---
tags: Signalen, Product Steering group
---

# Signalen Product Steering Meeting 29 October, 2020, 14:00 to 15:00

Draft shared product backlog: https://github.com/orgs/Signals/projects/2

Slack Channel: https://join.slack.com/share/zt-heae6d92-sqH1xvJvJQ_RMpAAMnHLKQ

Mailing list: https://lists.publiccode.net/mailman/postorius/lists/signalen-discuss.lists.publiccode.net/ (Check spam)

Chair: Felix
Board: https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_kkwkuBE=/

## Agenda:

- Announcements
- Discussion about where to store and communicate backlog, features
- Discuss Feature Request template & process
- Agenda next meeting

## Announcements

Jacco had a meeting with Amsterdam. VNG does currently not have UX/UI designer in the team.
Amsterdam agreed the would like to contribute UX/UI designer to Signalen

Jacoo also had a meeting with Wouter Bruining and Bart on how Signalen could connect with a case managemenent system using the ZWG API standard.

Almere and Den Bosch reached consesus on how to operationalize Signalen as a Service

## Discussion about where to store and communicate backlog, features

Felix presented a proposal on how to make sure we perform shared product management for Signalen in open. Demo briefly coverd:

- Information on the signalen.org website about product steering and shared backlog (see draft pull request: )
- Presented our shared product backlog where to put feature requests and prioritize according to the process we are developing together. (see: https://github.com/orgs/Signalen/projects/2)
- Feedback will be provided on the mailinglist. We decided to continue with this approach. Jacco made a remark it would be nice in the future to have a webform for feature requests and would be published on the backlog.

## Discuss Feature Request template & process
Last meeting we extensively discussed the feature request template and decided to fill one out and test drive the process we came up with. In stead we had a number of discussions related to:

### Refinement process from a feature request to something you can build
The step where a feature requests needs to be translated from a functional description to something a developer can actually build is largely depended on the scope of the feature request. There can be large epic's which will result in a long process of refinment and design before it is ready to be developed.
Some refinements can be short others long. Developers or other experts should and can always be present as needed in the product steering process but there needs to be a a short term and mid-long term cycle in which we can acconmodate discussions and prioritizations about features as well as further refining and designing them.

Arvid from Amsterdam already has a process which takes this into account which focusses on the steps on the process on how to come from a feature request to something which is developped and integrated into the Signalen product. Arvid will share and talk us through this proces in the next meeting so we can align an use this proces in the product steering group (see action points)

### Release planning & roadmap
In the previous discussion Jacco mentioned it is also important to have a forward look where you decided which "ready-to-be-develloped" features will land in the product. This could be a quartely roadmap which includes a high level summary of the development and features goals and publish these on the roadmap section of the website of signalen.org.

Arjo mentioned that is very hard for him to determine what would be included in the roadmap or a quarterly release. Also Astrid said she finds it challenging as there is no single overview yet of all the features but she is more than happy to work on the backlog after the intial one is ready next meeting.

Felix ammened that the shared product backlog located on github (https://github.com/orgs/Signalen/projects/2) already includes all epics and stories combined from the sources: VNG backlog, joined excel sheet Den Bosch/Almere and powerpoint Amsterdam.

We came to the conclusion that it would be valuable to groom these items, go over them and write them in the form of a feature request so these features can be a starting point for our first joint quartely roadmap. In the next meeting we could discuss these on a high level with eachother and then start working on the joint roadmap together.

Felix will facilitate that proces. Before that Bram will team up with Erik, a new product manager from Den Bosch and with Almere first. After that he will ping Felix and we will have co working session to put all the cards in place.

Important to note that is that we will have the following assets:

- A shared open feature request backlog which is a reflection of functional descriptions which will be refined and designed together with developpers and will translate to individual/multiple github issues
- The roadmap on signalen.org will provide a high level descriptive overview on a quartely basis to show where the development is heading in the upcoming quarters.

We will practice this proces and refine step by step.

## Agenda next meeting

- Short from feature to product process walkthough used in Amsterdam by Arvid
- High level overview on shared feature request backlog

## Action points

Next chair: Bram

| Action | Responsible | Due date |
| --- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | -------- | ------------------------- |
| Short from feature to product process walkthough used in Amsterdam | Arvid | 12-11-2020||
| High level overview on shared feature request backlog | Bram/Erik/Felix | 12-11-2020||