NetHope Internship Playbooksolutionscenter.nethope.org/assets/collaterals/EXTERNAL...Academy team...

NetHope Academy Internship Program

Playbook

This Proposal is Proprietary & Confidential to Accenture & NetHope.

Copyright 2013 NetHope. All rights reserved.

Version 3.0 | Last Update: June 2013

The NetHope Academy

Internship Program

Playbook is a living guide

detailing how NetHope

plans, implements and

executes the NetHope

Academy Internship

Program.

This document contains

an overview of NetHope

and the NetHope

Academy. The

playbook is broken into

processes that capture

step-by-step process

flow and checklists that

comprise the NetHope

Academy Internship

program.

Learn.

Connect.

Achieve.

This Proposal is Proprietary & Confidential to Accenture & NetHope. Copyright 2013 NetHope. All rights reserved. Last Update: June 2013

2

Table of Contents NETHOPE ACADEMY INFORMATION 6

NHA PLAYBOOK – USER INSTRUCTIONS 7

NETHOPE ACADEMY BACKGROUND 12

NETHOPE ACADEMY READINESS & ENROLLMENT 13

CHECKLISTS & PREPARATION TIMELINES 14

01: APPLICATION SETUP & SUBMISSION 26

02: APPLICATION EVALUATION 32

03: NOTIFICATION & ASSESSMENT DAY SETUP 38

04: INTERVIEW SETUP 47

05: TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT SETUP 49

06: ASSESSMENT DAY AND APPLICANT INTERVIEW 53

07: TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT ADMINISTRATION (ASSESSMENT DAY) 56

08: ASSESSMENT DAY EVALUATION (INTERVIEW & TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT) 58

09: PROGRAM INITIATION 62

10: HOST ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT 70

11: INTERN ON-BOARDING 78

DURING THE NETHOPE ACADEMY 83

12: ADMINISTER & EXECUTE PROGRAM TRAINING 84

13: IT MENTORING 91

14: VENDOR CERTIFICATION 96

AFTER NETHOPE ACADEMY EXECUTION 100

15: PURSUE INTERN FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT 101

16: POST GRADUATION 105

MEASURING SUCCESS 108

PRESS 111

APPENDICES 112

APPENDIX A – ONLINE APPLICATION QUESTIONS 113

APPENDIX B – APPLICATION INFORMATION E-MAIL SAMPLE 121

APPENDIX C – CANDIDATE NOTIFICATION E-MAILS 123

APPENDIX D – INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 124

APPENDIX E – SAMPLE CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT DAY LOGISTICS COMMUNICATION 128

APPENDIX F – SAMPLE ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION AND NHA DETAILS COMMUNICATION 131

APPENDIX G – SAMPLE COMMUNICATION: ASSESSMENT DAY INTERVIEWER DETAILS 133

APPENDIX H – SAMPLE COMMUNICATION: MENTOR INFORMED ON INTERN ASSIGNMENT 135

APPENDIX I – SAMPLE COMMUNICATION: INTERN INFORMED OF INTERNSHIP ASSIGNMENT 136

APPENDIX J – SAMPLE IT MENTOR FEEDBACK 137


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APPENDIX K – SAMPLE INTERN SELF EVALUATION WITH SECTIONS 140

APPENDIX L – INTERN SELF EVALUATION WITHOUT SECTIONS 143

APPENDIX M – SAMPLE GRADUATE RECOMMENDATION FORM 146

APPENDIX N – IT MENTOR CONTRACT 147

APPENDIX O – NETHOPE ACADEMY CANDIDATE OVERVIEW 149

APPENDIX P – NETHOPE ACADEMY PROGRAM GLOBAL OVERVIEW 151

APPENDIX Q – SAMPLE COURSE DELIVERY GUIDE 156

APPENDIX R – NETHOPE ACADEMY IT MENTOR GUIDE 164

APPENDIX S – NETHOPE HOST ORG RESPONSE FORM 183

APPENDIX T – SAMPLE NHA BOOT CAMP CURRICULUM 185

APPENDIX U – SAMPLE NHA INTERNSHIP COMMITMENT FORM 187

APPENDIX V – SAMPLE CURRICULUM CALENDAR 189

Through classroom education and internship placements with international

nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the NetHope Academy prepares students for full-

time careers in the IT field while allowing them to directly participate in building their communities.


4

“I came out of college thinking that I have a lot of knowledge only to realize

that knowledge is ‘useless’ without the hands-on skills. I am grateful that

NetHope and Accenture gave me wings to fly.”

– Jennifer, NetHope Academy Kenya Graduate


5

Helpful Image Descriptions:

This indicates that a document directly pertains to a process step. A reference to the material is

included with this image.

This indicates Lessons Learned for a process.

The NetHope Academy Program Checklist would be useful to reference at this point. This process

may reference multiple chronological activities or time sensitive steps.

“I learned almost as much

in six months with NetHope

as I did in five years of

college.”

- Jude, NetHope Academy Hai t i Graduate

“My proudest achievement in

technology was joining the

NetHope Internship program.

- Faith, NetHope Academy Rwanda Graduate


6

NETHOPE ACADEMY INFORMATION

NETHOPE ACADEMY INFORMATION


7

NHA Playbook – User Instructions Welcome to the NetHope

Academy Team! This Playbook is

meant to be a living reference

guide for NetHope Academy

Program Directors, Regional

Managers, and other NetHope

Academy team members as one

plans, executes, and enhances the

program.

This document contains an

overview of NetHope and the

NetHope Academy. We’ve broken

down the program into 19

processes that capture many, but

not all, of the activities that

comprise the NetHope Academy

Internship program. Each process

flow contains a number of steps

that are explained in more detail

below. Along with the detailed

instructions, some steps include

sample deliverables, reference

documents, or templates for

communications.

The Playbook contains detailed

instructions about how to run a

successful NetHope Academy

based on our lessons learned so far.

While this playbook will serve as a

guide, it will not tell everything

needed to know. We expect our

team to always think through each

activity and make sure we are

taking the best approach. What

has worked for us in the past, might

not work in your country or region.

We look forward to receiving your

feedback on such things, and

would like you to update the

Playbook to reflect these changes.

The Playbook also contains a User

Checklist, for summarized guidance

on executing the NHA program.

The Checklist can serve as a guide

for project planning and as

verification that no activity has

forgotten. It is organized by

timeframe and owner. The

Checklist should be used in

conjunction with general NHA

activities and as the program grows

and changes, the Checklist should

also be updated. Updates can be

directed to the Program Manager

who will make at the changes.

REFERENCES

Sample

Communication

Sample communication regarding the NHA Application Process; see

Appendix B.

The NetHope Academy is

designed to offer training in the

technologies most commonly

used and valued among

NGOs.

The average annual salary of a NetHope Academy graduate is $14,000 a year.

The annual GDP salary of an adult Haitian is $1,900


8

NetHope Overview

NetHope, which started in 2001, is an information technology collaboration of 39 leading international

nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) representing more than $30 billion (U.S.) of humanitarian development,

emergency response, and conservation programs serving millions of beneficiaries in more than 180 countries.

Through member collaboration and by facilitating public-private partnerships with major technology

companies, foundations, and individuals, NetHope helps members use their technology investments to better

serve people in the most remote areas of the world.

NetHope's mission is to be a catalyst for collaboration among international humanitarian organizations. By

working together to solve problems and share knowledge, NetHope helps ensure that its members have access

to the best information, communication technology and practices when serving people in the developing

world.

This is done by working across the membership as a highly collaborative team, solving common technology

problems, fostering strong relationships with private industry, and educating our members and the wider

community of humanitarian organizations worldwide. NetHope focuses on five strategic initiatives: Connectivity,

Field Capacity Building, Emergency Response, Shard Services, and Innovation.

For more information about NetHope, please visit the NetHope website: http://www.nethope.org/

As of June 2013, NetHope Academy was operating in Haiti, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa, and actively expanding.


9

NetHope Members NetHope Member organizations must operate as a government recognized nonprofit organization with an ICT

capability and have a presence in at least two developing regions of the world. As of June 2013, NetHope

membership consists of 39 international NGOs including:


10

NetHope’s Unique Value Proposition

Various corporations, technology sector partners, and donors support NetHope’s programs. These programs

are designed by input from NGO members via working sessions. NetHope is focused on bringing technology

solutions to the table if, and only if, they are beneficial to a critical mass of the NGO members. These member

NGOs then implement the programs at the local level to reach the end beneficiaries living in communities

around the world.

The image below shows how all of the various NetHope supporters, programs, members and beneficiaries are

connected.


11

The NetHope Academy provides skills training, learning resources and access to communities of like- minded people to help

humanitarian organizations improve emergency response and productivity. Our goal is to strengthen information and

communication technology (ICT) skills through training, online learning and access to professionals within the technology

community.

NetHope Academy focuses on two key audiences: Program Workers who use computers and the Internet as part of their

work responsibilities, and Information and Communications Technology Professionals. In addition NetHope Academy has

launched an Internship program for graduates from colleges and universities in developing countries to help them transition

from school to work and to strengthen IT capacity of NGOs and their field offices.

The NetHope Academy is designed to offer training in the technologies most commonly used and valued among NGOs.

NetHope Academy training and resources help:

• technology workers expand their skills in information and communications technology

• program workers in NGOs strengthen communication and team management skills, and improve their proficiency using

productivity software

• unemployed youth and engineering and computer science students in developing countries receive market-relevant,

practical and transferable IT skills.

What kind of training is offered?

NetHope Academy provides classroom training, e-learning courses and a variety of resources to support self-paced study.

The NetHope Academy Internship program provides a work-study experience for students and unemployed youth.

NetHope Academy online offers information about IT roles in NGOs, learning plans and skills assessments. NetHope member

organizations have access to e-learning vouchers and free practice exams.

NetHope Academy programs are continuously refined based on feedback and needs expressed by NetHope member

organizations as funding become available.

About NetHope

Academy

NetHope Academy

Background

What is the NetHope Academy

Internship Program?

The NetHope Academy Internship

Program, initiated in Haiti in Fall

2010, connects young, computer

literate, near and recent University

graduates with opportunities to

gain professional job skills and

experience through internships at

local NGOs and corporations.

Through classroom education and

internship placements with

international nongovernmental

organizations (NGOs) and other

host IT organizations, the NetHope

Academy Internship Program

prepares students in developing

countries for full-time careers in the

IT field while allowing them to

directly participate in building their

communities.

Working in partnership with local

organizations and educational

institutions, NetHope identifies and

screens promising college

graduates or near-graduates,

facilitates IT vocational courses,

and coordinates in-country

internships focused on desktop

support, network administration

and telecommunications.

Coursework is augmented by

extensive libraries of online

curriculum, industry-standard

certification programs, and on-the-

job training. Interns receive daily

mentoring, ongoing evaluation, job

placement assistance and

outplacement support.

What value does NetHope

Academy Internship Program

provide?

The global population boom has

created unprecedented

challenges for educated youth in

developing countries to effectively

engage in the workforce. At the

same time, a serious shortage of

qualified IT professionals in these

regions is limiting local companies,

governments and NGOs from

expanding and functioning at their

highest potential in the world

economy. IT skills are in high

demand, generating opportunities

for youth to participate in core

aspects of the economy — if they

can acquire real-world vocational

skills and the relevant work

experience to make them

employable.


Program bridges the gap between

unemployed educated youth and

the market-driven IT needs and

opportunities in developing regions.

Built on best practices developed

from capacity-building efforts in

Africa, India, Haiti and Latin

America, NetHope Academy

Internship Program:

• Delivers 21st century training

and IT skills that are market-

relevant, practical and

transferable;

• Provides internships and

mentoring support for college-

age youth to effectively

transition from school to work,

and succeed in the workplace

• Strengthens IT capacity of in-

country INGOs and their field

offices

• Bolsters the local workforce of

skilled/certified IT professionals

in developing regions

When was NetHope Academy

Internship Program created?


Program began in Fall 2010 in Port

Au Prince, Haiti with a goal of

providing internships for 30 students.

