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Terms of Engagement

This is a template. Complete the fields marked [in brackets] before use. Once the Organisation name and description are filled in, all references to "the Organisation" throughout this document refer to that entity.

Parties​

Organisation: [Full legal name of the organisation]

[One or two sentences describing the organisation, its purpose, and the context for this engagement.]

DE SIG: The Distinguished Engineers Special Interest Group (DE SIG) is a community of senior technologists from the Financial Services industry who contribute pro-bono expertise, advice, and guidance to support charitable and social impact organisations. The DE SIG operates as a Special Interest Group within the Fintech Open Source Foundation (FINOS) (https://finos.org).

Purpose​

This document sets out the terms under which the Organisation and the DE SIG will collaborate. Its purpose is to establish a clear, shared understanding of scope, responsibilities, and limitations before the engagement begins — protecting both parties and ensuring the engagement is productive and conflict-free.

Scope​

[Describe the Organisation's technical challenge or area where support is sought. Be specific enough that both parties can agree on what is and is not in scope.]

Within this context, the DE SIG will:

  • Assess the Organisation's existing technology environment, including infrastructure, platforms, data management, disaster recovery posture, and approaches to change, as relevant to the above.
  • Provide independent, non-binding technical advice, support, and guidance, drawing primarily on open-source tools, frameworks, and publicly available materials.
  • Where appropriate, support or encourage contributions back to relevant open-source communities.

The Organisation retains full responsibility for all organisational decisions and implementation. The DE SIG does not implement, operate, or take ownership of any systems or processes on behalf of the Organisation.

Roles and Responsibilities​

The Organisation will:

  • Define its own objectives and priorities for the engagement.
  • Make all final decisions regarding technology and implementation.
  • Provide the DE SIG with reasonable access to relevant information, systems documentation, and key personnel needed to carry out the engagement.
  • Designate a named point of contact for the duration of the engagement.

The DE SIG will:

  • Provide advice and guidance in good faith, drawing on the collective experience of participating Distinguished Engineers.
  • Ensure that participating DEs have no undisclosed conflict of interest with the Organisation.
  • Treat all information shared by the Organisation as confidential (see below).
  • Designate a named engagement lead responsible for coordinating the DE SIG's contribution.

Limitations and Disclaimers​

All advice and guidance provided under this engagement is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute professional, legal, financial, or regulatory advice, and does not create any legal obligation on either party.

The DE SIG, FINOS, and the host organisations of participating Distinguished Engineers accept no liability for any outcomes resulting from the Organisation's decisions, whether or not those decisions were informed by advice provided under this engagement.

No warranties are provided regarding the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for purpose of any advice or materials provided.

Participating Distinguished Engineers contribute in a personal, pro-bono capacity. Their participation does not represent the views or commitments of their employers.

Confidentiality​

Both parties agree to maintain the confidentiality of any sensitive information shared during the engagement and not to disclose it to third parties without prior written consent, except where required by law.

Meetings held as part of this engagement are conducted under the Chatham House Rule (https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/chatham-house-rule): participants are free to use information received, but may not reveal the identity or affiliation of any speaker, nor attribute remarks to any individual. This applies unless and until both parties agree in writing to publish specific details of the engagement, in which case only the details explicitly agreed for publication are exempt from this rule.

Meetings may be recorded, and an AI-generated transcript may be created and retained for the purpose of documentation and internal reference. The Organisation will be informed before any recording takes place.

Any outputs or materials produced during the engagement that are intended for public release will be agreed between both parties before publication, and will be anonymised where appropriate.

Applicable Policies​

All participants in DE SIG meetings and activities are subject to the LF Antitrust Policy (https://www.linuxfoundation.org/antitrust-policy/), the FINOS Community Code of Conduct (https://community.finos.org/docs/governance/code-of-conduct), and all other FINOS policies (https://community.finos.org/docs/governance/#policies). The Organisation's representative is asked to familiarise themselves with these policies before the engagement begins.

Termination​

Either party may terminate this engagement at any time by giving written notice to the other party's designated contact. There is no penalty for early termination.

Timeline and Extensions​

[Describe the planned timeline, key milestones, or expected completion date.]

Any extension or follow-on engagement beyond the initial scope will be agreed in writing by both parties before work begins.

This document does not constitute a partnership, joint venture, employment relationship, or any other form of legal entity between the parties. All advice is non-binding and provided without liability.

By signing below, both parties confirm they have read, understood, and agreed to these terms.

Signatures​

Organisation RepresentativeDE SIG Engagement Lead
Name:Name:
Title:Title:
Organisation: [Organisation name]Organisation: FINOS DE SIG
Date:Date: