Abandoned Groups Procedure: Difference between revisions

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This document was initially adopted by the Board at the meeting of 24th September 2014 and amended in November 2014 after discussion and recommendation on Structure group (check history of this document to view changes).
This document was initially adopted by the Reps at the meeting of 24th September 2014 and amended in November 2014 after discussion and recommendation on Structure group.  The document has been amended in September 2016 and since. (check 'history' above to view changes). This document below is the current procedure.


====PROCEDURE====
====1. PREFACE====
A group's owner role is to look after the group and Freegle's reputation. Part of this is asking for help if required and if the group is not being moderated or emails to the volunteer team not being answered, Freegle needs to address this as soon as possible. It is always preferable that a group is owned and run locally and Freegle will respect the wishes of active owners. It is preferred that all groups are run in line with the [[Best Practice]] guidelines.


A group owner’s role is to look after the group and Freegle's reputation. Part of this is asking for help if required and if the group is not being moderated by them or emails to the moderating team not being answered, then Freegle needs to address this as soon as possible.  It is always preferable that a group is owned and moderated locally and Freegle will respect the wishes of the active owner.  It is expected that all groups are run in line with the [[Best Practice]] guidelines.
====2. DEFINITION OF ABANDONED GROUP====
An abandoned group is one with absent owners. Absent owners are those who:
*have not been active on the group for an extended period (eg. 1 week), or totalling more than 3 weeks out of a period of 6 weeks, and
*have not responded to reasonable and extensive attempts to contact them; or
*have responded to contact attempts but are frequently inactive for periods of 24 hours and over, and
*have given no prior notice or other information that may explain their absence is temporary.


If a situation arises on a local Freegle group where only a caretaker with owner status remains after the most recent owner has abandoned the group. then that caretaker owner should be able to do one of the following at their discretion:
A group may be considered abandoned if the owners are absent, even if there are active moderators. Consideration can be given to promoting the remaining moderators.


*Promote one or more of the existing local moderators of the group to owner status, or
====3. DEFINITION OF CARETAKER====
*Recruit a new moderator team including a new owner, for the group.
A caretaker of a group can be:
*a Mentor looking after a group within the guidelines of http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Caretaker_Groups, or
*anyone looking after a group for an absent owner


An absent owner is one who:
====4. CARETAKER OWNER IN PLACE====
*Has not been active on the group for a period of 6 weeks, and
If a situation arises on a local Freegle group where only a caretaker remains after the most recent owner is considered absent, then that caretaker can do one of the following at their discretion:
*has not responded to attempts to contact them via the group owner address, any known email address, any known phone number, any known social networking connection, notice to Central, or
*Step in after a week (as above) of non-moderation to take on temporary ‘owner status’ to sort out the situation.
*has responded to contact attempts but continues to be inactive for periods of 24 hours and over, and
*Arrange promotion of one or more of the existing local volunteers of the group to owner status
*has given no prior notice or other information that may explain their absence is temporary.
or
*Recruit a new volunteer team including at least one new owner, for the group.
**The email address of absent owners must retain moderator privileges.
**After six months an absent group's owner and/or moderator(s) can be demoted to member.
**The procedures detailed in the Caretaker Groups Guidelines (http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Caretaker_Groups#Passing_over_Caretaker_Group_to_new_team) will apply.
** If a group's absent owner should return, he/she should be given the opportunity to work as part of the volunteer team.


If a Group Owner has abandoned the group, he/she
====5. CARETAKER OWNER NOT IN PLACE====
*Must be sent at least 3 emails offering help, then
If attempts in the timescale described above to contact the group's owner have not resulted in acceptable response from any local volunteer with full moderation access, the Mentor Team will do the following:
*Sent one final email informing them we will be promoting a new mod team
*Step in after a week (as above) of non-moderation to take on temporary ‘owner status’ as a Caretaker to sort out the situation.
*Email the group's owner at least three times offering help in 5 day intervals.  The second email will include information about the Abandoned Group procedure if no reply has been received.
*Post on Central to ask for ways to contact the missing group's Owner and follow up any leads.
*Phone the Owner if the correct number is known.
*Check online, including social media to see if a message can be sent via Facebook etc.
*Send one final email informing group's owner that if a caretaker is on board a new volunteer team will be promoted, or, if no caretaker is on board, that a recommendation is being sent to the Board, who will be informed that the group is now considered abandoned and a new owner will need to be added. This will not be before 3 weeks non communication and/or non activity by the group owner.
*If a group's owner responds during the above process to the Mentors emails or directly to the Mentor team, the Mentors will monitor moderating activity and continue communication.  If there is evidence that Best Practice is not being followed adequately, the Mentor Team will, at their discretion, decide if the group is effectively abandoned and continue this process.


Only after 6 weeks absence will a new mod team be recruited and a new GO promoted.
====6. THE BOARD WILL:====
*Acknowledge promptly the receipt of the recommendation from Mentors.
*Ask further questions if necessary to satisfy themselves that the recommendation is appropriate.
*Inform the Mentors, GAT and Geeks within 4 weeks from receipt of recommendation whether they accept the recommendation or not.


