Merge branch 'main' into macbook-password-help

_data/navigation.yml

@@ -418,6 +418,25 @@ primary:
                 url: about-us/tts-consulting/about/planning/
               - text: About the TTS Consulting Handbook
                 url: about-us/tts-consulting/about/handbook/
+          - text: Operations
+            main-file-path: /about-us/tts-consulting/operations/
+            children:
+              - text: "New folks: start here"
+                url: about-us/tts-consulting/operations/welcome/
+              - text: Onboarding new staff
+                url: about-us/tts-consulting/operations/onboarding/
+              - text: Laws and regulations
+                url: about-us/tts-consulting/operations/regulations/
+              - text: Terminology and glossaries
+                url: about-us/tts-consulting/operations/glossary/
+              - text: Conduct and norms
+                url: about-us/tts-consulting/operations/conduct-and-norms/
+              - text: Performance management
+                url: about-us/tts-consulting/operations/performance/
+              - text: Organizational financial management
+                url: about-us/tts-consulting/operations/finance/
+              - text: Brand management
+                url: about-us/tts-consulting/operations/brand/
       - text: 18F
         children:
           - text: About 18F

pages/about-us/tts-consulting/about/handbook.md

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: TTS Consulting Handbook
+redirect_from:
+  - /about-us/tts-consulting/
 ---
 
 The TTS Office of Consulting (TTSC) Handbook establishes standard operating procedures (SOPs) for 18F and the Centers of Excellence (CoE). It sets expectations for managing our consulting business, and delivering for our partners.

pages/about-us/tts-consulting/operations/brand.md

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+---
+title: Brand management
+---
+
+Brand management means presenting our organization consistently and professionally so that we can build and maintain a recognizable brand. A recognizable brand supports business and partnership development. {% comment %}TODO: Link "business and partnership development" to Engagements section.{% endcomment %}
+
+It involves [our mission and values]({% page "about-us/tts-consulting/about/mission/" %}), and design elements that reflect them.
+
+## Who does this work?
+
+Everyone. If you’re creating a report, presentation, or collateral on behalf of TTSC, 18F, or CoE, follow this guidance.
+
+## Guidance
+
+### When representing TTS
+
+- Use the [TTS slide theme](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1AGZoxeRfjaLmYodsh4dyN7jYv6lYfxqpSI3vKFEau5o/edit#slide=id.g2f6ac84d374_0_137)
+
+### When representing TTSC
+
+- Use the [TTSC slide theme](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1twCTP70allTKBEr9i6GVBRqcM4rcZPa9mMcMaljt-40/edit#slide=id.g29857694aee_0_8)
+
+### When representing 18F
+
+- Use the [18F Visual identity guide](https://guides.18f.gov/brand/)
+- Use the [18F Content guide](https://guides.18f.gov/content-guide/)
+- Use 18F Folks for representing people when photographs aren't possible ([starter set in Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fAzoUwkfKAS2hy4YkqjHLqSQa_rvqiUyFpgACq6tRpY/edit#slide=id.g5f21c1523a_0_0), [full Figma file](https://www.figma.com/design/sA9t0Msi5Ycvx5ITVMJylU/18F-Folks-(nee-Open-Peeps)?node-id=2082-20292&node-type=canvas&t=VUO86px7MoCFYLQ3-0))
+
+### When representing CoE
+
+- Use the [CoE slide theme](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BOEDWJoKbLJCL5Y7nDq5ts8aAAV-FOVk7TH-hXAEBwY/edit#slide=id.gd71177f1ec_0_614)
+- Use the [CoE style guide](https://sites.google.com/a/gsa.gov/coe-library/the-coe-style-guide) for visual identity elements
+- Use the [18F Content guide](https://guides.18f.gov/content-guide/) for language norms
+- [CoE Detailed Document Style Template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jlLAJMDjkVQeTg4rtEM6Zq1TjvXyjZ2a4Mp84t8Yn-I/edit)
+- [CoE Basic Document Style Template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A5Mk1ULp_br3nGA2YEJxL4tIsg1aMsf0rQMuBrnjJQk/edit)
+
+## Collateral accessibility
+
+Reports, presentations, and other collateral should also follow our delivery standards for accessible deliverables.{% comment %}TODO: Link delivery standards to Engagements section{% endcomment %}
+
+## How do I get help?
+
+Many of the referenced guides explain how to use them. If you need more help:
+
+- Ask the designers on your team
+- Post a message in {% slack_channel "18f-help-wanted" %}
+- Use the [CoE Content Support Intake Form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFO_8RgAGSoI3nbFNQHQ7johMzK1Z83CHTSzjqtD3IzM-bqg/viewform)

