docs(governance): add working group charter template

Governance/README.md

@@ -202,6 +202,8 @@ Reusable templates live in `Governance/templates/`:
   request for comments.
 - [`templates/ADR_TEMPLATE.md`](templates/ADR_TEMPLATE.md) — the starting point for an
   architecture decision record.
+- [`templates/WORKING_GROUP_CHARTER.md`](templates/WORKING_GROUP_CHARTER.md) — the starting point for a
+  working group charter.
 
 ## Recognition
 

Governance/templates/WORKING_GROUP_CHARTER.md

@@ -0,0 +1,235 @@
+# Working Group Charter Template
+
+This is the template every Working Group charter in the TeachLink Backend
+project starts from. A charter records the **mandate, scope, membership,
+decision-making rules, and sunset condition** of a Working Group — the
+minimum information needed for the rest of the project to understand what
+the group is authorised to do, who is accountable, and when the group's
+work is complete.
+
+This document is part of the project's **Roles & membership** area. It lives
+entirely inside the `Governance/` folder and does not change application code.
+Dissolution of an active Working Group follows
+`Governance/processes/WORKING_GROUP_DISSOLUTION.md`.
+
+## How To Use This Template
+
+Copy the section below into a new file at
+`Governance/working-groups/<group-slug>/CHARTER.md` (for example
+`Governance/working-groups/security/CHARTER.md`), open it as a pull request
+limited to the `Governance/` folder, and fill in every section. Do not delete
+a section because it feels premature — write "Not yet determined" or "N/A"
+with a one-line reason so reviewers can see the field was considered.
+
+A charter is deliberately short — one or two pages. Detailed design,
+processes, and runbooks belong in the group's own working documents, not
+duplicated here.
+
+Once merged, the charter takes effect immediately. Any amendment follows
+the process in the **Charter amendments** section below.
+
+---
+
+## Template
+
+```markdown
+# <Working Group Name> — Working Group Charter
+
+- **Version:** <1.0>
+- **Status:** Proposed | Active | Sunset
+- **Created:** <YYYY-MM-DD>
+- **Chair:** <GitHub handle>
+- **Sponsor (maintainer):** <GitHub handle>
+- **Last reviewed:** <YYYY-MM-DD>
+
+## Purpose
+
+One paragraph stating why this Working Group exists and what problem it is
+solving for the TeachLink Backend project. Written so that a contributor who
+has never encountered this group can understand its mission without reading
+further.
+
+## Scope
+
+### In scope
+
+What the Working Group IS responsible for. Use a short bulleted list of
+domains, decisions, or artifacts the group owns:
+
+- <domain or decision type the group owns>
+- <domain or decision type the group owns>
+
+### Out of scope
+
+What the Working Group is explicitly NOT responsible for, to prevent scope
+creep and clarify boundaries with other groups or maintainers:
+
+- <area explicitly excluded>
+- <area explicitly excluded>
+
+Scope changes require a charter amendment (see **Charter amendments** below).
+
+## Deliverables
+
+Concrete, checkable outputs the Working Group is expected to produce. Each
+deliverable has a target date (or a trigger event) and a named owner within
+the group:
+
+| Deliverable | Description | Target date / trigger | Owner |
+| ----------- | ----------- | --------------------- | ----- |
+| <name> | <one-line description> | <YYYY-MM-DD or event> | <handle> |
+| <name> | <one-line description> | <YYYY-MM-DD or event> | <handle> |
+
+Deliverables are updated by charter amendment as work progresses.
+
+## Membership
+
+### Roles
+
+- **Chair** — facilitates meetings, publishes agendas and minutes, holds the
+  deciding vote when the group cannot reach consensus, and is the primary
+  contact for the maintainer sponsor. There is exactly one Chair at any time.
+- **Member** — participates in discussions and decisions, owns deliverables
+  as assigned, and upholds the group's commitments.
+- **Maintainer sponsor** — a named maintainer who acts as the group's liaison
+  to the maintainer body, escalates decisions the group cannot settle, and
+  ensures the group's work is reflected in the project roadmap.
+
+### Current members
+
+| Handle | Role | Joined |
+| ------ | ---- | ------ |
+| <@handle> | Chair | <YYYY-MM-DD> |
+| <@handle> | Member | <YYYY-MM-DD> |
+
+### Joining and leaving
+
+- **Joining.** Any contributor may request membership by commenting on the
+  group's tracking issue. The Chair confirms acceptance and updates this
+  charter by pull request.
+- **Leaving.** A member may leave at any time by notifying the Chair. The
+  Chair updates this charter by pull request. A member who is inactive for
+  90 or more consecutive days without a recorded leave of absence is removed
+  per `Governance/policies/INACTIVITY.md`.
+- **Minimum membership.** The group requires at least two active members
+  (including the Chair) to remain quorate. If membership falls below this
+  threshold for more than 60 consecutive days the group enters the dissolution
+  process defined in `Governance/processes/WORKING_GROUP_DISSOLUTION.md`.
+
+## Decision-making
+
+The Working Group uses **lazy consensus** for routine decisions: a proposal
+posted to the group's designated channel (see **Communication** below) is
+adopted if no member raises a blocking objection within five business days.
+
