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 is a good choice if it is important to minimize barriers to contributions if the deliverable is not a technical specification or doesn't
- GitHub.