doc: add Working Groups document

README.md

@@ -8,20 +8,23 @@ If your project is interested in joining the Node.js Foundation please read the
 
 ## TSC Members
 
-## Top-Level WG and TLPs
+## Top-Level WGs and TLPs
 
-* Working Groups
- * Mentors
+* [Working Groups](WORKING_GROUPS.md)
+* Mentors
+
+    Project mentorship is not a technical role. In fact, mentors are
+    discouraged from giving technical advice to projects. Instead, the
+    purpose of mentorship is to encourage and improve a projects ability
+    to be participatory, transparent, and effective. Mentors are there to
+    help projects adopt and iterate on policies and processes that achieve
+    these goals and eventually allow them to graduate the incubation phase.
+
+      * Mikeal Rogers (@mikeal)  
 * Top-Level Projects
  * Core TLP
   * Core WGs (streams, http, Intl)
 
-## Mentors
-
-Project mentorship is not a technical role. In fact, mentors are discouraged from giving technical advice to projects. Instead, the purpose of mentorship is to encourage and improve a projects ability to be participatory, transparent, and effective. Mentors are there to help projects adopt and iterate on policies and processes that achieve these goals and eventually allow them to graduate the incubation phase.
-
-* Mikeal Rogers (@mikeal)
-
 ## Policy Change Proposal Process
 
