D Glossary
Summary
This page defines the words the handbook uses, in alphabetical order, each linking to where it is explained in full. "Organizer" is the umbrella term for people taking ongoing responsibility; Fellow, Steward, and Lead are legacy terms that point to the Individual Contributor, Directly Responsible Individual, and Player-Coach role types. Atlas holds current roles and role holders. Not sure what a word means? Look it up here first, and add new organizational terms as you meet them.
Source of truth
Atlas holds current roles, role holders, circles, projects, and priorities. This page defines the words the handbook uses for them.
D.1 Alphabetical terms
Accountability
One of a role's ongoing responsibilities, recorded as part of that role in Atlas. A role can have several accountabilities. See Roles and circles.
Atlas
Our live record of current governance, roles, projects, priorities, and owners — the handbook explains concepts, while Atlas shows who is doing what right now. See The handbook and Atlas.
Campaign
A concrete piece of advocacy work people can get involved in, such as a policy push or a local action series. Current campaigns and their resources are listed at sapiensfirst.org/campaigns. See Peaceful actions.
Chapter
A larger stage of local organizing than a circle, described in source material alongside circles, hubs, and alliances. The thresholds and procedures for becoming a chapter still need confirmation before they're adopted rules. See Local circles.
Circle
A group of roles brought together around a shared purpose. A local circle is a small group that meets and acts together in one place. See Roles and circles and Local circles.
Decision rights
What a role or project owner can decide alone, where they should consult affected people, and which choices someone else must approve. See Decisions.
Domain
An area of related work that Atlas groups roles and projects under, alongside its views for roles and people. See Finding current people, projects, and contacts.
Directly Responsible Individual (DRI)
A person who owns an outcome, especially one spanning functions, systems, or contributors, with a clear purpose, domain, accountabilities, and decision authority. See E.1.2 Directly Responsible Individual.
Fellow
Legacy term for an organizer in the foundational reading series; the closest role type is the Individual Contributor. Someone taking part in the Fellowship: a structured volunteer program in which they take responsibility for a project, with support. See The Fellowship.
Fellowship
A structured volunteer program, not employment, in which each Fellow takes responsibility for a project, with support. See The Fellowship.
Individual Contributor (IC)
A person who directly creates value through their craft. See E.1.1 Individual Contributor.
Key result
The measure that shows an objective's outcome happened, also called a success criterion. Each key result should point to a defined metric — usually one that measures the outcome. See How Sapiens First manages work.
Member
Someone who participates in the community, helps with events, and builds connections, one of the ways to get involved with Sapiens First. See Ways to participate.
Metric
A clearly defined measure — typed as an input, output, or outcome — with a starting point, a target, and a date, useful when it helps someone decide better. See Metrics.
Mission, pillar, program
How Atlas organizes work: the mission is the overall change we work toward, and a pillar is a major contribution to it. A program groups related work around a continuing purpose. See From mission to work.
Objective
A change we want to achieve — it names the outcome we want. See Outcomes and outputs.
Organizer
Someone taking ongoing responsibility for organizing: turning shared concerns into collective action, with clear responsibilities and support from one another. Organizer is the umbrella term for the role types Individual Contributor, Directly Responsible Individual, and Player-Coach; the older titles Fellow, Steward, and Lead are legacy terms. See Organizers and role types and Where to start as an organizer.
Output and outcome
An output is something we create, like a workshop. An outcome is the change it leads to, like participants being able to run their first meeting — the change an objective names. Metrics uses these words the same way, and pairs them with input, an early measure of effort.
Input
An early-stage measure a role holder can directly influence, such as how quickly new sign-ups are contacted. See Metrics.
Player-Coach (PC)
A person who combines substantive work in their craft with developing other people. See E.1.3 Player-Coach.
Product or service
Something people can use or benefit from, such as a resource center or a training offering. It can need several projects over its life.
Project
A bounded effort to create or change something. See Projects.
Red lines
Things people acting in the name of Sapiens First must never do, such as threatening harm or harassing others. See Values.
Role
A defined responsibility, with a purpose, accountabilities, and a scope. A person can hold several roles, and who fills a role can change. See Roles and circles.
Role holder
The person currently filling a role, as recorded in Atlas.
Scope
What a project includes and excludes, with its objective, success criteria, constraints, and decision rights. See the project scope template.
Staff
People paid to work for Sapiens First. Staff status is separate from participation level, governance role, and performance role. See E.0.4 What counts as staff?
Lead
Legacy term; the closest role type is the Player-Coach. An organizer taking on leadership responsibilities. See Organizers and role types.
Steward
Legacy term; the closest role type is the Directly Responsible Individual. A further engagement level described in Atlas for Fellows after three months and graduation. A role with "Steward" in its title is a separate thing from this engagement level. See Ways to participate.
Supporter
Someone who stays informed and joins activities when they can, the lightest way to get involved with Sapiens First. See Ways to participate.
Tension
A gap between how things are and how they could be, raised with the responsible role or circle. See Atlas and AI.
D.2 Reading this handbook
Proposal
A possible future practice that hasn't been adopted, shown in a box with a dashed border and a yellow Proposal label.
Under construction
A page that is still being written, shown with a banner at the top that says what is missing.
For role holders
Extra detail for Fellows, organizers, staff, and anyone else holding a role — everyone is welcome to read it.