This is a cohort checklist that covers tasks before, during and after the cohorts.
Note: each cohort week (the entire cohort has a total of 16 weeks) has a number of related tasks. Each week has a GitHub related issue:
Week 1: #6
Week 2: #7
Week 3: #8
Week 4: #9
Week 5: #10
Week 6: #11
Week 7: #12
Week 8: #13
Week 9: #14
Week 10: #15
Week 11: #16
Week 12: #17
Week 13: #18
Week 14: #19
Week 15: #20
Week 16: #21
On-boarding and training sessions for cohort participants (mentors, facilitators)
Mentors on-boarding (done by OLS team members) - see calendar/schedule
CiviCRM weekly cohort mailings templates (taken from OLS-7)
OLS-8 planning
OLS-8 facilitators sign up sheet
OLS-8 honoraria form (used by facilitators, mentors, speakers)
OLS-8 CiviCRM sign up form (all cohort participants must sign up to fully register in the cohort)
Pre-cohort tasks
Designate Cohort Call Leads among OLS team members
[x] OLS team: Decide who will be co-lead in each call. Call leads decide who to invite as speakers in their assigned cohort calls. Call leads must check the Cohort Call Facilitators sign up sheet and coordinate with their facilitators everything regarding the facilitators’ roles.
[ ] Assistant: set up calendar reminders for the key tasks indicated in this cohort checklist
[x] Assistant: create cohort email address, like 8-cohort-management@we-are-ols.org
Recruit reviewers
Reviewers are those who read the upcoming project applications. Those who sign up as mentors are expected to act as reviewers, but not all reviewers will be mentors. Some people just volunteer to be reviewers.
[x] Post on slack to see who wants to be a reviewer (explaining that even if you do not want to be a mentor, you can be a reviewer). Add a link to the CiviCRM form so they register their interest there.
[x] Check Civi to see who signed up as reviewers only, and invite them to review via Open Review.
[x] Check Civi to see who signed up as mentors, and invite them to review via Open Review.
[x] Invite people to accept the reviewers invitation via an Open Review email (see tutorial about how to do that in XX).
[x] Create a Slack channel for the cohort reviewers, to use it to communicate updates and if needed, to ask for extra reviewers (for tricky applications).
Recruit mentors (well ahead of the start of the cohort)
[x] Reviewers are often those who become mentors, so stay communicated with them and ask them one by one if they want to be mentors.
[x] Gather names of people who want to be mentors from the post cohort survey forms (from both the survey for mentors and survey for mentees). Ideally email them, one by one, the CiviCRM form so they can register their interest: https://openlifescience.civicrm.org/civicrm/event/info?id=4&reset=1
[x] Go to CiviCRM, get a list of mentors from previous cohorts (who might not be active on slack), and email them one by one asking if they want to be mentors again in OLS8.
[ ] Create document listing Mentors' responsibilities and rights, also including where registered reviewers/mentors should look for info (are they going to received emails or should they check slack?) - maybe when they register they should receive this "READ-ME please" email containing this info.
Recruit facilitators
There are 2 types of facilitators: one joins the cohort call and the other does the post call otter.ai, video editing and uploading to youtube. The one that helps run the cohort call must also make sure the call’s etherpad is in order before the call starts, and after the calls ends must make sure the etherpad is completed and uploaded into Github. A detailed description of what this role entails can be found here.
[x] Post on slack asking who wants to be a facilitator. Add a link to the role description and the role tutorial. Include the link to the CiviCRM form and ask them to register their interest there. Explain that the idea is to distribute facilitation opportunities among people who are not having other roles in OLS. For example, if someone signed up as a mentor, and has already been assigned a mentee(s), then ideally that person should not sign up as facilitator as well.
[x] Check who signed up as facilitator in Civi and tag them in a slack post inviting them to fill out the sign-up sheet
Manage facilitators
[x] 2 weeks before the cohort starts, ask those who registered on Civi to add their names in one or two (not more than 2) cohort calls, in the Call facilitator sign-up sheet. Two facilitators are needed for each cohort call, one that joins the call, and one that does the transcript check and uploading. Remember some calls don’t use facilitation.
