Add process for Contributor Recommendation Letters

Author: aojea

operations/recommendations-letters.md

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+# Process for Contributor Recommendation Letters
+
+The Kubernetes Steering Committee is committed to supporting the dedicated
+contributors who drive our project forward. We are often asked to provide
+letters of recommendation or statements of contribution for purposes such as
+visa applications, immigration proceedings, or professional recognition.
+
+This document outlines a formal, consistent, and scalable process for handling
+these requests. Its purpose is to enable the Steering Committee to provide
+meaningful support while upholding the integrity and accuracy of any statement
+made on behalf of the Kubernetes project.
+
+## Roles and Responsibilities
+
+* **Applicant:** The Kubernetes contributor requesting the letter. They are
+  responsible for initiating the request, drafting a letter with claims that are
+  demonstrable via project artifacts (e.g., pull requests, design docs, meeting
+  notes), and obtaining peer verification.
+
+* **Peer Verifier:** A recognized leader (e.g., chair, tech lead, subproject
+owner, or maintainer) from the SIGs, WGs or subprojects where the applicant has
+contributed. They are responsible for reviewing the applicant's draft letter for
+factual accuracy.
+
+* **Steering Committee:** The committee is collectively responsible for the
+process. Members individually review submitted materials, ask for clarification
+if needed, and provide their signature to signify approval. The collective
+signatures constitute the official endorsement.
+
+## The Process
+
+### Step 1: Request Initiation
+
+The Applicant sends their initial request to the Steering Committee's official
+contact point: <steering-private@kubernetes.io>.
+
+### Step 2: Applicant Submits Materials
+
+The Steering Committee responds with this process (see Appendix A for a
+template). The Applicant is then responsible for submitting the following
+materials to the committee:
+
+1. **A Draft of the Recommendation Letter:** All claims and contributions listed
+   in the letter must be demonstrable and verifiable through publicly accessible
+   artifacts.
+
+1. **A Peer Verification Document:** : This is a formal document (e.g., a shared
+   document or a Markdown file) approved by at least one (ideally two) Peer
+   Verifiers that validates the claims made in the draft letter. This document
+   must contain:
+
+* A list of the specific claims or contributions made in the draft letter.
+* For each claim, one or more links to the specific artifacts that support it
+  (e.g., pull requests, design documents, mailing list discussions, meeting
+  notes).
+* A clear statement from each Peer Verifier confirming they have reviewed the
+  claims against the provided artifacts and attest to their accuracy.
+
+### Step 3: Committee Review, Signature, and Delivery
+
+Upon receiving the materials, each committee member individually reviews the
+draft letter and the peer verification.
+
+* If a member has questions or requires clarification, they should raise them
+directly with the Applicant, by responding to the email with submitted
+materials, copying  <steering-private@kubernetes.io>. This ensures the entire
+conversation history is maintained in a single thread.
+
+* Members who are satisfied with the letter's accuracy and tone proceed to sign
+the document.
+
+* The letter is considered officially approved once the [required majority] has
+  signed it.
+
+## Appendix A: Template Response to Inquiries
+
+```text
+Subject: Re: Your Request for a Recommendation Letter
+
+Hi [Applicant Name],
+
+Thank you for reaching out to the Kubernetes Steering Committee. We are happy to
+support you with your request for a recommendation letter.
+
+To ensure the letter we provide is accurate, we follow a standard process described in https://github.com/kubernetes/steering/operations/recommendations-letters.md .
+
+Please provide us with the following:
+
+1. A Draft Letter: A document containing the specific facts and contributions
+you would like us to highlight. All claims in the draft must be demonstrable
+through public project artifacts.
+
+2. A Peer Verification Document: To validate your draft, please create a
+separate document. This document should list each major claim from your letter and, next to each one, provide direct links to the artifacts that prove it (e.g., pull requests, design docs, meeting notes).
+
+Once you have created this verification document, please share it with one or
+two Tech Leads or maintainers from the areas you've contributed to. They will
+need to review it and add their name, title, and a statement confirming the
+accuracy of the information. This will serve as their official signature.
+
+Please send both the draft letter and the signed Peer Verification Document to
+us. The committee will then review them and manage the final approval process.
+
+Best regards,
+
+The Kubernetes Steering Committee
+```
+
+[required majority]: /charter.md#routine-business