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Deprecated

This deck has been replaced by a new deck �HackforLA onboarding Deck - updated 2022-08-16

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Before we start: important notes

6+ hrs/week for all project volunteers

OR

Flexible requirement, if you want to work on Guides or co-lead a Community of Practice

Minimum Expected Contribution of Hours

Computer Required for Onboarding

The onboarding piece at the end moves very quickly. Please respect everyone's time by using your computer to do the set-ups required. People on their phone slow the entire group down.

Hours: Willingness to put in the hours is more important than previous experience. You get out of it what you put into it. If you treat it like a job, then you will get the same, or more growth, that you would doing the job. If it's part time, that journey is not going to be as rapid or let you go as deep as you would if it's full time. People who treat it as full time and look for a job at the same time, usually stay about 3 months.

Minimum expected contribution per week:

15 hours for product managers in the beginning and 10 once you have a handle on the project (month 3)
5-10 hours for all other types (developers, designers, testers, etc.)

Length of contribution: It's up to you. Average here for 6-9 months; some people have been here a long time 2+ years (they are not looking for work). Significant portion get jobs at 3-6 month range

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Welcome to Hack for LA!

Presented by: Executive Director Bonnie Wolfe

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Welcome to Hack for LA!

View the Code of Conduct:� http://hackforla.org/conduct
DM the host, Bonnie the secret password contained in the Code of Conduct
Please rename yourself �Name - Practice area

How to Join the Main Room

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Welcome to Hack for LA!

Presented by: VRMS Product Mgr�Pete Plass

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Sorting Hat

Please rename yourself on zoom to �Name - practice area

Examples:

Bonnie - Product
Mikela - UI/UX
Blessing - Engineer
Romeo - Dev Ops
Joseph - Fundraising

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Introductions

Please add your info to the chat:

What is your name?
Where are you zooming from?
What is your skill set that you would like to practice or use here?
How you heard about Hack for LA

Tip: use commas instead of returns to keep all your info together in one post

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Welcome to Hack for LA!

Presented by: Director of Operations Olivia Chiong

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Activity Time

Please sign into VRMS

https://vrms.io

Meeting name: Onboarding

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Meeting Agenda

How do we operate and what tools do we use?
What is a Community of Practice and how do I join?
Recap and Next Steps for new members

What is Code for America and Hack for LA?
What are the requirements for volunteers?
How do I benefit from joining Hack for LA?

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What is ?

CalFresh, federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides financial assistance low-income California residents for food purchases

Code for America is a civic tech organization that partners with government to bring their technological service into the digital age.

CfA Brigade Network

25,000+ brigade volunteers
80+ local chapters
small paid Network staff

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What is Hack for LA?

Hack for LA is the Los Angeles brigade for Code for America, which supports a variety of initiatives. We bring together civic-minded volunteers to build digital products, programs and services with community partners and local government to address issues in our LA region.

We are currently 100% volunteer!

Background information about Code for America

Variety of Initiatives
Paid

Partnering with Government to bring their technological service delivery into the digital age - apps that are in line with the 21st century, convenient like Uber, with the same level of service, user centered design and usability that most commercial applications have.
Fellowship program

Unpaid

They also support a Brigade Network (local chapters of CfA). They do this support with a small paid Network staff at CfA. However the brigades are all volunteer labor, except for a few brigades which have become their own non profits and have some paid staff. We call this Brigade 2.0 (Beta NYC, Code for Charlotte, Code for South, Code for KC). There are a total of 80 active Code for America Brigades with Over 20,000 volunteers

Non Profit Status: We are in the process of growing into Brigade 2.0. Currently we have no paid staff but projects have started fundraising.

Paid management layer that provides continuity with the city or with the county or with our nonprofit partners

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Hack for LA Projects

+ Many more across 8 different Program Areas...

Processed 500 person waiting list in less than 3 months

Filed motions to resolve 1,301 cases in 2019 Q1, compared to 1,793 in all of 2018�(290% increase in cases processed)

Completed

✔️

We curate the largest and most up-to-date listings of food pantries and ready meal locations in Los Angeles

Active

Created a software prototype with the LA City Attorney’s office which allowed faster processing of record expungement

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LA TDM Calculator

Hack for LA Projects

LA TDM Calculator is a web app created with the L.A. Dept. of Transportation and LA City Planning to help real estate developers design better projects that will help LA deliver on its sustainable cities goals.

Food Oasis is a website that helps eliminate food waste by connecting donors and food outlets such as food pantries

We have the largest listings of food pantries and meal locations in LA

+ Many more across 8 different Program Areas...

