# Working Groups and Local Chapters

Working Groups are the heart and the muscles of D4CR. \
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Working groups are circles of people making things happen based on the [D4CR strategy](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/broken-reference) and overall mission. \
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Currently, working groups are:

* [D4CR Guide](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/working-groups-local-chapters/d4cr-guide)
* [MOOC](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/working-groups-local-chapters/mooc)
* [Local Chapters](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/working-groups-local-chapters/local-chapters)

*You can either :* 

**a) Join and contribute to one of the existing Working Groups** \
Anyone can join the working group(s). Browse the WG pages in this handbook to discover the active groups. 

*or*

**b) Start a new Working Group:** \
WGs can be started by any of the [Contributing Members](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/structure/working-group-contributors-and-contributing-members) volunteering to lead a group or nominated by anyone from the community. \
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Is there something that is not yet done within our mission & [strategy](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/broken-reference) that your hands are itching to get going with? Then get start a new Working Group.

The person(s) (1 or 2) initiating the Working Group becomes a [Working Group Lead(s) ](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/structure/steering-group-members)- wgLs and they can recruit more [contributors](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/structure/working-group-contributors-and-contributing-members) with more capacity. 

Working groups can be temporary or permanent. \
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Working Groups can have related groups or child sub-groups (e.g. Local Chapters has child working groups at each of the locations). It is then the responsibility of the wgL to coordinate and synch in a bigger working group circle through the #wg-all [Slack](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/technical-tools-1/slack) channel and quarterly calls. 

Steering members will keep an overview of all active working groups, and clear out the inactive ones on a 6-months cycle.

Read more about the  [Working Group Lead](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/structure/steering-group-members) and [Working Group Contributor](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/structure/working-group-contributors-and-contributing-members) roles. 

### **To start a working group, the initiator(s) should:**  

Send a message in Slack channel #d4cr-main with subject line "New Working Group". The message should contain:

* **name** of the new working group, e.g. "Financial Working Group"
* **scope** of the group, description of activities and of how the group  fits into [strategy and mission of D4CR](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/broken-reference) 
* **list of contributors** : a list of people (name, profession, city, country) who are in the group already. Extra karma points for profile photos or links to them. 
* **lead(s)** : a working group can have 1-2 leads. The person(s) initiating the WG and sending this email becomes the [Working Group Lead(s)](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/structure/steering-group-members) 
* statement **whether or not you are looking for additional contributors** and a way for people to join, if appropriate 

### **Each Working Group then should:** 

* Create a page in this handbook sharing basic overview of the points mentioned above (*name* of the group, *scope*, *contributors & leads lists* & how to join if appropriate) 
* Start a [Slack](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/technical-tools-1/slack) channel using the wg- naming convention, e.g. #wg-mooc (and optionally, if the group prefers, a private Slack channel #wg-mooc-private ). 
* Start using a dedicated D4CR [Google Drive](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/technical-tools-1/drive) folder for storing and sharing working files (“if it is not in Drive it does not exist”)
* Working rhythm: 
  * post regular updates in the relevant [Slack](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/technical-tools-1/slack) channel
  * Working group lead or another contributor of the group should participate in the open **quarterly calls** where each wg shares updates about their progress +  share a short text that would be put into the internal association newsletter
* Use the Slack channel #general to connect and engage all people active in other working groups.
* Involve people in decisions using e.g. thumbs up and down voting or 1-2-3 option voting (see example[ here](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/technical-tools-1/slack))
* Working Groups primarily operate with the use of the [advisory model](https://handbook.designingforchildrensrights.org/broken-reference) with the steering group and the rest of the community. Anyone outside of working group can send suggestions to a working group - (e.g. for a method in the guide) but it is up to the group whether to take this suggestion on or not.