We are a global network of volunteers. Since we operate across time zones, we need a clear structure. This operational framework is designed to make our work efficient, keep everything transparent, and build a strong sense of community.
Our Way of Working: An International Volunteer Guide
🛠️ Our Digital Toolkit:
Why We Use What We Use
Every tool we use has a specific purpose that supports our international collaboration. Understanding the function of each platform ensures that we communicate effectively and respect each other's time and effort.
1. 📧 Email & Identity: The Official Record
Our email domain, @hessdalen.org, is critical to our operational identity:
- Official Identity: Using your
@hessdalen.orgemail domain is mandatory for all internal and external communication. It establishes our credibility and professionalism as a unified organization. - Group Emails: The use of shared addresses like
team@hessdalen.orgis essential for continuity. It ensures that project communication and institutional knowledge remain accessible to the group, even if individual team members change.
2. 🗄️ Google Workspace: The Shared Workshop
We rely on Google Workspace in order to manage all internal assets:
- Joint Creation & Efficiency: Workspace (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Calendar) is the central, live workshop where all shared files, schedules, and documents reside. This ensures that teams can jointly create, coordinate schedules, and manage shared assets efficiently, regardless of their physical location or device.
3. 🌐 The Webpage: The Permanent Repository
The public-facing Webpage is not just a brochure; it is our structured institutional memory:
- Accessibility & Stability: The Webpage is the permanent, structured repository that ensures accessibility and stability. Its importance lies in the ability to share information in a stable, organized, and easily searchable format for the public and future volunteers. Content published here is considered final and authoritative.
4. 💬 Discord: The Real-Time Community
Discord serves as the dynamic, day-to-day nerve center of our operations:
- Real-Time Engagement: Discord is vital because it provides a real-time, interactive venue to nurture community and gather immediate feedback. It allows us to build strong relationships through instant, multi-directional conversation. This is critical for quick problem-solving and social bonding across time zones.
5. 📰 The Newsletter: The Targeted Update
The newsletter acts as our authoritative, scheduled communication channel:
- Authoritative Source: The newsletter ensures that every subscriber receives scheduled, targeted updates on the most important developments, decisions, and news. It acts as the authoritative source of timely information pushed directly to the audience, guaranteeing that key decisions are broadcast widely.
📅 Our Commitment to Presence
Because synchronous time together is rare and valuable, we emphasize the importance of our monthly meetings:
- Monthly Meetings: Showing up to our scheduled monthly meetings is our most critical form of synchronous collaboration. These meetings are reserved for decision-making, high-level strategy review, and cross-team alignment. Your attendance ensures that your team's voice is heard and that strategic direction is clearly understood by everyone.