In March of 2011, 39 participants

successfully graduated from the

program after completing six-

month long internships at host

organizations, a series of technical

and soft-skill educational courses

and pursuing Microsoft Certified

Desktop Technician certifications.

By 2013, NetHope has graduated

more than 300 interns, 84% of which

achieved full time employment

after completing the program.

REFERENCES

Reference

Document

Additional Frequently Asked Questions can be found in our latest NetHope Academy FAQ Guide. http://nethopeacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/NHA-Internship-Program-FAQs_Global-June-2013.docx FAQs for Host Orgs can be found here: http://nethopeacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/NetHope-Academy-Internship-Program-Host-Org-FAQs-June2013.docx


13

NETHOPE ACADEMY READINESS & ENROLLMENT

NETHOPE ACADEMY READINESS & ENROLLMENT


14

CHECKLISTS & PREPARATION TIMELINES

High Level Program Execution Timeline

Note: The Checklist timelines reference sample months for illustrative purposes. This assumes that the NHA program starts in

September. However, each NHA program schedule will be unique to location needs.

*NHA Intern

Program Start

*NHA Intern Graduation

Month -2 Month -1 Month 1 Month 7 Ongoing

01: Application

Setup

01: Applicant

Submissions

02: Application Evaluation

* Applicant Notification: 1st Round

03: Notification

& Assessment Day Setup

04/05: Interview & Technical Assessment Setup

06: Assessment Day: Interview

16: Post Graduation

07: Assessment Day: Technical

Assessment Administration

08: Interview & Technical Assessment Evaluation

* Applicant Final Notification

11: Intern

On-Boarding

12: Execute/ Administer NHA Training

13: IT Mentor Process

09: NHA Program

Setup - Curriculum

10: Host Organization Management 14: Vendor

Certification

09: NHA Program Setup & Initiation 15: Secure Intern

Employment

10: Host Organization Management


15

Preparation: 6 – 12 Months Prior

September October November December January February

Strategy for upcoming Fall NHA

10-01

Identify Potential Host Org

09-02

Identify Trainer Needs

09-11 à 09-13

Review/Revise Curriculum for Fall

Month - 12 Month - 11 Month - 10 Month - 9 Month - 8 Month - 7

AREA DESCRIPTION OWNER REFERENCE

NHA Strategy Determine NHA Fall Strategy and High Level

Goals

- Identify target student audience, determine

target number of interns, identify target Host

Organizations, etc.

- General schedule for Curriculum Setup,

Application & Evaluation, Program Execution,

and Post-NHA Activities

NH Leadership

Curriculum Review, Add/Revise, and Validate Curriculum NH Leadership/Country Manager 09-11 -> 09-13

Host Organizations Identify list of potential Host Organizations NH Leadership/Country Manager 10-01

Trainer Identify trainer needs based on Fall Curriculum NH Leadership/Country Manager 09-02


16

Preparation: 3 – 6 Months Prior

March April May June

Marketing Materials Send Marketing Materials

09-11 à 09-13

Review/Revise Curriculum for Fall

Setup new eLearning

If applicable

Obtain new onsite Course

Materials

If applicable

10-02

Reach out to Host Orgs

10-02

Send Host Org Contract

10-03

Host Org Evaluation/Selection

10-04. 10-06 à 10-07

Confirm Host Org Contract

10-05

Identify, Interview & Confirm Mentors

09-02

Send Trainer Marketing Materials

09-02

Trainer Interviews

09-02

Secure Trainers

13-01

Develop/Validate Mentor Guidance Materials

14-01

Setup Arrangements for Exam with Vendors

Month - 6 Month - 5 Month - 4 Month - 3


17


Marketing Develop Marketing materials for Fall semester

Send marketing materials for NHA Fall

Registration

- Post details on NHA website

- Send materials to local universities, etc.

NH Leadership/Country Manager

Curriculum Setup new eLearning Materials, if applicable NH Leadership

Obtain new on-site Course Materials, if

applicable

Country Manager

Host

Organizations

Reach out to potential Host Organizations

(Find appropriate Host Org contact

Send NHA Program information

Conduct in-person meeting to discuss questions

and document details of potential internship

opportunities

Confirm participation)

NH Leadership/Country Manager 10-02

Send Internship Contract to Host Organization NH Leadership 10-02

Host Organization Evaluation/Selection NH Leadership 10-03

Receive final signature on Host Organization

Contract

NH Leadership 10-04, 10-06 ->

10-07

Identify & Secure IT Mentors NH Leadership/Country Manager 10-05

Trainer Send NHA Program/Marketing materials to

potential Trainers

Conduct Trainer interviews

NH Leadership/Country Manager 09-02

Confirm & Secure Trainers (includes signed

contract)

NH Leadership 09-02

Mentor Develop/validate Mentor Guidance Materials NH Leadership/Country Manager 13-01

Vendor

Certification

Setup Arrangements for Exam with Vendors NH Leadership/Country Manager 14-01


18

Preparation: 2 Months Prior

July

01-02

Review App

01-05

Setup App

01-07

Release App & Notify

Applicants

01-08

Send Reminders

01-10

Close App

02-01 à 02-04

Review/Eval Apps 03-01

Send App

Acceptance 02-05 à 02-08

Decision Applicants

Setup Course Logistics

09-01

Program Schedule

09-04

Secure Training Facility

09-05

Acquire Course Material

09-08 à 09-10, 12-05

Setup all Survey Evals

Prep for IT Mentor Training 10-08

IT Mentor Training

Prep for Trainer

Training

09-03

Conduct Trainer

Training

Month - 2


19


Application Validate existing Application & Scoring NH Leadership 01-02

Setup Application in Tool NH Leadership 01-05

Notify Candidates Application is Available Country Manager 01-07

Send Reminders to Candidates to Complete

Application

Country Manager 01-08

Close Application NH Leadership 01-10

Review Applications NH Leadership/Country

Manager

02-01, 02-02

Document & Save Application Manual Scores NH Leadership/Country

Manager

02-03, 02-04

Final Review & Decision Applicants NH Leadership/Country

Manager

02-05 -> 02-08

Send Initial Notification of Application Status to

Applicants


NHA Logistics Setup on-site Course Logistics Country Manager

Establish Program Schedule NH Leadership/Country

Manager

09-01

Secure Training Facility Country Manager 09-04

Host

Organizations

Acquire On-Site Course Material Country Manager 09-05

Setup All Evaluation Surveys in Tool Country Manager 09-08 -> 09-10, 12-05

Trainer Prepare for Trainer Training Country Manager

Conduct Trainer Training Country Manager 09-03

NetHope Academy gives preference to underserved groups,

including young women, in an effort to increase women’s presence in the IT sector.


20

Preparation: 1-Month Prior

August

03-05

Secure & Confirm

Leads for Assessment

Day

04-01 à 04-02

Validate

Interview Ques

03-03 à 03-04

Recruit &

Secure

Interviewers

04-03

Interviewer

Training

05-01 à 05-04

Validate & Setup Tech

Assessment

03-02

Assess Day

Logistics

03-06

Schedule

Candidates

03-07

Assess

Day

Schedule

03-08

Send Assess

Day Details

03-09

Confirm

Candidates

Assessment

Day

(06 à 07)

08-01 à 08-05

Candidate

Eval &

Selection

11-01 à 11-03

Notify

Accepted

Candidates &

Confirm

11-04

Send NHA

Welcome

Email

10-09 à 10-13

Assign

Internships

13-02

Notify

Host Orgs

re: Interns

09-06

Setup Classroom

09-07

Publish

eLearning

Info

Month - 1


21


Assessment Day

Confirm Assessment Day Logistics Country Manager 03-02, 05-05

Develop/Validate Interview Questions NH Leadership/Country Manager 04-01 -> 04-02

Reach out to potential interviewers NH Leadership/Country Manager

Confirm Interviewers Country Manager 03-03

Conduct Interviewer Training Country Manager 04-03

Email/Call Reminders to Interviewers Country Manager 03-04

Arrange NHA Program Coordinator &

Administrators Help

NH Leadership

Confirm NHA Program Coordinator &

Administrators Help

NH Leadership 03-05

Schedule/Match Candidates to Timeslots (& to

Interviewers as applicable)

NH Leadership/Country Manager 03 - 06

Create Assessment Day Schedule Country Manager 03-07

Send Assessment Day Details to Accepted

Applicants


Confirm Candidate Availability Country Manager 03-09

Validate Technical Assessment Content NH Leadership/Country Manager 05-01 -> 05-02

Setup Technical Assessment in Tool NH Leadership 05-03 -> 05-04

Optional Pilot with Sample Applicant Group Country Manager 05-06

Coordinate Day-of Assessment Day activities Country Manager 06-01

Conduct Applicant Interview & Document Score Interviewer 06-02 -> 06-03

Document Interview Score in Tool Country Manager 06-04 -> 06-05

Administer Assessment Day survey to interviewers Country Manager 06-06

Administer Technical Assessment Country Manager 07-01 -> 07-04

Decision Interns

Conduct Assessment Day Evaluation Country Manager 08-01 -> 08-02

Identify & Document Final list of Candidates NH Leadership/Country Manager 08-03 -> 08-04

Communicate final list with NHA Team NH Leadership/Country Manager 08-05

Notify Applicants of Acceptance Country Manager 11-01

Confirm Acceptance Country Manager 11-02 -> 11-03

Send Welcome Email Country Manager 11-04

Host

Organizations

Match Intern/Host Organization Internships NH Leadership/Country Manager 10-09 -> 10-13

Mentor Send Mentors Intern-specific Materials Country Manager 13-02

NHA Logistics

Setup Classrooms Country Manager 09-06

Post/Publish eLearning Info Country Manager 09-07


22

Execution: 1 – 7 of NHA Program

September October – February March

h

Confirm All Program Logistics

12-10

Track eLearning Progress

12-06

Deploy Survey

12-11

Consolidate eLearning Metrics

11-05 à 11-06 BOOTCAMP

12-13 à 12-15 Execute ILPs

11-07 à 11-08 Notification of

Internship

12-16 Confirm & Update ILP Status

12-09, 12-11, 14-02

Send eLearning Info, Exam Details & ILP

11-09

Connect Intern & Mentor 13-03

Mentor Identifies R&Rs 13-05

Mentor/Intern Activities

13-08

Confirm Mentor Checklist Complete

13-06 Obtain Mentor

Feedback (Survey)

Obtain Survey Feedback (Host

Org. Final Eval, Course)

Obtain Mid-Yr Intern

Feedback (Survey)

12-07

Analyze Survey Data

14-03 à 14-04 Vendor Exam

14-05

Intern Reports Vendor Exam Score

14-08 à 14-09

Follow-up on Vendor Exam Scores, as needed

Month 1 Month 2 - 6 Month 7


23


NHA Execution Confirm all Logistics (Facilities, technology, trainers, etc) Country Manager 12-01à12-04

Bootcamp

Conduct NHA Program Orientation - Bootcamp Day 1 NH Leadership/

Country Manager

11-05

Conduct Bootcamp Trainer 11-06

Notify Candidates of Internship Placement Details Country Manager 11-07à11-08

Connect IT Mentor with Intern Country Manager 11-09

NHA Execution: eLearning

Share eLearning Links, Websites, etc with Interns Country Manager 12-09

Track eLearning Progress Country Manager 12-10

Capture/Consolidate eLearning Metrics Country Manager 12-11

NHA Execution: ILP

Send Intern ILP Template Country Manager 12-12

Fill out, Validate, and Execute ILPs Country Manager 12-13à12-15

Periodic Check on Intern ILPs Country Manager 12-17

Update Tool with ILP Results Country Manager 12-16

Mentor

Mentor Identifies Internship Roles/Responsibilities Mentor 13-03

Communicate/Validate Roles/Responsibilities Mentor/Intern 13-05

Solicit IT Mentor Feedback Country Manager 13-06

Document/Update Mentoring Checklist Country Manager 13-07

Confirm IT Mentor Checklist Complete Country Manager 13-08

NHA Execution

Deploy Survey: Mid-year NHA Evaluation (Interns) Country Manager 12-06

Deploy Survey: Intern Evaluation (Mentor) Country Manager 12-06

Deploy Survey: Host Org Hiring Survey (Host

Orgs/Mentor)