pages/about-us/tts-consulting/operations/collaboration.md

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+---
+title: How we collaborate
+cspell: ignore facemute
+---
+
+As a remote organization, TTSC relies on various practices and tools to enable positive and productive collaboration. These help us get to know each other, foster community, and support respectful and inclusive collaboration.
+
+## Virtual coffees
+
+TTS has a tradition of encouraging staff to get to know each other and talk shop in casual, one-on-one conversations called “virtual coffees” (or “virtual teas,” though beverages). Learn more and get ideas for who to coffee with next from [TTS Virtual Coffees](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wjIjmzXhDCTU6aJZHADndIPksQgvderQbqyGA2q7EzA/edit).
+
+## Personal READMEs
+
+Personal READMEs are a way for folks to better get to know each other before we start working together. [READMEs for you and me](https://18f.gsa.gov/2020/03/05/readmes-for-you-and-me/) outlines the origins of this practice.
+
+## Guilds and collectives
+
+[TTS’s affinity groups, working groups, and guilds]({% page "/training-and-development/working-groups-and-guilds-101/" %}) formed in the early days of 18F as a way to share best practices and learn from each other. These groups and guilds have expanded and now welcome people from across TTS.
+
+A couple groups particularly focused on TTSC work and practices are:
+
+- Consulting Guild (Join the Slack channel [#g-consulting](https://gsa-tts.slack.com/channels/g-consulting))
+- Project Leadership Collective (Join the Slack channel [#c-18f-project-leadership](https://gsa-tts.slack.com/channels/c-18f-project-leadership))
+
+## Inclusive practices for remote meetings
+
+- Work from a quiet space without much background noise. If you need to discuss sensitive topics, present to partners or stakeholders, or handle personnel issues, make sure you have privacy.
+- Default to using video so colleagues can see your face and gestures. Nonverbal feedback and cues help keep the conversation moving while building empathy and trust. If you do “facemute” (for instance, because you’re eating), turn the video back on when you can. For more about our video conferencing tool, see [meetings and meeting tools]({% page "/meetings-and-meeting-tools/" %}).
+- Mute your microphone when you aren’t speaking in large meetings so your background noise doesn’t override others’ mics. Un-muting also signals that you’d like to speak, much like leaning forward in an in-person meeting.
+- Occasionally you may need to take a meeting from transit or from a non-workspace; that should be rare, and only for meetings that don’t involve screen-sharing, remote collaboration, or presentations.
+- It’s common for virtual meetings to have a back channel, whether in the meeting platform, Slack, or G-chat. It’s another place for communication, questions, and commentary from attendees. This can be distracting for some folks. Feel free to ignore the chat during the meeting and read it after, if needed. If you're working on a project team, make sure to communicate your preferences to the team.
+
+## Conduct codes
+
+As employees of GSA, FAS, TTS, and TTS Consulting, we must adhere to a few layers of conduct codes:
+- [GSA Information Technology (IT) General Rules of Behavior](https://insite.gsa.gov/directives-library/gsa-information-technology-it-general-rules-of-behavior-4)
+- [TTS Code of Conduct]({% page "/about-us/code-of-conduct/" %})
+- [TTSC Slack Code of Conduct](#ttsc-slack-code-of-conduct)
+
+## TTSC Slack Code of Conduct
+
+Using Slack at TTS is different from other Slack instances you may have participated in because:
+- We’re federal employees.
+- Slack is a [Public Record System](https://insite.gsa.gov/employee-resources/directives-forms-and-regulations/records-and-information-management/search-gsas-record-schedules).
+- Like email, recorded meetings, and Google chat messages, it is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
+
+With those things in mind, please:
+
+
+### Be kind
+- Since we’re remote-first, Slack is a critical part of our culture. It’s one of the primary ways you’ll interact with your coworkers.
+  - In TTS, this interaction is often through reaction emoji (“reactji”). Take as much care with these as you would with a written response, and be mindful that in-jokes and past references aren’t universally understood.
+- Slack is not always the right tool for what you need to do. Constructive feedback is best delivered face to face, such as on a video call or in person.
+
+### Be professional
+- Anyone with access to TTS Slack can see every message in public Slack channels to which they have access, even if they’re not a member of the channel, and all public channel content appears in Slack search results. If a less accessible space is appropriate for a conversation, consider email, a video call, or Google chat.
+- Remember, users have no expectation of privacy on GSA IT resources as all activities are subject to monitoring.
+- Since TTS works across multiple time zones, set expectations for response times, or be clear if an asynchronous or later response is fine.
+- TTS Slack has been and will continue to be a subject of FOIA and public records requests, which can often remove context, or place comments in a context you didn’t intend.
+
+### Write to be understood, read to understand
+
+- Without the context of body language, voice, and tone, it’s easy to misunderstand written communication. Prioritize clarity!
+- Keep conversations in the appropriate channels.
+- Some projects or topics have multiple channels.
+- Since all content from public channels is visible and shows up in Slack search, this helps frame conversations and discussions.
+- Threading comments helps retain the context of a discussion. If asked to thread, please do so.
+
+Not all parts of TTS use or view Slack the same way. Be attentive to cultural differences, especially in significant shared spaces and large channels. Real-time written communication and reactions can easily lead to hard feelings. If our work is to continue flourishing, we need to all be in this together.

