Expunge Assist Team Charter - hackforla/expunge-assist GitHub Wiki

Version 2 - May 2025. View the living document and sign here..

Expunge Assist Charter

Last Update: May 2025

⚠️ Key Policy Reminder

Consistent communication is essential to team health and productivity. If a member misses two consecutive weeks of meetings without any communication via Slack, we will assume they are offboarding and begin that process. Please notify your PM or Lead if circumstances arise.

1. Overview

Project Name: Expunge Assist
Expunge Assist is a free digital tool specifically designed to aid Californians with arrest and conviction histories in clearing their criminal records.

Organization: Hack for LA

Mission Statement:
Hack for LA brings together civic-minded volunteers to build digital products, programs and services with community partners and local government to address issues in our LA region.

Objectives

  • Efficient and effective collaboration within and across teams
  • Shared, mutual goals and prioritizations
  • Refined, accessible processes to ensure continuity between existing, incoming, and outgoing members
  • Work that is fully documented, easily accessible and replicable
  • Public-facing information that reflects a proper level of expertise

We support a collaborative framework characterized by mutual trust, reflection, and open/early dialog. We encourage clear ownership of issues to avoid ambiguity.

2. Expectations

2a. General

Charter:
To adhere to this charter as well as the Hack for LA standards laid out in your onboarding (time commitment, undivided attention, commitment to documentation).

Participation:
Attend weekly meetings consistently, contribute to meeting discussions, and update your team on your progress of issues you’re working on asynchronously.
⚠️ If you miss two weeks in a row of meetings without communication, your team will assume you are offboarding and begin that process.

Communication:
Respond to Slack messages and GitHub update requests in a timely manner.

Commitment to Each Other:

  • Team members: Communicate with your Lead and PM
  • Lead: Communicate with your team members and your PM
  • PM: Communicate with your Lead, other PMs, the Org (Bonnie)

For all: If absent from team/core meetings more than 2 times a month reconsider participation (options include: staying with modifications, offboarding, joining another HfLA project, or attending weekly Community of Practice meetings only).

Accountability:
Complete assigned tasks by deadlines and keep your team informed of progress and challenges.

Capacity Strain:

  • Volunteers: Talk to your PM or Lead if struggling with workload or missing meetings more than twice a month.
  • PMs/Leads: Consider recruiting a replacement or offboarding from leadership if workload becomes unmanageable.

Every contribution is valuable. Stepping back when needed also creates space for others to contribute.

2b. Offboarding Expectations

  • Advance Notice: Provide at least one month’s notice whenever possible.
  • Knowledge Transfer:
    • Identify a successor or transfer responsibilities.
    • Update project documentation (GitHub, etc.)
    • Provide instructions for ongoing tasks/projects.

3. Roles & Responsibilities

Current team roster can be viewed here.

We encourage ownership of issues to avoid ambiguity.

UX Research

Support dev, content, and design teams by:

  1. Building expertise in expungement laws in California
  2. Maintaining collaborative processes
  3. Evaluating product to ensure quality

UX Design

Focus on usability, visual design, and accessibility. Maintain/update Figma files and collaborate with Dev/Content/Research teams.

Content Design

Design and maintain website content. Create and maintain guidelines for voice, tone, information architecture, and terminology.

Dev

Build and rigorously test the product. Define technical requirements collaboratively to ensure a user-focused solution.

Product Managers

Define product vision, develop roadmaps, and prioritize tasks. Ensure continuous progress by reassigning stagnant issues.

4. Communication Plan

a. Purpose

To establish clear guidelines for communication to ensure efficiency, transparency, and timely updates.

b. Communication Tools and Their Uses

Tool Primary Use Communication Type
GitHub Documentation, task tracking, code collaboration Formal asynchronous updates
Slack Daily communication, quick questions Informal real-time collaboration
Zoom Formal scheduled meetings Structured discussions and decisions
Google Suite Collaborative documents and storage Data sharing, calendar
Figma/Figjam Design and whiteboarding Design and content collaboration

🔁 Weekly check-ins and timely replies are expected.

Details

GitHub

  • Primary Use: Main project management and documentation
  • Best Practices:
    • Document everything
    • Comment on issues regularly
  • Response Time: Weekly update once assigned an issue

Slack

  • Primary Use: Quick communication
  • Best Practices:
    • Use threads
    • Use appropriate channels
  • Response Time: Within 24–48 hours

Zoom

  • Primary Use: Weekly and monthly formal meetings
  • Best Practices:
    • Prepare and circulate agendas in advance
    • Rotate agenda creation, facilitation, and note-taking

Google Suite

  • Collaborative documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and calendar management.

Figma/Figjam

  • Wireframes, annotations, and design archives.
  • Label issues and maintain annotations prior to Dev/Content review.

5. Conflict Resolution

  1. Direct Communication: Volunteers should first attempt resolution themselves.
  2. Mediation: Reach out to a neutral party (PM) if needed.
  3. Escalation: Unresolved conflicts will be escalated to Hack for LA leadership.

6. Meeting Schedule

You are expected to:

  • Attend weekly meetings consistently
  • Contribute to discussions
  • Update your team asynchronously

⚠️ If you miss two consecutive meetings without communication, the team will assume you are offboarding.

View the Meeting Schedule here.

7. FAQs & Roadmapping

Q: Who can create an issue in GitHub?
A: Any team member.

Q: Who is responsible for labeling and moving issues correctly?
A: PMs and Leads (ideally weekly).

Q: What are our priorities?
A: Build a pitchable product for community partners, and align team with a clear internal roadmap.

8. Reviews and Updates

  • Regular Reviews: The charter will be reviewed and updated as needed.
  • Updates: Discussed with the team and approved by consensus.

This charter serves as a living document guiding the Expunge Assist project.

May 2025 Signatures

✍️ Signature & Acknowledgement
By signing this charter, I acknowledge the importance of proactive communication. I understand that missing two consecutive weeks of meetings without communication via Slack will result in automatic offboarding.

Signatures