Deploy Survey: Final NHA Evaluation (Interns) Country Manager 12-06

Deploy Survey: Course Evaluation (Interns/Trainers) Country Manager 12-06

Consolidate Survey Data: Mid-year NHA Evaluation

(Interns)


Consolidate Survey Data: Intern Evaluation (Mentor) Country Manager 12-07

Consolidate Survey Data: Host Org Hiring Survey (Host

Orgs/Mentor)


Consolidate Survey Data: Final NHA Evaluation (Interns) Country Manager 12-07

Consolidate Survey Data: Course Evaluation

(Interns/Trainers)


Vendor Certification

Provide Intern Exam Information & Requirements Country Manager 14-02

Intern Schedules & Completes Exam Intern 14-03à14-04

Report Score to NHA Representative Intern 14-05

Save Exam Score/Report as Pass or Fail Country Manager 14-06à14-07

Followup on Exam results Country Manager 14-08à14-09

Obtain Summary Report from Vendor (if applicable) Country Manager 14-11

Validate Intern Exam Scores (if applicable) Country Manager 14-12


24

Wrap-up: Month 7+ (Post NHA Program Graduation)


Post

Graduation

Develop strategy for "Give Back" Opportunities NH Leadership/Country Manager 16-01

Establish logistics for "Give Back" Opportunities

Recruit graduates for "Give Back" Opportunities

Execute graduate "Give Back" Opportunities

Develop strategy for Community Engagement w/ Interns NH Leadership/Country Manager

16-02

Establish logistics for Community Engagement w/ Interns

Recruit graduates for Community Engagement w/ Interns

Execute Community Engagement w/ Interns

Develop strategy for Paying Back Tuition NH Leadership/Country Manager

16-03

Establish logistics for Paying Back Tuition

Execute graduate Paying Back Tuition

Obtain details for ongoing updates to NHA NH Leadership/Country Manager 16-04


25

NetHope Academy Detailed Processes Notes on using NHA Process Descriptions:

The detailed NHA Processes are meant to provide guidance to NHA Program Managers and Program Directors. These

processes should be applicable for any NHA location; it is encouraged to revise the document as the program progresses,

keeping materials and guidance up-to-date.

NHA Program Managers and Program Directors can use the Checklist (CHECKLIST & PREPARATION TIMELINES) as a starting

point. This checklist provides a chronological guide for execution of NHA Program logistical activities. When using the

checklist, reference the associated detailed process step for more information and links to materials, templates, and lessons

learned.

Roles:

Program Director – This individual is the coordinator and

manager of on-site NHA activities. The Program Director is

responsible for driving NHA setup in their assigned locations

and working with interns one-on-one to ensure their success

throughout the program. There may be multiple Program

Directors in a single country if multiple NHA programs exist

within one country. Alternatively, a Program Director may

also oversee multiple NHA programs within a region. This

individual may work for an implementing partner

organization that NetHope has contracted with.

NHA Program Manager – This individual belongs to

NetHope’s central team and coordinates high level

activities over multiple NHA site locations and facilitates the

creation of standards, policies and tools globally. The NHA

Program Manager serves as the point of contact for

NetHope Leadership regarding any NHA execution inquiries.

NH Leadership – This refers to the team responsible for the

program as a whole. The will likely include the NHA Program

Manager, Global Program Director, and other multi-country

NHA team members.

Global Program Director - This individual is among NetHope

leadership and manages fundraisers, program expansion

and NHA partnerships.

“The program provides great opportunities to learn and work. It provides hope, and I’m so happy to be a part of

it.” – Emmanuel, NetHope Academy Rwanda Graduate


26

01: Application Setup & Submission The NetHope Academy is a unique and coveted opportunity for top young IT professionals to expand their skills and

experience; we have found that the demand to participate in the program greatly exceeds the number of available slots.

Therefore, we have created an objective and fair methodology to help narrow down the applicant pool and identify the

most qualified candidates in addition to giving priority to underrepresented groups including women, rural city natives and

candidates from greater than average disadvantaged backgrounds.

The first step in this process is an online application that is open to all interested candidates. This process flow describes

what steps need to occur when creating/modifying the NetHope Academy Intern Program application, how to set up the

application, how to notify candidates that the application is available, and how to close the application process.

NetHope uses the SurveyMonkey tool (www.surveymonkey.com) to administer applications. The simple to use application

enables the following capabilities that have been very useful to the process of soliciting and accepting applications:

• Unlimited responses capture

• Automated time/date stamp on responses

• Optionally allow users to start application and return to complete it later

• Variety of response types: Freeform text, multiple choice, scale

• Variety of validations: text/format validation, required fields toggle

• Pagination

• Routing logic (send users to specific pages based on responses)

• Customizable URL

• CSV and .XLS response download

01: Application Setup & Submission

NH

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NH

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NH

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01 - 02Develop New Application

Questions, if applicable

01 - 01Review Existing

Application & Scoring

01 - 03Develop

Application Scoring Criteria, if

applicable

01 - 04Validate

Application Questions &

Scoring

01 - 06Test Application

01 - 07Notify Candidates

Application is Available

01 - 08Send Reminders to Candidates to

Complete Application

01 - 10Close Application

Start of new NHA Academic Yr

02: App Evaluation

01 - 05Setup Application

NHA DB Tool / Survey Tool

01 - 09Application is Filled Out by Applicants



27

01-01: Create or Review Existing Application & Scoring

NetHope initially created the application with the following best practices in mind:

• Simply stated, easy to understand questions for a global audience

• Questions have clear connection to scoring guidelines/criteria

NetHope’s question addresses the following main topics:

Basic Demographics Contact Info Motivation & Marketing Education

• Family Name/Surname

• First Name

• Address1

• Address2

• City

• State/Province/

Region/County

• Country

• Gender

• Birthdate

• Primary email

address:

• Secondary email

address:

• Primary Phone

• Alternate Phone

• Why are you interested in a career

in ICT?

• Why do you want to participate in

the NetHope Academy Internship

Program?

• What skills, technical and non-

technical, make you a unique

candidate for Program?

• How do you think the use of

Information and Communications

Technology can help your

community?

• Use this space to share anything

else you would like us to know that

we should consider when reviewing

your application.

• How did you hear about us?

• Are you currently a

student?

• What post-

secondary school

do you currently

attend?

• What year of post-

secondary school

are you currently in?

• What is your major or

area of study?

• What was your

GPA?

The NHA Program Manager and Program Director will periodically review and update the existing application based on

lessons learned, various regional differences, and any new KPIs/Success Metrics that need to be tracked. NHA’s goal is to

maintain one common application across all NHA programs globally, however, if regional differences are significant

enough, supplementary application questions will be considered.

Additional questions to consider requesting, depending on relevance in the region include:

• Annual Income (optional)

• Home or Original location (for tracking rural natives’ participation)

• Referred by name and organization details: Applicant can select from official referral sources (Academy Partners)

in order to easily follow-up with those sources for feedback on the individual.

Request for revisions to the common application should be submitted to the NHA Program Manager for review 3 weeks

before the application goes live so that there is adequate time to provide feedback and finalize the questionnaire.

REFERENCES

R e f e r e n c e D o c u m e n t

The Existing NetHope Academy Application Questions can be found in Appendix A

01-02: Develop New/Revised Application Questions, if applicable

Based on the needs of the NHA program in one’s region,

supplementary questions may be appropriate for the

intern application. This may include clarifications around

basic information such as Name, Address, University, etc.,

but more likely would address more unique information

that would allow the NHA team to better or more

accurately assess candidate fit for the program.

01-03: Develop Application Scoring Criteria, if applicable

In order to objectively score applicants and produce a

fair, concise way to judge applicants, numeric scoring

based on application answers is needed. The majority of

scoring is based on meeting minimum requirements (such

as years at university or field of study, etc.) and

experience/interest in technology areas. Assigning

numeric scoring to applicant answers will be critical for

the applicant evaluation process.

01-04: Validate Application Questions & Scoring

Any application revisions should be submitted to the NHA Program Manager for review 3 weeks before the application goes

live so that there is adequate time to review and determine whether the application changes will be approved.

For any new application question requests, all questions must be documented and submitted along with any drop-

down/multiple choice answers that would be relevant.

01-05: Validate Application Questions & Scoring

The Intern Application is managed centrally by NHA Leadership and is currently executed in Survey Monkey. In this step,

NHA Leadership makes changes/updates to the application questions and scoring model.

01-06: Test Application

NHA Leadership will validate that the application tool and question logic is working by submitting a few test applications.

They will ask that some Program Directors assist with the testing as well. Test responses will be cleared periodically.

01-07: Notify Candidates application is available (Marketing)

See checklist section for context on these detailed activities:

• High Level Timeline Checklist

• 2 Months Prior Checklist


29

TIMELINE ACTIVITY

1-2 months prior to official Application

opening date

Identify opportunities and make reservations to hold information sessions at

local schools and/or appropriate venues for recruitment purposes.

§ Consider offering a webcast or remote info session in locations where

appropriate.

§ Identify partnerships that can yield info sessions targeted toward

underrepresented populations, such as women.

3-4 weeks prior Hold information sessions to provide a NetHope Academy Internship Program

overview, answer questions, and explain next steps. It is good to get NHA

graduates to participate if possible. Gather the contact information (name,

phone number, email address and school) at each info session. This

information will be used for future NHA mailings to prospective applicants.

Make sure to translate the sign-in sheets into electronic feedback as soon as

possible after each event.

1-2 weeks prior Translate the invitation into the local language and extend the invitation to

Administrative Contacts (use contact spreadsheet or database for the

contact info), asking them to forward and post the message to members of

their student body and recent graduates.

1-2 weeks prior NHA website will be prepared by NHA Leadership for soft opening by

preparing/updating content on the Application Process/Requirements page,

writing teasers, determining how the application link will be placed with

prominence on the webpage. Work with the NHA Program Manager to

ensure the existing Frequently Asked Questions meet the needs of the

location.

5 days prior Offer a “special notice” of the application opening to NetHope Academy

Graduates, allowing them to notify their friends/contacts to complete the

application early. Remind Graduates that they may submit recommendation

letters on behalf of strong applicants.

1 -3 business days prior Send email invitation to distribution lists collected at info sessions,

administrative contacts and any other email addresses amassed the previous

year during application season or during the program year.


30

REFERENCES

Reference Document

Sample communication regarding the NHA Application Process; see Appendix B.

01-08: Send reminders to candidates to complete application

See checklist section for context on these detailed activities:

• High Level Timeline Checklist

• 2 Months Prior Checklist

TIMELINE ACTIVITY

3 business days prior to Application

closing date

Send an email to student distribution lists and administrators reminding them

that the application is closing and only applications submitted by the close

date will be considered.


Once the application is live, candidates are given a specific window (about 2 weeks) of time to fill out the online

applications. It is assumed that they can find Internet access to complete the application form.

Currently, the application process in SurveyMonkey requires an applicant to fully fill out the survey and submit. They must

complete the application process at once. The option that allows applicants to save and return to the application at a

later time has not been pursued. This may be something to investigate for future application processes.

Note also that certain documents (i.e., a college or university transcript) may be required at the time of the in person

interviews or in advance of the in-person interviews. Although participants are unable to upload and attach these

documents to their application, they will still be required to bring them to the local implementing partners’ offices or email

them to the appropriate contact.


31


Once the application deadline passes, the NetHope Academy Program Manager will do the following: Update web

content on the NetHope and NetHope Academy website/portal indicating that applications are no longer being

accepted. Applicants may still be able to access the application itself, but applications received after the submission date

may not be considered. Potential applicants will be advised that they can check back periodically for future opportunities.

01: LESSONS LEARNED

0 1 - 0 1 : • First/Last Name issues occurred with students in Haiti. It was not always clear which name was the

candidate’s Family or “Last” name and which was their First Name. Therefore, the name field was split

into two portions: Family Name (Last Name) and First Name. Program Directors should provide an

example of a local name for their region so it is clear to applicants how it should be input into the

application.