Organise onboarding for facilitators
[x] Organise one or two onboarding sessions for all the registered facilitators, before the cohort starts, to go through each step of the processes (add here links to the role description and tutorials found in the policies and procedures repo)
Organise mentor training & onboarding
Onboarding calls for mentors are aimed to solve any doubts mentors might have and let them know what they could do in certain cases (example: mentees not responding, mentees being rude). Mentor training is a 3 hour session in which a lot more details are covered. Those who have already attended the training in previous cohorts, don’t need to re-attend (but they can, if they want and there is space).
[x] Find potential dates (2 or 3) for the training together with 360 org.
[ ] Ask 360 how many people we should expect per training and if the live translation (into Spanish) would be ok for them. Propose them the selected dates.
[ ] Invite all new mentors to all the mentor training sessions (same training, repeated in different day/time), via calendar invite. Tell them via email and Slack to accept the training session that suits them better. Remind them these sessions aren’t recorded.
[ ] Find dates for two or three onboarding sessions on the week starting the 18th of September 2023. These on-boarding sessions are hosted by OLS staff.
[ ] Invite all mentors to these onboarding sessions, whether they are new mentors or experienced mentors.
Inform successful applicants they have been selected - add them on Slack
[x] Send OpenReview messages
[x] Send acceptance emails to successful applicants and ask them to confirm they will participate in the program before matching them to mentors and before informing them who their mentors are. Tell them to register on Civi and do so as "project leads". Explain we ask them to do this in part so they can start receiving the cohort mailings (which are sent weekly).
[ ] After they register on CiviCRM send them an email informing them who their mentors are (copying the mentor). Do not match them unless they reply to the email and confirm their participation.
[ ] Add all the confirmed people to Slack - add then to the ols-8-cohort and the general channel, send them a tutorial about slack for those who haven't used it/don't know Slack.
[ ] Email all registered mentees asking them if they signed up on Slack and reminding them a lot of the communications happens there
Match projects + mentors
This project-mentor matching occurs after the reviewing process has been completed.
[ ] Create an excel spreadsheet with all confirmed cohort projects and use it to do the mentors matching. (This excel spreadsheet can later be used to upload this information -project-mentor matches- onto the website).
[ ] Inform projects and mentors who they’ve been paired with via email. In that email include key information: what to expect and what not to expect from mentors, that they should be the first to contact their mentors directly, calendar link, assignments link, how to join the cohort calls (link on the etherpad which is found in the calendar invite in OLS public calendar), where to look for information, who to contact in case of questions (office hours of cohort organisers).
Set up CiviCRM mailing for the cohort - and create management email address
[ ] Coordinator: Post on slack and send an email to all participants warning them they should start receiving CiviCRM mailings, that if they don’t, they should check their spam folder.
[ ] Add new mentors to Slack (#general #ols-8-cohort)
[ ] Add new mentees to Slack
[ ] Coordinator: Message each mentee individually on slack - remind them there about your timezone and working hours
[ ] Post on slack the OLS team working days/hours/office hours.
At the start of the cohort
Getting ready for the cohort calls
[ ] Assistant or Coordinator: Check if the cohort weekly GH issues are set up and correct
[ ] Assistant or Coordinator: Check with the call lead of week 1 if the etherpad is ready and the facilitators are confirmed.
[ ] Call leads/hosts should check the Call Facilitator sign-up sheet and make sure their assigned call has the required facilitators. Some calls do not require facilitators (like week 13 on self help) so if that is the case, it should be clearly shown in the sign up sheet to avoid facilitators signing up and then not being able to participate.
