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Communication Procedures & Implementation Guide

Quick Reference

When to Use Each Channel

Situation Channel Urgency
Daily standup Slack #teachlink-dev Low
Code review feedback GitHub PR Low
Feature announcement Email + Slack Medium
Bug report GitHub Issue Medium
Production outage Slack @here + Phone Critical
Security issue Email + Slack #security Critical
Roadmap update Monthly meeting Medium
User feedback GitHub Discussions Low

Detailed Procedures

Procedure 1: Reporting a Bug

Step 1: Determine Severity

  • Level 1 (Low): Cosmetic issues, minor inconvenience
  • Level 2 (Medium): Affects functionality, workaround exists
  • Level 3 (High): Major functionality broken, no workaround
  • Level 4 (Critical): Security risk, data loss, production down

Step 2: Choose Communication Channel

  • Level 1-2: GitHub Issue
  • Level 3: GitHub Issue + Slack #teachlink-dev
  • Level 4: Slack @here + Email to engineering manager + Phone call

Step 3: Provide Information

Title: [Clear, concise description]

Severity: [Level 1-4]

Steps to Reproduce:
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3]

Expected Behavior:
[What should happen]

Actual Behavior:
[What actually happens]

Environment:
- OS: [OS and version]
- Browser: [Browser and version]
- Contract Version: [Version]

Screenshots/Logs:
[Attach relevant files]

Step 4: Follow Up

  • Level 1-2: Check for updates within 5 business days
  • Level 3: Check for updates within 24 hours
  • Level 4: Expect immediate acknowledgment

Procedure 2: Requesting a Feature

Step 1: Prepare Proposal

Title: [Feature name]

Problem Statement:
[What problem does this solve?]

Proposed Solution:
[How should it work?]

Use Cases:
1. [Use case 1]
2. [Use case 2]

Impact:
- Users affected: [Number/percentage]
- Effort estimate: [Small/Medium/Large]
- Priority: [Low/Medium/High]

Step 2: Submit Request

  • Post in GitHub Discussions (Feature Requests category)
  • Share link in Slack #teachlink-product
  • Wait for product team feedback

Step 3: Participate in Discussion

  • Respond to clarifying questions
  • Provide additional context if needed
  • Attend feature review meeting if invited

Procedure 3: Escalating an Issue

Step 1: Assess Escalation Need Ask yourself:

  • Is the issue unresolved past SLA?
  • Does it affect multiple stakeholders?
  • Does it require executive decision?
  • Is it blocking critical work?

Step 2: Document the Issue

Issue ID: [GitHub issue number or ticket ID]
Original Report Date: [Date]
Current Status: [Status]
Days Unresolved: [Number]
Impact: [Description of impact]
Reason for Escalation: [Why escalating now]

Step 3: Escalate

  • Level 1→2: Email tech lead with documentation
  • Level 2→3: Email engineering manager + Slack notification
  • Level 3→4: Phone call to CTO + email to VP Engineering

Step 4: Follow Up

  • Expect response within escalation SLA
  • Provide additional information if requested
  • Confirm resolution once issue is addressed

Procedure 4: Announcing a Release

Step 1: Prepare Release Materials (1 week before)

  • Finalize changelog
  • Write release notes
  • Create migration guide (if needed)
  • Prepare FAQ document

Step 2: Pre-Release Announcement (5 days before)

Email Subject: Upcoming Release: TeachLink v[X.Y.Z]

Dear Stakeholders,

We're excited to announce the upcoming release of TeachLink v[X.Y.Z], 
scheduled for [Date] at [Time] UTC.

Key Features:
- [Feature 1]
- [Feature 2]
- [Feature 3]

Breaking Changes:
- [Change 1]
- [Change 2]

Migration Guide: [Link]
FAQ: [Link]

Questions? Reply to this email or post in #teachlink-product.

Step 3: Release Day Announcement

Email Subject: RELEASED: TeachLink v[X.Y.Z]

Dear Stakeholders,

TeachLink v[X.Y.Z] is now live!

Release Notes: [Link]
Deployment Status: [Status]
Known Issues: [List or "None"]

What's New:
- [Feature 1]
- [Feature 2]

Upgrade Instructions: [Link]

Support: [Contact info]

Step 4: Post-Release Monitoring (3 days after)

Email Subject: TeachLink v[X.Y.Z] - Post-Release Report

Release Status: STABLE / ISSUES DETECTED

Metrics:
- Uptime: XX%
- Error Rate: XX%
- User Adoption: XX%

Issues Reported:
- [Issue 1]: [Status]
- [Issue 2]: [Status]

Next Steps:
- [Action 1]
- [Action 2]

Procedure 5: Handling a Critical Incident

Step 1: Immediate Response (0-15 minutes)

  • Declare incident in Slack #teachlink-security
  • Use format: 🚨 INCIDENT: [Brief description]
  • Assign incident commander
  • Start incident war room (Zoom/Teams link)
  • Notify on-call engineer