• Engage an assessor of applications who is native to the country of the applicants, to review application

essay questions. It was found that responses and vocabulary provided in English by candidates for

whom English is not a native language were at times difficult for native English speakers to decipher.

• Be sure to have each Program Director establish clear rules for how they are assessing the written

application answers. NetHope allows the answers to free-form questions to be scored manually;

therefore, it is important for assessors to gain a sense for the spectrum of answers to be evaluated.

0 1 - 0 7 : • Request that schools and partners post a link to NHA website on their website

• Deliver information sessions and send emails to students who sign-in on the info session sign in sheet

• Ensure there is reference in marketing materials on who to contact if a student has questions

• Reach out to alumni for recommendations and request they spread the word


32


This process is designed to help evaluate and select the top applicants based on their responses to the online application.

It also includes the review and scoring of the Online Application and all the details associated with how to select the top

candidates. By the end of this process, chosen applicants will be invited to the Assessment Day.

To score applications, NetHope uses an Excel Template that has prepopulated formulas that calculate scores based on the

responses candidate’s entered. Additional columns accommodate the application of manual points that enhance

candidate final scores based on open-ended responses or special skills.

Once application scores are assessed and the initial selection of successful applicants has been completed, those

applicants are invited to an Interview and Assessment Day. In the first few cycles of NetHope Academy, NetHope

conducted both a Technical Assessment exam (45 minutes) and an in-person interview (20–minutes) of each candidate.

Eventually the Technical Assessment was removed from the process but the in-person interview remains.


NH

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NH

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02 - 07Decision

Candidates

02 - 06Review Session

to Discuss Applicants

02 – 02Review Application

Reports

Individual Application Scoring

Reports:- Applicant Responses- Scored questions per applicant (automated)

Report:- Applicant Responses & Final Scores

Decision on Final Applicants to Continue in Assessment Day

01: App Process Closed

03: Applicants

Notified

02 - 03Document Scores for

Free Response/Manually Scored

QuestionsNHA DB Tool

02 - 01Print Report of Applications

NHA DB Tool

02 - 04Save Final Individual

Application Score

NHA DB Tool

02 - 05Print Report of all

Applications & Final Scores

NHA DB Tool

02 - 08Update DB with

Status

NHA DB Tool


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02-01: Prepare Applicant Responses for Assessment

Once the online applications have been closed the Program Director should:

1. Clean the Response Data:

• Eliminate any duplicate applications/applicants based on name/address match.

• Normalize common free-text fields such as School/University and City, correcting misspellings.

• Incorporate additional assessment info (e.g. Use reference codes to indicate which applicants had positive

references submitted by program alumni).

2. Paste the data into the automated scoring spreadsheet so that the questions that have automatic scores can be

calculated.

• For questions that have direct one-to-one scores based on applicant answers, the scoring spreadsheet tool will

automatically calculate these scores.

02-02: Review Application Reports

The Program Director is responsible for preparing periodic demographics on the application data. Requests for these

demographics may be made by NH Leadership during the open application process as well as after applications close.

Prepare the demographics per the Program Manager specifications and review with the Program Manager. During the

application submission process, the NHA Program Manager will send the Global Director and the rest of the team a

summary of how many applications were received and how many of those are legit applicants. Be sure to raise any other

issues or concerns with the applications at this point.

Demographics typically prepare for application groups:

• # of completed applications submitted

• # of educational institutions represented

• % of applicants by gender

• % of applicants originating from rural areas

02-03: Document Scores for Free Response/Manually Scored Questions

The Program Director is responsible for reviewing and scoring all of the free response manually scored questions according

to agreed upon scoring methods. If needed, print the applications or score them directly in the spreadsheet.


34

02-04: Save Final Individual Application Score

Once the application questions have been manually scored, update and save the scores via the application data capture

tool. Combine the scores for the free response questions with the automatically scored questions. This combination score is

the final score for the applicant and is used during evaluation.

Post these scores to the NetHope NHA SharePoint.

02-05: Print Report of all Applications & Final Scores

At this stage, it will be helpful to arrange the applications from highest to lowest scores and organize a report of key data

fields including responses to the most important questions and final scores.

Send a list of relevant candidates to any University partners and request feedback on the applicants. Ask them to rank their

students as Yes, No, and Do Not Know. Professor recommendations are not included in the scoring process, but can carry

some weight in situations where there are close scores or some uncertainty. Once the feedback is received from University

partners, update the scoring sheet with the appropriate Reference coding to indicate the recommendations.

02-06: Review Session to Discuss Applicants

During this session, the Program Director and NetHope Academy Program

Manager will determine the appropriate scoring range for applicants to be

considered for the next stage of the process. Candidates falling within the

range will be discussed as well as steps will be taken in order to meet targets

surrounding rural city, female, and other demographic specific candidates.

This may mean that some of the candidates scoring within the acceptable

scoring range will be dropped so others who are a part of underrepresented

populations can participate.

REFERENCES

Reference Document

Sample communication to Graduates about the Reference Process is located in Appendix M.


35

02-07: Decision Candidates

During this activity, the Program Director will select the top applicants to move forward to the Technical Assessment &

Interviews and send the list to the Program Manager for review, discussion and sign-off.

How many candidates should advance from the online application stage to the next round of Technical Assessments and

Interviews?

The answer to this question depends on the number of quality candidates in the pool and the resources available to

support assessment activities. The total number of interviewers, capacity of the interview facility and the total number of

Interns that will be enrolled help make this determination. Typically for a class of 30 interns, between 80-120 candidates are

assessed over a two-day period. The Program Manager can assist Program Directors in talking through this process.

Note: In locations where the fee-based program has been introduced, Program Directors should invite more candidates

than they typically do when the program is not fee-based, as several candidates drop out even if they initially say they are

willing to pay.


36

02-08: Update Scoring Spreadsheet with Status

Once the candidates have been selected to move forward in the process, the Program Director should change their status

in the scoring spreadsheet to reflect this.

02: LESSONS LEARNED

0 2 - 0 3 : • The initial approach in Haiti was to have both the NetHope Academy Program Manager and In-

Country Program Director score each free-response question and take the average between the

two. However, due to the language barrier (non-native English speakers answering response

questions in English), it worked best to just go with the Program Director’s assessment of the

applicant’s answers. Any questionable candidates were escalated to the Program Manager.

0 2 - 0 6 : Other sources of feedback:

• Letters of recommendation from university contacts – In addition to the standard application

scoring, university partners (for the Haiti NHA program) were asked to assist in the selection process.

They were asked to rank their students and report if they would recommend or not recommend

each student for the program. Professor recommendations were not included in the scoring

process, but carried some weight in situations where there were close scores or some uncertainty.

• Letters of recommendation from NetHope Academy Graduates – Each Graduate is allowed to

write letters of recommendation. These letters will be referenced when scoring the candidates.

Recommendations will not have a point value associated with them; however, they can be used as

subjective input during the evaluation process. As recommendations are received, save

documents to TAG for evaluation process or other future reference.

0 2 - 0 7 : • Review the schedule for Assessment Day, considering how many interviewers are available and the

size of the lab if a technical assessment will be conducted. These factors may help determine how

many applicants can be accommodated at Interview and Assessment Day.

• All NGOs/Host Organizations interested in interns must participate in the Interviews. Ask the Host

Organizations who wanted more interns, interns with specific skill sets, or interns from

underrepresented populations to commit to interviewing a proportionate number of candidates by

committing several interviewers across several interview blocks. In Haiti, there was a morning and

afternoon session on a Friday and Saturday. These were the days of the week preferred by the IT

Managers. Many prefer Saturday so it doesn’t interrupt their workday.

• In a previous year in Haiti, there were 271 applicants and several of these were duplicates because

applicants either quit part way through the application by choice or had Internet connectivity

issues. When reviewing the applications, only the most thorough response from each applicant was


37

retained.

o There were about 120 good candidates worthy of an Interview based on their online

application and qualifications. There seemed to be a natural break between this group of

candidates and the next level. The applicants within the pool of 120 were of a higher

caliber. However, the decision also took into consideration the capacity that could be

hosted in the interview location given the:

§ Number of interviewers

§ Available time slots

§ Available computers to do the testing.

o About 80 of the 110 invited to the Interviews & Technical Assessment day showed up.

o Interviews with the IT Managers, to see if the applicants would be a good fit for the

program, were highly relied upon. IT Managers were asked, “Would you hire this intern?”

about each person they interviewed. At the end of the process, there were about 33 “yes”

answers making the interview pass rate about 1 out of every 3 applicants.

• The vast majority of host organizations want to interview candidates a second time either with HR

manager or a different project manager/department head. Many have their own processes and

procedures for hiring interns. Some even have their own intern programs and regulations that they

must abide by. It has been found that it is important to be flexible and work with a variety of

different host organizations so that interns can be matched well with the good opportunities being

provided.

• It is important to remember several host organizations may be competitors with one another (i.e.,

telecoms/ISPs, Microsoft Partners, etc.) Be sure to give them individualized attention and think

carefully about common recruiting events where they may all potentially have interest in the same

candidate. If an organization expresses interest in a candidate, try to allocate that intern to the

host and take them out of the pool to be considered by others. This was learned from a round robin

interview day where all interns interviewed with several hosts. Many of the interns were wanted by

multiple organizations so this made it trickier to match candidates with opportunities. In some cases

the host may change their mind and not want the intern after subsequent interviews. There is a

balance to be struck between reserving an intern for a host org that has expressed interest and

ensuring the same candidate has not been promised to multiple organizations. When reserving an

intern, the best case scenario is when the host or can say they are fully committed to bring them on.

“What NetHope is doing is important to Rwanda and to me. For me, it’s an amazing opportunity to get a job, and for Rwanda, we’re building capacity in IT.” – Michel,

NetHope Academy Rwanda Graduate


38

03: Notification & Assessment Day Setup At this stage in the process, the top candidates have been identified to move forward with the Assessment Day. This

process includes both notifying the candidates of their status, as well as confirming the logistics for the Assessment Day,

which includes the interviews, and technical assessments.

Pre-Assessment Day Activities

03: Notification & Assessment Day Setup

NH

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03 - 05Confirm NHA

Program Coordinator &

Administrators Help

03 - 04Email/Call

Reminders to Interviewers

03 - 03Confirm

Interviewers

03 - 02Confirm Location

(space, technology, etc.)

03 - 08Send Assessment

Day Details to Accepted Applicants

Determine Technical Assessment & Interview Logistics (date, where, time)

02: Apps Evaluated

06: Assessment

Day

04: Interviewers

Trained

03 - 06Schedule/Match

Candidates to Timeslots (& to Interviewers as

applicable)NHA DB Tool

03 - 07Create

Assessment Day Schedule

NHA DB Tool

03 - 09Document Candidate Availability

NHA DB Tool

03 - 10Confirm

Technical Assessment

Setup

Reports:- Candidate Application Info- Interviewer Info (as applicable)

03-01Send Initial

Notification of Application Status

to Applicants

03-01: Send Initial Notification of Application Status to Applicants (& Recruit/Notify Interviewers)

During this step in the process, notify successful applicants that they are being invited to move forward to the next round via

email and phone as needed. Every effort should be made to ensure the successful candidates have received the message

about their invitation to Assessment Day. Emails and phone calls/SMS messaging systems should all be leveraged. The

Assessment Day date and appointment times should be sent in this initial communication so that candidates can mark their

calendar. Candidates should allow a 3-hour block of time to complete both their assessment and interview. In Program

Locations where more than one assessment is delivered, this amount of time may need to be adjusted. Candidates should

be notified that they must respond back to the Program Director with positive confirmation for their scheduled time and

date, and indicate any scheduling challenges if they are unable to make their appointment time. An effort should be

made to accommodate change requests, but candidates should know that not all requests will be able to be


39

accommodated. If any requirements, such as transcripts or copies of certifications, are needed as a part of the interview

process, detailed instructions should be communicated at this time.

In addition to notifying the successful applicants, an email message should be sent to unsuccessful candidates notifying

them that they will not continue in the process. It is not necessary to pursue phone calls or go to extraordinary measures to

notify these candidates.