pages/about-us/tts-consulting/operations/conduct-and-norms.md

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+---
+title: Conduct and norms
+cspell: ignore backchannel, Gchat, backchanneling
+---
+
+At TTSC, we follow various policies and practices to foster an open and inclusive community. In everything we do as a distributed team, we strive to create a work environment that encourages collaboration — both with our partners and each other.
+
+In general, err on the side of over-communication, such as by asking clarifying questions and restating information to confirm understanding.
+
+- **Default to open conversations** in the widest appropriate forum.
+- **Document and make work visible to others.** Storing information in your head or notebook makes collaboration and handoffs more difficult.
+- **Treat everyone as a remote worker.** There is no such thing as a partially remote team: If any one person works from a different location than the rest of that team, everyone should default to remote practices — even if this means having people sit separately in the same office, calling into the same remote meeting.
+- **Set aside time for meeting prep** to help attendees use time efficiently and come ready to contribute. ([18F blog post: How to run an efficient meeting](https://18f.gsa.gov/2016/12/14/how-to-run-an-efficient-meeting/))
+
+## Codes of conduct
+
+As employees of GSA, FAS, TTS, and TTS Consulting, we are required to adhere to these codes of conduct:
+
+- [GSA Information Technology (IT) General Rules of Behavior](https://insite.gsa.gov/directives-library/gsa-information-technology-it-general-rules-of-behavior-4)
+- [TTS Code of Conduct]({% page "about-us/code-of-conduct/" %})
+- [TTSC Slack Code of Conduct](#interacting-on-slack)
+
+If you have a question about the codes of conduct, reach out to your supervisor.
+
+## Collaborating in a remote-first workplace
+
+TTSC is a remote-first workplace. The following practices help us collaborate virtually.
+
+### Working hours
+
+TTSC staff are spread across many time zones, states, and territories. Indicate your working hours on your Google calendar, and be mindful of your colleagues’ time zones.
+
+ If you work outside of standard business hours, take care not to imply that others should do the same: use the scheduled send functions in Slack and Gmail so that messages arrive during standard business hours.
+
+### Interacting on Slack
+
+Using Slack at TTS is different from using Slack at other workplaces because we’re federal employees, and Slack is a [Public Record System](https://insite.gsa.gov/employee-resources/directives-forms-and-regulations/records-and-information-management/search-gsas-record-schedules). That means that — like email and recorded meetings — it is subject to the [Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)](https://www.foia.gov/).
+
+Follow the TTSC Slack Code of Conduct:
+
+{% alert "" "" "" "no-icon" %}
+  **Be kind**
+
+  - Since we’re remote-first, Slack is a critical part of our culture. It’s one of the primary ways you’ll interact with your coworkers.
+  - In TTS, this interaction is often through reaction emoji (“reactji”). Take as much care with these as you would with a written response, and be mindful that in-jokes and past references aren’t universally understood.
+  - Slack is not always the right tool for what you need to do. Constructive feedback is best delivered face to face, such as on a video call or in person.
+
+  **Be professional**
+
+  - Anyone with access to TTS Slack can see every message in public Slack channels to which they have access, even if they’re not a member of the channel, and all public channel content appears in Slack search results. If a less accessible space is appropriate for a conversation, consider email, a video call, or Google chat.
+  - Remember, users have no expectation of privacy on GSA IT resources as all activities are subject to monitoring.
+  - Since TTS works across multiple time zones, set expectations for response times, or be clear if an asynchronous or later response is fine.
+  - TTS Slack has been and will continue to be a subject of FOIA and public records requests, which can often remove context, or place comments in a context you didn’t intend.
+
+  **Write to be understood, read to understand**
+
