The Process 4.3: Charter Review requires us to seek AC review of at least four weeks for "every new or substantively modified Working Group or Interest Group charter."
Chartering: We get to this stage when we have a pretty solid idea that there's standardization work to be done in an area, what that work looks like, and likely support from the stakeholders necessary for it to succeed. The proposed work MUST support W3C's vision and W3C design principles (see W3C mission), as well our various principles. (We will have developed that at the previous, Evaluation stage.)
One member of the Strategy team will act as Charter Shepherd. The Shepherd manages the development of the charter draft, including securing horizontal reviews of the charter, identifying and speaking with proposed chairs, and suggesting skills and time needed for team contact. He/she should also have a sense of the ecosystem support and probe for likely objections based on the advance notice. Our goal threshold is still to have 5% of the membership support a charter proposal, with no un-addressed objections, before we begin work. When we have a charter in this shape, we'll bring it to TiLT for review.
The Shepherd may solicit the help of another team member, for example to contribute the editorial work; this is typically case when the Shepherd is not expected to be the staff contact (and the proposed staff contact should then be involved in the chartering from the start). In other cases the Shepherd plays both the strategy and the editorial roles for the new charter, e.g., when the he/she is expected to be the proposed staff contact as well.
Upon TiLT approval (after responding to any questions raised there), the charter Shepherd works with Comm to post the proposed charter and prepare the AC notice and review form (WBS). You should monitor the WBS as the review period progresses to make sure that expected supporters are reviewing and to respond early to suggestions and Formal Objections.
When the review period closes, we'll prepare a disposition of comments and determine whether we need to make any changes to address suggestions or Objections. If any changes are made, share the charter and diff from what was sent for AC review with all who reviewed the charter and member-charters-review -- see Guide for more detail. When TiLT approves, the Shepherd works with Comm to announce the chartering and then we hand the package to Project Management.
Further instructions in the charter template repo. Guide. Template. Source for template.