Some follow-up questions from candidates will result from notifying candidates about their success or failure to make the

interview round. The Program Director should be prepared to deal with all inquiries they receive in a timely matter. Try

creating and using the same form responses for applicants who ask the same questions.

REFERENCES

Sample Applicant Acceptance & Not Accepted Communications

See the template in Appendix C to notify applicants who are not being invited to move forward in the application process. See the template in Appendix C to notify applicants who are being invited to participate in an interview and take the Technical Assessment.

Sample Interviewer Details Communication

See the sample email in Appendix G for recruiting interviewers needed for Assessment Day. See process step “03-03 Confirm Interviewers” for additional details and helpful hints.

03-02: Confirm Location (space, technology, etc.)

The Assessment Day activities consist of an in-person interview and may consist of an online technical skills assessment. Both

of these activities should be conducted in the same place on the same day. The Program Director is responsible for

securing the Assessment Day facility.

Guidelines for Securing the Assessment Day Facility:

• Schedule

o Based on IT Manager/Interview availability and other logistics (see below), decide on a date(s) for the

Assessment Day. This may be an iterative process given availability of facilities and staff. Assume that each

interview will take approximately 30 minutes: 20 minutes for the interview and 10 minutes for the interviewer to

write their notes. The more interviewers who are available simultaneously, the more interviews can be

completed during the time blocks. The main deciding factor of the Assessment Day date is interviewer

availability; work with all interviewers to secure the best date(s) based on their schedules.

o In the past, a Friday & Saturday Assessment Day session with two 5-hour interviewer shifts per day (one morning

shift, one afternoon shift) worked well. The shift will need to include break-time for interviewers. In some

circumstances, it may be possible to conduct all of the Assessment Day activities in one day.

• Location


40

o Choose a location that is centrally located and easy for the candidates and interviewers to get to. Not

everyone will have access to vehicles and many will need to take public transportation to get to the

Assessment Day.

o Choose a facility that has support staff that is working on the desired days. Staff may need an additional fee

for working weekends, so budget accordingly. Though it may cost more, it is important to staff the venue

properly in case there are logistical issues that must be resolved on the day of (e.g., increasing computer-lab

bandwidth, dealing with power outages. Severe logistical problems can extend the day beyond the planned

ending time or cause some candidates to go unseen altogether.

• Power/Technology

o Location must have sufficient internet bandwidth and the proper amount of electricity needed to power all of

the computers that will be used for the technical assessments.

o If there is not enough electricity to reliably power the computers, a generator must be secured. Choose a

facility that has a relationship with a reputable generator provider.

o Ideally, find a location that already has a computer lab set up, but if not, find a space that can accommodate

a makeshift lab for about 15-20 computers.

o Location must have internet access so that online technical assessments can be administered.

o Be sure to procure laptops if needed in advance of the Assessment Day. Check to see if the lab can be set up

the day before the actual assessments will begin to confirm that everything is working as planned.

o Ensure that internet access is available. Prioritize working with a location that can provide computers that have

reliable internet access. If setting up a makeshift lab, make sure to acquire and test laptops, routers and cables

ahead of time.

• Space

o Use the building lobby or set up a greeting area where candidates will check in and provide necessary

identification and documentation to NetHope Academy program staff. Provide applicants a space to sit and

talk with each other while they are waiting to be called into the interview or for the technical assessment.

o A location with multiple rooms or large spaces must be located so interviews can be conducted in a private or

semi-private environment.

o Interview rooms/areas should have a table/desk and at least two chairs.

• Facility Staff

o Be sure to inquire about specific resource needs for the facility. Compensate assistants or find volunteers (i.e.,

NHA Graduates) to assist. Common roles include:

§ Messenger - Fetch fuel for the generator, open/close facility, etc.

§ Laptop Preparation – Oversee laptop preparation and internet operations for technical assessment.

NHA Graduates or students at local universities who are in charge of maintaining the computer

lab/network are good options. Administrative Support – Welcome candidates, volunteers, other staff,

manage registration, manage attendance sheet, coordinate ID checking of all candidates, collect

any transcripts or other required forms.

§ Candidate Registration & Dispatch - Distribution of Candidate lists to Interviewers and accompanying

candidates to tests/Interviews


41

§ Interviewers Registration – Prior to the day of the interview, confirm the scheduled interviewers are

attending and are familiar with the planned processes. Prior to Interview & Assessment Day,

interviewers should receive the Interviewer Training materials and an in-person or telephone walk

through of the key points. On the morning of the interviews this individual will hold a short orientation

session for the interviewers to review the interview approach and field questions. Hold another one at

mid-day if an influx of new interviewers is arriving.

§ Collect Completed Interview Forms – Program Director should collect all of the completed interview

forms from Interviewers.

• Other Logistics

o Order lunch for the interviewers who are staying for both morning and afternoon sessions and a snack for those

interviewers in the afternoon session.

Program Director should collect, and electronically archive all documentation including the attendance sheet and

Interviewer feedback forms on TAG. (Electronic archival should be decided by the Program Director. This may include

scanning of documents and manual input of data.)

03-03: Confirm Interviewers

By this stage, the IT Managers from Host Organization should already have received an invitation to be a part of the

interview process and should be confirming their time slot(s). Ask them to commit to as many time slots as possible via

email. As a rule of thumb, request that each participating host organization send at least one IT Manager to at least one 5-

hour interview session. Those Host Orgs desiring multiple interns, specific skill sets or interns from special populations should

send multiple interviewers to participate in multiple time blocks.

IT Managers at the host organizations make great interviewers because they have sufficient context about what an intern

working for their IT organization will be asked to do! Other personnel, such as program directors, HR staff, or other leaders

could do these interviews and often provide some diversity in opinion of the candidates. However, non-IT personnel often

don’t have the same ability as the IT leaders do to judge the candidates’ technical skills/knowledge. Having IT managers

involved is also highly beneficial because they will want to get a sense for what the talent pool is like and hopefully hire any

specific interns that they liked. That being said, Interviewer Orientation is ESSENTIAL so that ALL interviewers understand what

NetHope Academy is looking for in candidates. Hiring for an IT position at their company is different than hiring an intern.

Some interviewers may make assumptions about what types of candidates are best to become interns that NetHope

Academy would not agree with. For example, some interviewers feel that if a candidate ever had any IT related work

experience in the past, they are not a good fit for the program. However, NetHope may feel that the candidate’s previous

experience is different enough or at a lower level than what a NetHope position would provide – and this candidate would

benefit greatly from an opportunity for an internship. Since interviewers are helping with the selection process of the intern

population as a whole (and not just for their specific organization) it is important to make sure that the interviewers’

perspectives are aligned with NetHope’s ideal profile.


42

It has been found that most IT Managers are eager to participate in this activity and are more than willing to help out. It is

important to give them enough advance notice so that they can make room for this activity in their calendar. Generally, 4-

6 weeks in advance is sufficient.

03-04: Email/ Call Reminders to Interviewers

Send out an email to the Interviewers to remind them of the interview session and confirm that they are still able to

participate. Make sure they have directions and the contact number for the Program Director in case they encounter any

delays on their way to the interviews. Be sure to Include basic questions and scoring criteria for the interview in this email as

a reminder of what interviewers should be looking for during the Assessment Day.

In some places, it will also be appropriate and the cultural norm to confirm participation with a phone call reminder a few

days in advance of the interview, in addition to the email reminder.

03-05: Confirm NHA Program Director & Administrators Help

Confirm that the Program Director has everything confirmed and ready to go for the Assessment Day activities. This includes

hiring all of the administrative and facility staff, securing the proper technology equipment, food, etc.

03-06: Schedule/Match Candidates to Timeslots (& to Interviewers as applicable)

Candidates should be assigned to a block of time during the morning or the afternoon session. During this time, they will

have their interview and take the technical assessment. Candidates should be prepared to spend a minimum of 3 hours on

site to complete their interview and assessment.

Interviews

Each interview is 20 minutes long and interviewers have 10 minutes to wrap up their notes between candidates. At the

request of the host organizations, all interviews should be conducted in English to ensure that the candidates have the

minimum speaking skills to work with a global staff of employees.

Some host organizations may be looking for very specific or unique skills, and some applicants may have the skills that they

are looking for. Other host organizations may be looking for people to work in a rural area. In the cases where it is known

that candidates have these specific skills or would be willing to work in these rural areas, it is best to match them with the

interviewer from the host organization so that they can determine if there is a fit. Aside from these exception cases, any

intern should be able to be interviewed by any interviewer and they should be assigned real time as interviewers and

candidates are available on the day of.


43


This is one hour technical assessment will be taken online in a proctored environment. A technical assistant who will help the

candidates log onto the machine, provide any necessary passwords, and launch the online assessment tool is required. The

proctor should also keep an open eye that candidates aren’t talking, cheating, or opening other web pages to look for

answers or do translations. Where possible, the lab computers should be set-up so that web pages other than that of the

technical assessment program are not accessible.

If there is an issue with the technical assessment or a prolonged power or internet outage occurs, be prepared to provide

hard copy versions of the assessment and allow the candidates to complete them within 1 hour. If candidates take a hard

copy assessment, they must complete the assessment in full. They will not be able to use a portion of a partially completed

online assessment combined with a partially completed hard copy assessment.

Note: As of May 2013, the technical assessment has been eliminated from Interview and Assessment Day across all

NetHope Academy Internship Program sites. The results of this assessment were only marginally beneficial in determining

who would be successful in the program. Instead, this interview time has been replaced with a screening that will be done

by the Program Directors to ensure the candidates have the proper motivation and commitment needed to be successful

in the program. Additionally, transcripts are now collected and it will be assumed that if someone successfully completed

university or technical college with an IT related degree, that they will meet the minimum technical requirements to be

successful in the program.

03-07: Create Assessment Day Schedule

Create an Assessment Day schedule for reference that should include the following:

• Arrive at interview facility (Greeters, Administrative support, NetHope Program staff)

• Prepare facility for events (reception area setup, computer lab setup, interview room setup, etc.)

• Greeter is set up and Interviewers are welcomed

• Applicants arrive

• Consider doing a group announcement/program overview if needed

• Technical Assessment/Interview Groups

• Interviewer debrief at the end of the morning and afternoon sessions – goal is to get a sense from them how the

interviews went, their impressions about the caliber of applicants, any suggestions they have to make the current

Assessment Day or future Assessment Day activities better.

REFERENCES

Assessment Day Sample Schedule

Review Assessment Day Schedule


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03-08: Send Assessment Day Details to Accepted Applicants

Two-weeks before the interviews, notify candidates of the Assessment Day logistics including the facility location, contact

information, and the designated time for them to arrive.

REFERENCES

Assessment Day Details Communication

See the template in Appendix E to notify applicants who have been accepted and are moving on to Assessment Day activities

03-09: Document Candidate Availability

If candidates respond and say they are unable to make a certain day or time during the Assessment Days, that information

should be noted in the spreadsheet so that they are scheduled accordingly. If a candidate is unable to make any one of

the time slots on one of the scheduled Assessment Days, they will not be able to participate in the program. Rarely,

accommodation exceptions can be made. For example, if extenuating circumstances would not allow a candidate to

participate in Assessment Day, however, he or she has an outstanding application and would have a great chance of

being accepted into the program, an exception may be acceptable. An example may be a candidate from an

underrepresented population or with a special skill set is called away for an emergency during the Assessment Day, is out of

town or would lose their current job if they were to miss work on Assessment Day. Exceptions should be avoided or kept to a

minimum. In these cases, the candidate must have a reasonable alternative option that would work for both an interviewer

and for the Program Director to ensure the Technical Assessment can be delivered.

03-10: Confirm Technical Assessment Setup

This step occurs after process 05 Technical Assessment Setup. In process 05, all of the technical logistics are handled

regarding entering questions, setting up software, etc. At this point of the Assessment Day setup, a confirmation of

Technical Assessment activities is required to ensure everything is ready for the interview day.

