<!-- YAML-SNAPSHOT:START --> | Key | Value | | --- | ----- | | **id** | OCL-membrane-### | | **projectName** | null | | **description** | null | | **type** | null | | **relatedProtocols** | null | | **relatedMembranes** | null | | **parentMembranes** | null | | **childMembranes** | null | | **relatedAssets** | null | | **relatedRoles** | null | | **sameAs** | null | | **workSpaceLink** | null | <!-- YAML-SNAPSHOT:END --> Boundaries that regulate participation, permissions, and trust thresholds. **Membranes** are the foundational structural units within the OpenCivics Labs ecosystem. A membrane is a **semi-permeable boundary** that defines a coherent unit of action, intention, and collaboration. It is composed of a defined set of members, roles, protocols, and assets, and exists to fulfill a particular function in service of the broader mission. Membranes can take the form of projects, councils, working groups, or any other container that requires internal coherence while remaining open to exchange and coordination with the larger network. They balance autonomy and accountability, enabling focused initiative while staying nested within the larger organism. Each membrane: - Has **entry and exit criteria** (defined by protocols and roles) - Maintains **internal governance** (appropriate to its function and size) - Is accountable to the **network’s values, protocols, and shared purpose** - Can steward and manage **its own subset of assets, roles, and responsibilities** - Evolves through **cycles of experimentation, reflection, and publishing** In essence, membranes are the **living cells** of OpenCivics Labs — modular, adaptive, and interdependent. They allow the broader network to scale complexity while maintaining coherence, trust, and purpose-aligned action.