Where to go
From OpenSourceGov
Sourceforge.net
www.sourceforge.net is probably the biggest and best known place to find open source projects.
I don't mean open source languages, but finding the code behind the applications your organisation may need.
The Wikipedia page will give you some background, as will links at the foot of that page.
There are a lot of projects in there, here's some tips.
If you are looking for CRM then search for "CRM" if pick you way down to "CRM" ( example, CRM 926 projects - 4 mar 09) if you are only looking for a contact database management app, and you don't mind wading through CRM solutions, then look perhaps for "contact management".
You know what programming skills you have in-house, so look for the "filters" link, choose "languages" and then pick one to hone in on the language(s) you are looking for. Using the language filter is the best tip to get to what you need.
If you cannot find exactly what you are looking for using the language filters, then take them off, and decide whether you want to buy in some progamming skill to install and set up the application you seek.
When investigating a project, read very carefully the licence agreement before you download the source. By looking at each projects' activity you can glean how popular it is, whether it is still maintained, who is maintaining it etc.
If you find one or more clearly open sourced projects which seem close to your requirements, then the first step is probably to inspect the code. Many projects have their own website when you can "take the tour" or watch a video.
You can take the code and change it to suit your own special needs. If, as in our case, those special needs are government-biased, then you may find that with some effort you are effectively "forking the code" and could be creating a new Project B based on an original Project A.
Sourceforge.net provides a place to keep, and manage your software projects too, so your Project B could then likewise be shared with everyone that has a need for it.
You will find the source code for applications written in C# and vbscript for .Net alongside those written in Java, Ruby, Python and PHP etc.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that open source only means LAMP and OS languages.
On your hard drive
If you have some code in a library that you wrote yourself, and you find yourself depending upon it for some applications then you could consider making it freely available for others to use - don't make the mistake of thinking Open Source has to be a complete (or even coherent) package like a programme or an operating system.
It could just be an algorithm, like converting Eastings/Northings into Latitude/Longitude - thats very British, see?
