Master Maintainers, Mentors & Project Management Tasks - 20+ tasks to pick from

[opengov-africa]

OpenGov Africa Hacktoberfest 2025 – Maintainers, Mentors & Project Management Tasks

Maintainers

• Review Pull Requests
  Review pending PRs, provide feedback, and approve contributions where appropriate.
  Labels: maintainer, review, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Update Project Dependencies
  Check for outdated packages and update dependencies safely.
  Labels: maintenance, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Improve Issue Labeling
  Add appropriate labels (bug, data, enhancement, good first issue) to all repos in the organization. A good way to do this will be to copy all the labels on the hacktoberfest repo and duplicate it on all repos.
  Labels: maintenance, community

• Tag Issues for Hacktoberfest
  Identify beginner-friendly issues and tag them Hacktoberfest-friendly for contributors.
  Labels: maintenance, Hacktoberfest-friendly

Mentors

• Create Onboarding Guide for Mentors
  Draft a step-by-step onboarding guide for new mentors, including expectations, communication guidelines, and best practices.
  Labels: mentor, documentation, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Draft Onboarding Checklist for Mentees
  Create a checklist for new contributors (mentees) explaining how to get started, find resources, and submit contributions.
  Labels: mentor, documentation, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Review Draft Documentation or Tutorials
  Provide feedback on guides, tutorials, or blog posts created by contributors to ensure clarity and accuracy.
  Labels: mentor, documentation, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Pair with New Contributor to Guide PR
  Assist a first-time contributor in creating or reviewing a PR and guide them through best practices.
  Labels: mentor, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Answer Questions on Discord or GitHub Discussions
  Provide help, clarify contribution processes, and guide new contributors.
  Labels: mentor, community, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Document Mentorship Best Practices
  Create a guide covering effective mentoring strategies, communication tips, and ways to onboard multiple mentees successfully.
  Labels: mentor, documentation, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Create Templates for Mentor Tasks
  Develop reusable templates for PR reviews, feedback forms, and mentee check-ins.
  Labels: mentor, documentation, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Organize Mentor Resources
  Structure the mentorship repo into folders for guides, checklists, templates, and FAQs so resources are easy to find.
  Labels: mentor, documentation, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• List Potential Mentorship Programs to Participate In
  Research and create a list of programs (like GSoC, Outreachy, MLH Fellowship, etc.) that OpenGov Africa could join to expand mentorship opportunities. Include brief descriptions and potential benefits.
  Labels: mentor, research, Hacktoberfest-friendly

Project Managers & Project Management

• Create a Project Roadmap for Hacktoberfest
  Draft a clear roadmap outlining key milestones, deliverables, and deadlines for Hacktoberfest projects. Include timelines for documentation, coding, mentoring, and events.
  Labels: project management, planning, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Set Up Issue & PR Workflow Guidelines
  Define the workflow for handling issues and PRs, including triage, review, approval, and merging. Make it beginner-friendly so new contributors understand the process.
  Labels: project management, documentation

• Create Contributor Onboarding Checklist
  Develop a checklist for new contributors, detailing how to get started, where to find resources, and how to submit contributions.
  Labels: project management, documentation, good first issue

• Track Contributor Progress
  Set up a spreadsheet or dashboard to track active contributors, their roles, assigned issues, and completed tasks.
  Labels: project management, tracking, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Review & Prioritize Open Issues
  Go through open issues and label them based on priority (high, medium, low) and difficulty. Ensure “good first issues” are clearly marked.
  Labels: project management, triage, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Organize Weekly Sync for Contributors
  Schedule and moderate a short weekly online meeting to discuss progress, blockers, and upcoming tasks.
  Labels: project management, event, community

• Document Roles & Responsibilities for Contributors
  Create a clear outline of all contributor roles, their responsibilities, and expected outcomes to improve accountability and clarity.
  Labels: project management, documentation

• Develop Risk & Issue Management Plan
  Identify potential risks for Hacktoberfest projects (e.g., low participation, PR backlog) and outline mitigation strategies.
  Labels: project management, planning, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Coordinate Mentors with Contributors
  Pair mentors with new contributors based on skill set and interest, ensuring everyone receives guidance.
  Labels: project management, community, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Create Event & Workshop Schedule
  Plan the schedule for contributor workshops, office hours, or Hacktoberfest events, including times, topics, and hosts.
  Labels: project management, event, planning

GitHub Project Boards

• Create Project Board for [Repo Name]
  Set up a new GitHub Project board for the repository to track tasks, issues, and PRs using columns like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.”
  Labels: project management, GitHub, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Add Issues to Project Board
  Populate the project board with existing issues, categorizing them under the correct columns. Ensure “good first issues” are clearly visible for new contributors.
  Labels: project management, GitHub, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Set Up Automation for Project Board
  Configure GitHub automation to move issues across columns based on PR status, labels, or milestones.
  Labels: project management, GitHub, automation, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Create Template for Consistent Boards Across Repos
  Design a template board structure that can be used for all organization repositories to maintain consistency.
  Labels: project management, GitHub, documentation, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Assign Maintainers/Contributors to Project Boards
  Add key contributors and maintainers to boards with permissions to manage tasks and track progress.
  Labels: project management, GitHub, Hacktoberfest-friendly

• Document Project Board Guidelines
  Write a short guide explaining how to use the boards, update tasks, and mark progress so contributors can self-manage.
  Labels: project management, documentation, Hacktoberfest-friendly