The Cohort Initiation functionality allows Administrators and Assessment Managers to create a cohort that will group responses, and then automatically produce a cohort report after a set date, provided a minimum number of responses are received. A typical use of this functionality is 360 Assessments, but it is not limited to that.

The respondents within the cohort can be added by the Administrator or Assessment Manager, or an initiation email can be sent to a "subject" - who can then manage their own respondents.  In this context the subject is often the subject of a 360 Feedback assessment - but, again, it is not limited to that.

In either case, once they have entered the respondent list, they can send invitations - which will send a templated email and create a response record.  The responses are linked to a common subject, which will be used to group the responses into the cohort report later.

This function is only available on the menu if the Cohort Initiation Checkbox on the Settings screen is selected.

Cohort Initiations List

1. Add an Initiation.  An Initiation creates invitations to respondents, creates responses groups by subject, and manages the automatic production of the cohort report.
2. CSV Template. Download a CSV template to facilitate the uploading of multiple initiations.  The Heading line must be left unchanged. The required fields are:
   • Assessment
   • Cohort Report
   • Email (Subjects)
   • FirstName (Subjects)
   • LastName (Subjects)
   • CompletionDate
   • MinimumResponses  

Note:  In the context of a 360 Feedback the subject is the person being assessed, however, that is not a requirement.  A subject must be specified, but that subject need not be referenced in the report.

3. Upload. Upload the updated CSV template once you have added subject details.

Tip If your CSV has Unicode characters (eg Russian, Chinese Japanese) in the assessment or respondent name, you need to "Save As" the file and select "CSV UTF-8" as the file type.  This is not required for accented characters that occur in Spanish etc)

4. The List screen shows existing initiations and their status. The Action menu allows you to
   • Edit the Initiation Record
   • view or edit the respondents for the initiation
   • view all emails sent for this initiation.  When viewing the emails sent you can resend them.  If you resend the report the system will requeue the report for reproduction in the next overnight Cohort reporting run.

Cohort Initiation Add/Settings

1. Assessment. The Assessment Name which is used for the Cohort assessment
2. Cohort Report Name. The Cohort Report that is to be produced on Completion Date.  This report is produced automatically provided the minimum number of responses have been received. (Note: On the Cohort Report screen you can specify an alternate report that is produced if the date completion date is past but the minimum number of responses have not been completed.
3. Organization.  The position in the Organization structure that this initiation should be linked to.  This controls which Assessment Managers can access this data.
4. Email Address of the Subject of the Cohort.  In the context of a 360 Feedback, this is the subject of the 360.  For other applications, it is still required, even though it may not be required or shown in the report.
5. Subject Name (first and last)
6. Business Name. optional field
7. Group Name – Group names are loaded using the Lookup Lists. Group names can be used for reporting, either as a filter or a dimension.
8. Customer Type.  This customer Type is not used in the creation of the responses. (The customer Type from the Roll Lookup List is used)
9. Request Date
10. Completion Date.  This date is the "closing date" for responses. The cohort report will be produced after this date, provided the required number of responses have been received, or an alternate report is specified on the Cohort Report record.  If there are not enough responses immediately after the completion date the system will keep checking it daily until there is.
11. Minimum number of responses.  This number is required for the cohort report to be automatically produced.  Cohort Reports for this subject can be produced manually for administrators and Assessment Managers.
12. BCC Report Address – used to automatically send a copy of the report to an adviser at the same time as it is sent to the respondent.
13. When Save is clicked an email (of the Email Type Welcome Cohort Initiation) is sent to the Subject, which gives them the link to the Cohort Initiation Invite Respondents Screen.

Cohort Initiations Invite Respondents

The screen shown here is the User version of this screen.  The Administrators screen has the same functionality.

1. The branding for this screen uses the settings for the Respondent Portal. The header and footer banner colors are the Respondent Portal header and footer colors, specified on the settings screen. The logos are the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer Graphics loaded into the Graphics function.
2. The text beneath the heading is held on the Website Text. with a Type of Cohort Initiations 
3. Add Respondent. When first entering this screen the subject is defaulted into to the Recipient list providing there is a role of "Yourself". The Subject can add an unlimited number of respondents by entering their details in the Add Respondent function.
4. Send Invitations. Once the Respondent list is built the Subject can Send Invitations to the respondents.  The Email sent uses the template of the type Cohort Recipient.
5. Respondent List. The list of people invited.  The Subject can check that emails have been sent but they can not tell who has responded.
6. Role The Role is selected from the available Cohort Roles on the Lookup Lists table.
7. Invitation Sent indicates whether the invitation has been emailed to this respondent.  If No clicking "Send Invitations" will send the Invitation email to those that haven't previously been invited only.   

The Invitations create responses, listed on the responses list.