As a part of this activity, confirm that all computers are working, able to connect to the internet, and able to launch the

technical assessment application. An entire assessment does not need to be tested, however, the following should be

conducted to ensure the assessment can be conducted successfully:

1. Complete the assessment on a subset of computers in the lab (i.e., more than one machine)

2. Allow the time to run out on a partially completed assessment


45

3. Close the browser window during an assessment and attempt to re-login, ensuring that the answers are still retained

for the questions that have had answers submitted so far. (This functionality is dependent on assessment delivery

tool)

4. Validate that scores for a completed assessment have been reported for successfully.

5. Validate that scores for an abandoned assessment are reported as expected.

Share the following information with the NetHope Academy Team:

1. Confirm that the computers and internet are functioning properly

2. Confirm that the technical assessment can be accessed

3. Confirm that the technical assessment passes test scenarios

4. Report issues encountered

03: LESSONS LEARNED

0 3 - 0 1 : • In Haiti there were a couple of challenges experienced with applicants who had not been

accepted to the next round. Program Directors should be prepared for the following:

o Unsuccessful applicants somehow receive a copy of the acceptance letter (perhaps from

a friend whose application was successful) and reply back to the Program Director with

confirmation that they will attend the interview, as though the invitation was sent to them

when it was really sent to a different applicant.

o Unsuccessful applicants reach out to the Program Director to inquire or sometimes insist a

mistake has been made and they know they MUST have been successful.

o Unsuccessful applicants turn up to interviews, uninvited.

• At this time, interviewers must be reconfirmed for the Assessment Day as well. Send out the

Assessment Day Interviewer Details email (See References below). This should be sent to

representatives of all participating Host Organizations. It is expected that participating Host

Organizations contribute interviewers for Assessment Day if they plan on having interns from the

program. See process step “03-03 Confirm Interviewers” for further details and helpful hints on

securing Assessment Day Interviewers.

0 3 - 0 2 : • Transporting and installing the generator required additional time, supervision, setup, and payments

to facility staff the day before the Assessment Days began.

• Additionally, testing the lab environment to ensure the technical assessments were accessible and

working as expected also took significant time BEFORE the Assessment Days began.

0 3 - 0 6 • For the Fall 2010 program, a two-hour time block was identified as the window in which a candidate


46

could complete the Interview and Assessment. During these two hours, the candidate would have

one hour to take the online technical assessment, 30 minutes for their interview, and potentially 30

minutes of waiting time in between activities. Within each two-hour time block, the candidates

were divided into two groups. The first would begin with the technical assessment and the others

would do their interviews. They would then switch.

• For Haiti 2010, approximately 4-5 interviews took place simultaneously on Assessment Day. The

number of interviews occurring simultaneously can be decided by the number of available

interviewers, the number of interview slots throughout the day, as well as the total number of

applicants to be interviewed.


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04: Interview Setup Each time there is a new NetHope Academy class starting, the interview questions and process used in previous years

should be validated with the local audience and IT Mentors to confirm that the approach is still appropriate. Once this is

done, the Interviewers should be trained accordingly so that they are prepared for the Assessment Day.

04: Interview Setup

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04 - 01Develop Interview

Questions

04 - 02Validate Question

04 - 03Conduct Interviewer Overview/Training

Session


03: Confirm Interviewers for Assess

Day

04 - 02Enter/Validate

Interviewer Contact Details

NHA DB Tool

04.01. Develop Interview Questions

The interview questions and approach have been developed by the NetHope Academy team with input and approval

from NetHope’s NGO members, university and corporate partners. The interview scoring sheets and process were validated

by the IT Managers in advance of the interview sessions.

REFERENCES

Interview Questions See the Interview Question Form located in Appendix D.

04.02. Validate Questions

The interview questionnaire should be reviewed and updated accordingly based on program needs. This review should be

done by NetHope Academy Program Director, NetHope Academy Program Manager and Host Organization IT Mentors.


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04.03. Enter/Validate Interviewer Contact Details

Once Interviewers have confirmed their availability, confirmation that their contact details are stored in the database is

needed. These contact details include:

• First Name

• Last Name

• E-mail Address

• Host Organization/Company

• Role

• Phone number(s)

In addition, their availability for particular timeslots should be noted on the interview schedule.

04.04. Conduct Interviewer Overview/Training Session

All people participating in the Interview process should be briefed in advance of the Assessment Day. It has been found

that providing the Interview Questions sheet along with an Assessment Day overview is enough to make the interviewers feel

comfortable. The materials can be provided via e-mail, and one should also hold an in-person meeting or webinar to

discuss the interview process.

Be sure that the Program Director is checking in with the interviewers throughout the session and provides any constructive

feedback (i.e., take more notes about the candidate, be more specific candidate’s response, etc.) early on in the day. It is

very difficult to identify the top candidates if interviewers end up ranking them all very similarly and do not provide the right

level of written support. It was also found that it was helpful to talk with each interviewer before they left and have them

rank the candidates that they interviewed. That way if they recommend 9 candidates as a good fit for the program, it can

be better understood who is really at the top.

04: LESSONS LEARNED

0 4 - 0 2 : • Be sure to observe where candidates are living when considering them for internships in certain

locations that may not be near his or her residence. There have been scenarios where the intern

had to wake up at 3:30 A.M. in order to make it to work at 9:00 A.M. on time. Situations such as this

need to be avoided so Interns do not burn out from the commute.

• It was also learned that confirmation is needed at the interview that they are interested and able to

find full time work in the IT sector upon the conclusion of the six-month program.


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05: Technical Assessment Setup Prior to the start of each program, the Technical Assessment should be reviewed, validated, and updated if needed. Once

the questions have been selected, they should be inputted into the Technical Assessment tool and tested both internally

and by a sample applicant group if necessary. NetHope Academy ceased conducting a Technical Assessment in 2013,

however, the tool that was used to conduct them was called eSkill (http://www.skill.com). This tool does come with a fee.

While the Technical Assessment will not be a full measure of the candidate’s technical knowledge, it will give some idea of

who the more technically savvy candidates were. Under no circumstances were the candidates’ assessment scores shared

with them, nor were they provided the correct answers. The assessment is one factor out of many that selection is based

upon. Candidates should not be given the false impression that they will be accepted into the program based on their

knowledge of their own performance or the performance of other candidates on the interview, technical assessment or

any other factors.

05: Technical Assessment Setup

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05 - 06Optional Pilot with Sample

Applicant Group

05 - 01Develop

Questions and Scoring

05 - 02Validate

Questions and Scoring


05 - 05Setup Technical Assessment

Logistics(technology standpoint, laptop installs, secure

internet, procure generator)

Existing Exam?

New

Exisiting

05 - 03Input Setup in

Tool


05 - 04Test Technical Assessment


05.01. Develop Questions and Scoring

For NetHope it was critical that candidates demonstrated a basic understanding of information technology so that they

were able to be successful in their internship positions and in achieving their Microsoft certifications. The hour-long technical


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assessment comprised of 25 questions in English. Content from the NHA Haiti Fall 2010 assessment was pulled from the

MeasureUp’s official CompTIA A+, Microsoft 70-271, Microsoft 70-272, Fundamental Computer Use exams, and Accenture’s

Wireless Practitioner exam. A few questions were also designed to gauge basic IT knowledge. Over time the technical

assessment was revised to reflect newer technologies (e.g., Windows 7).

Topics covered (in a Windows XP environment) included:

– Hardware

– Troubleshooting, Repair & Maintenance

– Troubleshooting Network Protocols and Services

– Configuring and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Drivers

– Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop and User Environments

– Resolving Issues Related to Customization

– Configuring Security

– Viruses

– Print Management

– Managing Files

– Telecom

– Wireless

– Cabling

05.02. Validate Questions and Scoring

If a Technical Assessment is used, the questions should be evaluated periodically to ensure they sufficiently represent current

technologies and the foundational technical knowledge interns would be expected to know. Questions that candidates

typically answer incorrectly could be substituted for new, more appropriate questions.

05.03. Input Setup in Tool

The Technical Assessment questions and scoring are input into the Technical Assessment Tool by the NetHope Program

Manager and Leadership Team.

05.04. Test Technical Assessment

Several tests should be done to ensure that all technical assessment functionality is working and that the input is being

captured properly from candidates. Ideally, testing the technical assessment in the lab where the Assessment Day will take

place gives the best assurance that it will work. The things that need to be assured when testing are as follows:

• The assessment can be accessed on the test machine (the internet address works)


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• The assessment can be completed on the test machine in sufficient time (sufficient bandwidth exists to load questions

and save answers in a reasonable time frame)

• If an event causes the assessment to be abandoned (for example, critical power failure) the test can be resumed by

the candidate, where the candidate left off. (This capability is often a function of the tool selected to administer the

assessment).

• The results of a prior assessment attempt are in no way stored on the test machine.

• Ensure that all access (history of links etc.) is removed from the test machine(s) so that unauthorized users do not access

the assessment at unauthorized times.

In addition, every effort is made to restrict internet access to websites other than that of the technical assessment. If the lab

being used allows for this type of set-up, ensure it is working as anticipated.

05.05. Optional Pilot with Sample Applicant Group

In new regions or market, the Program Directors are asked to ensure that the following issues are taken into account and

resolved if needed:

Language/unfamiliar vernacular (especially if English is not a first language)

Amount of time it takes to complete test is sufficient (a candidate pool of non-native English speakers may require

additional time to be allotted for the Assessment)

Certain questions that don’t make sense or aren’t applicable to target audience are removed

Poorly worded and unclear questions are rectified

05.06. Setup Technical Assessment Logistics (technology standpoint, laptop installs, secure internet, procure generator)

Once the testing has been completed and general Assessment Day logistics are being setup, the actual technology must

be set up in the Assessment Day Facility. Things that must be in place include:

• Computers/Laptops – Does the facility have these or must they be brought in? Who will be partnered with to

procure, transport, and secure laptops?

• Tables and chairs

• Power – generator, extension cords, etc.

• Reliable internet connectivity

• Back up hard copies of assessment in case of technology issues


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05: LESSONS LEARNED

0 5 - 0 1 : • The average technical assessment store was 51%. The average score of selected candidates was

53% with scores ranging from 70% - 36%. A strong correlation between high scores and high

performance on the job was not noticed, nor were Interns with lower scores observed to have more

problems mastering technical information.

• All of the Interns selected in 2012 were able to be technically successful at their jobs.

0 5 - 0 2 : • The exam was originally reviewed and approved by NetHope Academy staff, Microsoft SMEs,

NetHope Member NGO IT Mentors, the UN NGO Emergency Telecom Cluster Coordinator, and

Accenture Learning experts. It was also tested with a sample group of program candidates and

modified based on their feedback prior to rolling out to the entire candidate pool. Validating with

a sample candidate pool is not required every year, but should be done in new regions where

NetHope Academy is entering for the first time. Although the Technical Assessment is based on

Windows XP, NetHope does not want to update the Assessment, as it’s a good baseline to use

globally to compare how students in different countries fare with the Assessment. If a more updated

or challenging assessment is needed for a particular environment that should be developed with

the Program Management team and delivered in addition to the standard NetHope Technical

Assessment.

0 5 - 0 5 • Top candidates identified by technical partners in Haiti were selected to pilot the assessment

creation. This was very useful, and helped adjust the Technical Assessment questions (for the

market), accordingly.

• It was decided to discontinue the technical assessment effective May 2013. It was not weeding out

the worst candidates nor really identifying top candidates. As the questions on the assessment

were somewhat limited in scope (i.e., skilled programmer’s knowledge was not really

tested/assessed yet these people are in high demand by the hosts) and since academic transcripts

are now requested, there is less of a need to do the technical assessment. It is believed that if

someone has successfully completed an IT related degree at a technical college or university that

they should be able to be successful in this program.

• Other programs or variations on the NetHope Academy classic model may still want to use a

technical or aptitude test in addition to the online application and in person interviews.


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06: Assessment Day and Applicant Interview This process covers the activities that will happen on the actual Assessment Day. At this stage, all of the planning and setup

activities will have taken place.

