GitHub's Engineering Fundamentals program: How we deliver on availability, security, and accessibility

GitHub's Fundamentals program is an engineering governance initiative designed to ensure the platform's products and services remain reliable, secure, and accessible for over 100 million users worldwide, including 90% of the Fortune 100. The program emphasizes three key pillars: accessibility, security, and availability, with the aim of addressing technical debt, improving reliability, and enhancing observability. To achieve these goals, GitHub employs Fundamental Scorecards to measure progress and ensure alignment with their standards, using attributes like service tiers and quality of service to monitor compliance. The initiative also involves a collaborative, cross-functional approach with support from grassroots teams and engineering leadership, resulting in ongoing enhancements and a culture of accountability within the organization. The success of the program is attributed to clear prioritization, strategic planning, and continuous monitoring, which enable GitHub to maintain high standards and effectively mitigate risks, ensuring the platform remains trustworthy and efficient for developers worldwide.