Shared Team Calendar Platform

• Status: Accepted

• Last Modified: November 26, 2024

• Deciders: Simpler Grants Leads

Overview

Context and Problem Statement

The SimplerGrants project involves multiple teams across various organizations. There is a need for a centralized team calendar to effectively schedule, manage, and visualize all project-related events. This solution must support excellent communication and coordination across diverse groups.

Decision Drivers

• Accessibility: Easy access for all team members, regardless of their organizational affiliation.

• Integration: Compatibility with various digital tools and platforms used by the team.

• Security: Adequate control over who can view and edit the calendar.

• User-Friendliness: Simple interface that requires minimal training.

• Cost: Must be economical without incurring excessive additional costs.

Considered Options

• Google Calendar: Well-integrated within Google Workspace, offers extensive sharing and privacy settings, and is widely used for its simplicity and functionality.

• Microsoft Outlook Calendar: Best for teams deeply embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem, offering robust features and excellent integration with other Microsoft Office tools.

• Teamup Calendar: A versatile tool that does not require user accounts for viewing and offers customizable access levels.

Decision Outcome

After careful consideration, Google Calendar has been selected as the team calendar tool for its ease of use, integration capabilities, and cost-effectiveness. It meets our project’s needs for accessibility and security while being familiar to most users.

Implementation Steps

• Calendar Setup: Begin using the "Nava Simpler Grants Calendar," which will be renamed to "Simpler.Grants.gov Calendar." This calendar will replace the previously used SimplerGrants Team calendar.

• Access Management: Nava will control access to the calendar. They will develop and implement a process for onboarding new team members and offboarding those who leave the project, ensuring proper access controls.

• Calendar Deprecation: The previous SimplerGrants Team calendar will be deprecated. A clear transition plan will be communicated to ensure all team members switch to the new system without disruption.

• Integration Checks: Ensure the calendar syncs correctly with other platforms, particularly for team members using non-Google products.

Best Practices for Meeting Scheduling and Etiquette

• Clear Purpose and Agenda: All meetings scheduled in the calendar must have a clear purpose. Agendas should be documented and distributed in advance to prepare participants.

• Documentation of Outcomes: Summarize and share meeting outcomes with all participants to ensure clarity and track progress.

• Transparency: Encourage all teams to share current work and challenges during meetings to foster trust and cohesiveness.

• Continuous Feedback: Establish a feedback mechanism to improve meeting formats and address any issues participants experience.

Positive Consequences

• Enhanced Coordination: Facilitates better planning and coordination of project activities.

• Increased Transparency: Provides all team members visibility into project events and deadlines.

Negative Consequences

• Dependence on Google Ecosystem: Reliance on Google Calendar may pose integration challenges for those not using Google services.

• Management Overhead: Requires diligent management and updating to maintain its effectiveness.

• Limited Visibility Across Workspaces: The calendar setup does not allow visibility of the general availability for team members who are not part of the same Google Workspace account. This could lead to challenges in scheduling and coordinating with individuals outside of the primary managed account.

Follow-up Actions

• Training and Guidelines: Conduct training sessions for team members unfamiliar with Google Calendar. Distribute guidelines on meeting etiquette and best practices.

• Review and Adjustment: Regularly review the effectiveness of the calendar setup and the adherence to meeting best practices, making adjustments as needed.