+  - Without the context of body language, voice, and tone, it’s easy to misunderstand written communication. Prioritize clarity!
+  - Keep conversations in the appropriate channels.
+  - Some projects or topics have multiple channels.
+  - Since all content from public channels is visible and shows up in Slack search, this helps frame conversations and discussions.
+  - Threading comments helps retain the context of a discussion. If asked to thread, please do so.
+
+  Not all parts of TTS use or view Slack the same way. Be attentive to cultural differences, especially in significant shared spaces and large channels. Real-time written communication and reactions can easily lead to hard feelings. If our work is to continue flourishing, we need to all be in this together.
+{% endalert %}
+
+### Interacting in meetings
+
+Follow these practices for virtual meetings.
+
+- **Minimize noise:** Work from a quiet space without much background noise.
+- **Muting:** Mute your microphone when you aren’t speaking so that your background noise doesn’t distract others. In smaller meetings, un-muting also signals that you’d like to speak. In larger meetings, use the meeting platform’s hand-raise feature.
+- **Seek privacy:** If you need to discuss sensitive topics, give a presentation, or handle personnel issues, make sure you have privacy in your physical space.
+- **On the go:** Attending meetings from transit or outside of a dedicated workspace should be rare. Especially avoid doing this in meetings that involve screen-sharing, remote collaboration, or presentations.
+- **Video on:** Default to using video when possible. Nonverbal cues like facial expressions and gestures help keep the conversation moving and build empathy and trust. Of course, being on screen all day can be taxing so use face muting when you need to.
+- **Make introductions:** At the beginning of each meeting, make sure that everyone present has met, and that anyone calling in by phone has identified themselves. In introductions, include your name, pronouns, and role.
+- **Back-channeling:** It’s common for virtual meetings to have a “backchannel” in the meeting platform’s chat, Slack, or Gchat. The backchannel is a space for questions and commentary from attendees, but it can be distracting: if you prefer, you can ignore the backchannel during the meeting and read it afterward. Communicate your preferences about backchanneling to your teammates.
+
+In discussion-based meetings, pay attention to whose voices dominate. If you notice an imbalance, be proactive to uncover other perspectives. Creating an inclusive discussion space isn’t just a courtesy to other participants: it can lead to richer conversation and better outcomes.
+
+- Careful facilitation (for example, “Let’s go around the room”) helps everyone get a chance to speak.
+- Silent writing time in a shared document (such as a Google Doc or Mural), provides a way for participants to contribute without speaking out loud.
+- Explicitly inviting input from specific individuals — either in the meeting (“Herbert, what do you think? I know you have expertise in this area”) or privately (by DMing them to say that you would value their opinion) — can encourage quieter team members to share their ideas.
+
+{% comment %}For information about meeting platforms, see [internal communications](#TODO).{% endcomment %}
+
+### Getting to know people
+
+- **Virtual coffees:** TTS encourages staff to get to know each other in casual, one-on-one conversations called “virtual coffees” or “virtual teas.” Learn more from [TTS Virtual Coffees\_updated 9.22.22](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wjIjmzXhDCTU6aJZHADndIPksQgvderQbqyGA2q7EzA/edit#heading=h.n8dcb98f8n0o)
+- **Personal READMEs** help folks learn about each other before they start working together. [READMEs for you and me](https://18f.gsa.gov/2020/03/05/readmes-for-you-and-me/) outlines the origins of this practice.
+- **Guilds and collectives** [TTS’s affinity groups, working groups, and guilds](https://handbook.tts.gsa.gov/training-and-development/working-groups-and-guilds-101/) provide space for us to share best practices and learn from each other. These groups and guilds welcome participants from across TTS. Some groups that focus on TTSC work and practices are:
+  - Consulting Guild {% slack_channel "g-consulting" %}
+  - Project Leadership Collective {% slack_channel "c-18f-project-leadership" %}