Guidelines for Trust and Identity Working Group Chairs and Flywheels

Time to spin up a new collaborative working group? Wondering how the email list, wiki, calendar, agendas and other details will work? This page is designed to help.

Start Up Steps for a Working Group

Develop charge/scope document

For reference, here are some examples:

Identify a chair and (optionally) co-chair for the working group
In the case of a governance or advisory group, there may be an Internet2 flywheel assigned, that is, a designated Internet2 staff member to assist with the group. See Table of Internet2 Support Levels to Trust and Identity Working Groups.

Publicize call for membership, which may involve using

emails to existing group lists
blog
Facebook/Twitter
Outreach to key stakeholder communities to get appropriate group membership
Feel free to consult with emily@internet2.edu on these steps

Email mw-service@internet2.edu to request

email list
phone bridge or BlueJeans (video conferencing) coordinates
wiki space

Reminder to Internet2/InCommon staff:

Working Group wikis are to be created at the top level of the spaces wiki.
Be sure the working group is listed on the Internet2 website and the wiki linked to from the InCommon Working Group Home

Determine the meeting schedule

may use a Doodle Poll to determine members’ availability

Optional: Establish a calendar invite using Outlook (Because group membership changes and can be hard to keep up with in a calendar tool, we rely primarily on emails to inform the community of working group calls, we do not always provide a calendar invite)

Additional Infrastructure

notes / minutes if needed. Collaborative scribing using a Google doc is recommended.
- Set up one Google Doc to be reused for collaborative scribing.
- Configure permissions it up so anyone with the link has edit access, unless you need to restrict it more tightly
- To archive the collaboratively scribed notes, either
  - include a link to the collaborative scribing doc on the Working Group wiki , and/or
  - On the working group wiki, create a page for the minutes after each call, and transfer the notes into that page. .

other tools as needed, such as:

Box.com for document storage
Adobe Connect or other tool for slide sharing during calls
Video Conferencing (BlueJeans is available from Internet2 as of summer 2015, it can be used instead of the Edial phone bridge)
Feel free to Email mw-service@internet2.edu to request help with the above tools

Ongoing Support

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

sending an agenda prior to calls
See sample working group agenda here

Make sure that Action Items are reviewed at the end of the call, tracked and followed up on
For software development groups ensure that all contributors have signed the contrib agreement.
Wiki / website should be updated with relevant information

Update the community on status / milestones /accomplishments. Feel free to consult with emily@internet2.edu on these steps, which may include:

press release
blog
Internet2 or InCommon Facebook
Internet2 or InCommon Twitter
webinars
presentations at other organizations' meetings and at Internet2 meetings
Blurb in
- Internet2 Community Update or
- InCommon Monthly Newsletter

Schedule Birds of a Feather (BOF) sessions or working group meetings at Internet2 Conferences
Schedule and coordinate additional Face-to-Face 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 (Emily will help with this)

Tips for Working Group Chairs

Logistics:

Send logistical needs/requests/questions to mw-service@internet2.edu
Both Emily Eisbruch and Dean Woodbeck will receive the requests you send to mw-service@internet2.edu
If you do not receive a timely response, or have follow up questions, email mw-service@internet2.edu again.

During Calls:

Welcome group members
Define goals
Prior to calls, send out agenda (see above in "Ongoing support" section)
Follow agenda; if completely new items come up, consider adding them to the agenda for a future call
Leave time for questions
Review Action Items at end of call
Finish calls on time
Draw out people who may be reticent or shy

Other:

Serve 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 -

work to wrap up very long discussions/discussion threads on calls/email
Acknowledge group membership contributions
On working group calls, in emails, and in other forums, create a friendly, positive experience

Closing a Group

When a group finishes its work or gets transitioned/combined for a new phase of work:

Summarize the group’s work
Update the community on group's accomplishments. Feel free to consult with emily@internet2.edu on these steps, which may include:
press release
blog
Internet2 or InCommon Facebook
Internet2 or InCommon Twitter
webinars
presentations at other organizations' meetings and at Internet2 meetings
Blurb in
- Internet2 Community Update or
- InCommon Monthly Newsletter
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)

See Also:

InCommon Working Group Home

Sample Working Group Agenda

Internet2 Support Levels to Trust and Identity Working Groups (Google Doc)