@diottodev/runic 1.0.0 → 1.1.0

package/engineering-team/skills/incident-commander/references/communication_templates.md

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+# Incident Communication Templates
+
+## Overview
+
+This document provides standardized communication templates for incident response. These templates ensure consistent, clear communication across different severity levels and stakeholder groups.
+
+## Template Usage Guidelines
+
+### General Principles
+1. **Be Clear and Concise** - Use simple language, avoid jargon
+2. **Be Factual** - Only state what is known, avoid speculation
+3. **Be Timely** - Send updates at committed intervals
+4. **Be Actionable** - Include next steps and expected timelines
+5. **Be Accountable** - Include contact information for follow-up
+
+### Template Selection
+- Choose templates based on incident severity and audience
+- Customize templates with specific incident details
+- Always include next update time and contact information
+- Escalate template types as severity increases
+
+---
+
+## SEV1 Templates
+
+### Initial Alert - Internal Teams
+
+**Subject:** 🚨 [SEV1] CRITICAL: {Service} Complete Outage - Immediate Response Required
+
+```
+CRITICAL INCIDENT ALERT - IMMEDIATE ATTENTION REQUIRED
+
+Incident Summary:
+- Service: {Service Name}
+- Status: Complete Outage
+- Start Time: {Timestamp}
+- Customer Impact: {Impact Description}
+- Estimated Affected Users: {Number/Percentage}
+
+Immediate Actions Needed:
+✓ Incident Commander: {Name} - ASSIGNED
+✓ War Room: {Bridge/Chat Link} - JOIN NOW
+✓ On-Call Response: {Team} - PAGED
+⏳ Executive Notification: In progress
+⏳ Status Page Update: Within 15 minutes
+
+Current Situation:
+{Brief description of what we know}
+
+What We're Doing:
+{Immediate response actions being taken}
+
+Next Update: {Timestamp - 15 minutes from now}
+
+Incident Commander: {Name}
+Contact: {Phone/Slack}
+
+THIS IS A CUSTOMER-IMPACTING INCIDENT REQUIRING IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
+```
+
+### Executive Notification - SEV1
+
+**Subject:** 🚨 URGENT: Customer-Impacting Outage - {Service}
+
+```
+EXECUTIVE ALERT: Critical customer-facing incident
+
+Service: {Service Name}
+Impact: {Customer impact description}
+Duration: {Current duration} (started {start time})
+Business Impact: {Revenue/SLA/compliance implications}
+
+Customer Impact Summary:
+- Affected Users: {Number/percentage}
+- Revenue Impact: {$ amount if known}
+- SLA Status: {Breach status}
+- Customer Escalations: {Number if any}
+
+Response Status:
+- Incident Commander: {Name} ({contact})
+- Response Team Size: {Number of engineers}
+- Root Cause: {If known, otherwise "Under investigation"}
+- ETA to Resolution: {If known, otherwise "Investigating"}
+
+Executive Actions Required:
+- [ ] Customer communication approval needed
+- [ ] Legal/compliance notification: {If applicable}
+- [ ] PR/Media response preparation: {If needed}
+- [ ] Resource allocation decisions: {If escalation needed}
+
+War Room: {Link}
+Next Update: {15 minutes from now}
+
+This incident meets SEV1 criteria and requires executive oversight.
+
+{Incident Commander contact information}
+```
+
+### Customer Communication - SEV1
+
+**Subject:** Service Disruption - Immediate Action Being Taken
+
+```
+We are currently experiencing a service disruption affecting {service description}.
+
+What's Happening:
+{Clear, customer-friendly description of the issue}
+
+Impact:
+{What customers are experiencing - be specific}
+
+What We're Doing:
+We detected this issue at {time} and immediately mobilized our engineering team. We are actively working to resolve this issue and will provide updates every 15 minutes.
+
+Current Actions:
+• {Action 1 - customer-friendly description}
+• {Action 2 - customer-friendly description}
+• {Action 3 - customer-friendly description}
+
+Workaround:
+{If available, provide clear steps}
+{If not available: "We are working on alternative solutions and will share them as soon as available."}
+
+Next Update: {Timestamp}
+Status Page: {Link}
+Support: {Contact information if different from usual}
+
+We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and are committed to resolving this as quickly as possible.
