What is a SIG?

A SIG is a “Special Interest Group”. It is a collection of people who are investigating a well-defined, specific topic. That topic is both relevant to LEAPS WG3’s activity and of interest across multiple LEAPS facilities.

SIGs are a mechanism through which LEAPS WG3 achieves (technical) work. Over time, a SIG should have some set of tangible outcomes. Those outcomes can be the production of documents; however, a SIG should be effective by triggering and supporting some desired change at multiple LEAPS facilities.

How is a SIG formed?

A SIG is created by LEAPS WG3 when a topic for work is proposed by one WG3 member and people from three other facilities indicate that they are interested in working on the proposed topic.

To facilitate this process, the person proposing a SIG might prepare a (short) presentation, explaining the problem the SIG will address and the work of the SIG to resolve that problem. Such a presentation may take place during a WG3 meeting. Alternatively, a SIG proposal may be discussed via the WG3 mailing list, or by some other method of communication.

Once a SIG is agreed, LEAPS WG3 will create resources to support that SIGs activities. (Currently, this is simply creating a mailing list.) The SIG proposer is tasked with initiating the SIG (for example, by inviting people to join the mailing list and organising the first meeting). The newly founded SIG should quickly achieve the following tasks:

The SIG’s title, coordinator and mandate are published on the WG3 website as the initial description of the SIG. This is to give the SIG visibility, and so to garner more interest.

Who can join a SIG?

In general, there is no restriction on SIG membership. We wish to foster a sense of collaboration, and (as much as possible) SIGs should be inclusive.

That said, a SIG may be tasked to investigate some sensitive topic, one for which there needs to be careful control over the flow of information. For such a SIG, there will likely need a vetting process to understand whether to allow someone to join.

Whatever the process, a SIG’s membership criteria should be clearly and publicly stated in the SIG’s mandate. The process of applying for membership should be handled in a transparent and neutral fashion.

What is a SIG’s mandate?

The mandate is a short document that describes what work the SIG will undertake: what is the scope. As far as it makes sense, the mandate should also identify related activity that the SIG will NOT address; i.e., what’s “off-topic”.

The mandate should describe who is eligible to join the SIG; for example, is the SIG open to anyone, only people working at LEAPS facilities, or limited to people matching some criteria. The mandate should also describe the mechanism through which someone can request membership of the SIG, and the process through which that request is processed.

The mandate is not set in stone, but may be modified as circumstances change. Any changes to the mandate should be agreed within the SIG and announced appropriately.

The goal of a mandate is to support the SIG. It is an advert for the SIG, allowing external people to understand what is the group’s activity and (potentially) attracting new members. Ultimately, it should help the SIG achieve its goals.

How is a SIG structured?

For each SIG, there is a member of LEAPS WG3 who is the coordinator. It is recommended that each SIG also has a deputy coordinator, someone who can take over should the coordinator be unavailable.

The coordinator is responsible for the overall running of the SIG. The coordinator (or a delegated representative) will organise meetings, structure the SIG (if it has any internal structure), assign roles to members of the SIG (where appropriate), and manage SIG-related communication.

The coordinator is responsible for managing the SIG’s membership, in accordance with the SIG’s mandate.

What kind of problem should a SIG solve?

A SIG can address any issue or challenge that affects multiple LEAPS facilities, and where the LEAPS WG3 mandate (IT) provides a significant role. While the various aspects of creating and handling data provides a rich source of cross-facility activity, SIGs are not limited to data-related topics.

What responsibilities does a SIG have?

Within the context of the SIG, the members of that SIG are expected to work according to their mandate.

The SIG coordinator is expected to report to WG3 on the group’s activity at least twice a year. Such reports should include any results (documents written, changes at LEAPS facilities, publications, etc), participation at events, etc. These reports could be at WG3 meetings or via the WG3 mailing list.

The SIG coordinator is responsible for reporting back to LEAPS WG3 on any topics that the members of the SIG feel would be appropriate to raise within other LEAPS bodies; for example, within the Research and Development Board (RDB) or the Coordination Board (CB). The RDB provides the confluence between all LEAPS WGs or SGs, allowing for technical-focused discussion. The CB provides the governance of LEAPS itself; it also provides our connection to the directors of LEAPS facilities. Members of LEAPS WG3 will help effect this communication further within LEAPS.

The SIG coordinator is expected to liaise with the WG3 spokesperson if either have identified concerns with how the SIG is operating, and discuss how such concerns might be resolved.

When does a SIG conclude?

A SIG may be closed at any time. This could be the result of the members of the SIG fulfilling the SIG’s mandate or if the members simply decide the topic is not worth pursuing further.

The SIG coordinator should provide a final report written when a SIG concludes.

This report should summarise all the achievements of the SIG; this is to support garnering the fullest benefits from the time and effort invested by the SIG’s members. The report may also include an introspective “lessons learnt” section (to guide future, related activities) and might also include a list of possible follow-up activities.