FM/C121 - Contributing to UNITAF

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The FM outlines our core skills, policies and guides to ensure every member stands ready for the mission ahead.

The Roadmap is where we shape the future of UNITAF together. It's a shared space where anyone in the unit can submit ideas, proposals, and suggestions, and where we collectively work through them in a structured, transparent way.

Think of it like a shared noticeboard with a built-in workflow. When someone has an idea, whether it's a change to how we run operations, a new training programme, a policy update, or a technical improvement, they submit it to the Roadmap. From there, it moves through a series of stages while the right people weigh in, discuss, and ultimately decide whether and how to move forward.

Everything on the Roadmap is visible to the unit. You can see what's been proposed, what's being discussed, what's been approved, and what's in progress. Nothing happens behind closed doors.

Why do we have it?

UNITAF is a volunteer organisation, and that means the people doing the work should have a say in what gets done and how. The Roadmap gives us a fair, open process for that. It means:

• Anyone can put forward an idea. You don't need a particular rank or role.
• Ideas get proper consideration rather than being lost in a chat channel.
• There's a clear record of what was proposed, what was decided, and why.
• The people responsible for each item are visible, so you always know who to talk to.

The Roadmap is administered by J11 Command Support, who manage the templates, oversee the process, and keep things running smoothly.

Whether you're submitting something new or just keeping an eye on what's happening, the Roadmap is the best way to stay connected to how UNITAF is evolving.

Above: Overview of the UNITAF Roadmap

When you open the Roadmap, you'll land on the main list view. This is where all current items are displayed, each one shown as a card with its title, reference number (like RM/42), current stage, tags, and vote count.

The item list

The centre of the page shows all Roadmap items that match your current filters. By default, you'll see items sorted by most recently updated. Each card gives you a quick snapshot: what the item is, which stage it's in, who submitted it, and how the unit has voted on it.

Click any item to open it and see the full details, including its description, the Chain of Responsibility, comments, related items, and more.

Filters and sorting

Along the top, you'll find the filter bar. This lets you narrow down what you're looking at:

• Stage buttons - These are three-state buttons. Click once to include only items in that stage. Click again to exclude items in that stage. Click a third time to clear the filter. You can combine multiple stage filters at once.
• Search - Type a keyword to find items by title or description.
• Sort - Change the order: most recently updated, newest first, most voted, or alphabetical.
• Quick filters - Show only items with unseen changes, filter by items you've commented on, or hide child items to keep things tidy.

The sidebar

On the right, you'll find additional filters for narrowing by tags (like which area of UNITAF the item relates to) and by responsibility (items you're assigned to, items you're following, or items involving a particular person or team). You can also save your favourite filter combinations as presets, which is covered in more detail later in this guide.

The RM/ reference

Every Roadmap item has a unique reference number like RM/42. You can use this to reference items in Discord, and it'll link through automatically. You can also copy an item's reference directly from the list by clicking the copy icon next to it.

Submitting an item to the Roadmap is straightforward. Here's how it works, step by step.

Step 1: Choose a type

When you click Submit New Item, you'll first be asked to choose the type of submission. Types are categories that describe what kind of item this is, for example a policy proposal, an operational change, a training request, or a technical improvement.

Each type may have its own set of fields and prompts to help you provide the right information. Pick the one that best fits what you're putting forward. If you're not sure, read the description shown for each type. It'll point you in the right direction.

Step 2: Fill in the details

Once you've picked a type, you'll see the submission form. Depending on the type, this might be a simple free-text description, or it might include structured fields asking specific questions (like "What problem does this solve?" or "Who would this affect?").

Either way, write clearly and give enough detail that someone unfamiliar with the idea can understand what you're proposing and why. You don't need to have every answer. That's what the later stages are for. But the more context you give up front, the smoother things will go.

Step 3: Submit

Once you're happy with what you've written, hit submit. Your item will land in the Received stage, where it'll be picked up and assessed. You'll be listed as the Originator, the person who brought this forward.

From here, you can follow along as it progresses through the stages. You'll be automatically subscribed to updates, and you can always come back to check on things, add comments, or respond to questions.

Above: Creating a new item on the roadmap, by selecting a template

Each Roadmap item has a type, which determines how the submission form looks and what information you're asked to provide.

What types are for

Types group items by purpose. They help us organise submissions and make sure the right information gets captured early on. For example, a "Policy Proposal" type might ask you to describe the current situation and what you'd like to change, while a "Technical Request" type might ask for details about the system involved and the expected outcome.

