Minutes Guide

Upload folder

• Minutes should be uploaded to the top-level Telecon_minutes folder. Do not upload them in the year sub-folder.

• After approval minutes move to the year sub-folder. For example 2007 minutes final archiving place is the 2007_minutes folder.

• If there are any issues with uploading then mail the minutes to the secretary.

Proposed format for minutes

Suggested format, for discussion, is below. Formatting details may be changed freely as long as the required information is present.

| OGSA Teleconference - <<Day Month Year>>  - <<Topic Name>>
| =========================================================
| 
| * Participants
| 
|   <<Name [(Affiliation)]>>+
| 
|   Minutes: <<Name>>
| 
| * Summary of New Actions
| 
|   "A copy of all new actions. 
|    The actions MUST also appear in context in the body of the minutes,
|    to provde additional information.
|    This section MAY be omitted if there are no identified actions
|    The chair and the minute taker MUST verify actions at the end of
|    the session"
| 
| * Minutes <<day month>> approved with [changes/no changes]
| 
|   "Omit if no minutes are approved in this call
|    If minutes are approved with changes then a list of changes
|    MUST be included"
| 
| * Action Item review
| 
|   "Summary of reviewed actions and outcome.
|    This MAY be very brief: listing just the tracker artifact number 
|    and status change"
| 
| * <<Topic>>
|   "The topic MUST be explicitly identified by the Chair, e.g., by
|     referring to a specific part of the agenda.
|    If the minute taker is not clear how a discussion fits within the
|    posted agenda he/she MUST consult the Chair, interrupting the
|    discussion at an appropriate point if necessary.
| 
| ** <<Subtopic>>
|   "The sub-topic MUST be explicitly identified by the Chair, e.g., by
|     referring to a specific part of the agenda.
|    If the minute taker is not clear how a discussion fits within the
|    posted agenda he/she MUST consult the Chair, interrupting the
|    discussion at an appropriate point if necessary.
| 
|   [Detailed description of discussion, possibly using  the format
|   - <<item>>
|   - <<item>>
|    ]
|
|   "Other 'bullet' markers are acceptable as long as they are used consistently."
|
|   "Detailed description is OPTIONAL. It is up to the minute taker
|   how much detail is recorded. 
|   The minute taker MUST record items specifically requested by the Chair.
|   The Chair and the minute taker MUST collaborate to identify and
|   record Issues/Consensus/Actions.
|   This work, however, is primarily the Chair's responsibility."
|
|   [-] ISSUE: <<description of issue or question being discussed>>
|   [-] CONSENSUS: <<description of consensus reached, refering to Issue>>
|   [-] ACTION: <<Full Name, or name+initial>> <<description of
|		action>> [expected date of completion]
| 
| ** <<SubTopic>>
| 
| * <<Topic>>
| 

Comments on the format:

• Text with no marking is fixed/unchanging and required
• Text in <<>> is variable and required
• Text in [] is optional
• Text in "" is explanatory text for this proposal
• Suggested format uses * as main topic marker; ** for subtopic and so on.
  • The - character is used to list discussion items
  • Using other characters or formatting that makes this hierarchy explicit is acceptable but it is important to identify a hierarchy in the discussion. Consistency is important.
  • (The above format is derived from Emacs Outline and Filladapt minor modes)
• The following keywords should be used to identify the specific issue being discussed (if any), agreements reached and actions identified.
  • ISSUE
  • CONSENSUS
  • ACTION
• Actions must be assigned to a person. If no person is identified the session Chair becomes the default owner.
• It is the primarily the Chair's responsibility to identify and make explicit in the discussion Issues/Consensus/Actions
• It is the minute takers responsibility to make sure that Issues/Consensus/Actions are correctly recorded, by consulting with the Chair at appropriate points
• It is recommended that a 5-10 minutes at the end of each session are allocated to review at least the Actions and ideally also Issues and Consensus.