Engagement Management Guide

Overview

This guide covers Phase 3 of the IXP Initiative process: managing active engagements from creation through completion. This includes creating engagements, tracking progress with bi-weekly reports, and submitting final reports for approval.

What you'll learn:

• How to create new IXP engagements with proper case tracking
• How to submit progress reports every 2 weeks
• How to complete final reports with credit evidence
• How to manage engagement workflow states
• Troubleshooting common engagement issues

Who should use this guide:

• Company Admins: Creating and overseeing engagements
• Company Members (Mentors): Managing day-to-day engagement activities
• IXP Users: Participating in engagements and submitting reports

Creating New Engagements

Step 1: Access Your Company Dashboard

1. Navigate to platform: Go to https://drupal-ixp.site/
2. Click "My Company" in the top navigation
3. Select your company from the list (e.g., "Company IXP")
4. Click "Create an engagement" blue button

Step 2: Complete Engagement Form

The engagement creation form has 12 fields with some conditional logic based on your selections.

Required Basic Information:

Title (required)
- Enter a descriptive name for your engagement
- Example: "Frontend Development Training - React Components"
- Note: System will automatically add case number (e.g., "IXP-00001: Your Title")

Mentor (required)
- Select from company members using autocomplete
- Must be a Company Member or Company Admin
- This person will guide the IXP developer

IXP User (required)
- Select the IXP developer using autocomplete
- Must be added to your company group first (see Company Setup Guide)
- Can only select users with IXP User role

Start Date (required)
- Use date picker (mm/dd/yyyy format)
- Important: After changing status to "Engagement Start", verify this date is correct (ECA automation may set it, but manual verification recommended)

Estimated Hours per week (required)
- Enter numeric value for planning purposes
- Example: 10, 15, 20 hours per week

Project Description:

Proposed Work (required)
- Rich text editor for detailed project description
- Prompt: "Brief summary of the project(s) the new, inexperienced Drupal developer will be working on"
- Include specific technologies, goals, and learning objectives

Credit Requirements (IMPORTANT):

Acknowledgements - Both checkboxes REQUIRED for credit qualification:

☐ "Will provide a blog from the IXP"
- This is a requirement for getting credits
- IXP developer must write about their experience
- Evidence can be provided in any progress report or final reports throughout the engagement

☐ "Will provide 3 drupal credits for IXP"
- This is a requirement for getting credits
- Company commits to providing Drupal Association credits
- Evidence provided later in progress/final reports

Important: Both boxes must be checked to qualify for credit allocation at engagement completion.

Discovery Method:

How you find your IXP (required dropdown)
- "Direct" - If you found IXP developer through direct networking/referrals
- "Drupal Jobs" - If you found them through jobs.drupal.org posting

Conditional Fields (appear based on selection):
- If "Direct" selected: "IXP relationship explanation" text field appears
- Explain how you established the relationship
- Example: "Found through community networking at DrupalCon"

- If "Drupal Jobs" selected: "Job Link" field appears
- Paste the jobs.drupal.org URL for your posting

System Fields:

Save as: Dropdown (starts as "Engagement proposed")
- Leave as "Engagement proposed" for initial creation
- Will be changed later as engagement progresses

Step 3: Save and Verify

1. Click "Save" button
2. Verify case number was automatically generated and added to title
3. Confirm all information is accurate
4. Note the engagement URL for future reference

Managing Engagement States

Engagement Workflow States

The IXP engagement follows a 5-state moderation workflow:

1. "Engagement proposed" (Initial state)
   - Draft mode, not published
   - Review and finalize engagement details
   - Make any necessary edits
2. "Engagement Start" (Active engagement)
   - Published and active
   - Begin work and mentorship
   - Action Required: Verify start date after transition
3. "Final Review" (Ready for evaluation)
   - Engagement work completed
   - Final reports submitted
   - System automatically sets end date
4. "Need more Info" (Returned for updates)
   - IXP Reviewers request additional information
   - Communication via Drupal comments on engagement
   - Return to "Final Review" when ready
5. "Approved" (Complete)
   - Successfully completed engagement
   - Credits allocated
   - Process complete