When you pick a type during submission, you may see a short prompt or description explaining what this type is for and what kind of information to include. Read it. It's there to help.

Structured fields

Some types use structured fields instead of (or alongside) a free-text description. These are specific questions or input fields tailored to that type of submission. They make it easier to provide the right information in a consistent format, and they make it easier for reviewers to understand your proposal quickly.

The fields might include text inputs, longer text areas, dropdowns, checkboxes, dates, or URLs, whatever makes sense for that type of item.

Automatic titles

Some types will automatically generate a title for your item based on what you fill in. This keeps titles consistent across similar items. If the type you chose does this, you won't need to write a title yourself. It'll be assembled from your answers.

Tags

Items can also be tagged with additional categories, like which branch or area of UNITAF the item relates to. Tags help with filtering and make it easier to find related items later. You'll have a chance to add these during submission.

Who manages the templates?

Item types and their templates are managed by J11 Command Support. They can create new types, modify the structured fields, update prompts and descriptions, configure default Chain of Responsibility assignments, and set up child item templates. If you think a type is missing or a template could be improved, that's a good thing to raise with J11 or submit as a Roadmap item itself.

The better your submission, the smoother the process. Here are some practical tips for writing something that's easy for others to engage with.

Explain the "why" first

Before diving into your idea, set the scene. What's the situation right now? What's the problem or opportunity you've noticed? Help the reader understand the context so your proposal makes sense.

Be specific, but don't overthink it

You don't need a polished plan. What you do need is enough detail that someone can understand what you're proposing without having to guess. If there are open questions you haven't answered yet, that's fine. Flag them. The later stages exist for exactly that kind of thing.

Keep it grounded

Write about what you've actually observed or experienced. "During recent operations, our squad frequently ran into X" is much stronger than "It would be nice if we could improve Y." Concrete examples help people understand the real-world impact.

One idea per item

If you have three separate suggestions, submit three separate items. Bundling multiple ideas into one submission makes it harder to discuss, decide on, and track each one properly.

You can always add more later

Your initial submission doesn't need to cover everything. Once the item moves into Review or Consultation, there'll be room for discussion, follow-up questions, and refinement. Get the core idea across clearly, and the rest will follow.

Every item on the Roadmap follows a path through a series of stages. These stages give structure to the process. They make sure ideas don't just get submitted and forgotten, and that the right conversations happen at the right time.

The six stages are:

1. Received - The item has been submitted and is waiting to be picked up.
2. Review - The item is being looked at to understand what's being proposed and what it would involve.
3. Consultation - Input is being gathered from the people and teams who'd be affected or who have relevant expertise.
4. Decision - The Authority decides whether to approve, reject, or adjust the item.
5. Execution - The item has been approved and work is underway.
6. Concluded - The item is done, whether it was completed, rejected, or closed for another reason.

Not every item goes through every stage. Some types are configured to skip stages that don't apply. A straightforward technical fix might skip Consultation entirely, for instance. The stages an item passes through depend on its type and how J11 has configured it.

Tracking progress

On each item's page, you can see exactly which stage it's in, how long it's been there, and the full history of when it moved between stages. If target dates have been set, you can also see whether the item is on track or overdue.

Items move between stages when the people responsible (typically the Pointman or Authority) decide it's ready. Stage changes are logged and visible to everyone.

Above: The Stage Timeline on the item view shows the progression of the item.

The first three stages are about understanding the item and making sure the right people are involved before any decisions are made.

Received

This is where every item starts. When you submit something, it lands here. At this point, the item is waiting to be picked up by someone who can move it forward. During this stage, the main thing happening is that a Pointman will be assigned: the person who'll coordinate this item through the process.

While an item is in Received, discussion is limited. The focus is on getting the right people assigned, not on debating the idea just yet.

Review

Once picked up, the item moves to Review. This is where the Pointman and any early contributors take a closer look at what's being proposed. They'll consider questions like:

• Is the proposal clear enough to work with?
• What would be involved in making this happen?
• Who else needs to be brought in?
• Are there any obvious issues or questions to address first?

The Pointman might reach out to the Originator for clarification, or start bringing in Contributors who have relevant knowledge.

Consultation

If the item needs broader input, it moves to Consultation. This is where we widen the conversation, gathering perspectives from teams, specialists, or members who'd be affected by or involved in the proposal.

During Consultation, the discussion section opens up properly. People can weigh in with their views, raise concerns, suggest modifications, or offer support. The Pointman keeps things on track and makes sure the conversation stays productive.

