Mentorship Matching Tool Requirements Overall and Refined.pdf

Overall Design Requirements

1. User Registration:

• Users should be able to register for the mentorship program.

• Collect and store basic user details, such as name, email, department, and role.

• Include an option for users to input additional information about themselves, including their career goals and areas of interest.

2. Skill Input:

• Provide a section for users to input their skills, competencies, and areas of expertise.

• Allow users to rate their proficiency in each skill on a scale or provide a textual description.

3. Skill Matching:

• Implement a matching algorithm that considers both user skills and preferences.

• Define criteria for matching, such as common skills, career goals, or departmental alignment.

• Prioritize matches based on compatibility scores.

4. User Interface Design:

• Create a user-friendly interface for easy navigation and interaction.

• Design screens for user registration, skill input, and displaying matched skills.

• Ensure accessibility and responsiveness for a diverse user base.

5. Data Security and Compliance:

• Adhere to data protection standards, especially when dealing with Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

• Choose a data storage solution (SharePoint, SQL Server, or Dataverse) that complies with organizational and legal data security requirements.

6. Notifications:

• Implement notifications to inform users of successful registrations, matched mentors/mentees, and other relevant updates.

• Include a notification to the applicant’s supervisor for approval in the matching process.

7. Integration with Mentorship Program SharePoint Site:

• Integrate the registration tab seamlessly into the existing Mentorship Program SharePoint site for a unified user experience.

8. Testing and Feedback:

• Develop a comprehensive testing plan covering user scenarios, edge cases, and potential issues.

• Conduct a beta test with internal TDWP employees to gather feedback and make necessary improvements.

9. Scalability:

• Design the app with scalability in mind to accommodate a growing number of users.

• Consider future expansion of features or integration with other systems.

10. Permissions and Access Control:

• Define role-based access control to ensure that only authorized personnel can view certain data or perform specific actions.

• Set up permissions for mentors, mentees, and program administrators.

11. Reporting and Analytics:

• Include reporting features to track and analyze mentorship program metrics.

• Generate reports on the effectiveness of mentorship matches and overall program participation.

12. Documentation:

• Provide comprehensive documentation for administrators and end-users.

• Include user guides, system architecture, and any necessary technical documentation.

13. Compliance with Organization Policies:

• Ensure that the app complies with relevant organizational policies, guidelines, and standards.

14. Maintenance and Updates:

• Plan for regular maintenance and updates based on user feedback and evolving requirements.

15. User Training:

• Develop training materials for users to ensure they understand how to use the app effectively.

Refined Requirements:

User Registration:

1. User Profile:

• Users should be able to create a profile with their name, email, department, role, and a profile picture (optional).

• Include additional role-specific information for Mentee Applicants, such as Current Supervisor, Prior Supervisor, Experience, Grade, Program Office, Duty Station, Job Title, Years at HUD, and Years of Federal Service.

2. Mentor/Mentee Preferences:

• Include a section where users can specify their preferences for being matched with specific mentor styles (Advisor, Affirmer, Connection Broker, Challenger, Clarifier, Coach, Protector, Sponsor).

• Allow Mentors to identify their top competencies (strengths) that they can coach others on, and Mentees to highlight competencies they are interested in and areas where they want to grow (1st priority).

3. Special Accommodations:

• Provide a field for users to indicate if they require special accommodations.

Skill Input:

1. Competency Assessment:

• Incorporate a detailed competency assessment for both Mentors and Mentees, covering a range of competencies including: Accountability, Analytical Thinking, Attention to Detail, Business Management, Conflict Management, Creative Thinking, Customer Service, Decision Making, Decisiveness, Information Management, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership, Managing People, Negotiation, Oral Communication, Organizational Awareness, Planning & Evaluating, Problem Solving, Project Management, Quality Management, Requirements Analysis, Risk Management, Self-Management, Strategic Thinking, Teamwork, Written Communication, Other (write-in).

2. Competency Preferences:

• Include preferences for each user, allowing Mentors to highlight their top competency and specify how many Mentees they can mentor.

• Allow Mentees to express what they want to learn from their Mentor.

Matching Criteria:

1. Mentor Styles:

• Consider Mentor styles (Advisor, Affirmer, Connection Broker, Challenger, Clarifier, Coach, Protector, Sponsor) when matching Mentors and Mentees.

2. Competency Alignment:

• Match users based on alignment of competencies. Mentors should be matched with Mentees whose interests align with the Mentor's strengths.

3. Supervisor Approval:

• Send notifications to the supervisor of Mentee Applicants for approval.

• Include matching preferences in the approval request to provide context for the supervisor.

Notifications:

1. Registration Confirmation:

• Send a confirmation email or in-app notification upon successful registration.

2. Match Notifications:

• Notify users when a potential match is found based on the defined criteria.

• Include information about the matched user and details on how to proceed.

3. Supervisor Approval Request:

• Automatically notify the supervisor when a Mentee Applicant registers for the mentorship program, seeking their approval.

• Include relevant information about the Mentorship Applicant's preferences (Mentor or Mentee, if Mentor selected, number of Mentees to be mentored).

4. Match Approval Request:

• Send notifications to Mentors and Mentees for mutual approval before officially confirming the match.

• Include details about the preferences and competencies of both parties.

5. Reminder Notifications:

• Send reminders for scheduled mentorship sessions, goal-setting meetings, and other relevant activities.

6. Feedback Solicitation:

• After the completion of a mentorship relationship, send notifications requesting feedback from Mentors and Mentees to assess program effectiveness.

• Include specific questions about the impact of the Mentorship relationship on competencies and growth areas.

7. Access Request Notifications:

• Notify administrators or relevant personnel when a user requests access or encounters any issues.

8. Privacy and Consent Reminders:

• Periodically remind users about privacy settings and the need to update their consent for participation.

Current Matching Instructions for Manual Matching How to make the matches:

Priority #1 Accommodations: Disability accommodations -- if any -- take priority over all other matching factors.

Priority #2 Goals & Interests: Seek overlap between the competencies that a Mentee wants and what a Mentor has to offer. If two people have requested each other than match them together, unless the “supervisory chain” rule is broken (see below).

Priority #3 Grade/Experience Gap: Match any Mentees that are HUD supervisors with Mentors that are also HUD supervisors unless otherwise requested. Ideally, Mentors should be senior to/more experienced than their Mentees. Seniority might be measured by pay grade, years of professional experience, technical mastery of a competency, etc.

Priority #4 Compatibility and Special Preferences: If you know any applicants personally, you are encouraged to consider the Mentee’s/Mentor’s preferences. However, the matching committee is not required to honor all preferences or requests, especially when a request from one applicant would come at the expense of other applicants

Priority #5 Organizational Distance: Ideally, try to match a Mentee with a Mentor from outside their business division or in a different Program Office. The cross-pollination of ideas, perspectives, and practices can be beneficial in many ways.

***Rule on Supervisory Chain matches: We will not match an employee to their first or second level supervisor (including Team Leads). Exceptions may be made when the Mentor is a senior leader with a wide span of control, as long as the distance between the two participants – in terms of day-to-day interaction – is wide enough that the committee feels comfortable that the match will not create any conflicts of interest.