Getting the cohort communication channels ready
[ ] Coordinator should schedule at least the first 2 weekly CiviCRM mailings. Weekly mailings are sent during the cohort to alert participants of all things happening each week. These mailings are sent via CiviCRM. It is advisable to schedule mailings so they are sent early on Mondays. On Civi, we can check previously sent mailings, including those from previous cohorts, and we can use them as templates if needed. Here are a compendium of all the mailings from OLS-7: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wGNSXGux_Ziws_VlPRoeaWQtorpRFKjiYXBy9iKl3DE/edit#
Checking if the communication channels are actually reaching people
[ ] After sending the first week’s mailing, ask mentees and mentors one by one if they received the mailing. Doing this is time consuming, but will save your problems and a lot of your time later on in the cohort.
Double check cohort call roles are being fulfilled & documentation is ready
[ ] Executive assistant: Find who are the call leads in OLS-8 Planning Spreadsheet (the person from the team that leads each cohort call)
[ ] Executive assistant: Confirm the call-lead/host can actually be there at the call. If yes, send the calendar invite and expect a quick calendar confirmation. If the call lead cannot attend, ask the Coordinator to find another call lead.
[ ] Call lead/host: Nominate speakers. Note: please double check if the nominated speakers did not do the same call in previous cohorts. The idea is not to repeat speakers from previous cohorts. Check this info in the OLS8 Planning Spreadsheet.
[ ] Executive assistant: Invite speakers by email using email templates (cc Call lead/host)
[ ] Executive assistant: Confirm speaker/send information w email templates (cc Call lead/host)
[ ] Executive assistant: Add facilitators to calendar invite (OLS Public calendar)
[ ] Call lead/host: Add the names of the confirmed speakers to the OLS8 Planning Spreadsheet (columns T to Y).
[ ] Call lead/host: Prepare Etherpad. This includes creating the etherpad link by entering here: https://pad.sfconservancy.org/ (add/use this format: ols-8-week-01) and adding this pad link to the OLS8 Planning Spreadsheet. (Check tutorial on how to create the bit.ly link in the policies and procedures repo.)
[ ] Call lead/host + Executive assistant: Double check Etherpad is ok. Make sure to add Host, Facilitator, Speakers and links to the power points presentations if speakers have already sent them.
[ ] Call lead/host + Executive assistant: Double check dates and time: Copy/paste from OLS public calendar. DO NOT CALCULATE MANUALLY
One week before each call
Note: Call leads/hosts should answer questions from speakers or facilitators when they have specific questions about the subjects of the call, or about the presentation (topics to be covered, to not cover, emphasis, etc).
Setting up reminders
[ ] Executive assistant: Send call lead/host a reminder of the call. Check if the etherpad, speakers and facilitators are ready. (Executive assistant)
[ ] Executive assistant: Send speakers a reminder of the call with the login info using email templates.
(Executive assistant)
48 hours before the cohort call
Conducting final confirmations
[ ] Call lead/host: Double check with speakers and facilitators will be present at the call.
[ ] Call lead/host: Check if calendar invite coincides with the timing shown in the website, on otter.ai, and on the weekly mailing sent that week.
[ ] Call lead/host: Check if otter.ai is set up right for the call: that the connection to zoom is enabled.
[ ] Call lead/host: Post on Slack inviting people to the call.
During the cohort
General during-cohort tasks
[ ] Coordinator: check if surveys have the right info on them - read them carefully before sending them.
[ ] Coordinator: send weekly CiviCRM mailings
[ ] Coordinator: set up the mentors mid-term check
[ ] Coordinator: inform mentors a feedback about their mentees is expected towards the end of the cohort. This feedback is needed in order to better assess if the mentees are ready to graduate or not.
[ ] Coordinator: create an assessment form for mentors to assess their mentees in detail. Completing this form should be mandatory.
[ ] Coordinator: create an assessment form for mentees to assess their mentors (this would be a new form for OLS-8).
[ ] Coordinator: communicate via Slack and in some mailings, that in order to graduate, there are some minimum requirements that need to be completed, and send them the graduation guide.
[ ] Coordinator: communicate/remind people at least 3 times via CiviCRM mailings and slack, that people can nominate speakers for future cohorts.