Not every item needs a long consultation period. Some are straightforward enough to move through quickly. Others might involve wider impact and need more time for input. The length depends on the item.

The final three stages are where decisions get made and work gets done.

Decision

This is the stage where the Authority, the person with final sign-off, reviews everything that's been gathered and makes a call. They'll look at the proposal, the discussion, any consultation input, and the Pointman's assessment.

The Authority can:

• Approve the item, giving the go-ahead to proceed.
• Reject the item, with a reason explaining why.
• Send it back for more consultation or review if there are unresolved questions.

The approval decision is recorded and visible on the item, including who approved or rejected, when they did it, and any comments they included.

Execution

Once approved, the item moves to Execution. This is where the actual work happens. The Pointman coordinates the effort, Contributors pitch in where they're needed, and progress is tracked through updates posted on the item.

Work will start as soon as capacity allows. We're all volunteers here, so the Pointman keeps the item moving and posts updates so everyone can see how things are going.

Concluded

When the work is complete, or if the item was rejected or closed for another reason, it moves to Concluded. This is the final stage. The item stays on the Roadmap as a permanent record of what was proposed, what was decided, and what happened.

Concluded items can still be viewed and searched. They're a useful reference for understanding past decisions and avoiding duplicating work that's already been done or considered.

Every Roadmap item has a Chain of Responsibility, a set of roles that defines who's involved and what they're responsible for. This makes it clear, for every item, who's leading the work, who has the final say, who's contributing, and who's being kept informed.

The four roles are:

• Pointman - Leads this item forward.
• Authority - Has final authority to approve or reject.
• Contributors - Provide input, expertise, and hands-on help.
• In the Loop - Kept updated on progress and decisions.

There's also the Originator, the person who originally submitted the item. The Originator isn't a responsibility role as such, but they're always visible on the item and can post updates and respond to questions throughout the process.

How roles get assigned

Roles are assigned as the item progresses. Typically, when an item is first picked up from Received, a Pointman is assigned. The Authority is usually determined by the area the item falls under. Contributors and In the Loop members are added as the conversation develops and it becomes clear who should be involved.

Roles can be assigned to individual people or to entire teams. When a team is assigned, all members of that team take on that role for the item.

Some item types have default roles pre-configured by J11, so the Chain of Responsibility may be partially filled in from the moment of submission.

Why it matters

Having clear roles means there's never any confusion about who's doing what. If you want to know who's driving a particular item, check the Pointman. If you want to know who needs to approve it, check the Authority. If you want to get involved, the Chain of Responsibility tells you who to talk to.

Above: The Chain of Responsibility as shown on a typical Roadmap item.

The Pointman is the person who leads a Roadmap item forward. They're the one coordinating the effort, keeping things on track, and making sure the item moves through its stages in a timely way.

What the Pointman does

• Picks up the item and gets things started.
• Makes sure the right people are brought in, assigning Contributors and keeping the Chain of Responsibility up to date.
• Keeps the conversation productive during Review and Consultation.
• Posts updates so the unit knows what's happening.
• Coordinates the actual work during Execution.
• Moves the item between stages when it's ready.

Who becomes the Pointman?

The Pointman is typically someone with knowledge of the area the item relates to, or someone who has the capacity and willingness to drive it forward. For some item types, a default Pointman is assigned automatically based on the type of submission. In other cases, a Pointman is assigned when the item is picked up from the Received stage.

The Pointman doesn't have to do all the work themselves. That's what Contributors are for. Their job is to coordinate and keep things moving.

The Authority is the person with final sign-off on a Roadmap item. Their approval is required before the item can move into Execution.

What the Authority does

• Reviews the item once it reaches the Decision stage.
• Considers the proposal, the discussion, and any consultation input.
• Approves or rejects the item, with a reason if rejecting.
• Can send the item back for more input if there are unresolved questions.

Who becomes the Authority?

The Authority is usually determined by the nature of the item, specifically which area of UNITAF it falls under and who has responsibility for decisions in that area. For some item types, a default Authority is pre-configured by J11. The Pointman or an admin can also assign or update the Authority as needed.

How approval works

When the item reaches Decision, the Authority will see approval options on the item's page. They can choose to approve or reject, and optionally add a comment explaining their reasoning. The decision is recorded permanently on the item with a timestamp, so there's always a clear record of what was decided and by whom.

If approved, the item moves to Execution. If rejected, it moves to Concluded with the rejection reason recorded. The Authority can also send it back for more Consultation before making a final call.

Not everyone involved in a Roadmap item needs to be leading it or approving it. The Contributor and In the Loop roles cover the wider circle of people involved.

