diff --git a/doc/project/code_flow.rst b/doc/project/code_flow.rst
index 19276ab24c..5ad6e86ab0 100644
--- a/doc/project/code_flow.rst
+++ b/doc/project/code_flow.rst
@@ -11,19 +11,25 @@ The zephyr Git repository has three types of branches:
 main
   Which contains the latest state of development
 
-topic-\*
-  Topic branches that are used for shared development of a new feature
+collab-\*
+  Collaboration branches that are used for shared development
+  of new features to be introduced into the main branch when ready. Creating a new
+  collaboration branch requires a justification and TSC approval. Collaboration branches
+  shall be based off the main branch and any changes developed in the collab
+  branch shall target the main development branch. For released versions of
+  Zephyr, the introduction of fixes and new features, if approved by the TSC,
+  shall be done using backport pull requests.
 
 vx.y-branch
   Branches which track maintenance releases based on a major
   release
 
-Development in topic branches before features go to mainline allows teams to
+Development in collaboration branches before features go to mainline allows teams to
 work independently on a subsystem or a feature, improves efficiency and
 turnaround time, and encourages collaboration and streamlines communication
 between developers.
 
-Changes submitted to a development topic branch can evolve and improve
+Changes submitted to a collaboration branch can evolve and improve
 incrementally in a branch, before they are submitted to the mainline tree for
 final integration.
 
@@ -31,13 +37,23 @@ By dedicating an isolated branch to complex features, it's
 possible to initiate in-depth discussions around new additions before
 integrating them into the official project.
 
+Collaboration branches are ephemeral and shall be removed once the collaboration work
+has been completed. When a branch is requested, the proposal should include the
+following:
+
+* Define exit criteria for merging the collaboration branch changes back into the main branch.
+* Define a timeline for the expected life cycle of the branch. It is
+  recommended to select a Zephyr release to set the timeline. Extensions to
+  this timeline requires TSC approval.
 
 Roles and Responsibilities
 **************************
 
-Development topic branch owners have the following responsibilities:
+Collaboration branch owners have the following responsibilities:
 
 - Use the infrastructure and tools provided by the project (GitHub, Git)
+- All changes to collaboration branches shall come in form of github pull requests.
+- Force pushing a collaboration branch is only allowed when rebasing against the main branch.
 - Review changes coming from team members and request review from branch owners
   when submitting changes.
 - Keep the branch in sync with upstream and update on a regular basis.
@@ -46,4 +62,4 @@ Development topic branch owners have the following responsibilities:
   - GitHub pull requests: for example, when reviews have not been done in the local
     branch (one-man branch).
   - Merge requests: When a set of changes has been done in a local branch and
-    has been reviewed and tested in a topic branch.
+    has been reviewed and tested in a collaboration branch.