06: Assessment Day & Applicant Interview

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06 - 06Fill out Survey for Interview Process

Feedback06 - 02Conduct

Interview with Applicant

06 - 03Score Applicant (fill out

interview response form -paper based or

online tool- )

06 - 01Applicant Check-in

Procedures(i.e. Validate ID, day

of logistics, share interview times, etc)

03: Candidates Confirmed

07: Tech Assess.

06 - 04Collect Interview Form/Inputs Data

NHA DB Tool

06 - 05Mark Interview

Complete (Program Coordinator/Admin

Assistant)NHA DB Tool

06-01: Applicant Check-in Procedures (i.e. Validate ID, day of logistics, share interview times, etc.)

When applicants arrive, NetHope Academy staff should welcome them, validate their name (and birthdate) and record

any identification number by checking a government issued photo ID.

If applicable for the needs of the NHA location, digital photos can be taken of the applicants at this time to be stored.

Program Directors can decide on the necessity and value of storing applicant photos or scanning IDs. This will depend on

the needs of the NHA location.

• The greeters should then provide instructions about how the day will flow and how much time will be allotted to

each aspect of the assessment (Interview and Technical Assessment) Determining the timing and ordering of

activities depends on the schedule, the number of candidates and the number of interviewers available. A few

things to keep in mind: Do everything possible to minimize the amount of time candidates must sit around waiting

for the next step of process.

• Split the group into two – one half can get started with the Technical Assessment and the other half can start doing

interviews.


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• If not too disruptive, try operating on a rolling basis after the first group gets started…as candidates finish their first

assessment (interview or Technical Assessment) and become available for their next stage of the process, send

them forward into the next stage. Trying to keep them in time with their original group members can become a

challenge over the course of the day. However, expediting candidates should not come at the expense of other

candidate’s comfortably navigating the process – for example, if it is not possible to quietly send new candidates in

to the computer lab to start their technical assessment without disrupting those already in process, then it should

not be done.

06.02. Conduct Interview with Applicant

NetHope Academy Staff or an Interviewer should walk each candidate to the interview room. The Interviewers should

introduce themselves briefly and start the interview. Each interview should last no more than 20 minutes with 10 minutes

allowed for wrap up/notes after the interview.

If an interview is going overtime, the Program Director should intercede. In some cases, the candidates being interviewed

will all need to begin their Technical Assessment at the same time, as a group, so their interviews cannot last beyond the

start of the Technical Assessment for that candidate group.

06.03. Score Applicant (fill out interview response form -paper based or online tool)

Interviewers should take notes on the interview scoring form during the interview and finalize the scoring after the interview is

complete so that NetHope Academy Program staff can refer to this information when making selections. The most

important question on this form is, “Considering the expectations of the NetHope Academy Internship Program, provide your

overall assessment of this candidate’s fit for the program.” This response is largely used to guide the selection of candidates.

Because of this the Interviewers must receive a strong orientation session about what makes a candidate a good fit for

NHA. It is also important for all of the interviewers to be aware of the range of types of candidates who would be a good

fit for the program and for the interviewers to take thorough notes during the interview so that the Program Directors has as

much information as possible to refer to when making the final selection decisions.

06.04. Collect Interview Form/Inputs Data

The NetHope Academy Program Director is responsible for collecting all of the interview forms after the interviewers

complete them. The forms should be collected and reviewed periodically throughout the day to get a sense of how things

are going with the interviews. The Program Director should act on any information observed from these interviews that may

require his or her interjection. For example,

• if an interviewer isn’t taking adequate notes on the candidates’ answers

• If an interviewer isn’t asking all of the questions in the guide


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• If the interviewer appears to be intimidating the candidates or otherwise acting inappropriately

• If the interviewer is giving incorrect information about NetHope Academy

• If the interviewer appears to be distracted during the interview (checking cell phone messages etc.)

06.05. Fill out Survey for Interview Process Feedback

The goal of this activity is to get feedback on how the day/process went from the interviewers’ point of view. The survey

should be taken once by each interviewer after all their interviews are complete for the day. If interviewers are only staying

for the morning session, ensure they take this survey before leaving mid-day. The following activities should occur:

1. NetHope Academy Program Staff develops survey/questionnaire for interviewers

2. Survey is loaded into the survey tool or brought on a paper form to the interviews

3. Interviewers either fill out the paper form or are asked to respond using the survey tool in the computer lab before

they leave for the day

4. NetHope Academy Program Staff notes and acts upon feedback

06.06. Mark Interview Complete (Program Director /Admin Assistant)

NetHope Academy staff should mark the interviews complete on the paper sign in sheet that they are using to track the

interviews, as they are finished and direct the candidates to the lab to take the technical assessment or dismiss them for the

day if they have already taken the assessment.


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07: Technical Assessment Administration (Assessment Day) This process walks through the activities needed to administer the Technical Assessment during the Assessment Day. It is

important to find or hire a resource with the technical experience and the ability to command a room to run the technical

assessment procedure and troubleshoot should issues with connectivity or questions arise. This person will also as a proctor

for the Technical Assessments so they must be trustworthy. This role can be performed by a former NetHope Academy

graduate.

07: Applicant Technical Assessment Administration (Assessment Day)

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07 - 01Instruct Applicant on

Technical Assessment (Program Coordinator/

Lab Assistant)

06: Applicant Arrives on

Assess. Day

07 - 02Log on/Initiate


NHA DB Tool / Survey Tool / LMS Tool

07 - 03Complete

Assessment


07 - 04Log-off/Save

Process


07.01. Instruct Applicant on Technical Assessment (Program Director /Lab Assistant)

The Program Director or Lab Assistant should welcome the candidates as they come into the computer lab to take their

technical assessment and direct them to an open seat at the computer.

Once the group has been seated, a brief announcement should be made about the test. The Program Director or Lab

Assistant should include the following in the announcement:

• All personal items, cellular phones and backpacks need to be stored at the front of the room.

• Log on information

• Test duration

• Do not spend too long on any one question if you don’t know the answer

• The test will be x minutes with x questions

• You are not allowed to discuss the questions with other applicants or open an internet browser to search for

information or to translate questions

• You will not leave the room and return at any time during the Assessment.


57

• You will not be able to see your score during the exam or after the exam

• The Lab Assistant cannot answer any exam questions

It may also be helpful to have this information posted on a whiteboard or easel in the Technical Assessment room in English

and in any other native languages to the site location.

07.02. Log on/Initiate Technical Assessment

If a password is needed to log on to the technical assessment tool or the computers being used, the Lab Assistant should

help all candidates get started. If no log on is necessary, the Lab Assistant should just provide technical guidance

whenever needed.

07.03. Complete Assessment

The candidates will either finish the assessment by submitting the exam when they are done answering all questions or the

exam will time out. (The time-out time is set during the Technical Assessment setup.)

07.04. Log-off/Save Process

Once the candidate has completed the assessment, they may leave the room. At that time, it is safe to confirm they are

logged out of the technical assessment tool environment. The computer can be restored, and the log in page should be

brought up for the next user.

Once the candidates have finished their assessment, they are free to go if they have already had their interview. If they

have not yet had their interview, they should go back to the waiting room and wait until they are called for their interview.


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08: Assessment Day Evaluation (Interview & Technical

Assessment) This process walks through the Assessment Day evaluation activities (post Assessment Day) that lead to the selection of the

NetHope Academy Interns.

08: Assessment Day Evaluation (Interview & Technical Assessment)

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08 - 03Identify Final list of Candidates

08 – 05Notify NHA Team

on Progress/Metrics

All Applicant Assessments & Interviews Complete

08 - 02Conduct

Evaluation Review session

11: Notify Applicants &

10: Match Host Orgs

08 – 01Print Report for Interview Assessments/Technical

AssessmentNHA DB Tool / Survey Tool /

LMS Tool

08 - 04Update Tool with Final Candidate List Information

NHA DB Tool

08.01. Create Report for Interview Assessments/Technical Assessment

After all of the interviews and technical assessments have been completed, the information should be compiled into Excel.

Ensure all candidates have received ratings. If the interviewer neglected to complete any ratings, follow-up with the

interviewer immediately. All of the responses from the interviewers should also be aggregated by rating (e.g., Excellent fit,

Good fit, Poor fit) and included in this same view. All of the technical assessment scores should be aggregated and

included in the same view. The technical assessment scores should be examined and compared with the candidates’

interview performance. A summary of the technical assessment scores from Assessment Day or access to the ability to run a

report on this data will be provided from the Program Manager.

Key items into include in this evaluation report:

• Applicant Name

• Status at university

• Gender

• Address/Living location

• Interview notes


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• Interviewer recommendation (“Is this candidate a good fit for NHA?”)

• The interviewer’s ranking of the candidate as compared to their peers

• Technical Assessment Score

08.02. Conduct Evaluation Review Session

It would be helpful to sort the “yes” and “no” responses and see how the range of assessment scores varies. Also look at

high scores on the assessment that may have received “no” responses from the interviewers to see if there may be some

comments that would explain why the interviewer would have said no despite the candidates’ apparent technical

knowledge. Lastly, always review the stack of candidates who were rated as Poor Fit to understand why, ensuring there

wasn’t a misunderstanding or mis-marking by the interviewer. If there is unclear information provided about the candidate’s

interview responses or rating, reach out to the interviewer to get clarification – keeping in mind, it may be difficult for the

interviewer to remember the candidate after having completed so many interviews. This is further justification that Program

Directors should ensure that interviewers are thorough and capturing proper notes DURING the interviews. Follow-up on

issues afterwards can have diminishing returns. As a last resort, if the information (or lack thereof) provided by the interviewer

is hindering a fair decision being made about the candidate, Program Directors should consider bringing the candidate

back in for a follow-up conversation. At this stage, it is good to also make sure women and rural city natives or other

underrepresented populations are given special consideration when evaluating the applications.

08.03. Identify Final List of Candidates

Once the evaluation has been completed and candidates have been ranked and grouped, a list of candidates who will

be invited to participate in the program should be generated, a subset of which should be designated as Alternates. If

accepted candidates choose to decline the offer to participate in the program, reach out to the next best candidates and

invite them to join. Accepting backup candidates must be done in an early enough timeframe so that the newly invited

candidates have time to make arrangements to attend the Boot Camp. Plan for accepted candidates AND those

designated as Alternates to attend the Boot Camp. Final decisions on whether Alternates will become full program

participants are made after the Boot Camp ends.

08.04. Update Tool with Final Candidate List Information

At this point, candidates who have been selected to participate in the program can be designated as such in the Intern

spreadsheet or database. If accepted candidates choose to decline the offer to participate in the program, reach out to

the next best candidates and invite them to join. Accepting alternative candidates must be done in an early enough

timeframe so that the newly invited candidates have time to make arrangements to attend the Boot Camp.

08.05. Notify NHA Team on Progress/Metrics


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Provide an update to the NetHope Academy Team once the candidate selections have been made. This update should

include:

• General report/status on how the Assessment Day went

• Number/Statistics of final intern candidates

• Any issues

• What worked well/what did not work well

• Interviewer attendance/participation

• Technology wins/challenges

• Budget/Expenses update

08: LESSONS LEARNED

0 8 - 0 2 : • Interviews with the IT Managers were largely relied on the to see if the applicants would be a good

fit for the program. They were asked, “Would you hire this intern?” about the candidates they

interviewed. At the end of the Haiti Fall 2010 process, there were about 33 “yes” answers out of the

80-90 candidates who appeared at interviews. making the interview pass rate about 1 out of every

3 applicants.

• In 2011 it was learned that whether or not an interviewer would hire an intern did not necessarily

mean the interviewer did not feel the candidate was a good fit for NHA. The interview questionnaire

has since been revised to accommodate both of these questions.

• It was noticed that there was a seemingly natural break between the top candidates and the next

tier of candidates in both Kenya and Rwanda the first time around. In South Africa, there was a

struggle finding top candidates. It is important to remember that if a big enough qualified

candidate pool is not acquired, the Program Manager will work with the implementing

partner/Program Director to see what can be done about it. Accepting candidates into the

program if they do not appear to be a good fit is never a good idea.