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10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard

Heart

Problem

The Los Angeles City/County HEART program helps homeless people resolve some infractions with community hours rather than paying fees. The program, didn't have an efficient way for tracking the progress and status of their participants. That bottleneck resulted in a waitlist of over 500 interested individuals wanting to participate in their program.

Solution

Hack for LA created custom design and development sprints with the LA City Attorney’s office, and produced a working prototype.�

Impact

By creating the prototype with Hack for LA, the LA City Attorney’s office was able to clearly articulate the process requirements to the LA City’s Information Technology Agency for the development of the workflow management tool. The new tool improved their workflow management system and significantly reduced wait times and improved outcomes for the community served (individuals experiencing homelessness).

Stats:

Processed the 500 person waiting list in less than 3 months
Filed motions to resolve 1,301 cases in Q1, compared to 1,793 in the whole previous year (290% increase in cases processed in the first quarter).

sdg.lamayor.org

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Hack for LA Program Areas

Citizen�Engagement

Civic Tech Infrastructure

Diversity Equity & Inclusion

Environment

Justice

Social �Safety Net

Voting &�Representation

Workforce Development

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Activity Time

Please join our slack

hackforla.org/slack

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Zoom Poll Time

Section I : Code for America and Hack for LA

On the scale below, please rate your level of agreement to the following statements:

I understand the roles of the organization Code for America / Hack for LA and the various projects they undertake.
I could clearly hear and understand the presenter at all times during this section.
The contents of this section were well organized.
The duration of this section was appropriate.
Overall, I have understood the subject dealt in this section well.

Any suggestions or comments for improvement?

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Meeting Agenda

How do we operate and what tools do we use?
How do I join the Community of Practice?
Recap and Next Steps for new members

What are Code for America and Hack for LA?
What are the requirements for volunteers
How do I benefit from joining Hack for LA?

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What are the requirements for volunteers?

Time Commitment
Undivided Attention
Documentation

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Time Commitment

Having a willingness to put in the hours is more important than having previous experience.

Average length is 6 months

Many volunteers have stayed 3+ years

Length of Contribution is Up To You

6+ hrs/week for all project volunteers

OR

Flexible requirement, if you want to work on Guides only or co-lead Community of Practice

Minimum Expected Contribution of Hours

Hours: Willingness to put in the hours is more important than previous experience. You get out of it what you put into it. If you treat it like a job, then you will get the same, or more growth, that you would doing the job. If it's part time, that journey is not going to be as rapid or let you go as deep as you would if it's full time. People who treat it as full time and look for a job at the same time, usually stay about 3 months.

Minimum expected contribution per week:

15 hours for product managers in the beginning and 10 once you have a handle on the project (month 3)
5-10 hours for all other types (developers, designers, testers, etc.)

Length of contribution: It's up to you. Average here for 6-9 months; some people have been here a long time 2+ years (they are not looking for work). Significant portion get jobs at 3-6 month range

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Undivided Attention

Focus on one project and one assignment at a time. Do not divide your energy and focus.

Work on One Project at a time

Try a project for a couple weeks or return to your Community of Practice for a different project rec.

Find A Good Culture Fit

Once you have found a project that you are interested in, focus and commit to a single project.

Still have

extra time?

Contribute to your Community of Practice by drafting and reviewing guides.

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Commitment to Documentation

Documentation facilitates the handover of work to the next person and makes the process of giving notice simpler.

Every hour that someone spends coaching you or getting you up to speed, should be paid back with your time and documentation.

Annotate Your Issues

Leave a lasting impression on the project by updating readme files and adding to the project Wiki.

Give 10, Take 1

How we do it with Volunteers: Stewards of the Public Good. We are all in a Giant relay race working together to make sure we pass the baton to the next volunteer. Because the projects and the work never end.

Documenting as you go

Giving notice: If you have been annotating your issues as you go, then this is pretty easy. Just make sure that your comment let’s the pm know you will be continuing. If you are able, we always appreciate advance notice. If you are a PM it's crucial.
Your joining the project should have a visible positive impact. Give 10, Take 1. For every hour that someone spends coaching you or getting you up to speed, you need to pay back the project in kind with your time or documentation. If you are a developer, when you start, an hour of your time is about equal to 5-10 hours of a senior developer's time. So all that is happening in the beginning is they are getting the same work done that they would have gotten done, it’s just through you. But if you update a readme file, or add info to the project Wiki that helps the next new developer, then you have actually contributed a net gain to the project because it saves time with each new person who joins.
Commitment to documentation (making the relay race possible): pass on our work to the next person in line, they need to be able to understand the context easily in order to pick up where it was left off

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Zoom Poll Time

Section II : Volunteer Requirement

On the scale below, please rate your level of agreement to the following statements:

I completely understand the minimum requirement (in terms of time, documentation and attention) expected from a volunteer at Hack for LA.
I could clearly hear and understand the presenter at all times during this section.
The contents of this section were well organized.
The duration of this section was appropriate.
Overall, I have understood the subject dealt in this section well.