+
+{Company Name} Team
+```
+
+### Status Page Update - SEV1
+
+**Status:** Major Outage
+
+```
+{Timestamp} - Investigating
+
+We are currently investigating reports of {service} being unavailable. Our team has been alerted and is actively investigating the cause.
+
+Affected Services: {List of affected services}
+Impact: {Customer-facing impact description}
+
+We will provide an update within 15 minutes.
+```
+
+```
+{Timestamp} - Identified
+
+We have identified the cause of the {service} outage. Our engineering team is implementing a fix.
+
+Root Cause: {Brief, customer-friendly explanation}
+Expected Resolution: {Timeline if known}
+
+Next update in 15 minutes.
+```
+
+```
+{Timestamp} - Monitoring
+
+The fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the service recovery. 
+
+Current Status: {Recovery progress}
+Next Steps: {What we're monitoring}
+
+We expect full service restoration within {timeframe}.
+```
+
+```
+{Timestamp} - Resolved
+
+{Service} is now fully operational. We have confirmed that all functionality is working as expected.
+
+Total Duration: {Duration}
+Root Cause: {Brief summary}
+
+We apologize for the inconvenience. A full post-incident review will be conducted and shared within 24 hours.
+```
+
+---
+
+## SEV2 Templates
+
+### Team Notification - SEV2
+
+**Subject:** ⚠️ [SEV2] {Service} Performance Issues - Response Team Mobilizing
+
+```
+SEV2 INCIDENT: Performance degradation requiring active response
+
+Incident Details:
+- Service: {Service Name}
+- Issue: {Description of performance issue}
+- Start Time: {Timestamp}
+- Affected Users: {Percentage/description}
+- Business Impact: {Impact on business operations}
+
+Current Status:
+{What we know about the issue}
+
+Response Team:
+- Incident Commander: {Name} ({contact})
+- Primary Responder: {Name} ({team})
+- Supporting Teams: {List of engaged teams}
+
+Immediate Actions:
+✓ {Action 1 - completed}
+⏳ {Action 2 - in progress}
+⏳ {Action 3 - next step}
+
+Metrics:
+- Error Rate: {Current vs normal}
+- Response Time: {Current vs normal}  
+- Throughput: {Current vs normal}
+
+Communication Plan:
+- Internal Updates: Every 30 minutes
+- Stakeholder Notification: {If needed}
+- Status Page Update: {Planned/not needed}
+
+Coordination Channel: {Slack channel}
+Next Update: {30 minutes from now}
+
+Incident Commander: {Name} | {Contact}
+```
+
+### Stakeholder Update - SEV2
+
+**Subject:** [SEV2] Service Performance Update - {Service}
+
+```
+Service Performance Incident Update
+
+Service: {Service Name}
+Duration: {Current duration}
+Impact: {Description of user impact}
+
+Current Status:
+{Brief status of the incident and response efforts}
+
+What We Know:
+• {Key finding 1}
+• {Key finding 2}
+• {Key finding 3}
+
+What We're Doing:
+• {Response action 1}
+• {Response action 2}
+• {Monitoring/verification steps}
+
+Customer Impact:
+{Realistic assessment of what users are experiencing}
+
+Workaround:
+{If available, provide steps}
+
+Expected Resolution:
+{Timeline if known, otherwise "Continuing investigation"}
+
+Next Update: {30 minutes}
+Contact: {Incident Commander information}
+
+This incident is being actively managed and does not currently require escalation.
+```
+
+### Customer Communication - SEV2 (Optional)
+
+**Subject:** Temporary Service Performance Issues
+
+```
+We are currently experiencing performance issues with {service name} that may affect your experience.
+
+What You Might Notice:
+{Specific symptoms users might experience}
+
+What We're Doing:
+Our team identified this issue at {time} and is actively working on a resolution. We expect to have this resolved within {timeframe}.
