# Commons Governance Design

> Run an Ostrom-inspired governance design process for shared resources, communities, platforms, open-source projects, teams, datasets, or infrastructure. Use when Codex is asked to design rules, roles, monitoring, sanctions, conflict resolution, access boundaries, or self-governance for a commons.

- Skill: `walterkken/commons-governance-design` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add walterkken/commons-governance-design`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/walterkken/commons-governance-design/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: walterkken (https://skillmd.com/u/walterkken)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/walterkken/commons-governance-design

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# Commons Governance Design

## Overview

Use this skill to design practical rules for a shared resource. The goal is not top-down control; it is a locally workable governance system with clear boundaries, participation, monitoring, conflict handling, and adaptation.

## Workflow

1. Define the shared resource, users, boundaries, and risks of overuse or under-maintenance.
2. Identify stakeholders and who has legitimate rule-making authority.
3. Define access rules, contribution rules, maintenance duties, and benefit allocation.
4. Match rules to local conditions: cost, culture, technical constraints, capacity, and incentives.
5. Design monitoring: what is measured, who sees it, and how abuse or neglect is detected.
6. Define graduated responses: warning, repair, temporary restriction, escalation.
7. Add conflict resolution: low-cost, fast, legitimate process.
8. Add review/adaptation cadence and nested governance for larger systems.

## Output

Return:

- resource boundary statement
- stakeholder map
- rule set
- monitoring plan
- graduated response ladder
- conflict-resolution process
- review cadence

## Resources

- `references/process-checklist.md`
- `references/source-notes.md`