source/pmc/reporting.md

---
title: PMC Reporting
tags: ["pmc","reporting"]
---

A PMC is required to file a report to the Board of Directors every
quarter, on a schedule determined by the Board.

You can find your project's reporting schedule on
[projects.apache.org](https://projects.apache.org/committees.html). You
will also receive a reminder from the Secretary a few weeks prior to
your report's due date.

The *official* record of PMC reporting schedules is the file
[committee-info.txt](https://svn.apache.org/repos/private/committers/board/committee-info.txt)
(requires password authentication).

## Writing a report

The report to the board is expected to contain certain sections. See the
[detailed instructions for writing a board
report](https://www.apache.org/foundation/board/reporting).

You may (but are not required to) use the [reporter
tool](https://reporter.apache.org) to draft your report. However, do
**not** simply submit an auto-generated report. You are expected to take
this time to be introspective about your project's health, short- and
long-term objectives, and any risks or concerns facing your project.

Important things you should mention might include (but are not limited to):

* Changes to technology trends that will influence the direction of your
  project
* A very active individual, or company, entering or exiting from the project
* A merger or acquisition between active participant organizations in
  your project
* A boost or decline in your project's momentum, or popularity, that may 
  result in community changes

Remember that reports are made public once the board minutes are
approved, and craft your phrasing accordingly. Sections that are
intended to be Foundation-confidential should be enclosed in *private*
tags, as described in the formal documentation above.

While the Chair can write the report on their own, you are encouraged to
consult with the entire PMC for input on the report, perhaps even
drafting it with everyone able to contribute.

The report can be submitted via the [reporter
tool](https://reporter.apache.org), the [agenda
tool](https://whimsy.apache.org/board/agenda), or committed directly to
the [subversion
repository](https://svn.apache.org/repos/private/foundation/board).

## What makes a good board report

As with anything you write, the most important thing to keep in mind
when writing your board report is who your audience is.

The primary audience of your report is, of course, the board of
directors. They are not, generally, experts on your particular technology. They are,
rather, interested in the health and sustainability of the project.
Questions to consider include:

* Do you have enough active participants - both committers and PMC members -
  to respond to urgent bugs or security?
* Have you responded to any questions or comments that the board made on
  your previous report?
* Have you pointed out major achievements, or challenges, encountered in
  the past quarter that an outsider would have missed?

The secondary audience of your report is the general public. The minutes
of board meetings are
[published](https://apache.org/foundation/board/calendar.html) for our users,
sponsors, the press, and the general public to read. Consider that
audience when writing. For example, if there's a story that you'd like
the press to tell about your project, you might mention it, and provide
a quote that you'd like to see in an article.

If there's something you wish to bring to the attention of the board,
but isn't for public consumption, enclose it in <private> tags so
that it won't be published in the public minutes.

For example:

```
<private>
Private tags should be alone on a line
</private>
```

The report isn't just a once-a-quarter box to check -- it's your 
opportunity to tell the story of your project,
celebrate your accomplishments, ask for help or advice on challenges
you're facing, and identify places where new contributors might find
something to work on.

We encourage you to look at [past board
reports](https://apache.org/foundation/board/calendar.html) for inspiration from
other projects' reports. 

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* Add links to recommended/good reports to emulate.
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