Contributors

Contributors are the people who provide input, expertise, and hands-on help. They might be specialists with knowledge relevant to the item, team members who'd be involved in the execution, or anyone who can assist with research, testing, or implementation.

As a Contributor, you're expected to actively engage with the item, whether that's joining the discussion, answering questions, reviewing proposals, or doing practical work during Execution. Contributors can also post official updates on the item.

An item can have multiple Contributors, and they can be added at any stage. If you think you can help with an item, reach out to the Pointman. They're the ones managing who's involved.

In the Loop

People marked as In the Loop are kept updated on progress and decisions. They don't need to be actively working on the item, but they should know what's happening, perhaps because their team will be affected, or because they have a general interest in the outcome.

Being In the Loop means you'll see updates and can contribute to discussion if you want to, but there's no expectation that you'll be hands-on. It's about awareness, not obligation.

Like Contributors, In the Loop members can be individuals or entire teams.

Every Roadmap item can be voted on. Voting is a simple way to show that you think an item is worth pursuing. It helps surface the ideas and proposals that the unit cares about most.

How to vote

You'll see a vote button on each item, both in the list view and on the item's detail page. Click it to cast your vote. Click again to remove it. That's it.

What voting means

A vote says "I think this matters" or "I'd like to see this happen." It doesn't commit you to anything. It's purely a signal of interest and support.

Items with more votes naturally get more visibility. When someone is deciding what to pick up next or what to prioritise, vote counts give a clear picture of what the unit is interested in.

Automatic subscription

When you vote on an item, you'll be automatically subscribed to it. That means you'll be notified when there are updates, such as stage changes, new comments, and decisions. You can unsubscribe at any time if you change your mind.

Above: Voting on an item can be done from the item view or the list view, by toggling the upvote icon.

Every Roadmap item has two types of conversation: Updates and Discussion.

Updates

Updates are official posts from the people responsible for the item: the Pointman, Authority, Contributors, or the Originator. They're used to communicate progress, decisions, changes, and next steps.

If you're assigned a responsibility role on an item, posting regular updates keeps everyone informed and shows that things are moving. Updates can be pinned to highlight important information.

Discussion

Discussion is open to anyone once the item moves past the Received stage. This is where the broader unit can weigh in: ask questions, raise concerns, share relevant experience, or offer suggestions.

Discussions are threaded, so you can reply directly to someone's comment and keep related conversations together. You can also like comments to show agreement or appreciation without adding noise.

Mentions and references

In both Updates and Discussion, you can mention people and reference other Roadmap items:

• Mention a person - Type @ followed by their username to tag them in your comment. They'll be notified.
• Mention a team - You can also mention entire teams to notify all members.
• Reference an item - Use the RM/ format (like RM/42) to create a clickable link to another Roadmap item. This is useful when items are related or when you want to draw attention to something relevant.

Editing and deleting

You can edit your own comments after posting them. If you need to remove a comment entirely, you can delete it, though it's usually better to edit and clarify rather than delete.

Above: A typical discussion view on a Roadmap Item

You don't have to actively check the Roadmap every day to stay informed. The subscription and notification features make it easy to keep up with the items you care about.

Subscribing to items

When you subscribe to a Roadmap item, you'll be notified whenever something significant happens: a stage change, a new comment, an approval decision, and so on.

You're automatically subscribed when you:

• Submit an item (as the Originator).
• Vote on an item.
• Comment on an item.

You can also manually subscribe to any item using the subscribe button on its page. And if you're getting too many updates for a particular item, you can unsubscribe just as easily.

Unseen changes

In the list view, items you're subscribed to will show an indicator if there have been changes since you last looked. This gives you a quick way to scan for anything new without reading through every item.

You can use the "unseen changes" quick filter to show only items that have been updated since your last visit. When you're done catching up, click Mark all as read to clear all the unseen indicators and start fresh.

Discord notifications

Key events on the Roadmap, like new submissions, stage changes, and approvals, are also posted to Discord. This means even if you're not on the website, you can still catch important updates as they happen.

As the Roadmap grows, knowing how to find what you're looking for becomes important. The filtering tools are designed to help you quickly narrow things down.

Stage filters

The stage buttons along the top are three-state filters. Click a stage once to include only items in that stage. Click again to exclude items in that stage (they'll be hidden from results). Click a third time to clear the filter for that stage. You can combine multiple stage filters at the same time. For example, you could include Review and Consultation while excluding Concluded.

There's also an Overdue filter that highlights items that have passed their target dates.

