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Set-up: Shared drive

This guide walks through provisioning a new Google Shared Drive — from deciding when one is needed, through naming, access management, theming, and internal folder structure.

Why we use Shared Drives

Shared Drives serve three purposes at Allied:

1. Access management — scope visibility to the people who need it.
2. Data compartmentalisation — keep sensitive or project-specific material separate from the general workspace.
3. Partner collaboration — share a controlled space with external organisations without exposing internal material.

When to create a Shared Drive

Not every piece of work needs its own drive. The typical lifecycle is:

1. Start a work thread in the core Allied Drive. All core Allied employees already have access to this drive.
2. Provision a Shared Drive when the thread grows enough to warrant its own access boundary, or when access restrictions are required from the outset (e.g. partner-facing work, sensitive commercial material).

If the work is short-lived and low-sensitivity, the core Allied Drive is usually sufficient.

Naming conventions

Drive names signal whether a drive is internal or shared externally, and what it relates to.

Internal drives

Template: Allied || [PJT ||] {area or project name}

Fields are separated by a double pipe (||). Include the PJT marker when the drive relates to a specific project rather than a standing function.

Example	Explanation
Allied || PJT || Emberlence	Project-specific drive for the Emberlence engagement
Allied || Finance	Standing functional drive for Finance

External (partner-shared) drives

Template: Allied <> {partner_codename}

Fields are separated by opposing angle brackets (<>). Use the partner's codename, not their legal entity name.

Example	Explanation
Allied <> Orion	Drive shared with the partner codenamed Orion

Visual theming

Apply a distinct theme image to each drive so that internal and external drives are immediately distinguishable in the Google Drive sidebar.

Drive type	Theme	Preview
Internal	Teal background with Allied logo
External	Grey-green background with overlapping Allied + partner motif

To set the theme: open the Shared Drive → click the drive name at the top → Change theme → upload the appropriate image.

Access management

Managers

For business continuity, assign at least two managers to every Shared Drive. Managers can modify membership and drive settings if one person is unavailable.

Use Google Groups, not individual accounts

Manage membership through a dedicated Google Group rather than adding employees one by one. This keeps access auditable, simplifies onboarding/offboarding, and avoids per-drive permission drift.

Scope	Google Group
All Allied employees	team@a2i.network
Finance team	finance@a2i.network
Emberlence project	emberlence@a2i.network

When provisioning a new drive, either use an existing group or request a new one that matches the drive's audience.

Folder structure — PARA + Inbox

Managers are free to organise the interior of a drive as they see fit. However, many existing drives follow the PARA framework with an Inbox folder, and adopting it is recommended for consistency.

Top-level folders

0. Inbox
1. Projects
2. Areas
3. Resources
4. Archive

Numbering keeps folders consistently ordered across platforms.

0. Inbox

Temporary landing zone for new or unclassified items.

• Use when a file arrives but has not yet been categorised, or material is uploaded quickly during a meeting.
• Items should not live here permanently — review and move them at least weekly.

1. Projects

Active initiatives with a defined outcome and end state.

• One folder per project.
• Include working documents, planning material, and outputs.
• When a project completes, move its folder to Archive.

If the work will be finished at some point, it is a Project.

2. Areas

Ongoing responsibilities that must be maintained indefinitely.

• Organise by responsibility domain (e.g. Finance, Security, Hiring).
• Store policies, standards, and operational documentation.
• Projects related to an area still belong in Projects, not nested inside the area.

If it represents something the organisation must continuously maintain, it is an Area.

3. Resources

Reference material not tied to a specific project or responsibility.

• Industry reports, market research, technical documentation, design references.
• Organise by topic; avoid storing working documents here.

If it is useful knowledge but not active work, it is a Resource.

4. Archive

Inactive material from any other category.

• Move completed projects, retired documents, and superseded material here.
• Preserves history while keeping active folders clean.
• Do not delete unless required for compliance or storage limits.

Quick decision framework

Question	Destination
Temporary and not yet sorted?	Inbox
Active work with a clear outcome?	Projects
Ongoing responsibility we maintain?	Areas
Useful reference material only?	Resources
No longer active?	Archive

Common mistakes

• Organising by topic instead of action — avoid folders like "AI" or "Strategy" that mix active work and reference material.
• Nesting projects inside Areas — areas describe responsibilities; projects belong in Projects.
• Leaving items permanently in Inbox — Inbox is a staging area, not storage.
• Keeping finished projects active — move them to Archive once completed.

Setup checklist

Use this as a quick reference when provisioning a new Shared Drive:

• Determine whether the drive is internal or external.
• Name the drive following the appropriate convention.
• Upload the correct theme image (teal for internal, grey-green for external).
• Assign at least two managers.
• Create or identify the appropriate Google Group for membership.
• Add the Google Group to the drive with the correct permission level.
• Create the PARA + Inbox top-level folder structure (recommended).