Onboarding training/information

[andjnewman]

Explore options to improve the information and training provided to new CG members and chairs.

Develop welcome packs for new members / chairs.
Host regular W3C CG welcome calls and encourage new members to attend - to promote the W3C approach.
Provide coaching/mentorship to new chairs from established chairs.
Provide chairs on training around their roles and responsibilities, including on complex legalistic matters such as competition and IP.
Host regular community of practice calls for chairs.

[ianbjacobs]

@andjnewman we have started work on these and I expect good progress in 2026.

[ianbjacobs]

In a discussion today I heard a request for additional supporting materials for people to understand how operations and processes will change between a CG and a WG.

[csarven]

I don't have hard data beyond anecdotal evidence:

Many CGs are created enthusiastically but a notable proportion appear to be short-lived. I presume there are several reasons for this, from initial excitement or problem fading, overcommitment, unclear expectations, or simply challenges in sustaining momentum. I understand there are periodic check-ins a couple of times a year based on activity, which I find useful.

I also think the ease of creating a CG should be complemented with better support for long-term viability. Making the creation process slightly more deliberate, while providing tools and guidance, could help keep groups active and moving forward.

I understand that there are tradeoffs on lowering or raising the bar to start a CG. I don't know what the right balance may be, unless there is some historical data to lean on.

I wonder whether raising the bar to start a CG could include ensuring chairs-to-be (or initial proposers) complete initial training as a prerequisite.

Providing structured information about the group being established to help set clearer expectations and hopefully improve sustainability, e.g., anything from indicating operating mode, meeting schedules (even if just default), and the types of outputs expected such as specs, use cases, implementations, etc.

Similarly indicating input documents. The groups to liaison with. And so on.

Some of this could help to automatically create a CG charter using templates at the time of group creation. I believe that even a basic charter associated with the group would contribute to its establishment.

[ianbjacobs]

Here's a word on progress on some of these topics:

• The first Chair training sessions (for both WG and CG Chairs) took place last week. A slide deck is available and recordings are also going to be made available. I have linked to the deck as well as another CG-specific training deck from the CG FAQ.
• Once we have recordings available, I expect us to start sending welcome emails to chairs. Those emails will include links to resources and invite chairs to contact the staff for a welcome conversation (or to discuss any issues).
• The CG Program committee has been meeting regularly to talk about new CGs, good practices, and updates to the program. See the meeting calendar.