 The Node.js TSC is chartered to oversee the technical governance of all Top

WORKING_GROUPS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,222 @@
+# Node.js Working Groups
+
+Node.js Working Groups are autonomous projects created by the
+[Technical Steering Committee (TSC)](https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/master/GOVERNANCE.md#technical-committee).
+
+Working Groups can be formed at any time but must be ratified by the TSC.
+Once formed the work defined in the Working Group charter is the
+responsibility of the WG rather than the TSC.
+
+It is important that Working Groups are not formed pre-maturely. Working
+Groups are not formed to *begin* a set of tasks but instead are formed
+once that work is already underway and the contributors
+think it would benefit from being done as an autonomous project.
+
+If the work defined in a Working Group charter is completed, the Working Group
+should be dissolved and the responsibility for governance absorbed back into
+the TSC. A Working Group can be dissolved either through consensus of the
+Working Group membership or normal TSC motion and vote.
+
+## Current Working Groups
+
+> (none)
+
+Technical Working Groups exist in the [nodejs/node repository](https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/master/WORKING_GROUPS.md). 
+
+#### Process:
+
+* [Starting a Working Group](#starting-a-wg)
+* [Bootstrap Governance](#bootstrap-governance)
+
+## Starting a WG
+
+A Working Group is established by first defining a charter  that can be
+ratified by the TC. A charter is a *statement of purpose*, a
+*list of responsibilities* and a *list of initial membership*.
+
+A working group needs 3 initial members. These should be individuals
+already undertaking the work described in the charter.
+
+The list of responsibilities should be specific. Once established, these
+responsibilities are no longer governed by the TC and therefore should
+not be broad or subjective. The only recourse the TC has over the working
+group is to revoke the entire charter and take on the work previously
+done by the working group themselves.
+
+If the responsibilities described in the charter are currently
+undertaken by another WG then the charter will additionally have to be
+ratified by that WG.
+
+You can submit the WG charter for ratification by sending
+a Pull Request to this document, which adds it to the
+list of current Working Groups. Once ratified the list of
+members should be maintained in the Working Group's
+README.
+
+## Bootstrap Governance
+
+Once the TC ratifies a charter the WG inherits the following
+documentation for governance, contribution, conduct and an MIT
+LICENSE. The WG is free to change these documents through their own
+governance process, hence the term "bootstrap."
+
+### *[insert WG name]* Working Group
+
+The Node.js *[insert WG name]* is jointly governed by a Working Group (WG)
+that is responsible for high-level guidance of the project.
+
+The WG has final authority over this project including:
+
+* Technical direction
+* Project governance and process (including this policy)
+* Contribution policy
+* GitHub repository hosting
+* Conduct guidelines
+* Maintaining the list of additional Collaborators
+
+For the current list of WG members, see the project
+[README.md](./README.md#current-project-team-members).
+
+### Collaborators
+
+The *[insert WG name]* GitHub repository is
+maintained by the WG and additional Collaborators who are added by the
+WG on an ongoing basis.
+
+Individuals making significant and valuable contributions are made
+Collaborators and given commit-access to the project. These
+individuals are identified by the WG and their addition as
+Collaborators is discussed during the weekly WG meeting.
+
+_Note:_ If you make a significant contribution and are not considered
+for commit-access log an issue or contact a WG member directly and it
+will be brought up in the next WG meeting.
+
+Modifications of the contents of the *[insert WG repo]* repository are made on
+a collaborative basis. Anybody with a GitHub account may propose a
+modification via pull request and it will be considered by the project
+Collaborators. All pull requests must be reviewed and accepted by a
+Collaborator with sufficient expertise who is able to take full
+responsibility for the change. In the case of pull requests proposed
+by an existing Collaborator, an additional Collaborator is required
+for sign-off. Consensus should be sought if additional Collaborators
+participate and there is disagreement around a particular
+modification. See _Consensus Seeking Process_ below for further detail
+on the consensus model used for governance.
+
+Collaborators may opt to elevate significant or controversial
+modifications, or modifications that have not found consensus to the
+WG for discussion by assigning the ***WG-agenda*** tag to a pull
+request or issue. The WG should serve as the final arbiter where
+required.
+
+For the current list of Collaborators, see the project
+[README.md](./README.md#current-project-team-members).
+
+### WG Membership
+
+WG seats are not time-limited.  There is no fixed size of the WG.
+However, the expected target is between 6 and 12, to ensure adequate
+coverage of important areas of expertise, balanced with the ability to
+make decisions efficiently.
+
+There is no specific set of requirements or qualifications for WG
+membership beyond these rules.
+
+The WG may add additional members to the WG by unanimous consensus.
+
+A WG member may be removed from the WG by voluntary resignation, or by
+unanimous consensus of all other WG members.
+
+Changes to WG membership should be posted in the agenda, and may be
+suggested as any other agenda item (see "WG Meetings" below).
+
+If an addition or removal is proposed during a meeting, and the full
+WG is not in attendance to participate, then the addition or removal
+is added to the agenda for the subsequent meeting.  This is to ensure
+that all members are given the opportunity to participate in all
+membership decisions.  If a WG member is unable to attend a meeting
+where a planned membership decision is being made, then their consent
+is assumed.
+
+No more than 1/3 of the WG members may be affiliated with the same
+employer.  If removal or resignation of a WG member, or a change of
+employment by a WG member, creates a situation where more than 1/3 of
+the WG membership shares an employer, then the situation must be
+immediately remedied by the resignation or removal of one or more WG
+members affiliated with the over-represented employer(s).
+
+### WG Meetings
+
+The WG meets weekly on a Google Hangout On Air. A designated moderator
+approved by the WG runs the meeting. Each meeting should be
+published to YouTube.
+
+Items are added to the WG agenda that are considered contentious or
+are modifications of governance, contribution policy, WG membership,
+or release process.
+
+The intention of the agenda is not to approve or review all patches;
+that should happen continuously on GitHub and be handled by the larger
+group of Collaborators.
+
+Any community member or contributor can ask that something be added to
+the next meeting's agenda by logging a GitHub Issue. Any Collaborator,
+WG member or the moderator can add the item to the agenda by adding
+the ***WG-agenda*** tag to the issue.
+
+Prior to each WG meeting the moderator will share the Agenda with
+members of the WG. WG members can add any items they like to the
+agenda at the beginning of each meeting. The moderator and the WG
+cannot veto or remove items.
+
+The WG may invite persons or representatives from certain projects to
+participate in a non-voting capacity.
+
+The moderator is responsible for summarizing the discussion of each
+agenda item and sends it as a pull request after the meeting.
+
+### Consensus Seeking Process
+
+The WG follows a
+[Consensus Seeking](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus-seeking_decision-making)
+decision-making model.
+
+When an agenda item has appeared to reach a consensus the moderator
+will ask "Does anyone object?" as a final call for dissent from the
+consensus.
+
+If an agenda item cannot reach a consensus a WG member can call for
+either a closing vote or a vote to table the issue to the next
+meeting. The call for a vote must be seconded by a majority of the WG
+or else the discussion will continue. Simple majority wins.
+
+Note that changes to WG membership require unanimous consensus.  See
+"WG Membership" above.
+
+### Developer's Certificate of Origin 1.0
+
+By making a contribution to this project, I certify that:
+
+* (a) The contribution was created in whole or in part by me and I
+  have the right to submit it under the open source license indicated
+  in the file; or
+* (b) The contribution is based upon previous work that, to the best
+  of my knowledge, is covered under an appropriate open source license
+  and I have the right under that license to submit that work with
+  modifications, whether created in whole or in part by me, under the
+  same open source license (unless I am permitted to submit under a
+  different license), as indicated in the file; or
+* (c) The contribution was provided directly to me by some other
+  person who certified (a), (b) or (c) and I have not modified it.
+
+### Moderation Policy
+
+The [Node.js Moderation Policy] applies to this WG.
+
+### Code of Conduct
+
+The [Node.js Code of Conduct][] applies to this WG.
+
+[Node.js Code of Conduct]: https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
+[Node.js Moderation Policy]: https://github.com/nodejs/TSC/blob/master/Moderation-Policy.md