[ ] Coordinator: communicate via slack and mailing the ways in which people can engage with the community, during or after their cohort participation
Tasks after each call
[ ] Executive assistant: Email speakers using email templates inviting them to join slack (if they are not there yet) and asking them to complete the honorarium form.
[ ] Facilitators: make sure the etherpad is completed (as much as possible), if there is something important missing, inform the Call lead/host so the Call lead can get that info (e.g a speakers presentation).
Tasks ahead of graduations
[ ] Coordinator: send all cohort participants the graduation guide, reminding them there are some basic requirements.
[ ] Coordinator: send all cohort participants a reminder to attend the graduation rehearsals (make it mandatory?)
[ ] Coordinator: Check which mentors have given favourable feedback about their mentees’ readiness to graduate - and which haven’t.
[ ] Coordinator: remind mentors to fill the mentees assessment form and send by a certain date.
[ ] Coordinator: set up restream
[ ] Coordinator: decide whether translation is needed
[ ] Send the certificates of completion to each cohort member
[ ] Send cohort members the speaker nomination form
Slack management (To be completed - TBC)
[ ] Explain people where they should expect to find the zoom links (explain they are not in the public calendar because the public calendar is public)... maybe add a zoom link to all the calls in the weekly mailing?
This is a cohort checklist that covers tasks before, during and after the cohorts.
Note: each cohort week (the entire cohort has a total of 16 weeks) has a number of related tasks. Each week has a GitHub related issue: Week 1: #6
Week 2: #7 Week 3: #8 Week 4: #9 Week 5: #10 Week 6: #11 Week 7: #12 Week 8: #13 Week 9: #14 Week 10: #15 Week 11: #16 Week 12: #17 Week 13: #18 Week 14: #19 Week 15: #20 Week 16: #21
On-boarding and training sessions for cohort participants (mentors, facilitators)
Tutorials related to this list (to be added)
Relevant documents/forms
Pre-cohort tasks
Designate Cohort Call Leads among OLS team members
Recruit reviewers
Reviewers are those who read the upcoming project applications. Those who sign up as mentors are expected to act as reviewers, but not all reviewers will be mentors. Some people just volunteer to be reviewers.
Recruit mentors (well ahead of the start of the cohort)
Recruit facilitators
There are 2 types of facilitators: one joins the cohort call and the other does the post call otter.ai, video editing and uploading to youtube. The one that helps run the cohort call must also make sure the call’s etherpad is in order before the call starts, and after the calls ends must make sure the etherpad is completed and uploaded into Github. A detailed description of what this role entails can be found here.
Manage facilitators
Organise onboarding for facilitators
Organise mentor training & onboarding
Onboarding calls for mentors are aimed to solve any doubts mentors might have and let them know what they could do in certain cases (example: mentees not responding, mentees being rude). Mentor training is a 3 hour session in which a lot more details are covered. Those who have already attended the training in previous cohorts, don’t need to re-attend (but they can, if they want and there is space).
Inform successful applicants they have been selected - add them on Slack
Match projects + mentors
This project-mentor matching occurs after the reviewing process has been completed.
Set up CiviCRM mailing for the cohort - and create management email address
Add mentors and mentees on Slack
At the start of the cohort
Getting ready for the cohort calls
Getting the cohort communication channels ready
Three weeks before each cohort call
Checking if the communication channels are actually reaching people
Double check cohort call roles are being fulfilled & documentation is ready
One week before each call
Note: Call leads/hosts should answer questions from speakers or facilitators when they have specific questions about the subjects of the call, or about the presentation (topics to be covered, to not cover, emphasis, etc).
Setting up reminders
48 hours before the cohort call
Conducting final confirmations
During the cohort
General during-cohort tasks
Tasks after each call
Tasks ahead of graduations
After graduation
Slack management (To be completed - TBC)
CiviCRM management (TBC)
Useful templates (TBC)
Engaging cohort participants (TBC)