Step 2: Initial Communication (15-30 minutes)

Slack Message:
🚨 CRITICAL INCIDENT - TeachLink [Incident ID]

Status: INVESTIGATING
Severity: CRITICAL
Impact: [Description]
ETA for Update: [Time]

War Room: [Link]
Incident Commander: [Name]

Step 3: Ongoing Updates (Every 30 minutes)

Update #1 - [Time]:
Status: INVESTIGATING
Current Actions: [Actions taken]
Next Update: [Time]

Update #2 - [Time]:
Status: MITIGATING
Current Actions: [Actions taken]
Next Update: [Time]

Update #3 - [Time]:
Status: RESOLVED
Root Cause: [Brief explanation]
Resolution: [What was done]
Post-Incident Review: [Scheduled for Date/Time]

Step 4: Post-Incident Communication (24 hours after)

Email Subject: Incident Report - TeachLink [Incident ID]

Incident Summary:
- Start Time: [Time]
- End Time: [Time]
- Duration: [Duration]
- Impact: [Description]

Root Cause:
[Detailed explanation]

Resolution:
[What was done to fix it]

Prevention:
[What we'll do to prevent recurrence]

Post-Incident Review: [Scheduled for Date/Time]

Procedure 6: Collecting Stakeholder Feedback

Step 1: Quarterly Survey

  • Create 10-question survey (Google Forms)
  • Distribute via email to all stakeholder groups
  • Set 2-week response window
  • Target 50%+ participation

Sample Questions:

  1. How satisfied are you with communication frequency? (1-5 scale)
  2. Which communication channels are most useful? (Multiple choice)
  3. Are updates clear and actionable? (Yes/No/Sometimes)
  4. What could we improve? (Open-ended)
  5. How quickly do we respond to your inquiries? (1-5 scale)

Step 2: Feedback Review Meeting

  • Schedule bi-weekly with communications team
  • Review all feedback received
  • Categorize by theme
  • Identify trends and patterns
  • Assign action items

Step 3: Action Planning

  • Prioritize feedback by impact
  • Assign owners to each action item
  • Set implementation deadlines
  • Track progress

Step 4: Feedback Response

  • Acknowledge all feedback within 48 hours
  • Explain actions being taken
  • Share timeline for improvements
  • Follow up on implementation

Communication Checklist

Before Sending Any Communication

  • Is the message clear and concise?
  • Is the information accurate?
  • Is the timing appropriate?
  • Is the channel correct for this audience?
  • Have I included all necessary details?
  • Is there a clear call to action?
  • Have I considered time zones?
  • Is the tone professional and respectful?

Before Escalating an Issue

  • Have I documented the issue thoroughly?
  • Have I waited for the appropriate SLA?
  • Have I tried to resolve it at the current level?
  • Is escalation truly necessary?
  • Have I notified the current owner before escalating?

Before Announcing a Release

  • Are release notes complete and accurate?
  • Have I tested the migration guide?
  • Have I identified all breaking changes?
  • Have I prepared FAQ for common questions?
  • Have I scheduled the announcement for appropriate time?

Troubleshooting

Issue: No Response to Communication

Solution:

  1. Check if message was sent to correct channel/person
  2. Verify recipient is not on vacation/leave
  3. Wait for full SLA before following up
  4. Send follow-up message with "FOLLOW-UP" in subject
  5. If still no response, escalate

Issue: Miscommunication or Confusion

Solution:

  1. Clarify the original message immediately
  2. Use multiple channels if needed (email + Slack)
  3. Schedule a call to discuss in detail
  4. Document the clarification for future reference
  5. Update communication templates if needed

Issue: Stakeholder Dissatisfaction

Solution:

  1. Listen to feedback without defensiveness
  2. Acknowledge their concerns
  3. Explain current process and constraints
  4. Ask what would improve the situation
  5. Implement changes if feasible
  6. Follow up to confirm satisfaction

Appendix: Contact Information Template

STAKEHOLDER CONTACT DIRECTORY

Development Team:
- Tech Lead: [Name] | [Email] | [Phone] | [Slack]
- Engineering Manager: [Name] | [Email] | [Phone] | [Slack]
- On-Call Engineer: [Rotation schedule link]

Product & Business:
- Product Manager: [Name] | [Email] | [Phone] | [Slack]
- Business Lead: [Name] | [Email] | [Phone] | [Slack]

Executive:
- CTO: [Name] | [Email] | [Phone] | [Slack]
- VP Engineering: [Name] | [Email] | [Phone] | [Slack]
- CEO: [Name] | [Email] | [Phone] | [Slack]

Security & Compliance:
- Security Lead: [Name] | [Email] | [Phone] | [Slack]
- Compliance Officer: [Name] | [Email] | [Phone] | [Slack]

General:
- Feedback Email: feedback@teachlink.dev
- Support Email: support@teachlink.dev
- Emergency Hotline: [Phone number]