Open source and working in the open¶
We code in the open and share what we learn. It improves quality, makes reuse easy and lets partners see how we work before they work with us.
Doctrine: 1. Platforms before projects. Built as products, 3. Reuse before buy, 5. Assume AI until proven otherwise
Principles: 3. Maximise value, minimise waste, 7. Empower to innovate
Who these guardrails apply to
The core department. Whether the open source and working in the open guardrails also apply to Defra's arm's length bodies is still to be confirmed.
Relates to Service Standard point 12 and TCoP point 3.
GR-OPEN-01 Code in the open¶
Must New source code is public from the start, in a Defra GitHub organisation, unless there is a recorded reason to keep a specific repository private (for example fraud rules or unannounced policy).
Why: Service Standard point 12. Openness also makes teams more careful about secrets and quality.
GR-OPEN-02 Licence clearly¶
Should Code is released under the Open Government Licence or the MIT licence, with a LICENCE file in every repository.
GR-OPEN-03 Publish safely¶
Should Enable secret scanning and push protection on every repository. Keep secrets, credentials and sensitive configuration out of code.
GR-OPEN-04 Reuse and contribute back¶
Should Use and improve existing open source and Defra components rather than forking or rewriting. Contribute fixes back upstream.
GR-OPEN-05 Blog and show the thing¶
Could Share what you learn on the Defra Digital blog, at show and tells, and in this repository.