From private to public: How a United Nations organization open sourced its tech in four steps

A GitHub Skills-Based Volunteering project collaborated with the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) to transition their software projects from a closed Azure DevOps environment to an open-source community, aiming to enhance global collaboration and access. Over six months, workshops and feedback sessions helped BDT expand its expertise in open-sourcing by reviewing software documentation best practices, selecting appropriate licenses, and managing contributions, ultimately choosing a BSD-2 license for its permissiveness and clarity. The project highlighted the importance of creating accessible documentation, such as "Getting Started" guides and CONTRIBUTING.md files, to support new contributors, while automated testing ensured code quality. This structured approach has equipped BDT to continue open-sourcing additional software products confidently, illustrating the broader benefits of open source for organizations with limited resources. The initiative emphasizes the potential for open-source projects to drive social impact and invites others to participate in similar endeavors through platforms like "For Good First Issue."