Where collaboration
takes place
In SEAF, collaboration happens within spokes.
A spoke is a governed, multi-party arrangement established for a specific region or thematic purpose. It is where decisions are made about:
- What analyses are undertaken
- Who participates
- What gets produced
Each spoke is governed by a steering committee representing participating organisations. It decides:
- Who joins
- Which products exist
- How disputes are resolved
- How money is spent
- Spoke-specific operational policies
Spokes operate independently, retaining autonomous control while still working within theshared framework maintained by the hub. This balance allows strong local ownership while preserving system-wide trust and interoperability.
Operating shared analytical environments
SEAF separates governance authority from infrastructure operations. A designated operator administers the shared analytical environments. The operator is responsible for:
- Deploying and maintaining infrastructure
- Implementing zone agreements
- Managing access controls
- Maintaining registers of authorised personnel
- Administering technical onboarding
The operator does not:
- Determine policy
- Arbitrate governance disputes
- Control scientific interpretation
This separation ensures the infrastructure is managed neutrally and transparently, while governance decisions remain accountable to participants.