Any suggestions or comments

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Meeting Agenda

How do we operate and what tools do we use?
What is a Community of Practice and how do I join?
Recap and Next Steps for new members

What are Code for America and Hack for LA?
What are the requirements for volunteers?
How do I benefit from joining Hack for LA?

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What can volunteers gain?

Work Experience

Mentors and Guidance

Networking

Learn New Skills

References

Team Experience

Signup for LinkedIn if you don’t have one yet

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Decision Time

Not everyone is a good fit for Hack for LA.

Reasons why it might not be the time for you to volunteer here:

Don’t have enough time consistently
Currently already committed to another project
Prefer to work solo
Not able to meet when others are available (some time �zones make it difficult to participate)

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Decision Time

If you do think that Hack for LA is a good fit, �we are about halfway through the meeting

If you need to go, you should go now. ��You can always come back at another onboarding

If you are staying, we will get you onboarded on our resources �and answer more of your questions

Please do not stay if you are just considering it. �Each volunteer takes hours to get integrated into projects,�and that process begins tonight, so we really, really want you to be sure �before we take time away from moving projects and teams forward.

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Zoom Poll Time

Section III : Benefits for Volunteers

On the scale below, please rate your level of agreement to the following statements:

I completely understand the benefits by volunteering at Hack for LA.
I have understood what makes me fit or unfit to volunteer at Hack for LA.
I could clearly hear and understand the presenter at all times during this section
The contents of this section were well organised.
The duration of this section was appropriate.
Overall, I have understood the subject dealt in this section well.

Any suggestions or comments

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Meeting Agenda

How do we operate and what tools do we use?
What is a Community of Practice and how do I join?
Recap and Next Steps for new members

What are Code for America and Hack for LA?
What are the requirements for volunteers?
How do I benefit from joining Hack for LA?

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How do we operate?

Fully remote
International contributors
Interdisciplinary teams

Communication:

Asynchronous issue updates
Async and synchronous Slack messaging
Team meetings over Zoom and Google Meet
Impromptu Zoom conversations

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Organization Chart

Admin

Projects

Communities of Practice

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What tools do we use?

Framework

JavaScript
Python
React
Node
AWS

Communication: Slack
Organization: Github, Google Drive
Design: Figma, Miro

To organize our tasks, we use a Kanban board to improve workflow and facilitate lean product development.

Tools

Technologies

Leaflet
MongoDB
Redux
Jest
SCSS

Mapbox
Material-UI
Microsoft SQL Server
Azure App Service

Jekyll
PostgreSQL
Django
PostGIS
Docker

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What tools do we use?

Cloud-based file-storage service to manage and organize files

Channel-based messaging platform to communicate within teams and make announcements

Repository hosting service to share code and manage the Kanban board

Free design software available online and for desktop app

Online collaborative whiteboard platform to plan and brainstorm

Figma

Miro

Google Drive

Slack

Github

Signup now

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What framework do we use?

To organize our tasks, we use a Kanban board on Github to improve workflow and facilitate lean product development.

Organized by:

Team Meetings
Ice box
Prioritized backlog
In progress
Links/Questions/In Review
Done

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What technologies do we use?

JavaScript

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Zoom Poll Time

Section IV : Operation and Tools used

On the scale below, please rate your level of agreement to the following statements:

I completely understand how Hack for LA operates as an organisation and the framework used to do so.
I completely understand the different tools and technologies used for projects at Hack for LA.
I could clearly hear and understand the presenter at all times during this section.
The contents of this section were well organised.
The duration of this section was appropriate.
Overall, I have understood the subject dealt in this section well.

Any suggestions or comments

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Meeting Agenda

How do we operate and what tools do we use?
What is a Community of Practice and how do I join?
Recap and Next Steps for new members

What are Code for America and Hack for LA?
What are the requirements for volunteers?
How do I benefit from joining Hack for LA?

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What is a Community of Practice?

Communities of Practice are a vital connection point in our fully remote organization

Peer mentorship
Discussions & brainstorms
Educational sessions and talks
HfLA alumni talks
Documentation & infrastructure building

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Which Project will I get to work on

Have you done all of the following?

