Repository: nodejs/node
Pull request: meta: edit collaborator nomination process

This PR tries to address a few concerns raised in https://github.com/nodejs/TSC/issues/1702 that seems small enough that it may get consensus already. This PR:

- recommend more strongly a private discussion prior to a public one.
- ~remove requirement for at-mentioning the collaborators team.~
- add requirement for the nominee to publicly accept the nomination.
- move recommendation for heads up comment from "How to review
  nominations" section to "Nominating new Collaborator" section.

This shouldn't block us from discussing making deeper changes to the nomination process, but it should already improve the status quo IMO.

/cc @nodejs/collaborators 

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Changed files:
filename: GOVERNANCE.md
patch: @@ -146,8 +146,31 @@ Contributions can be:
 
 ### Nominating a new Collaborator
 
-To nominate a new Collaborator, open an issue in the [nodejs/node][] repository.
-Provide a summary of the nominee's contributions. For example:
+To nominate a new Collaborator:
+
+1. **Optional but strongly recommended**: open a
+   [discussion in the nodejs/collaborators][] repository. Provide a summary of
+   the nominee's contributions (see below for an example).
+2. **Optional but strongly recommended**: After sufficient wait time (e.g. 72
+   hours), if the nomination proposal has received some support and no explicit
+   block, add a comment in the private discussion stating you're planning on
+   opening a public issue, e.g. "I see a number of approvals and no block, I'll
+   be opening a public nomination issue if I don't hear any objections in the
+   next 72 hours".
+3. **Optional but strongly recommended**: Privately contact the nominee to make
+   sure they're comfortable with the nomination.
+4. Open an issue in the [nodejs/node][] repository. Provide a summary of
+   the nominee's contributions (see below for an example). Mention
+   @nodejs/collaborators in the issue to notify other collaborators about
+   the nomination.
+
+The _Optional but strongly recommended_ steps are optional in the sense that
+skipping them would not invalidate the nomination, but it could put the nominee
+in a very awkward situation if a nomination they didn't ask for pops out of
+nowhere only to be rejected. Do not skip those steps unless you're absolutely
+certain the nominee is fine with the public scrutiny.
+
+Example of list of contributions:
 
 * Commits in the [nodejs/node][] repository.
   * Use the link `https://github.com/nodejs/node/commits?author=GITHUB_ID`
@@ -166,19 +189,11 @@ Provide a summary of the nominee's contributions. For example:
   organization
 * Other participation in the wider Node.js community
 
-Mention @nodejs/collaborators in the issue to notify other collaborators about
-the nomination.
-
-The nomination passes if no collaborators oppose it after one week. In the case
+The nomination passes if no collaborators oppose it after one week, and if the
+nominee publicly accepts it. In the case
 of an objection, the TSC is responsible for working with the individuals
 involved and finding a resolution.
 
-There are steps a nominator can take in advance to make a nomination as
-frictionless as possible. To request feedback from other collaborators in
-private, use the [collaborators discussion page][]
-(which only collaborators may view). A nominator may also work with the
-nominee to improve their contribution profile.
-
 Collaborators might overlook someone with valuable contributions. In that case,
 the contributor may open an issue or contact a collaborator to request a
 nomination.
@@ -206,11 +221,6 @@ push commits, etc.), so what's the minimal amount is subjective, and there will
 be cases where collaborators disagree on whether a nomination should move
 forward.
 
-When concerns have been raised on the private discussion, refrain from opening
-the public issue. If no one has explicitly blocked the nomination and you'd like
-it to move forward, comment something like "If I don't hear any objections
-before (some time), I will open the public issue".
-
 ### Onboarding
 
 After the nomination passes, a TSC member onboards the new collaborator. See
@@ -224,6 +234,6 @@ The TSC follows a [Consensus Seeking][] decision-making model per the
 
 [Consensus Seeking]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus-seeking_decision-making
 [TSC Charter]: https://github.com/nodejs/TSC/blob/HEAD/TSC-Charter.md
-[collaborators discussion page]: https://github.com/nodejs/collaborators/discussions/categories/collaborator-nominations
+[discussion in the nodejs/collaborators]: https://github.com/nodejs/collaborators/discussions/categories/collaborator-nominations
 [nodejs/help]: https://github.com/nodejs/help
 [nodejs/node]: https://github.com/nodejs/node