Received 10 January 2024
Dear Loïc
Congratulations on becoming an Open Technology Fund project. Below is an overview of important information to help you get started. Please read carefully and let us know if you have any questions. I would like to schedule a call in the next few days to answer any questions you might have. Please let me know your
Best regards,
*** Step 1: Communication ***
Communicating with both the OTF staff and current OTF-supported projects is important to ensure that knowledge share happens, and synergies are created. As a result, we will be adding you to the mailing list: otf-talk@opentech.fund
Please give us the email addresses you would like added.
otf-talk has all past and current projects, fellows, and community members. It’s a place for you to share knowledge, ask questions to the broader community, post interesting events, research or thoughts, or generally connect with your colleagues. Posts shared on otf-talk are discussed by the larger community and could be shared with public media, so if your project is not public please don’t share updates here.
Please review our OTF-Talk Guidance for more details on the types of communication meant for this mailing list.
*** Step 2: Feedback ***
We don’t require regular check-in meetings, but we may request to check-in and we’re available for support whenever you need it.
We welcome feedback throughout your time with OTF, including on our systems, processes, and management of your project. You are always welcome to email me directly.
*** Step 3: Invoicing ***
Payment is issued when your objectives and deliverables are completed, unless otherwise stated in your contract.
An invoice cannot be processed without adequate documentation to demonstrate the work has been completed. The type of documentation required depends heavily on the type of work being performed. In general, the more information that can be provided, the less likely OTF will follow up requesting additional documentation. It may be easiest to think about what evidence you would want to see if your project was paying someone for the work.
Please send your invoice to your program manager.
For more information on invoicing, including invoice format, please see Section 5 of your Contract.
*** Step 4: Monthly Reports ***
Outside of invoicing, the only other information we require is a monthly report by the beginning of each month for the duration of the contract. You will send these reports to otf-reports@opentech.fund. Please note that the otf-reports mailing list includes only OTF programming staff and the communications team. Please review our Monthly Report Guidance for more information. Please be sure to submit this on time. These are essential for our own reporting requirements.
*** Step 5: Listing your Project on the OTF Website ****
OTF strives to have an open program framework to improve upon the work other Internet freedom funders have done before us. As a result of this commitment, contracts include language allowing for projects to be publicly listed, along with the contract amount and length.
Please provide me with a project description, any social media or websites, and a logo if available.
While OTF will consider requests to keep this information confidential, it is incumbent upon the project to adequately demonstrate why this information should not be made publicly available.
You can see other projects’ pages here.
*** OTF Visibility Guidelines ***
You’re not required to mention that you are affiliated or receiving support from OTF. You’re welcome to use our logo, though, and we’ve provided a copy, , as well as our guidelines around the use of it. If you have any questions please contact our Communications Director Jason Aul (jason@opentech.fund).
*** Step 6: Review OTF Resources for Projects ***
OTF’s Labs provide additional services to Internet freedom projects through third-party service providers:
- Learning Lab: helps projects produce post-project reports, blog-style write-ups, infographics, press releases, and more, to ensure that all project outputs are presented in a visually appealing, professional format. We will send out a reminder message to you approximately 60-90 days from the end of your project, should you wish to utilize this resource. If you have any questions, please contact the Lab’s lead, Jason Aul: jason@opentech.fund.
- Localization Lab: localizes tools to help them reach broad adoption. Our partners have a vast community of translators to ensure your tools are culturally appropriate. Please contact the Lab’s manager, Sandy Fulton, for more details: sandy@opentech.fund.
- Red Team Lab: provides auditing services to validate the privacy and security claims of software, and advance projects’ software security best-practices. Contact the Lab’s lead, Shems Abdelwahab, with any questions: shems@opentech.fund.
- Secure Usability and Accessibility Lab: offers secure usability and user-interface assistance to Internet freedom and digital security tools to help them recognize and solve usability challenges that hamper their adoption in repressive contexts. Contact the Lab’s lead, Ramy Raoof, for more details: ramy@opentech.fund.
We encourage you to check out all of these services, and consider which ones might be beneficial for your project.
*** Step 7: Familiarize Yourself With Contract Amendments ***
We understand that a project plan is an estimation of how the activities should be carried out and numerous factors impact the best means of achieving the project goals. Given this, we provide projects the ability to update their deliverables, the amounts allocated to specific activities, and/or the timeline.
Available Contract Amendments:
- No-Cost Extension: if you need more time to complete deliverables
- Contract Price
- Change Order: changing the scope of the work
- Party Amendment: to substitute the contractor identified as a party in the contract with another party (these are approved in rare circumstances)
Amending your contract entails completing a Contract Amendment Request form. It’s important that you send the request as soon as possible; for No-Cost Extension requests, it’s preferable that you notify me at least two months before your current contract end date.
*** OTF Summit & Gatherings***
Every year OTF gathers together representatives from its supported projects, fellows, Labs, and Advisory Council to strengthen community ties, facilitate collaboration between different projects and across disciplines, and map out the most pressing issues and challenges facing the Internet freedom community.
OTF may also organize additional gatherings around specific themes and if any coincide with your focus, we’ll notify you.
*** Travel Guidance***
Please refer to your contract for OTF’s travel policy.
As an OTF Contractor, your travel will need to comply with the following regulations:
- Fly America Act
- US Government Per Diem Rates
- 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance), requiring costs be reasonable, properly allocated, and allowable
OTF-Talk_Guidance.odt (23.0 KB)
OTF_Report_Guidance.odt (21.2 KB)