Setting up your local environment from a contributing file
GitHub branching
Pull Requests
Reviewed other people's Pull Requests
Resolved Merge Conflicts
Written documentation for other Developers (Architecture, etc.)
Mentored other developers

Join any of Hack for LA’s project teams

Join the hackforla.org website team

YES

NO

ALL Software Engineers

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Which Project will I get to work on

Have you done all of the following?

API requests
Cron Job Scripting
CRUD operations

Join any of Hack for LA’s project teams

Join the hackforla.org website team

YES

NO

Backend Engineers

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Communities of Practice

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Join your Community of Practice

Access your Community of Practice Github “Readme” and follow the steps

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Zoom Poll Time

Section V : Community of Practice

On the scale below, please rate your level of agreement to the following statements:

I completely understand what a ‘Community of Practice’ at Hack for LA means.
I completely understand how to join my Community of Practice.
I could clearly hear and understand the presenter at all times during this section.
The contents of this section were well organised.
The duration of this section was appropriate.
Overall, I have understood the subject dealt in this section well.

Any suggestions or comments

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Meeting Agenda

How do we operate and what tools do we use?
What is a Community of Practice and how do I join?
Recap and Next Steps for new members

What are Code for America and Hack for LA?
What are the requirements for volunteers?
How do I benefit from joining Hack for LA?

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Activity Time

Start the steps for your community of practice now�https://github.com/hackforla/communities-of-practice

Join your community of practice Slack channel and introduce yourself.
Create a GitHub account if you don't already have one. We use GitHub for everything!
Slack your Community of Practice co-lead with your Gmail address and GitHub handle.
Set up two-factor authentication while waiting for the GitHub Admin to send you the invite (this can be completed after starting to attend meetings)

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Recap

Requirements for Volunteers

Time Commitment
Documentation
Undivided Attention

Tools: Slack, Google Drive, Github, Figma, Miro

Framework: Kanban Board

Next steps: Join the Community of Practice

Hack for LA is the Los Angeles brigade for Code for America, which is a civic tech organization.

Benefits of volunteering include:

Job Experience
Mentors and Guidance
References
Learn New Skills
Work Experience
Networking

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Next Steps for Everyone

Join your Community of Practice (CoP) channel on Slack
Follow the steps on your CoP Github “Readme”
Attend the CoP’s next meeting
Look at the open volunteer opportunities on the CoP Github

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First tasks at your

Community of Practice

Prerequisite: You’ve joined your Community of Practice Github

Consistent schedule

(if you can contribute 6-10 hours a week):

Join a Hack for LA project with an open role

Inconsistent schedule

(if you can contribute less than 6 hours a week):

Focus on the Community of Practice, contributing to guides and other tasks/discussions

1.

2.

3.

Set up your Experience Profile

Select a guide in a subject area that you are interested in learning more about / practicing

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Join a Project

Prerequisite: You’ve joined the Community of Practice and been to a meeting

Locate the CoP’s Open Volunteer Opportunities board on its Github repository
Find a role and project that fits your experience and availability
Ask questions at the CoP about the roles

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Next Steps for Developers (not senior)

Join the #engineering and #hfla-site Slack channels
Attend the HfLA website meetings on Tue @ 7pm and Sun @ 10am PDT
Read their readme and contributing.md files and get your dev environment setup.

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Resources for Requests and Concerns

Slack channel to reach out to leadership about:

Github Access requests (PMs)
Slack channel posting requests
Code of Conduct violations
Other organizational issues

#new-joiner-channel

#admin

Slack channel for new incoming members to:

Introduce yourselves
Ask about onboarding
Ask for help with joining your Community of Practice

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Zoom Poll Time (Last one!)

Section VI : Recap and Next Steps

On the scale below, please rate your level of agreement to the following statements:

The recap section was very useful for me.
I completely understand the next steps I need to take to finish my onboarding.
I could clearly hear and understand the presenter at all times during this section.
The contents of this section were well organised.
The duration of this section was appropriate.
Overall, I have understood the subject dealt in this section well.

Any suggestions or comments

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Thank you!

Thank you for your interest in volunteering your time with Hack for LA

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CalFresh, federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides financial assistance low-income California residents for food purchases

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Food Oasis is a website that helps eliminate food waste by connecting donors and food outlets such as food pantries

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LA TDM Calculator

LA TDM Calculator is a web app created with the L.A. Dept. of Transportation and LA City Planning to help real estate developers design better projects