+
+Workaround:
+{If applicable, provide simple workaround steps}
+
+We will update our status page at {link} with progress information.
+
+Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve this issue quickly.
+
+{Company Name} Support Team
+```
+
+---
+
+## SEV3 Templates
+
+### Team Assignment - SEV3
+
+**Subject:** [SEV3] Issue Assignment - {Component} Issue
+
+```
+SEV3 Issue Assignment
+
+Service/Component: {Affected component}
+Issue: {Description}
+Reported: {Timestamp}
+Reporter: {Person/system that reported}
+
+Issue Details:
+{Detailed description of the problem}
+
+Impact Assessment:
+- Affected Users: {Scope}
+- Business Impact: {Assessment}
+- Urgency: {Business hours response appropriate}
+
+Assignment:
+- Primary: {Engineer name}
+- Team: {Responsible team}
+- Expected Response: {Within 2-4 hours}
+
+Investigation Plan:
+1. {Investigation step 1}
+2. {Investigation step 2}
+3. {Communication checkpoint}
+
+Workaround:
+{If known, otherwise "Investigating alternatives"}
+
+This issue will be tracked in {ticket system} as {ticket number}.
+
+Team Lead: {Name} | {Contact}
+```
+
+### Status Update - SEV3
+
+**Subject:** [SEV3] Progress Update - {Component}
+
+```
+SEV3 Issue Progress Update
+
+Issue: {Brief description}
+Assigned to: {Engineer/Team}
+Investigation Status: {Current progress}
+
+Findings So Far:
+{What has been discovered during investigation}
+
+Next Steps:
+{Planned actions and timeline}
+
+Impact Update:
+{Any changes to scope or urgency}
+
+Expected Resolution:
+{Timeline if known}
+
+This issue continues to be tracked as SEV3 with no escalation required.
+
+Contact: {Assigned engineer} | {Team lead}
+```
+
+---
+
+## SEV4 Templates
+
+### Issue Documentation - SEV4
+
+**Subject:** [SEV4] Issue Documented - {Description}
+
+```
+SEV4 Issue Logged
+
+Description: {Clear description of the issue}
+Reporter: {Name/system}
+Date: {Date reported}
+
+Impact:
+{Minimal impact description}
+
+Priority Assessment:
+This issue has been classified as SEV4 and will be addressed in the normal development cycle.
+
+Assignment:
+- Team: {Responsible team}
+- Sprint: {Target sprint}
+- Estimated Effort: {Story points/hours}
+
+This issue is tracked as {ticket number} in {system}.
+
+Product Owner: {Name}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Escalation Templates
+
+### Severity Escalation
+
+**Subject:** ESCALATION: {Original Severity} → {New Severity} - {Service}
+
+```
+SEVERITY ESCALATION NOTIFICATION
+
+Original Classification: {Original severity}
+New Classification: {New severity}  
+Escalation Time: {Timestamp}
+Escalated By: {Name and role}
+
+Escalation Reasons:
+• {Reason 1 - scope expansion/duration/impact}
+• {Reason 2}
+• {Reason 3}
+
+Updated Impact:
+{New assessment of customer/business impact}
+
+Updated Response Requirements:
+{New response team, communication frequency, etc.}
+
+Previous Response Actions:
+{Summary of actions taken under previous severity}
+
+New Incident Commander: {If changed}
+Updated Communication Plan: {New frequency/recipients}
+
+All stakeholders should adjust response according to {new severity} protocols.
+
+Incident Commander: {Name} | {Contact}
+```
+
+### Management Escalation
+
+**Subject:** MANAGEMENT ESCALATION: Extended {Severity} Incident - {Service}
+
+```
+Management Escalation Required
+
+Incident: {Service} {brief description}
+Original Severity: {Severity}
+Duration: {Current duration}
+Escalation Trigger: {Duration threshold/scope change/customer escalation}
+
+Current Status:
+{Brief status of incident response}
+
+Challenges Encountered:
+• {Challenge 1}
+• {Challenge 2}
+• {Resource/expertise needs}
+
+Business Impact:
+{Updated assessment of business implications}
+
+Management Decision Required:
+• {Decision 1 - resource allocation/external expertise/communication}
+• {Decision 2}
+
+Recommended Actions:
+{Incident Commander's recommendations}
+
+This escalation follows standard procedures for {trigger type}.
