Intergovernmental software collaboratives (ISC) have the potential to address longstanding and seemingly intractable issues in government IT projects. When done right, ISCs can help save governments time and money while increasing the likelihood of success of the project, the quality of the end solution, and satisfaction ratings from the public. However, the journey to success is rife with challenges which threaten the sustainability of ISCs.

This case study examines the governance of ActivitySim — an open-source, activity-based travel behavior modeling tool developed and managed by a consortium-based ISC. ActivitySim launched over eight years ago and has an extensive, publicly-defined governance infrastructure which shapes collaboration between members of the consortium. For the last several years, we have looked to ActivitySim as a strong example to mine for lessons in governance.