Overall Support Needs for a Group

Processes for establishing and supporting a working group are listed below. The startup steps generally require Internet2 staff support.  The ongoing support functions are sometimes done by an Internet2 staff flywheel, and sometimes by the working group chair. 

Start Up

• Develop charge/scope document

• For reference, examples:

• Assurance Advisory Committee

• External Identities Working Group

• New Entities Working Group

• Identify a chair and co-chair

• Publicize call for membership, may involve using

• emails to existing group lists

• blog

• Facebook/Twitter

• Outreach to key stakeholder communities to get appropriate group membership

• mailing list (Sympa)

• Decision: is this an open list that anyone can join, or do individuals need to be approved before being added?

• Edial phone bridge

• wiki (Confluence)

• meeting schedule

• may use a Doodle Poll to determine members’ availability

• calendar invite
  
  

Additional Infrastructure

• notes / minutes if needed

• other tools as needed, such as:

• voting tool

• community forum tool

• Box.com for document storage

• Adobe Connect or other tool for slide sharing during calls

• Video Conferencing

Ongoing Support

• Ensure good practice is followed for working group calls, including:

• sending an agenda prior to calls

• agenda should include:

• roll call

• Intellectual Property Framework  Reminder

• agenda bash

• Action Items are tracked and followed up on

• For software development groups ensure that all contributors have signed the contrib agreement.

• Wiki / website is updated with relevant information

• Add new names to the email list as needed

• Update the community on status / milestones /accomplishments. May include:

• press release

• blog

• Internet2 or InCommon Facebook

• Internet2 or InCommon Twitter

• webinars

• Blurb in

• Internet2 Community Update or

• InCommon Monthly Newsletter

• presentations at Internet2 meetings

• presentations at other organizations' meetings

• Schedule BOFs at Internet2 meetings

• Schedule and coordinate additional F2F meetings as needed

• For groups where the charter dictates membership terms (i.e. governance and advisory groups) ensure that the terms are adhered to, and new members are recruited and onboarded accordingly.  Send letter of appreciation to outgoing members of governance and advisory groups.

Closing  a Group

Sometimes groups finish their work or get transitioned/combined for a new phase of work. Closing a group may involve:

• Summarize the group’s work

• Express appreciation to group members for their contribution

• Email to the appropriate list(s) of the group’s closing

• Indicate on the wiki and / or website the group's completed status

• Remove calendar item from people's calendars

• Close Sympa email list after a period of time (optional, there may a reason to keep the list around in case follow-up is needed)

Suggested Strategies to Better Support Groups

• Use a collaboration management platform (CMP)

• Increases efficiency in setting up and maintaining the group, as one list of names (sometimes compiled via an email invitation process) can be fed into multiple tools (Sympa and Confluence, and hopefully in the future a scheduling tool).

• The LARPP project has used the COmanage CMP

• Standardize procedures for setting up a wiki space for a new WG.  (Done, new working groups are at top level in spaces wiki.  Must be listed on the WG Home page here.)
  

• Collaborative Scribing

• Leads to more accurate and timely notes, as they are compiled and reviewed by the group in real time

• the collaborative scribing approach (with Google docs) is being used successfully by the Grouper Working Group and the Technology Exchange 2015 Trust & Identity Meeting Planning Group.  Has also been successful at the ACAMP Unconference

• Establish/Maintain a spreadsheet of community members (and their interest/expertise) willing to serve on working groups.

• Benefits include:

• Provide a clearer pathway to involvement

• Lead to a more broadly engaged community

• Help avoid a small group of people getting tapped repeatedly

• A tool for new leadership development

• Archive Strategy - need to work on procedures

• Maintain metadata

• Be sure all is easily findable both during and after the working group

• Suggested Tool Strategy - need to work on procedures

• Standard Tools (Sympa, Confluence, Edial)

• Supplementary Tools, Box vs Google Docs , etc (highlight Pros and Cons)

• Provide "how to" document on chairing a working group

• Could include

• Boiler Plate Charge document (Emily working on this)

• Welcoming group members

• Defining goals

• Sending out agendas, starting with the "top-of-agenda basics" (roll call, Intellection Property Reminder, agenda bash)

• Following agenda

• Leaving time for questions

• Finish calls on time

• Drawing out people who may be reticent or shy

• Provide resources needed for group members to be successful

• Serving as a bridge to Internet2 staff where needed

• Serving as a bridge/ambassador to other Internet2 efforts

• Gently but firmly moving efforts forward/toward conclusion - skillsets for wrapping up very long discussions/discussion threads on calls/email

• Acknowledging group membership contributions

• Creating a friendly, positive experience