[Project Name]

CivicTechWR Season X Project

🚀 New to this template? Start with the Getting Started Guide for a 5-minute overview and step-by-step instructions.

Quick Summary

Prerequisites (10 minutes):

• Git 2.30+ (git --version)
• Node.js 18+ with npm (node --version, npm --version)
• GitHub CLI (gh) authenticated with:
  • gh auth login
  • gh auth refresh -s project --hostname github.com (for project automation)
  • gh auth status showing project and repo scopes
• Optional: Python 3.10+, Ruby/Bundler, or Flutter if your project uses them

Tip: Run ./scripts/setup.sh --check (new flag) for a prereq-only diagnostic before installing dependencies.

This template provides everything needed for a successful CivicTechWR project: 12-week project lifecycle, comprehensive documentation, GitHub automation, security best practices, and public website hosting.

Essential first steps:

1. Complete the Getting Started Guide - Your roadmap to success
2. Fill out your Project Pitch - Define your civic impact
3. Set up your development environment - Automated scripts included

For detailed guidance: Read the Getting Started Guide - it breaks down the entire process with week-by-week instructions, common questions, and success metrics.

Problem Statement

What is the problem? [Describe the specific community problem you're addressing]

Who is affected? [Name the people or groups and where they are, e.g., "seniors in Kitchener who rely on buses after 9pm"]

What exists today? [How are users solving or mitigating the problem today? Tools, programs, workarounds, policies, past attempts and their gaps]

Why now? [What's changed or urgent about the problem? Any time-bound opportunity or risk?]

Solution Overview

[Brief description of what you're building and how it addresses the problem]

Team

Name	Role	Skills	Weekly Commitment
[Name]	[Role]	[Skills]	[Hours/week]

What help do we need from the community? [Data, introductions, volunteers with certain skills, user interviews, etc.]

What are we bringing to CTWR? [Time, domain knowledge, user access, data, story, test space, feedback cadence, or sponsorship]

Technical Approach

Technology Stack:

• Frontend: [e.g., React, Jekyll, Flutter]
• Backend: [e.g., Python/Django, Node.js, Ruby]
• Database: [e.g., PostgreSQL, SQLite]
• Deployment: [e.g., GitHub Pages, Heroku, Netlify]

Architecture Decisions: [Brief rationale for tech choices - see TECHNICAL_DESIGN.md for details]

Community Impact

Success Metrics: [Simple outcomes or signals - e.g., fewer missed appointments, faster sign-ups, clearer info]

How this strengthens Waterloo Region's civic fabric: [Connection to broader civic goals and community benefits]

Project Timeline

• Week 1-3: Problem validation and user research
• Week 4-6: User research and prototype development
• Week 7-9: Core feature development
• Week 10-11: Testing and refinement
• Week 12: Demo Day presentation

Setup Summary

📖 Complete Getting Started Guide - Full walkthrough recommended

Quick commands after reading the guide:

Quick Setup Commands

# 0. Pre-flight check (optional but recommended)
./scripts/setup.sh --check

# 1. Bootstrap local environment
./scripts/setup.sh

# 2. Provision GitHub Project for project tracking
CTWR_PROJECT_OWNER=CivicTechWR ./scripts/setup-project.sh  # recommend hosting in the CivicTechWR org

# 3. Apply security baseline (branch protection, Dependabot, secret scanning)
./scripts/setup-security.sh

⚠️ ./scripts/setup-project.sh needs gh with the project scope and permissions inside the CivicTechWR organization (recommended home for new repos). Run gh auth refresh -s project --hostname github.com first.

⚠️ ./scripts/setup-security.sh needs gh with repo scope plus admin rights. Verify with gh auth status and ensure you can edit repository settings.

📢 GitHub Pages: Repos under github.com/CivicTechWR can stay private if the org plan allows private Pages. For personal forks, make the repo public or upgrade so the docs site can publish.

Post-flight checklist:

• Enable GitHub Pages (Settings → Pages → GitHub Actions)
• Run the project (./scripts/setup-project.sh) and security (./scripts/setup-security.sh) automation
• Update README, wiki, and CODEOWNERS with real details
• Invite partners/volunteers to the repo and GitHub Project

For Contributors: See CONTRIBUTING.md

Project Resources

Planning & Pitching

• Project Pitch Template - 3-minute pitch format
• User Research Templates - Interview guides and personas

Development

• Technical Design Document - Architecture decisions
• Security Guide - Security best practices for civic tech
• Repository Security - GitHub security configuration and monitoring
• Accessibility Guide - WCAG 2.1 compliance
• Contributing Guidelines - How to get involved
• Project Management - GitHub Projects setup
• GitHub Pages Setup - Public website hosting and deployment

Demo Day Preparation

• Demo Slides Template - 8-step presentation guide
• Impact Tracking - Metrics and story collection

Project Wiki Templates

• Wiki Template Guide - Complete GitHub Wiki setup
• Team & Roles Wiki - Team documentation page

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• CivicTechWR community
• [List any specific partners, data sources, or inspiration]

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CivicTechWR Project Template - Built for Season X • CTWR Website