External cohort initiations are a cohort configuration option that allows you to automate and outsource the cohort process to your customers. For a full breakdown of cohort concepts and how to choose the right setup for your assessment, please see our guide: Cohorts Overview

There are 2 different external Cohort Initiation approaches you can take. These vary in the level of automation to suit your needs. These are: 

External Cohort Set-up Instructions

Both options start with the same set-up instructions.

1. Head to assessment settings>Cohort> Cohort Settings and Tick External Cohort.

2. Fill out the below fields

Press Save.

It's a good idea to test the process at this point, so you can decide which elements to customise in the external cohort screens.

To test,just click 'Copy URL' to be taken to the external initiation screens.

The cohort initiation screens are:

• The 'Cohorts' screen. This screen is the landing page when you click on the cohort initiation URL. This page is where the cohort contact fills in details about themselves and the cohort. Some fields on this page can be hidden if needed. This screen is not visible if you are outsourcing the inviting of respondents only.
• Respondents selection screen. This screen is where the cohort contact enters respondent details. The screen looks and functions differently depending on whether you choose Details Input, Email Address input, or Email Address input. THis is the landing page if you are outsourcing the inviting of respondents only.
• Drivers screen. If you have drivers enabled, the cohort contact will be taken to a page where they can select which drivers they are using.

3. Customise your screens

Screen View 1: Cohort initiation page

This screen is only shown for fully automated cohorts.

1. To change the banner colors, head to site settings> and edit the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer fields. This will apply to all pages.
2. To add a logo, head to the Graphics table and add the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer graphic type.This will apply to all pages.
3. Add instructions to this page as site text. Head to the 'Site text' tab of assessment settings to do this. The site text type to add is 'Cohorts'. The page title is the name field when adding the site text.
4. Customize the buttons using Translations. 

Screen view 2: Driver selection ( if drivers are enabled)

This will only show if drivers for cohorts are enabled.

1. To change the banner colors, head to site settings> and edit the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer fields. This will apply to all pages.To add a logo, head to the Graphics table and add the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer graphic type. This will apply to all pages.
2. Add instructions to this page as site text. Head to the 'Site text' tab of assessment settings to do this. The site text type to add is 'Drivers Site text'. The page title is the name field when adding the site text.
3. Driver selection table. Change the name of the drivers title using Translations.
4. Customize the  save button using Translations.

Screen view 3: Respondent selection

The Cohorts Respondents screen is shown either:

• after the Cohort Initiation from a shareable link.
• when the system administrator or assessment manager has added an initiation and the subject follows the link in their email to invite the raters to respond to the assessment.

There are three options, and you select which one you want to display in the Respondents Selection field on the assessment settings. 

Details input

Users are prompted to add each participant one at a time. They fill out the name, role, and email address.

1. To change the banner colors, head to site settings> and edit the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer fields. This will apply to all pages.
2. To add a logo, head to the Graphics table and add the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer graphic type.This will apply to all pages.
3. Add instructions to this page as site text. Head to the 'Site text' tab of assessment settings to do this. The site text type to add is 'Cohort respondents'. The page title is the name field when adding the site text.
4. Customize the buttons using Translations. Clicking 'Add Respondent' will prompt the user for details of the people they wish to invite to respond to the assessments.  Once the list is complete, they should click 'Send Invitations'.  Invitations (in the format of an email with a link for them to enter their response) will be sent to all those not previously invited. 
5. The list of Respondents entered into the system.  The subject (or contact for Team assessments) will be automatically added with the role that has "Is Subject" selected in the cohort roles.   In edit or add mode, as well as the details on the list screen, classifiers marked as Admin Entry and linked to this assessment will be available for entry.  If the Classifier is also marked as "Values set by Organization" a dropdown list will list the available values for the organization (or the parent of the organization.)

Email Adress Input

The user can copy and paste email addresses directly from their email system in the role fields. The first and last names are automatically picked up and added to the respondent record. It's easy for users to copy a whole email distribution list into the system to add respondents to a cohort. 

1. To change the banner colors, head to site settings> and edit the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer fields. This will apply to all pages.
2. To add a logo, head to the Graphics table and add the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer graphic type.This will apply to all pages.
3. Add instructions to this page as site text. Head to the 'Site text' tab of assessment settings to do this. The site text type to add is 'Cohort respondents'. The page title is the name field when adding the site text.
4. Customize the buttons using Translations. Clicking 'Add Respondent' will prompt the user for details of the people they wish to invite to respond to the assessments.  Once the list is complete, they should click 'Send Invitations'.  Invitations (in the format of an email with a link for them to enter their response) will be sent to all those not previously invited. 
5. The list of Respondents entered into the system.  These can be edited or deleted from this list.
6. Once the list is complete, they should click Send Invitations.  Invitations (in the format of an email with a link for them to enter their response) will be sent to all those not previously invited.

How this screen works

The roles are listed as fields to enter email addresses in. For each role, the user should copy and paste email addresses straight from their email system. Clicking 'Add Respondents' will interpret the email addresses supplied and create Respondent records in the list below. Only the email address is required, but if the name is available (which it usually is, it will also be extracted.

Anonymous Respondents

This option lists URLs by role for the contact to distribute.  Using this method, no personal details are required.

1. To change the banner colors, head to site settings> and edit the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer fields. This will apply to all pages.
2. To add a logo, head to the Graphics table and add the Respondent Header and Respondent Footer graphic type.This will apply to all pages.
3. Add instructions to this page as site text. Head to the 'Site text' tab of assessment settings to do this. The site text type to add is 'Cohort respondents'. The page title is the name field when adding the site text.
4. The URL's for each role can be copied and sent to respondents. All responses will be linked to the Subject and the role specified.

4. Add an email template for your external initiation

• The 'Welcome Cohort' email template will send a link to the 'Cohort respondents' page.
  • It can be helpful for cohort contacts if you add this email template because it provides a link back to the respondents screen so your cohort subject/contact can add more people later on.
• The 'Cohort Initiation Auto Reminder' sends a reminder to invite respondents.

there are other email types covered in the main cohort set up article

That's it! You're done with setting up an external cohort initiation.

Return to Setting up Set up a Group Cohort Initiation

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