*The original GO must remain on the group as moderator with full privileges except 'Add, remove, and change moderator privileges’ and 'delete group'.
====7. NOTES====
*After one year an absent GO can be removed but only IF there is a new mod team on the group.
Modtools auto approves messages after 48 hours, so the maximum delay for posts is 48 hours.  
*A caretaker/mentor will stay on the group as co owner for a period of at least six months unless the new owner is an experienced moderator.
*If a GO should return, he/she should be given the opportunity to work alongside the new GO.


In the event a Group Owner has abandoned a group leaving moderator/s with limited privileges, a new group can be set up for the area if requested by the existing moderators, with the active moderators of the old group set up as the new group owners.
* The affiliation to Freegle will be changed from the old group to the new group. 
*They will be set up with Direct, Facebook & Twitter with Direct as the default landing tab as standard practice, except where the new group owner has expressed a different preference.
*Inviting existing members to the newly set up group will be decided for each group on its merits taking into account all circumstances and expressed opinions of the previous owner and present mods, and must be authorised by the Board.




 
====Links and Info:====
Links:
*[[Our Aims]]
*[[Mentor Team Remit]]
*[[Mentor Team Remit]]
*[[Caretaker Groups]]
*[[Caretaker Groups]]
*[[Contacting Groups Procedure]]
*[[Glossary]]
*[[Glossary]]
*[[Document Approval Policy]]
*[[Document Approval Policy]]
*Previous Freegle UK document [[Abandoned Groups]]
*Previous Freegle UK document Abandoned Groups
*Amended most recently 25.4.21, to take account of experience in practice - mostly to shorten time taken to implement procedures.


[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]][[category:Mentor Team]]
[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]][[category:Mentor Team]]

Latest revision as of 15:42, 1 November 2022

This document was initially adopted by the Reps at the meeting of 24th September 2014 and amended in November 2014 after discussion and recommendation on Structure group. The document has been amended in September 2016 and since. (check 'history' above to view changes). This document below is the current procedure.

1. PREFACE

A group's owner role is to look after the group and Freegle's reputation. Part of this is asking for help if required and if the group is not being moderated or emails to the volunteer team not being answered, Freegle needs to address this as soon as possible. It is always preferable that a group is owned and run locally and Freegle will respect the wishes of active owners. It is preferred that all groups are run in line with the Best Practice guidelines.

2. DEFINITION OF ABANDONED GROUP

An abandoned group is one with absent owners. Absent owners are those who:

  • have not been active on the group for an extended period (eg. 1 week), or totalling more than 3 weeks out of a period of 6 weeks, and
  • have not responded to reasonable and extensive attempts to contact them; or
  • have responded to contact attempts but are frequently inactive for periods of 24 hours and over, and
  • have given no prior notice or other information that may explain their absence is temporary.

A group may be considered abandoned if the owners are absent, even if there are active moderators. Consideration can be given to promoting the remaining moderators.

3. DEFINITION OF CARETAKER

A caretaker of a group can be:

4. CARETAKER OWNER IN PLACE

If a situation arises on a local Freegle group where only a caretaker remains after the most recent owner is considered absent, then that caretaker can do one of the following at their discretion:

  • Step in after a week (as above) of non-moderation to take on temporary ‘owner status’ to sort out the situation.
  • Arrange promotion of one or more of the existing local volunteers of the group to owner status

or

  • Recruit a new volunteer team including at least one new owner, for the group.
    • The email address of absent owners must retain moderator privileges.
    • After six months an absent group's owner and/or moderator(s) can be demoted to member.
    • The procedures detailed in the Caretaker Groups Guidelines (http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Caretaker_Groups#Passing_over_Caretaker_Group_to_new_team) will apply.
    • If a group's absent owner should return, he/she should be given the opportunity to work as part of the volunteer team.

5. CARETAKER OWNER NOT IN PLACE

If attempts in the timescale described above to contact the group's owner have not resulted in acceptable response from any local volunteer with full moderation access, the Mentor Team will do the following:

  • Step in after a week (as above) of non-moderation to take on temporary ‘owner status’ as a Caretaker to sort out the situation.
  • Email the group's owner at least three times offering help in 5 day intervals. The second email will include information about the Abandoned Group procedure if no reply has been received.
  • Post on Central to ask for ways to contact the missing group's Owner and follow up any leads.
  • Phone the Owner if the correct number is known.
  • Check online, including social media to see if a message can be sent via Facebook etc.
  • Send one final email informing group's owner that if a caretaker is on board a new volunteer team will be promoted, or, if no caretaker is on board, that a recommendation is being sent to the Board, who will be informed that the group is now considered abandoned and a new owner will need to be added. This will not be before 3 weeks non communication and/or non activity by the group owner.
  • If a group's owner responds during the above process to the Mentors emails or directly to the Mentor team, the Mentors will monitor moderating activity and continue communication. If there is evidence that Best Practice is not being followed adequately, the Mentor Team will, at their discretion, decide if the group is effectively abandoned and continue this process.

6. THE BOARD WILL:

  • Acknowledge promptly the receipt of the recommendation from Mentors.
  • Ask further questions if necessary to satisfy themselves that the recommendation is appropriate.
  • Inform the Mentors, GAT and Geeks within 4 weeks from receipt of recommendation whether they accept the recommendation or not.

7. NOTES

Modtools auto approves messages after 48 hours, so the maximum delay for posts is 48 hours.


Links and Info:

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