Lack of clear and accessible onboarding process

Agree together how the committee will work

• When committee work begins, explain clearly the difference between a chair and a regular member.
• Have the chair lead a discussion on how everyone wants to work together, including:
  • What tools and platforms to use
  • How decisions will be made
  • How to make sure everyone can contribute in an accessible way
• Ask these questions from the start to avoid problems later:
  • Which tools and platforms work best for everyone?
  • How should meetings be run and decisions made?
  • What are the best times and ways to communicate?

• Lack of clear and accessible onboarding process

Be transparent in the application process

• Publish clear selection criteria for technical committee members that reflect inclusion and diversity goals.
• Provide role descriptions that outline:
  • Time commitments
  • Tasks and responsibilities
  • Compensation or volunteer expectations
• Provide information on accessibility supports including:
  • What accommodations are available by default (e.g., captioning, large print, flexible schedules)
  • What can be provided by request (e.g., sign language interpretation)
  • How to request support, and who to contact
• Communicate regularly with applicants about their status and timelines.
• Offer alternative ways to participate such as public comment periods to those not selected.

• Inaccessible registration systems
• Lack of clear and accessible onboarding process
• Lack of organizational support
• Unclear participation information

Host onboarding meetings before committee work begins

Co-chairs should meet with new members individually to:

• Introduce the structure and goals of the committee
• Clarify roles, expectations, and responsibilities
• Explain workflows, working culture and norms, and decision-making processes
• Identify any initial access needs and come up with a plan to meet them

• Difficulty receiving and communicating information
• Dominant “expert” culture
• Lack of clear and accessible onboarding process
• Lack of training and support for committee members
• Lack of training and support for chairs and facilitators
• People don’t start at the same place
• Unclear participation information

Plan what to do if goals aren’t met

• Decide ahead of time what you will do if participation goals are not reached.
• Consider extending the comment period, changing your outreach approach, or building new relationships with groups that were not well represented.
• Set clear “minimum” targets, for example: number of participants, or key groups that must be included.
• Check progress early so you still have time to adjust.
• If you’re missing key voices, pause and fix the outreach instead of moving forward anyway.
• Ask community partners why people didn’t participate and what would make it easier next time.
• Add new accessible engagement options, like phone calls, short sessions, or one-on-one interviews.
• Extend timelines if needed, especially for reviewing documents.
• Document what didn’t work and what you changed, so the process improves over time.

• Difficulty receiving and communicating information
• Inaccessible digital collaboration tools
• Lack of clear and accessible onboarding process

Provide a welcome package for new members

Welcome packages can include the following:

• Committee member list and roles (who to go to for what)
• Overview of timelines and workflows
• Tools and platforms being used
• Key documents to read first
• Contact points for accessibility supports

• Provide documents, materials and technologies based on roles and responsibilities
• Provide information in flexible, small, digestible parts by using multiple shorter orientation sessions instead of one long session. This will give new members time to process the information and ask questions

• Difficulty receiving and communicating information
• Lack of clear and accessible onboarding process
• People don’t start at the same place
• Unclear participation information
• Too much background information for new members