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. Examples:
  

• New Entities Working Group, Federation Interop Working Group

• 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. See Tools for Publicizing Working Groups.

• Email mw-service@internet2.edu to request
  • email list
  • phone bridge or BlueJeans (video conferencing) coordinates
  • wiki space

• 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. An example is here.
    
  •  Configure permissions 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 working group agenda template.
  

• Make sure that Action Items are noted during the call, and reviewed at the end of the call.
  

• 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. See Tools for Publicizing Working Groups.

• 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 on-boarded 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.

• Stay in touch with the chair of the body that chartered your working group (e.g. Steering, TAC, AAC).
  
• 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. See Tools for Publicizing Working Groups.
  

• 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

Working Group Agenda template

Tools for Publicizing Working Groups

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