What to expect: Guides Edition

This document is an overview of the IETF Guides Program, including basic information, a recommended schedule of interaction and suggestions for communicating with your assigned New Participant.

Welcome to the Guides Program!  Thank you for volunteering to help new IETF participants get the most out of the IETF meeting. Your generosity is greatly appreciated! Many participants have said that having a Guide greatly improved their introduction to the IETF.  Guides have said that they equally benefited from the experience.

If you have any questions, please contact the IETF Guides Program leads.

  • The Guides FAQ will help answer common questions.  The Guides Program Expectations outlines the expected standard behavior.  We suggest reading both the FAQ and Expectations prior to signing up to be a Guide.  
  • It may take some time for your assigned New Participant to determine what their goals are in relation to their participation in the IETF.  Guides can assist New Participants to help discover their goals and provide guidance in use of IETF procedures and common practices to achieve those goals.    
  • Either the Guide or the New Participant may request a new match at any time. If this occurs, please notify the program leads so that replacements can be found.
  • Guides need to be available for a few conversations, email communications and in-person connection during an IETF meeting. Any additional time provided is purely optional and for the benefit of both parties.  
  • A sample schedule for this journey is provided below and can be modified as needed.

This is an example of what a typical interaction schedule could look like between a Guide and their New Participant.  The timing will vary depending on the schedules, availability, and time zones of each person involved.  When you start interacting with the New Participant will depend on when you were connected with your Participant.  The goal is to make your best effort.

Timing Communication
2-3 weeks prior to the IETF meeting

Introduction email

  • Message from the Guides Program Leads introducing you to your assigned New Participant (this message is sent by the Guide Leads)
  • Send a message to your new participant and make arrangements to have a telephone call or teleconference meeting (Examples of topics to cover can be found below)
1 week prior to the IETF meeting

Check-in with your New Participant

  • Do they have any questions based on prior discussions and review of the materials?
  • Do they have their general schedule for the week figured out?
IETF meeting week

Meet up with your New Participant

  • If possible and you are both attending in person, meet with your New Participant Sunday or early in the week.
  • If you have time later in the week, meet with your New Participant to check-in and see how the meeting is going.
  • If meeting in person is not possible, send them an email to check-in or use zulip, slack or another messaging system.
Post meeting week (not required)

Follow-up with your New Participant

  • It is recommended to finish by doing a wrap-up email, call or meeting
  • Potential discussion prompts:
    • How did their IETF meeting week go?
    • Do they have any remaining questions?
    • What was the most challenging part of their IETF meeting experience?
  • This would be the end of your Guide/New Participant relationship unless you indicate otherwise.

Suggestions for first-time discussion with your assigned New Participant:

  • General introductions/background
  • What is the New Participant’s goal for the IETF meeting?
    • Bringing a specific proposal or contribution to the IETF?
    • Interested in specific sessions or areas?
    • Employer sending you to the IETF to find out more about a particular topic and how they can get involved?
    • No specific goal - just want to understand how the IETF works?
    • Look at some of the areas that were in the matching email.
  • Depending on how familiar they are with the IETF organization, do a general review of how the IETF works
  • Suggest participating in the New Participant activities and joining the mailing list if they have not already done so
    • New Participant Meetecho Test Sessions (2 weeks prior to the IETF and 1 during the meeting week)
    • New Participant Overview
    • Quick Connections

See the New Participants page for upcoming IETF Meetings for details of when these sessions take place.

  • Review the agenda and make some suggestions on which sessions they should attend
  • Let the New Participant know how best to contact you and your general availability - trade contact information.
  • Additional topics of conversation
    • IETF Toolchain
    • Meeting agenda and wiki
    • IETF App
    • Zulip
    • Meetecho
    • Datatracker (where all Internet Drafts, Working Group and Research group agenda’s and RFCs can be found, and more)
    • Webpage about getting the most out of IETF
    • Webpage about IETF process
    • Specific questions about mutual topics of interest
      • relevant working groups or research groups
      • relevant authors, working group chairs and area directors.  

Here is a sample email to your assigned new participant:

SUBJECT: IETF Guides Program - Introduction

Dear <NEW PARTICIPANT NAME HERE> ,

I have been assigned as your IETF Guide for the upcoming IETF XXX, in <INSERT CITY HERE>.

Prior to the IETF meeting, I would like to have a <CALL, TELECONFERENCE, ETC> so we can discuss the IETF meeting, your areas of interest and how to make the most of our Guide/New Participant experience.

The best way to contact me is <FILL IN HERE>. 

For more information, please see the following documents:

What to Expect: New Participant Edition
FAQ

I look forward to connecting with you.

Best regards,

<GUIDE NAME HERE>