diff --git a/README b/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d872f66d44edd0de3c127f435771a76c320bccba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#   Copyright 2016 RIFT.IO Inc
+#
+#   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#   limitations under the License.
+
+
+README for https://osm.etsi.org/gerrit/osm/devops.git
+
+subdirectories:
+    jenkins -- scripts executed by jenkins on the container host and some initial scripts executed inside the container to start a build
+               see jenkins/README for more
+
+
+
diff --git a/jenkins/README b/jenkins/README
index 482f817e17b8893c5c9b9fc81d3591f971598e06..e402befa046cbbc390028c8351c195e406b216ba 100644
--- a/jenkins/README
+++ b/jenkins/README
@@ -5,3 +5,6 @@ The 'host' subdirectory is meant to be invoked directly by jenkins either in its
 The 'template' subdirectory contains sample files needed to configure a new MDG
 
 The other subdirectories correspond to MDGs and contain the scripts that are run inside the container
+
+documentation is in the OSM wiki. See https://osm.etsi.org/wiki/index.php/Jenkins_Build_Scripts
+
diff --git a/jenkins/template/start_build b/jenkins/template/start_build
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2b006771cb4b3b5cbe8ea73182181c1da7a6711b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jenkins/template/start_build
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#   Copyright 2016 RIFT.IO Inc
+#
+#   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#   limitations under the License.
+# 
+# TEMPLATE script to start a build. This is run inside a container
+#
+# 6 July 2016 -- Jeremy.Mordkoff@riftio.com -- adapted from the riftware version
+# 
+
+HERE=$(realpath $(dirname $0))
+OSM_JENKINS=$(dirname $HERE)
+. $OSM_JENKINS/common/all_funcs
+
+# SET YOU MDG repository name here
+export OSM_MDG=XXXX
+OSM_load_config
+
+
+# Here is an example for how to handle an incremental build
+if [ -d $OSM_MDG ]; then
+	INFO "reusing existing workspace"
+	cd $OSM_MDG
+	git pull 
+else
+	INFO "cloning MDG $OSM_MDG from $OSM_GIT_URL/$OSM_MDG"
+	git clone $OSM_GIT_URL/$OSM_MDG
+	cd $OSM_MDG
+fi
+INFO "starting build"
+
+### for start_build
+### put your commands here to 
+### build, test and produce coverage reports
+
+INFO "done"
+
+
+