Create Use-Policy.md

Initial idea

Author: mgifford

draft/Use-Policy.md

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+# CivicActions GitHub Use Policy
+
+This is a draft policy outlines when work should go into the CivicActions corporate GitHub repository versus a personal repository, and how to attribute CivicActions support when experimenting on paid time.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Governance: Corporate vs. Personal Repositories
+
+### Corporate GitHub Repository (use when…)
+- The work is **intended to be maintained** beyond the original author’s involvement.  
+- The project aligns with **client delivery, internal tooling, or CivicActions strategy**.  
+- The code is itended to be **reused, extended, or depended on** by others in the company.  
+- The work touches on **governance, compliance, or accessibility** standards where CivicActions must show accountability.  
+- Documentation, issue tracking, or contribution from other staff will be needed.  
+- Security, licensing, and support responsibilities fall to CivicActions.  
+
+### Personal or Private Repositories (use when…)
+- The work is **exploratory, throw-away, or highly experimental**, and may never be maintained.  
+- The work is part of **personal learning or prototyping** that doesn’t yet meet company governance standards.  
+- The project is tied to **individual interests or experiments** that may or may not align with client work.  
+- The author wants to test or draft ideas before proposing them for company adoption.  
+
+**Rule of thumb:** If CivicActions or its clients will **depend** on it, it belongs in the corporate repo. If it’s **personal exploration**, keep it in a personal repo unless and until it becomes company-backed.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Attribution of CivicActions-Supported Work
+
+When staff experiment during CivicActions-paid time, they should acknowledge CivicActions’ support while respecting personal repositories.
+
+- Include a statement in the README of personal repos created on CivicActions time:  
+  > “This work was initiated with support from CivicActions.”  
+- If the project later becomes useful to CivicActions or its clients, it should be **migrated into the corporate GitHub** and maintained under CivicActions governance.  
+- Staff are encouraged to **flag experiments** in weekly updates or Slack so others are aware of the exploration, even if it stays in a private repo.  
+- When in doubt, **err on the side of attribution**. This protects both the individual and the company and demonstrates CivicActions’ commitment to open knowledge and stewardship.  
+
+---
+
+## 3. Decision Tree
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    A[Do you expect others at CivicActions to use or depend on this work?] -->|Yes| B[Put it in the Corporate GitHub Repo]
+    A -->|No| C[Is this just personal learning or an experiment?]
+
+    C -->|Yes| D[Keep it in a Personal Repo<br/>Add note: 'Supported in part by CivicActions']
+    C -->|No| E[Does it align with client delivery or CivicActions strategy?]
+
+    E -->|Yes| B
+    E -->|No| D
+
+    B --> F[Add docs & follow CivicActions governance]