docs(community): add governance and join-a-council pages

docs/docs/community/governance/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+---
+sidebar_position: 1
+title: Governance
+description: How the Open Data Ensemble is governed, who sits on each council, and how to join one.
+---
+
+# Governance
+
+ODE is an open-source, vendor-neutral project run by its community. The **ODE Governance Framework v1.0** was voted into effect by the Governance Council on 19 September 2026. The full text lives in [GOVERNANCE.md](https://github.com/OpenDataEnsemble/.github/blob/main/GOVERNANCE.md).
+
+Responsibility in ODE is earned through contribution: **eligibility through merit, selection through voting.**
+
+## How decisions are split
+
+- The **Product Council** decides *what* we build and *why*.
+- The **Technical Council** decides *how* we build it.
+- The **Community Council** looks after *people and participation*.
+- The **So.Me. Council** looks after *visibility and communication*.
+- The **Governance Council** looks after the rules, the council structure and the long-term health of the project.
+
+## Roles
+
+| Role | What it involves |
+|---|---|
+| **Community member** | Anyone who uses, implements or is interested in ODE. |
+| **Maintainer** | Looks after the code: reviews and merges pull requests, triages issues, cuts releases, mentors contributors and makes everyday component decisions. |
+| **Council member** | A voting member of a council, elected by the Governance Council, who takes part in council meetings and engages actively in ODE. |
+| **Council lead** | Facilitates the council's meetings, breaks ties and delegates tasks within the council. |
+| **General Secretary** | Elected from the Governance Council. Holds trademarks, funding relationships and infrastructure on behalf of the project. |
+
+## What each council covers
+
+Each council has **5 seats**.
+
+| Council | Responsibilities |
+|---|---|
+| **Governance** | Governance rules and charter · council structure and elections · major strategic questions · major disputes and appeals · succession · project independence · sustainability · partnerships |
+| **Product** | Product vision · product roadmap · requirements · prioritisation · user needs and feedback · implementer and partner needs · UX/UI direction · product discovery |
+| **Technical** | Architecture · technical standards · technical roadmap · APIs and compatibility · security · QA and testing strategy · release policy · infrastructure and CI/CD |
+| **Community** | Contributor onboarding · mentoring · community events · working groups · contributor recognition · community health · developer relations · documentation and education |
+| **So.Me.** | Social media · public announcements · project storytelling · campaigns and content · website and news content · brand and public voice · release and event promotion · community outreach |
+
+## Seats
+
+Each council has 5 seats. Members serve a 2-year term.
+
+| Council | Seats available now |
+|---|---|
+| Product | Yes |
+| Technical | Yes |
+| Community | Yes |
+| So.Me. | Yes |
+| Governance | No. Open to existing council members only. |
+
+## Join a council
+
+Seats are open on the Product, Technical, Community and So.Me. councils. See [Join a council](./join-a-council.md) for who can apply, how selection works and the application form.
+
+## Transparency
+
+Governance Council minutes are published read-only. Membership decisions are recorded in the minutes and announced on the [ODE forum](https://forum.opendataensemble.org/).
+
+Questions about governance are welcome on the [forum](https://forum.opendataensemble.org/) or at [hello@opendataensemble.org](mailto:hello@opendataensemble.org).

docs/docs/community/governance/join-a-council.md

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+---
+sidebar_position: 2
+title: Join a council
+description: Who can apply for an ODE council seat, how selection works, and the application form.
+---
+
+# Join a council
+
+ODE is opening seats on four of its councils. You don't need to be an expert, and your contribution doesn't have to be code. We're interested in what you have contributed, what you care about, and how you would like to help the community grow.
+
+**[Open the application form →](https://opendataensemble.org/councils/apply.html)**
+
+## Open seats
+
+Seats are available on these councils:
+
+| Council | Focus |
+|---|---|
+| Product | Product vision, roadmap, requirements, user and implementer needs, UX/UI direction |
+| Technical | Architecture, standards, APIs, security, QA and testing, releases, infrastructure |
+| Community | Onboarding, mentoring, events, working groups, recognition, documentation and education |
+| So.Me. | Social media, announcements, storytelling, campaigns, website content, brand and public voice |
+
+The Governance Council has no open seats. Only existing council members can apply to it.
+
+## Who can apply
+
+Anyone who has shown **sustained contribution** to ODE. You judge for yourself whether you are ready. Contribution includes code and pull requests, documentation, testing, design, product feedback, answering questions on the forum, organising or helping at events, mentoring, translations and content.
+
+If you are new to ODE, start contributing first. The [first-time contributor guide](../contribute/first-time.md) and the [forum](https://forum.opendataensemble.org/) are good places to begin, and you can apply in a later round.
+
+## How selection works
+
+1. **Apply** with the [application form](https://opendataensemble.org/councils/apply.html). When you finish, the form saves your answers as a text file and opens an email to hello@opendataensemble.org. Attach the file and send it.
+2. **Acknowledgement.** We confirm we have received your application.
+3. **Review.** Members of the council you applied to read your application. They may invite you to a short, informal conversation, or suggest a small contribution if your ODE history is short.
+4. **Vote.** The Governance Council votes on new members.
+5. **Reply.** Everyone gets an answer. If you are not selected this round, we suggest a next contribution so you can build toward a future round.
+
+New members serve a **2-year term** and agree to the council member expectations: take part in council discussions and meetings, own the tasks they take on, communicate openly about their availability, and work respectfully with other contributors.
+
+## What we look at
+
+- **Contribution:** meaningful participation in ODE or a similar community.
+- **Motivation:** an understanding of what the council is for.
+- **Contribution potential:** a realistic way to contribute to that council.
+- **Collaboration:** working constructively with others.
+- **Commitment:** being able to take part and take responsibility.
+
+Council membership is based on active participation rather than a fixed number of hours.
+
+## Questions
+
+Ask on the [ODE forum](https://forum.opendataensemble.org/) or write to [hello@opendataensemble.org](mailto:hello@opendataensemble.org). The full rules are in [GOVERNANCE.md](https://github.com/OpenDataEnsemble/.github/blob/main/GOVERNANCE.md).

docs/docs/community/index.md

@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ Connect with the ODE community, get help, and share your experiences.
   </div>
 </div>
 
+## Governance
+
+ODE is run by its community through five councils. Read how [governance](./governance/index.md) works, or [join a council](./governance/join-a-council.md).
+
 ## Join the Community
 
 - **Forum**: [forum.opendataensemble.org](https://forum.opendataensemble.org) - Ask questions and share knowledge

docs/sidebars.ts

@@ -243,6 +243,12 @@ const sidebars: SidebarsConfig = {
         'community/examples',
         'community/contribute/first-time',
         'community/contribute/code-of-conduct',
+        {
+          type: 'category',
+          label: 'Governance',
+          link: {type: 'doc', id: 'community/governance/index'},
+          items: ['community/governance/join-a-council'],
+        },
       ],
     },