Public meeting-related assignments are typically posted at least a week in advance, on Mondays, and assigned by that Friday. Documenters are notified of assignments they may apply to, if they have been selected and other training opportunities via email.
When assigning roles we consider a range of factors: each meeting’s topic and format, as well as each applicant’s preferred role, frequency/recency of assignments, technical skill level, past experiences and expressed interests.
If you are not selected for an assignment you can add yourself to the waitlist. We do not assign roles less than 48 hours ahead of the start time unless the originally assigned Documenter is no longer able to attend or the meeting is posted on short notice.
Each Documenters assignment is an independent contract (except in Minneapolis, where Documenters' work is considered part-time) and there are no expectations as to how frequently you participate in the program. We cover between 8-20 meetings each week; the most active Documenters typically do one assignment per week.
Post and include all content (notes, Twitter thread, additional documents, images, recordings, etc.) on your Documenters.org assignment page within 24 hours of the end of the meeting or assignment, unless otherwise noted.
Before you submit, click on "Checklist" to let us know how things went. For all submissions, we’ll ask for your feedback or advice for future Documenters on this assignment.
Assignments at public meetings have additional Yes/No checkboxes. Most of these, such as if decisions seemed to be made in advance or if officials were attentive and alert, are questions you will be able to answer easily having attended the meeting. A few require closer observation while at the meeting (start and end time, approximate attendance).
Review
Once you hit "Submit" your Documenters Field Coordinator will review your submission and may share feedback or tips via email. Occasionally, we may request revisions or additions if the submission did not meet the stated assignment requirements.
Once public meeting-related submissions are approved they become publicly viewable on Documenters.org.
All Documenters.org assignments in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Fresno and Omaha are independent contracts. Atlanta, Cleveland and Detroit assignments are based on a pay rate of $16 per hour. Omaha assignments are based on a pay rate of $15 per hour. Chicago Documenters assignments are based on a pay rate of $18 per hour. Fresno Documenters assignments are based on a pay rate of $20 per hour. Minneapolis assignments are part-time work based on a pay rate of $20 per hour. Our most common assignments are taking notes or live-tweeting government open meetings. For special assignments, each posting will include estimated hours needed for completion.
- In Atlanta, Cleveland and Detroit, for meetings that run 2 hours or less, default pay per assignment is $56. This assumes a total of 3.5 hours: 2 hours for meeting attendance + 1.5 hours for pre-research, follow-up work, note editing, uploading, etc.
- In Fresno and Minneapolis, for meetings that run 2 hours or less, default pay is $70: 2 hours for meeting attendance + 1.5 hours for pre-research, follow-up work, note editing, uploading, etc.
- In Omaha, for meetings that run 2 hours or less, default pay per assignment is $52.50. This assumes a total of 3.5 hours: 2 hours for meeting attendance + 1.5 hours for pre-research, follow-up work, note editing, uploading, etc.
- For Chicago public meeting-related assignments, your assignment hours include the total meeting duration and outside work.
“Total meeting duration” is the time between a meeting’s scheduled start time to the actual end time (when the meeting ends and/or you stop documenting it), including closed or executive session.
“Outside work” refers to the time you spend doing pre-meeting research and post-meeting revisions. For meetings where the “total meeting duration” is 4 hours or shorter, we’ll pay for two hours of “outside work.” For meetings that run over 4 hours, we will pay for “outside work” hours that equal half of the meeting duration. So, if you cover a 5-hour meeting, we would compensate you for 2.5 hours of “outside work,” and for a 6-hour meeting, we would pay for 3 hours of “outside work.” See the question below for a chart detailing the amount of pay based on the length of a meeting. Each assignment will include information about whether it is happening in person, via a virtual platform or both (hybrid). In most cases, you will get to choose how you tune in to the meeting, but any meetings documented in person will include an extra hour ($18) of pay. If you expect to be late to the meeting due to public transit issues, let Documenters staff know right away. Live-tweeting and note-taking assignments are paid using the same pay scale. Though they are very different tasks, they are equally demanding in their own ways. Notes require more revision/editing and time. Live-tweeting is less time-consuming but requires additional technical skills, quick-thinking and accuracy in the moment.
- If a meeting runs longer, we adjust your compensation to the meeting duration (rounded up to the nearest half hour) + 1.5 hours.
- If your assigned meeting is cancelled less than 72 hours in advance of the scheduled start time, all sites will pay you a "kill fee" equivalent to 1 hour of their local pay scale.
- City Bureau and Documenters affiliates are not obligated to pay a kill fee if you are unable to attend an assigned meeting (i.e. due to transportation delays, unexpected illness, a family emergency). If you are unable to attend an assigned meeting please reply to your assignment email as soon as possible to let us know; we’re usually able to find someone else to cover it if given a few days’ notice. You may share any research you did in preparation for the assignment and we will consider paying you the kill fee.
Please include the exact duration of your assigned meeting in your submission checklist (meeting duration is confirmed through meeting minutes, official confirmation and Documenter checklists).
Special Assignments:
Unless otherwise noted in the assignment details, Street Team assignments and Special Assignments are paid at the local hourly rate mentioned above rounded up to the nearest half-hour. View your assigned meeting on Documenters.org for details and contact our Documenters Field Coordinator for questions.
Transportation:
Legally, we cannot reimburse contractors for typical time or costs associated with getting to your assignment (i.e. gas, toll fees, transit fees). If you encounter extenuating circumstances on your commute (for example, a train line is shut down or a bus hasn’t come yet) let your Documenters Field Coordinator know right away. In most cases, we can suggest alternatives and provide support to get you there, including rideshare reimbursement.
All required content must be completed before an assignment is approved and payment is released. City Bureau and our affiliates reserve the right to cancel payment for late or incomplete submissions.
In Chicago After you are assigned to your first role you’ll receive an email from Gusto, the system we use to manage payments. Click the link in the email to create a profile as a City Bureau contractor on Gusto. You'll be asked to enter your Social Security number, address, and bank account coordinates (The information is kept securely by Gusto). Once that information is entered you’ll be set up for direct deposit, and you’ll also be able to login anytime to see your payment records or tax forms.
City Bureau typically runs payments for all approved assignments every Wednesday. If your Gusto contractor profile is complete, the payment will be in your account 5 days after we press the button. If there are no bank holidays, this is usually Friday. If you have any questions about payment contact your Documenters Field Coordinator.