Tag filters

In the sidebar, you can filter by tags, grouped by category. This lets you focus on items related to a specific branch, area, or topic. Like stage filters, tags can be individually included or excluded.

Responsibility filters

You can filter by who's involved:

• My items - Items where you have any responsibility role.
• Subscribed - Items you're subscribed to.
• By person or team - Items where a specific person or team is assigned to a role.

Quick filters

The quick filter buttons give you fast access to common views:

• Unseen changes - Show only items that have been updated since you last viewed them.
• Commented on - Show or hide items based on whether you've commented on them.
• Hide child items - Remove sub-items from the list so you only see top-level items.

Search

The search bar at the top does a full-text search across item titles and descriptions. Combine it with any of the filters above to find exactly what you need.

Above: A view showing the significant number of filters possible on the main roadmap.

If you find yourself using the same combination of filters regularly, you can save it as a preset. Presets let you switch between your preferred views instantly, and they can also be configured to send you notifications when items matching those filters are updated.

Creating a preset

Set up the filters you want (stages, tags, responsibility, quick filters, sort order) and then click Save Preset. Give it a name that makes sense to you, like "My active items" or "Policy items in Review". Your preset will appear in the sidebar for quick access.

Presets save everything about your current filter state: which stages are included or excluded, which tags are selected, any responsibility filters, quick filter toggles, the sort order, and the search term.

Using presets

Click any saved preset in the sidebar to instantly apply that filter combination. This is especially useful if you regularly need to check on a specific area, like all items related to your team, or all items currently in Execution.

You can create as many presets as you need, and delete any that you no longer use.

Preset notifications

Each preset can have notifications enabled. When turned on, you'll receive notifications whenever items matching that preset's filters are updated. This is a powerful way to stay informed about specific areas of the Roadmap without having to subscribe to every individual item.

For example, you could create a preset that filters for all items tagged with your branch and in the Consultation or Decision stages, then enable notifications for it. You'd be automatically informed whenever those items move forward, without needing to manually check.

You can enable or disable notifications for each preset independently, so you have fine-grained control over what you're notified about.

Above: From the main Roadmap there is significant flexibility to create and enable custom filters and notifications.

Roadmap items don't exist in isolation. They can be connected to each other through relationships, and larger items can be broken down into smaller sub-items.

Sub-items

When a Roadmap item involves multiple pieces of work, it can be broken into sub-items: smaller, self-contained items that each go through their own stages independently. This is useful for complex proposals where different parts need different people or timelines.

On a parent item's page, you'll see a summary of its sub-items with a progress bar showing how many have been concluded. Each sub-item is a full Roadmap item in its own right, with its own Chain of Responsibility, stages, and discussion.

Creating sub-items

Sub-items can be created directly from a parent item's page. Depending on the parent's type, you may see quick-create buttons in the relationships section. These buttons are configured by J11 as part of the item type's template, and each one creates a specific kind of sub-item with its own pre-configured fields, title format, and default roles.

For example, a parent item of type "Project" might offer quick-create buttons for "Task", "Research", and "Review" sub-items. Clicking one of these takes you straight to a pre-filled submission form for that sub-item, already linked to the parent.

This makes it quick and easy to break a large item into structured pieces without having to manually create each one from scratch and link them together afterwards.

Other relationships

Items can also be linked to each other without a parent-child relationship. These links indicate that items are related in some way, perhaps one depends on another, or two items address different aspects of the same topic.

Relationships are shown in the relationships section of the item page, grouped by type. They help you see the bigger picture and understand how different pieces of work connect.

Navigating related items

Each linked item is shown with its title, stage, and reference number. Click through to view any related item. If you're working on something that relates to an existing item, adding a relationship link makes that connection visible to everyone.

Above: Example of a relationship section on an item with many related items, it's possible to filter out closed items.

When a Roadmap item reaches the Decision stage, it's time for the Authority to make a call. The approval process is how that decision gets recorded, transparently and permanently.

How it works

The Authority assigned to the item will see approval options on the item's page. They can choose to approve or reject the item, and optionally add a comment explaining their reasoning.

Once the decision is made, it's recorded on the item for everyone to see: who approved or rejected, when they did it, and any comments they included.

After the decision

If approved, the item moves to Execution, the green light to get started. If rejected, it moves to Concluded with the rejection reason recorded. In some cases, the Authority might send the item back for more Consultation before making a final call.

Either way, the decision and its reasoning are part of the item's permanent record. This means we can always look back and understand not just what was decided, but why.