses and software development in the 21st century. However, without some control over these submissions, org patterns will become a large body of disorganized knowledge that will be increasingly difficult to use. This disorganization may be a deterrent to the acceptance and use of org patterns in the long term.

Activities

This workshop will have the following activities.

* Assessment of Our Current State

1. Introductions and Workshop Purpose. Who are we? How much do we care about org patterns? Why are we interested in org patterns? What community or users do we benefit by providing org patterns?
2. Assessment of the existing body of organizational patterns. What org patterns exist and what is their quality? What does the architecture of the current CPL look like now? Where are the "holes" in the pattern language? Where are the duplications, and inconsistencies in the current pattern language? Who are the authors that have worked on these patterns (as of ChiliPLOP '98)? How many of them still have an interest in organizational patterns? What is their availability and commitment toward the CPL?
3. Assessment of our CPL architectural management. What progress has been made? What are the dynamics of our current situation? How effective is our architectural management of the CPL? How should work be distributed among the team of "architect editors"?
4. Outline the costs of inaction that we may incur as a community if we don't provide for an effective "architectural management" mechanism and some tangible deliverables for our user community.

DELIVERABLE: Case of Action. A 1-5 page document that outlines our situation.

DELIVERABLE: Writer's List. A list of known and possible org patterns writers.

* Our Options and Future Direction

To determine our options we must propose different structures for the CPL, for the team of writers responsible for its accomplishment, and for a group of "architects" that controls the CPL architecture. At a detailed level this includes:

1. Options for the CPL structure. What options do we have for the architecture of the CPL? What subsystems, (or sub-pattern languages), should it contain? Can we determine a "good skeleton" for the CPL or is it open ended? How do the proposed options map to the current state of the CPL? What is the scope of the CPL? Can we determine "phases" to work on?
2. Options for architectural management of the CPL. How should org patterns be incorporated into the CPL? How should we address the "holes," duplications and inconsistencies in the CPL? Can we prioritize tasks and determine "Who should work on what when"? How can we keep people motivated to produce org patterns? How should we organize ourselves to be "sub-architects" of the CPL? Where and how do we publish our work? How will we communicate? Can we apply Alexanderian principles to the management of the CPL?
3. Options for assignments for the CPL. Can we convince org patterns authors to contribute in their fields of expertise to the CPL? How can we facilitate the org patterns writers? How can we incorporate their work in the CPL? How can we install a "WrittersControlProcess" environment that is married to the "ArchitectControlsProduct (CPL)" view? What org patterns should we write?
4. Options for an org pattern book. Can we determine an outline? Can we match the assignments determined above for the architects to the outline of the book? Can we determine pattern writers who should be invited into the project?

DELIVERABLE: Vision Statement. A 1-5 page document that captures our vision, including:


1. the CPL structure
2. a team and its structure as the body of architects
3. how we will organize existing and new org patterns into the CPL

DELIVERABLE: List of Immediate Activities. A document that captures our operational and immediate actions.

DELIVERABLE: Architects. A list of committed individuals that will act as a body of architects.

DELIVERABLE: Minable Material. A list of known and possible org patterns mining material.

DELIVERABLE: Book. An outline for an org patterns book.