+
+Incident Commander: {Name}
+Contact: {Phone/Slack}
+War Room: {Link}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Resolution Templates
+
+### Resolution Confirmation - All Severities
+
+**Subject:** RESOLVED: [{Severity}] {Service} Incident - {Brief Description}
+
+```
+INCIDENT RESOLVED
+
+Service: {Service Name}
+Issue: {Brief description}
+Duration: {Total duration}
+Resolution Time: {Timestamp}
+
+Resolution Summary:
+{Brief description of how the issue was resolved}
+
+Root Cause:
+{Brief explanation - detailed PIR to follow}
+
+Impact Summary:
+- Users Affected: {Final count/percentage}
+- Business Impact: {Final assessment}
+- Services Affected: {List}
+
+Resolution Actions Taken:
+• {Action 1}
+• {Action 2}
+• {Verification steps}
+
+Monitoring:
+We will continue monitoring {service} for {duration} to ensure stability.
+
+Next Steps:
+• Post-incident review scheduled for {date}
+• Action items to be tracked in {system}
+• Follow-up communication: {If needed}
+
+Thank you to everyone who participated in the incident response.
+
+Incident Commander: {Name}
+```
+
+### Customer Resolution Communication
+
+**Subject:** Service Restored - Thank You for Your Patience
+
+```
+Service Update: Issue Resolved
+
+We're pleased to report that the {service} issues have been fully resolved as of {timestamp}.
+
+What Was Fixed:
+{Customer-friendly explanation of the resolution}
+
+Duration:
+The issue lasted {duration} from {start time} to {end time}.
+
+What We Learned:
+{Brief, high-level takeaway}
+
+Our Commitment:
+We are conducting a thorough review of this incident and will implement improvements to prevent similar issues in the future. A summary of our findings and improvements will be shared {timeframe}.
+
+We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate your patience while we worked to resolve the issue.
+
+If you continue to experience any problems, please contact our support team at {contact information}.
+
+Thank you,
+{Company Name} Team
+```
+
+---
+
+## Template Customization Guidelines
+
+### Placeholders to Always Replace
+- `{Service}` / `{Service Name}` - Specific service or component
+- `{Timestamp}` - Specific date/time in consistent format
+- `{Name}` / `{Contact}` - Actual names and contact information
+- `{Duration}` - Actual time durations
+- `{Link}` - Real URLs to war rooms, status pages, etc.
+
+### Language Guidelines
+- Use active voice ("We are investigating" not "The issue is being investigated")
+- Be specific about timelines ("within 30 minutes" not "soon")
+- Avoid technical jargon in customer communications
+- Include empathy in customer-facing messages
+- Use consistent terminology throughout incident lifecycle
+
+### Timing Guidelines
+| Severity | Initial Notification | Update Frequency | Resolution Notification |
+|----------|---------------------|------------------|------------------------|
+| SEV1 | Immediate (< 5 min) | Every 15 minutes | Immediate |
+| SEV2 | Within 15 minutes | Every 30 minutes | Within 15 minutes |
+| SEV3 | Within 2 hours | At milestones | Within 1 hour |
+| SEV4 | Within 1 business day | Weekly | When resolved |
+
+### Audience-Specific Considerations
+
+#### Engineering Teams
+- Include technical details
+- Provide specific metrics and logs
+- Include coordination channels
+- List specific actions and owners
+
+#### Executive/Business
+- Focus on business impact
+- Include customer and revenue implications
+- Provide clear timeline and resource needs
+- Highlight any external factors (PR, legal, compliance)
+
+#### Customers
+- Use plain language
+- Focus on customer impact and workarounds
+- Provide realistic timelines
+- Include support contact information
+- Show empathy and accountability
+
+---
+
+**Last Updated:** February 2026  
+**Next Review:** May 2026  
+**Owner:** Incident Management Team