Although the specific needs of each Working Group (WG) and Task Force (TF) may vary, the following table describes the recommended stages in the development of a ToIP deliverable (e.g., a specification, guide, template, or white paper):
| # | Stage | Activity | Exit Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initiation | Introduce members; agree on vision, mission, scope, process, tools, and schedule | Consensus on vision, mission, scope, process, tools, and schedule |
| 2 | Problem Definition | Stakeholders propose use cases to build a map of what problems they need to solve for whom | Consensus on the problem map |
| 3 | Requirements | Extract and enumerate specific requirements from the problem map | Consensus on requirements |
| 4 | Design Principles | Develop the principles that should guide/govern design of the solution | Consensus on design principles |
| 5 | Proposals | Members submit proposed solution designs | No further proposals |
| 6 | Consolidation | Members identify common elements and seek to develop a consolidated proposal | Consensus on contents of first Working Draft |
| 7 | Working Drafts † | A cycle of publishing Working Drafts, raising and resolving issues, and agreeing on revisions | Consensus on first Public Review Draft |
| 8 | Implementers Drafts | OPTIONAL for technical specifications where implementation feedback is desired prior to finalization. | Sufficient implementation feedback received |
| 9 | Public Review Drafts | Same as Working Draft stage except with public review | Consensus (or vote) on WG Approved Draft |
| 10 | WG Approved Draft † | WG decision to submit for SC approval | Consensus (or vote) to submit for SC approval |
| 11 | ToIP Approved Draft † | SC decision to approve as ToIP Deliverable | Consensus (or vote) to approve |
† Stages officially recognized in the Linux Foundation Joint Development Foundation process.
Stages 1 thru 6 (Prior to Working Drafts)
Many WGs or TFs may want to get "right to work", i.e., pick up the pen and start drafting. Some may even have started based on a contributed document or specification. However we strongly recommend taking the time to deliberately go through stages 1 through 6 in order to make sure all WG/TF members are aligned and working from the same conclusions about the mission, scope, problem definition, and requirements of the WG/TF. It is also highly recommended to give all members the opportunity to present their own solution proposals. This creates the healthiest environment for developing consensus in the Consolidation stage prior to formally commencing Working Drafts.
Stage 7: Working Drafts
When a WG/TF is ready to begin drafting, it must decide which collaboration tools it will use. ToIP offers two choices:
- Google Docs. This option is recommended if the WG/TF wants to minimize barriers for contributors. It can work well for non-technical deliverables, where intellectual property rights (IPR) for contributions are usually not an issue. In addition, it can be used for the early stages of drafting technical specifications—though it is still important to keep a clear record of which ToIP members make which contributions.
- GitHub Markdown documents. This option MUST be used for the final form of all ToIP technical specifications. It has the advantage of keeping a strict, verifiable datestamped record of all contributions by author. It is also recommended as the final form for any ToIP deliverable that wishes to take advantage of our Terminology Engine tools (produced by our Concepts and Terminology WG) for automatic linking and annotation of glossary terms.