# Source: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/community/working-interest-groups.md

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Working and Interest Groups

> Learn about the two forms of collaborative groups within the Model Context Protocol's governance structure - Working Groups and Interest Groups.

Within the MCP contributor community we maintain two types of collaboration formats: **Interest Groups (IGs)** and **Working Groups (WGs)**.

## Quick Reference

|                | Interest Group (IG)                                | Working Group (WG)                                     |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Purpose**    | Identify and discuss problems                      | Build concrete solutions                               |
| **Output**     | Problem statements, use cases, recommendations     | SEPs, implementations, code                            |
| **Commitment** | Casual participation welcome                       | Active contribution expected                           |
| **Duration**   | Ongoing as long as topic is relevant               | Until deliverables complete                            |
| **Example**    | "Security in MCP" - discussing security challenges | "Server Identity" - implementing identity verification |

## When to Use Which

**Join an Interest Group when you:**

* Have a problem but aren't sure of the solution
* Want to explore whether an idea has community support
* Are new to MCP and want to learn about a topic area
* Want to share use cases and requirements

**Join a Working Group when you:**

* Have a specific solution to implement
* Are ready to write code or a SEP
* Can commit regular time to active development
* Want to help build a particular feature

**Typical flow**: Discuss a problem in an IG → Validate that it's worth solving → Form or join a WG to build the solution → Submit a SEP → Implement

## Interest Groups (IGs)

**Goal:** Facilitate discussion and knowledge-sharing among MCP contributors who share interests in a specific topic. The focus is on identifying problems worth solving and gathering requirements.

### What IGs Do

* Host discussions in Discord channels
* Run regular meetings to share use cases
* Document problem statements and requirements
* Build consensus on what should be prioritized
* Provide input to Working Groups and SEPs

### Expectations

* Regular conversations in the IG's Discord channel
* **AND/OR** recurring live meetings attended by IG members
* Meeting dates published on the [MCP community calendar](https://meet.modelcontextprotocol.io/) with the IG channel name (e.g., `auth-ig`)
* Notes publicly shared after meetings as a [GitHub issue](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol/issues/1629) or public Google Doc

### Examples of Interest Groups

* Security in MCP
* Auth in MCP
* Using MCP in enterprise settings
* Tooling and practices for hosting MCP servers
* Tooling and practices for implementing MCP clients

### Creating an Interest Group

1. Fill out the creation template in the `#wg-ig-group-creation` channel on [Discord](https://discord.gg/6CSzBmMkjX)
2. A community moderator will review and call for a vote in `#community-moderators` (72h period, majority approval)
3. Once approved, the Facilitator(s) organize the IG per the expectations above

**Creation Template:**

* Facilitator(s)
* Maintainer(s) (optional - an official MCP Steering Group representative)
* Related IGs with potentially similar goals
* How this IG differentiates itself from related IGs
* First topic to discuss within the IG

### IG Lifecycle

* **No time limit** - Successful IGs remain active as long as they're maintained
* **Retirement** - Community moderators or Core/Lead Maintainers may retire an IG that's no longer active or needed

## Working Groups (WGs)

**Goal:** Collaborate on a SEP, a series of related SEPs, or an officially endorsed project. WGs produce concrete deliverables.

### What WGs Do

* Write and iterate on SEPs
* Build reference implementations
* Maintain ongoing projects (Inspector, Registry, SDKs)
* Drive features from proposal to specification

### Expectations

* Meaningful progress towards at least one SEP or implementation **OR** maintenance responsibilities for a project
* Facilitators keep track of progress and communicate status
* Meeting dates published on the [MCP community calendar](https://meet.modelcontextprotocol.io/) with the WG channel name (e.g., `agents-wg`)
* Notes publicly shared after meetings

### Examples of Working Groups

* Registry
* Inspector
* Tool Filtering
* Server Identity

### Creating a Working Group

1. Fill out the creation template in `#wg-ig-group-creation` on [Discord](https://discord.gg/6CSzBmMkjX)
2. Community moderator reviews and calls for vote (72h period, majority approval)
3. Facilitator(s) organize the WG per expectations

**Creation Template:**

* Facilitator(s)
* Maintainer(s) (optional)
* Explanation of interest/use cases (IG discussion helps but isn't required)
* First Issue/PR/SEP the WG will work on

### WG Lifecycle

* **Active** - WG has ongoing work and regular participation
* **Retirement** - WG is retired when:
  * Community moderators or Core/Lead Maintainers determine it's no longer active
  * The WG has no active Issue/PR for a month or has completed all planned work

## Facilitators

A **Facilitator** is an informal role anyone can self-nominate for. Facilitators:

* Shepherd discussions and collaboration
* Schedule and run meetings
* Ensure notes are published
* Keep the group on track

Being a Facilitator does **not** grant [maintainership](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol/blob/main/MAINTAINERS.md) in the MCP organization. Lead and Core Maintainers may modify the list of Facilitators for any WG/IG at any time.

## Meeting Calendar

All IG and WG meetings are published on the public MCP community calendar at [meet.modelcontextprotocol.io](https://meet.modelcontextprotocol.io/).

Facilitators are responsible for posting meeting schedules in advance to enable broader participation.

## FAQ

### How do I get involved contributing to MCP?

These groups provide an on-ramp:

1. [Join Discord](https://discord.gg/6CSzBmMkjX) and follow IGs relevant to you. Attend [live calls](https://meet.modelcontextprotocol.io/). Participate in discussions.
2. Offer to facilitate calls. Share your use cases in SEP discussions.
3. When ready for hands-on work, contribute to WG deliverables.
4. Active contributors may be nominated by WG maintainers as new maintainers.

### Where can I find a list of all current WGs and IGs?

On the [MCP Contributor Discord](https://discord.gg/6CSzBmMkjX), there is a section of channels for each Working and Interest Group.

### Do I need to join an IG before starting a WG?

No. IG participation can help validate ideas and build support, but it's not required. You can start a WG directly if you have a clear deliverable in mind.

### Do I need to be in a WG to submit a SEP?

No. Anyone can submit a SEP. However, WG collaboration can strengthen your proposal and increase its chances of success.

### What if my IG discussion leads to a concrete solution?

Great! You can either:

* Form a new WG to build the solution
* Join an existing WG if one covers the area
* Submit a SEP directly if the solution is well-defined

### Can one person be in multiple IGs/WGs?

Yes. Participate in as many groups as your time allows.