diff --git a/CODEOWNERS.txt b/CODEOWNERS.txt
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index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3d0f6553fe4b783523e9f6dad9574685970aad90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CODEOWNERS.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+* @big-bang
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
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+# Contributing
+
+Thanks for contributing to this repository!
+
+This repository follows the following conventions:
+
+* [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/)
+* [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/)
+* [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/)
+
+Development requires the Kubernetes CLI tool as well as a local Kubernetes cluster. [KIND](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kind) is recommended as a lightweight local option for standing up Kubernetes clusters.
+
+To contribute a change:
+
+1. Create a branch on the cloned repository with a descriptive name, prefixed with your name. For example, `gd/add-ingress` is an appropriate branch name.
+2. Make the changes in code.
+3. Write tests using [KUTTL](https://kuttl.dev) and [Conftest](https://conftest.dev)
+4. Make commits using the [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/) format. This helps with automation for changelog. Update `CHANGELOG.md` in the same commit using the [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com). Depending on tooling maturity, this step may be automated.
+5. Open a merge request using one of the provided templates. If this merge request is solving a preexisting issue, add the issue reference into the description of the MR.
+6. During this time, ensure that all new commits are rebased into your branch so that it remains up to date with the `development` branch.
+7. Wait for a maintainer of the repository (see CODEOWNERS) to approve.
+8. If you have permissions to merge, you are responsible for merging. Otherwise, a CODEOWNER will merge the commit.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ea247a496ce7f54c9825ccc18fd883d6556cd941..ef96e5a84621ac338e4cb6156a1e9923a8fc800d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,52 @@
-# Gitlab
+# Gitlab for Kubernetes
 
-Docs are a work in progress.
+[gitlab](https://docs.gitlab.com/) provides  is the main repository for the DSOP Pipeline.  From the Docs:
+
+GitLab is a web-based DevOps lifecycle tool that provides a Git-repository manager providing wiki, issue-tracking and continuous integration/continuous deployment pipeline features, using an open-source license, developed by GitLab Inc.
+
+## Usage
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+* Kubernetes cluster deployed
+* Kubernetes config installed in `~/.kube/config`
+* Elasticsearch and Kibana deployed to Kubernetes namespace
+
+Install kubectl
+
+```
+brew install kubectl
+```
+
+Install kustomize
+
+```
+brew install kustomize
+```
+
+### Deployment
+
+Clone repository
+
+```
+git clone https://repo1.dsop.io/platform-one/apps/gitlab.git
+
+cd gitlab
+```
+
+Apply kustomized manifest
+
+```
+kubectl -k ./
+```
+
+### Container Environment Variables
+
+These variables are patched in via kustomize and may require modifications depending on your environment. Refer to the helm chart:
+
+apps/gitlab/base/gitlab-pkg/chart.yaml
+
+
+## Contributing
+
+TBD
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