Changing Engagement Status

From Company Dashboard:

1. Navigate to your engagement (under "Company [Name] nodes")
2. Click "Edit" on the engagement
3. Change "Save as:" dropdown to desired state
4. Click "Save"

State Transition Rules:
- Proposed → Start: Begin active engagement
- Start → Final Review: Complete engagement work
- Final Review → Approved/Need More Info: IXP Reviewer actions only
- Need More Info → Final Review: Address reviewer feedback

Progress Reporting (Bi-weekly)

When to Submit Progress Reports

Frequency: Every 2 weeks from engagement start date
Purpose: Track mentorship quality and work progress
Who submits: Company Members (mentors) and/or IXP Users

Accessing Progress Report Form

1. Go to your company dashboard
2. Click "Create a progress report" blue button
3. Complete the 7-field form

Progress Report Fields

Basic Information:

Title (required)
- Descriptive name for this progress report
- Example: "Week 2-4 Progress Report - React Components"

IXP Case (required)
- Autocomplete field linking to specific engagement
- Type engagement title or case number to find
- Must link to an active engagement

Mentorship Tracking:

Mentor Available (toggle)
- Question: "Was a mentor available for the new, inexperienced Drupal developer at least one hour out of every ten paid work hours since the last progress report?"
- Critical for program compliance
- Toggle ON if mentorship requirement met

Tasks aligned with skills (toggle)
- Confirms work assignments match IXP developer's skill level
- Toggle ON if tasks were appropriately challenging

Work Documentation:

Assigned Tasks (rich text editor)
- Detailed description of work completed during this period
- Include specific accomplishments and learning outcomes
- Use clear, descriptive language

Challenging Tasks (rich text editor)
- Problems encountered and how they were solved
- Learning obstacles and mentor assistance provided
- Solutions implemented and knowledge gained

Credit Evidence (Can be provided in any report):

IXP Links (link field with description)
- Purpose: Provide evidence for acknowledgement requirements (can be submitted in any progress report or final report)
- For 3 Drupal Credits:
- Links to drupal.org contributions (issues, patches, commits, documentation, etc)
- Drupal Association credit tracking URLs
- Community contribution evidence
- For Blog Requirement:
- Links to published blog posts about IXP experience
- Personal or company blog posts
- Community platform posts (Medium, dev.to, etc.)

Value Field: Enter the complete URL (e.g., https://www.drupal.org/project/issues/12345)
Link Description: Describe the contribution (e.g., "Drupal core patch contribution" or "Blog post about IXP experience")

Progress Report Validation

System Validation:
- Limited automatic checking: System only shows IXP Reviewers messages if engagement is missing expected reports
- Bi-weekly expectation: Based on engagement duration and start date
- Manual verification: IXP Reviewers manually verify most requirements

Expected Reports:
- 4-week engagement: ~2 progress reports expected
- 8-week engagement: ~4 progress reports expected
- 12-week engagement: ~6 progress reports expected

Final Reporting

When to Submit Final Reports

Timing: When engagement work is completed and ready for final review
Required: Both mentor and IXP developer must submit final reports
Triggers: Transition to "Final Review" state

Accessing Final Report Form

1. Complete all engagement work
2. Go to your company dashboard
3. Click "Create a final report" blue button
4. Complete the 8-field form

Final Report Fields

Basic Information:

Title (required)
- Descriptive name for final report
- Example: "Final Report - React Components Training Complete"

IXP Case (required)
- Link to the completed engagement
- Use autocomplete to find engagement

Mentorship Summary:

Mentor Available (toggle)
- Same as progress reports - overall mentorship availability
- Confirms mentor requirement was met throughout engagement

Financial Information:

Number of hours paid (numeric field)
- Total paid hours worked during entire engagement
- Used for program metrics and validation

Rate paid? (currency field)
- Hourly rate in USD
- Optional but helpful for program assessment

Skills Assessment:

Do you feel that your Drupal skills have grown during the engagement? (rich text editor)
- Detailed reflection on learning and skill development
- Include specific skills gained and knowledge acquired
- Describe how the engagement impacted professional growth

Credit Evidence (Final opportunity):

IXP Links (link field with description)
- Provide any remaining evidence for acknowledgement requirements:
- Note: Evidence can be submitted in any progress report or final report throughout the engagement

For 3 Drupal Credits:
- Links to all drupal.org contributions made during engagement
- Minimum 3 credits worth of contributions required
- Include issue links, patch links, commit references

For Blog Requirement:
- Link to published blog post about IXP experience
- Must be accessible publicly
- Should describe the engagement experience and learning

Value Field: Complete URLs to evidence
Link Description: Clear description of each link's purpose

Program Feedback:

Suggestions to the program? (rich text editor)
- Feedback for IXP Initiative improvement
- Suggestions for better mentor/developer matching
- Ideas for program enhancement

Final Report Requirements

Both Reports Required:
- Mentor final report: Company Member or Admin submission
- IXP User final report: IXP developer submission
- System validation: IXP Reviewers verify presence of both reports

Credit Evidence Validation:
- 3 Drupal Credits: Links must show actual contributions worth minimum 3 credits
- Blog Post: Must be published and accessible
- IXP Reviewers manually verify all evidence meets requirements

Troubleshooting

Common Engagement Creation Issues

Problem: Can't find mentor or IXP user in autocomplete
Solution:
- Verify person is added to your company group
- Check they have correct role (Company Member for mentor, IXP User for developer)
- See Company Setup Guide for member management

Problem: Case number not appearing in title
Solution:
- Save engagement and refresh page
- Case numbers are auto-generated on save
- Contact support if issue persists

Problem: Conditional fields not appearing
Solution:
- Ensure you've selected option in "How you find your IXP" dropdown
- Try refreshing page if fields don't appear immediately

Progress Report Issues

Problem: Can't find engagement in IXP Case field
Solution:
- Verify engagement status is "Engagement Start" or later
- Try typing case number (e.g., IXP-00001) instead of title
- Ensure you're in correct company context

Problem: Not sure about reporting frequency
Solution:
- Every 2 weeks from start date is the standard
- Week 1-2: First report due
- Week 3-4: Second report due
- Continue pattern throughout engagement

Problem: Links not accepting URLs
Solution:
- Ensure URL starts with http:// or https://
- External URLs required (no internal platform links)
- Test URL in browser before submitting

Final Report Issues

Problem: System says missing reports
Solution:
- Both mentor AND IXP user must submit final reports
- Check if your colleague has submitted their report
- Contact them to coordinate final reporting

Problem: Credit evidence not sufficient
Solution:
- 3 Credits: Must link to actual drupal.org contributions
- Blog: Must be published and publicly accessible
- Quality matters - ensure contributions meet DA credit standards

Problem: Can't change engagement to "Final Review"
Solution:
- Ensure both final reports are submitted first
- Check that all required fields are completed
- May need IXP Reviewer assistance for state transitions

Getting Help

Support Channels:
- Slack: #ixp-fellowship channel
- Email: Contact IXP Initiative coordinators
- Platform Issues: Use contact information on platform

Documentation:
- Main IXP Guide
- Company Setup Guide
- Finding Developer Guide

Summary

Key Takeaways:
- Acknowledgements are requirements - both blog and 3 credits must be provided
- Progress reports every 2 weeks track mentorship and work quality
- Final reports from both mentor and IXP user required for completion
- IXP Links fields provide evidence for credit and blog requirements
- Manual verification recommended even with system automation
- IXP Reviewers use Drupal comments for "Need More Info" communication

Next Steps:
- Create your first engagement using this guide
- Set up bi-weekly reporting schedule
- Prepare evidence collection for credits and blog requirements
- Check the Review and Approval Guide for IXP Reviewer processes

This guide is part of the comprehensive IXP Initiative documentation project, created through detailed platform exploration and community feedback.