For guidance, we have included our intent in some sections template code and have provided PRAGMA's example for each section. Please adjust accordingly to best work for your project.
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{your project} currently lacks an incident resolution process. While individual contributors and maintainer committees may handle issues as they arise, there is no formalized structure to ensure consistency, transparency, and efficiency in addressing incidents. The absence of a clear process can lead to delays in resolution, miscommunication and an inconsistent approach to similar issues.
A well-defined incident resolution process can aid in ensuring the stability and reliability of {your project}. By formalizing an incident resolution process, {your project} will benefit from a structured approach to handling issues, improving response times and fostering a culture of accountability and of continuous learning.
{your project} will implement the following structured Incident Resolution Process:
If you believe someone is in immediate physical danger, please call your local emergency number.
You may report a potential violation of the {your project} Code of Conduct in writing or in a spoken conversation as indicated below.
To report a violation in writing, please email {specify the address and who receives email at that address}. If you do not want your report to be received by all members {please specify an alternative such as contacting an individual in a leadership role}
If you prefer to report the violation in a spoken conversation, you may request a telephone conversation or virtual meeting with {specify how this will work}.
If you desire to submit a report anonymously, please send a message directly to any individual member of {your project} and let them know you would like to submit a Code of Conduct report anonymously.
When reporting a potential Code of Conduct violation, please include the following information in your report:
- Names of the people involved (or if names are unknown, use descriptions and any identifying information such as appearance, role,
- username, or handle), including the person whom you believe violated the Code of Conduct and any witnesses.
- Description of the incident, including the events that occurred, the date and time, and location or community space where the
- incident occurred.
- The portion(s) of the CoC you believe to be violated.
- If you have relevant documentary evidence, such as screenshots or photographs, please provide those with your report.
The {appropriate member(s)} will acknowledge receipt of your report in a timely manner, usually within a few business days.
Reports will only be shared with non-conflicted members {appropriate member(s)}, with very limited exceptions. See the “Confidentiality,” “Information Sharing,” “Communicating the Results,” and “Conflicts of Interest” sections below for more information.
The {appropriate member(s)} will investigate the report by reviewing available evidence and, if appropriate, interviewing witnesses, the accused person, and persons who were targeted or may have been harmed. In some cases, the {appropriate member(s)} may engage an external professional investigator or mediator to assist.
If a potential incident comes to the {appropriate member(s)}’s attention that may present a serious continuing risk to community safety, the {appropriate member(s)} may investigate even if no official report has been received.
If the {appropriate member(s)} determines that the Code of Conduct was violated, the {appropriate member(s)} will decide on what remediation steps should be taken. See “Resolution” below for more information.
During or after the investigation, the {appropriate member(s)} shall notify the accused person that an incident report has been received concerning their alleged behavior, unless the {appropriate member(s)} determines that the report is meritless or has been filed in bad faith.
Although the {appropriate member(s)} will not take any permanent actions until the {appropriate member(s)} has gathered and reviewed all available evidence, the {appropriate member(s)} reserves the right to take immediate temporary action (e.g., temporarily suspending someone’s participation in a community space while the investigation is pending) at any time after learning of the incident if the {appropriate member(s)} determines this is necessary to protect the community or community members from the risk of harm.
If the accused person and the parties potentially harmed in an incident communicate to the {appropriate member(s)} that they would like to resolve the incident through restorative conversation, mediation, or mutual agreement, the {appropriate member(s)} will wait until the parties have attempted to do so before making any final decisions regarding resolution of the incident.
The goal of Code of Conduct incident resolution is to support and safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of the community and individuals who participate in the community, and to reinforce community standards for acceptable behavior.
- Restorative Justice: Focuses on repairing harm and providing support for all parties involved.
- Transformative Justice: Addresses systemic issues that may have contributed to or encouraged harmful behavior.
- Issuing a warning
- Removing harmful content from community or project spaces
- A public or private apology
- Temporary suspension or permanent ban from community or project
- Temporary or permanent removal from a leadership role
- Education, mentoring, or coaching
- Addressing systemic issues that contributed to harmful behavior
If any party does not fulfill their obligations related to resolution of the incident, the {appropriate member(s)} may take further action to resolve the incident.
An incident is considered “resolved” when the {appropriate member(s)} has completed its investigation and determined the necessary remediation actions. The {appropriate member(s)} will determine how much information to share with the reporter and the accused person, considering privacy and confidentiality concerns.
The {appropriate member(s)} of {your project} may share information with each other on an as-needed basis about reported incidents and their resolution for limited purposes.
Only members of {your project} without conflicts of interest will have access to confidential information pertaining to the incident. They will not disclose confidential information without permission unless legally required.
The {your project} community will not tolerate retaliation against community members who report concerns under the CoC in good faith, or who assist in an investigation.
An {appropriate member(s)} member has a hard conflict of interest if:
- They are the accused person or a person alleged to be directly harmed.
- They have a close personal or professional relationship with the accused or affected individuals.
- They have another personal interest likely to undermine impartiality.
A soft conflict exists when:
- The member works at the same company as the accused person but does not have a close relationship.
- Other circumstances give the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Any amendments to these Incident Resolution Procedures must be approved by the {appropriate member(s)}.
- Ensures all incidents are handled in a structured, repeatable way
- Easy to determine who to escalate and how to do so privately
- Root cause review
- Promotes a culture of learning
- Increated overhead for {appropriate member(s)}
- Some may resist the new process
This document includes content based on the Mozilla “How to Report Violations of the Community Participation Guidelines” document , which is based in part on the PyCon Code of Conduct Revision 2f4d980 . Both of these resources are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. This document is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.