+A **formal vote** is required for:
+
+- Charter amendments.
+- Adding or removing a member against their wishes.
+- Any decision that affects code, configuration, or policy outside the
+  `Governance/` folder.
+
+Formal votes require a simple majority of active members. The Chair casts
+a deciding vote only when votes are tied. Votes and their outcomes are
+recorded in `Governance/DECISION_LOG.md` within five business days of the
+decision.
+
+Decisions that cannot be settled within the group are escalated to the
+maintainer sponsor, who follows `Governance/processes/ESCALATION_PATH.md`.
+
+## Meeting cadence and communication
+
+- **Meetings.** <frequency — e.g. bi-weekly | monthly | as needed>. Agendas
+  are published at least 24 hours before each meeting using
+  `Governance/templates/AGENDA_TEMPLATE.md`. Minutes are published within
+  five business days using `Governance/templates/MINUTES_TEMPLATE.md`.
+- **Async channel.** <channel name and link — e.g. the GitHub Discussion
+  category, a Telegram thread, or a dedicated issue label>.
+- **Tracking issue.** All Working Group activity is anchored to a single
+  GitHub issue titled `Working Group: <Working Group Name>` that the Chair
+  keeps up to date.
+
+## Reporting
+
+The Chair posts a written status update to the tracking issue at the
+cadence below. The maintainer sponsor reviews each update and surfaces
+blockers to the maintainer body as needed.
+
+| Report type | Cadence | Audience | Format |
+| ----------- | ------- | -------- | ------ |
+| Status update | <monthly / per milestone> | Maintainers + community | Comment on tracking issue |
+| Deliverable sign-off | On completion of each deliverable | Maintainer sponsor | Pull request + tracking issue comment |
+| Sunset or renewal report | At sunset trigger (see below) | Maintainers + community | Pull request to update charter status |
+
+## Sunset clause
+
+This Working Group dissolves — or must be formally renewed — when **any one**
+of the following conditions is met:
+
+1. **All deliverables accepted.** Every deliverable in the **Deliverables**
+   table above has been accepted by the maintainer sponsor. This is the
+   expected, healthy outcome.
+2. **End date reached.** The group has operated for <duration — e.g. six
+   months | one year> from its creation date without completing all
+   deliverables. The group must either amend this charter to extend the
+   timeline (with a rationale) or enter dissolution.
+3. **Quorum failure.** Membership falls below the minimum defined in
+   **Membership** for more than 60 consecutive days.
+4. **Inactivity.** The group produces no recorded output and holds no
+   meetings for 90 or more consecutive days, per
+   `Governance/policies/INACTIVITY.md`.
+5. **Maintainer decision.** The maintainers, by consensus or by the lead
+   maintainer's deciding vote, determine the group no longer serves the
+   project's interests.
+
+When a sunset condition is triggered the Chair (or, if there is no active
+Chair, the maintainer sponsor) opens a dissolution proposal following
+`Governance/processes/WORKING_GROUP_DISSOLUTION.md`. The group's status in
+this charter is updated to **Sunset** at that time.
+
+## Charter amendments
+
+This charter is amended through the standard governance process:
+
+1. A pull request is opened that touches **only** the `Governance/` folder.
+2. The proposed change is discussed and review comments are resolved by its
+   author (`CONTRIBUTING.md` §9 *PR Review Policy*).
+3. A formal vote of the Working Group members is held (see
+   **Decision-making** above). Approval by a simple majority of active
+   members is required before the maintainer sponsor merges the pull request.
+4. The **Version** field in this charter's header is incremented and the
+   **Last reviewed** field is updated on merge.
+
+Minor editorial corrections (typos, broken links) may be merged by the
+maintainer sponsor without a formal vote, provided no normative content
+changes.
+
+## Related documents
+
+- `Governance/CHARTER.md` — project-level charter; defines Working Group authority
+- `Governance/processes/WORKING_GROUP_DISSOLUTION.md` — dissolution process and record template
+- `Governance/policies/INACTIVITY.md` — inactivity thresholds and notification procedure
+- `Governance/policies/QUORUM.md` — quorum rules for formal votes
+- `Governance/templates/AGENDA_TEMPLATE.md` — meeting agenda template
+- `Governance/templates/MINUTES_TEMPLATE.md` — meeting minutes template
+- `Governance/DECISION_LOG.md` — record of all formal decisions
+```
+
+## Status Values
+
+- **Proposed** — the charter pull request is open for review. The Working
+  Group does not have authority until the charter is merged.
+- **Active** — the charter is merged and in effect. The group operates under
+  the terms recorded here.
+- **Sunset** — a sunset condition has been triggered. The group is in or has
+  completed the dissolution process defined in
+  `Governance/processes/WORKING_GROUP_DISSOLUTION.md`. The charter text is
+  not deleted; only the status line changes, and the dissolution record is
+  linked from it.
+
+## Review
+
+This template is reviewed whenever the Working Group lifecycle processes it
+supports change materially. Changes are proposed through the normal governance
+process described in `Governance/README.md` and must touch only the
+`Governance/` folder.