• Another valuable best practice was working with the interviewers, before they left the interview

venue to get their feedback on the candidates they interviewed. Talking to them, asking for their

rankings and really getting a sense for their why they made certain recommendations is valuable

information to collect before they leave for the day. Otherwise decisions can only been made

based on the interview forms. While interviewers are pushed to take good notes, the reality is this

does not always happen.

• In some countries cultural factors can come into play when assessing candidates, for example, in

Rwanda people are more inclined to not speak negatively about others. Therefore, almost every

candidate seen by the interviewers in Rwanda were reported as being a “good fit” for the program

when in reality all candidates were not a good fit. In situations like these it is extra important to ask


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the interviewers to stack-rank the candidates they interviewed so that there are some

differentiating factors.

• In order to make sure candidates are serious about the program and also to ensure the hosts are

getting the right fit for their organization, new steps in the process are being tested.

o There will be a 2 day training session on CV writing, interviewing, and communication skills

for top applicants after the in person interviews. This group will have slightly more

candidates than can actually be accepted into the program.

o Candidates will then be matched with host orgs for additional interviews if they were not

100% confirmed to an assignment during the initial assessment day. It has been found that

some candidates back down on their original commitment to the program, so this extra

step in the process should help provide a sense for who is most serious about the program.

It also ensures the program is accepting candidates with the right skillsets based on market

demand.


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09: Program Initiation This process captures the majority of activities needed for setup of all the main logistics required for the NetHope Academy

program. This includes on-site course logistics/curriculum, eLearning setup, and general site logistics. Program Initiation is

critical for NHA execution and should starts months prior to the start of the program.

09: Program Initiation

NH

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09 - 04Secure Training Facility

(Pay training facility, Rent generator as needed,

Confirm Internet connectivity, etc)

09 - 05Acquire On-site Course Material

09 - 02Find, Train,

Confirm Training Instructors of All NHA Courses

09 – 01Establish Program Schedule

09 - 06Post /Publish

eLearning Info/Links/etc


09 - 03Facilitate Instructor

Planning Session for Boot Camp

14: Setup Vendor Cert.

10: Host Orgs

Established

09 - 08Setup Self-

Evaluation in Tool


09 - 09Setup IT Mentor Feedback form in

ToolNHA DB Tool / Survey

Tool

Ongoing NHA development

09 - 10Review NHA Curriculum

09 - 11Add or Revise Curriculum, as

needed

09 - 12Validate NHA

Curriculum

09 – 07Confirm Program Evaluation Setup

LMS

09.01. Establish Program Schedule

Each time the NetHope Academy expands into a new geography, a new program schedule needs to be established. The

program schedule will largely depend on the number of interns to be accepted that year, the university level academic

calendar in that region and more specifically, any host university academic calendars.

Traditionally the program has conducted the two-week Boot Camp training prior to the start of the Fall academic semester.

If there is a suitable break to schedule the Boot Camp between the Fall and Spring semesters, this allows for another class to

be started before the class launched in the Fall finishes the program. After the Boot Camp, there is a 4-6 month internship

period followed by a program graduation celebration.


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The calendar in Appendix V is for a location where the university is running on a fall/spring academic calendar with the fall

semester beginning in late September. Adjust this schedule accordingly depending on the academic calendar of the

current program’s region.

REFERENCES

Calendar Sample Curriculum Calendar is located in Appendix V.

09.02. Find, Train, Confirm Training Instructors of All NHA Courses

Qualified trainers must be located, recruited, hired, and trained to teach the NetHope Academy courses. Wherever

possible, securing local, in-country trainers with the proper technical certifications and teaching experience is preferred.

Professional instructors are required to teach the Microsoft and Cisco content and facilitate hands-on labs, NGO Managers

provide real-world scenarios and credibility to soft skills content, and the Program Director serves as a critical facilitator and

face of the program to the students.

Good places to start this search include recommendations from local universities with strong computer science and IT

programs, local Microsoft and Cisco certified training/testing centers, and other computer training centers.

For Soft Skills Trainers

The Program Director should help build connections with locals who could teach the soft skill training (precision questioning

and answering, resume building training, customer services, business etiquette, etc.) courses.

REFERENCES

Course Delivery Guides

Sample Course Delivery Guide is located in Appendix Q.

09-03: Facilitate Instructor Planning Session for Boot Camp

Once the Boot Camp instructors have been identified, the Program Director should facilitate an introductory call with each

trainer. The base curriculum should be sent to the trainers. During that call, the Program Director should ensure that the

trainer(s) is clear on their responsibilities to teach the curriculum, and resolve any presentation/logistics needs, and next

steps. Program Directors should also be very clear with trainers – the NetHope Academy courses are intended to be

interactive – Trainers should plan to build in group activities, discussions and other tools that help the students actively

engage in their learning. 75-100% traditional lecture is not a model that NetHope Academy prefers. Ideally, students will

have at most 50% traditional lecture and 50% interactive activities.


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After this initial call, it is up to the Program Director to make sure the instructors have what they need, but it is up to the

instructors to proactively prepare themselves for the Boot Camp.

09-04: Secure Training Facility (Pay training facility, Rent generator as needed, Confirm Internet connectivity, etc.)

The In-Country Program Director should make sure that all contracting and payments are taken care of with the training

facility. All equipment, power sources (including generator, fuel, extension cords, etc.), and internet connectivity should be

confirmed at this point in time.

09-05: Acquire On-site Course Material

Any training materials (binders, books, CDs, etc.) that need to be shipped to the country should be sent well in advance of

the training. Several people are necessary for this to happen:

• The NetHope Learning Manager should identify the type and volume of materials that need to be shipped. He or

she is responsible for coordinating with all of the involved parties (vendors, Microsoft, Cisco, etc.) to secure the

materials.

• The NetHope Academy Program Manager is responsible for working with the NetHope Learning Manager to

understand the type and volume of materials that need to be shipped.

• The Program Director must make sure that he or she is able to pick up the materials and find a safe location for

them to be stored until the training begins.

Any other course material for the Interns, including NetHope Academy t-shirts or other goods, should be sent as well.

Two NetHope Academy polo shirts were provided for each intern to wear to the training and their internships. They were

grey and this color seems to be popular with everyone. Shirts were ordered from www.epolos.com. Where budget allows,

this practice will be continued and the Program Director will take care of ordering these shirts locally for better pricing and

to eliminate the need to transport the shirts from the US to the program locations.

REFERENCES

Course Delivery Guide

Sample Course Delivery Guide is located in Appendix Q.


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09-06: Post/Publish eLearning Info/Links/etc.

All courses and content that will be presented to students should be loaded onto the LMS, and the LMS should be

configured for each class of interns.

The Program Manager should ensure that all interns accepted into the program have user IDs and logins to the LMS.

Cornerstone Setup is handled by NetHope Academy Leadership. Refer to the Program Manager with any questions.

09-07: Confirm Setup

The LMS will contain all program-related evaluations, including trainer evaluations, course evaluation, and overall program

evaluation. Refer to the Program Manager for assistance in making the program evaluations available to the program.

09-08: Setup Self-Evaluation in Tool

Each month, the interns are required to fill out an online self-evaluation. This helps keep the NetHope Academy program

team informed on the type of activities each of the interns are doing. In addition to developing the interns as professionals,

it also helps the Program Director recognize those who may require some special attention or coaching.

The self-evaluation questions remain similar from month to month, but differ for the first and last evaluation. For example, as

the interns begin the program, they were asked whether or not their roles and responsibilities were made clear by their IT

Mentor or supervisor. As they come to the end of their internship, they are asked about their plans for seeking full-time

employment.

REFERENCES

Sample Self-Evaluation Questions

Sample Intern self-evaluation questions can be found in Appendix K (with sections) and Appendix L (without sections).

09-09: Setup IT Mentor Feedback Form in Tool

IT Mentor feedback is also essential to the success of the NetHope Academy Internship Program. Currently IT Mentors are

surveyed 3 times during the internship cycle – After the first 4-6 weeks to gauge how things are going so far with the interns,

at a mid-point and at the end. The IT Mentor Survey is administered via Survey Monkey. There is one survey for the first two

survey periods and a separate survey for the final feedback request. The Program Manager sets up the Survey and sends a


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link to Program Directors, who are responsible for distributing the survey, reminding the IT Mentors to complete it and all

related follow-ups.

It has been found that the feedback received is very valuable. However, it has also been found that it is a challenge to get

the IT Mentors to complete the online survey. Many of them are very busy and need several reminders to complete this 10

minute task. Some cultures also do not like to share negative feedback, especially via an online form. If the IT Mentors do

not complete the online form, the Program Directors are responsible for meeting with the IT Mentors in person to discuss the

questions. The Program Directors should ask the questions exactly as they are listed in the survey, take detailed notes, and

submit these responses along with the online responses they have received for the survey.

The Program Directors are responsible for following up with the IT Mentors and interns on any feedback that warrants an

action to be taken. Program Directors and NetHope Academy leadership will work together to send out communications

to the group that highlight key themes, both positive and negative, that they are hearing from the IT Mentors along with

some tips for improvement.

REFERENCES

IT Mentor Feedback

Sample IT Mentor Feedback forms can be found in Appendix J.

Ongoing NHA Development

09-10: Review Curriculum

Given the dynamic nature of technology and unique needs of each location, the curriculum should be assessed each year

to ensure it remains accurate and relevant to intern and sponsor needs. The Program Manager will ensure the curriculum is

being effectively maintained.

Guiding Principles:

• Reduce future maintenance as much as possible (ex: focus on Windows 8, vs. 7).

• Permit localization of content in a structured manner.

Timing:

• Curriculum should be discussed after Boot Camp delivery during the Post Mortem, to determine if any fine tuning is

needed.

• The Learning Management System should grow and be refreshed over time as new skill gaps are identified or new

courses are recommended to NetHope. Also, updates for existing content should be checked for each year.


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• Any agreements with vendors should be renewed. Ex:

o Expired vouchers should be renewed according to the following schedule:

• Exam vouchers with expiration dates should be extended.

• Instructor Lead Training should be refreshed based on instructor feedback and customization. A master of ILT

materials should be maintained in a centralized location. If an instructor has a customization/localization

suggestion, he or she should work through the local Program Director to update the materials and determine

whether the changes should be shared with other locations.

• Thereafter, curriculum should be fully examined every year for scope, relevance, etc.

Responsibility: Program Management owns the process of reviewing and updating centralized curriculum. Periodically,

Program Management will gather input from the various locations, identify themes, implement improvements, etc.

09-11: Revise Curriculum, as needed

The curriculum and courses may need to be updated from time to time based on Program Director feedback. Keep an eye

on the following factors during training, and report any issues or suggestions to the Program Manager:

• Changing business needs (ex: interns are now performing different tasks or working at different types of businesses)

• Changing technologies (ex: moving from XP to Win 7)

• Newly identified skill gaps (ex: interns are having problems with X)

• Errors or enhancements identified for existing content

• Retiring outdated courses

Sources of input may be intern evaluations, IT mentors, or NetHope staff. It is best to start by documenting the required

knowledge and skill objectives, ex: what do interns need to know or do differently as a result of the training. Objectives

(Remove malicious software.) are different and more specific than topics (Security).

These objectives can then be compared to existing sources of training to fill the gap or provided to a vendor to develop or

tailor a custom solution When selecting and updating non-technical courses, give consideration to whether the examples

and scenarios are relevant to a global audience in developing countries.

New or updated courses should be reflected in the curriculum and added to the Learning Management System.

09–12: Validate NHA Curriculum

When new courses are selected/developed, they should be validated or piloted with one group of users (ex: a WBT piloted

by 10 people in various locations, an ILT piloted with one location).

• Students take the course.

• Students provide feedback.

• NetHope manager assesses the feedback.


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• Post pilot revisions are made (if applicable).

• Training is rolled out to all locations.

09: LESSONS LEARNED

0 9 - 0 1 : • For Haiti, the academic year begins in late September/October and ends in June.

• For other Country locations, the NHA program should be scheduled based on local academic

years. Plan the NHA program based on the local academic schedules, taking into account when

students are in (or out) of school. Also, consider availability of Host Organization partnerships as

well. All of the Interns selected in 2012 were able to be technically successful at their jobs.

• It was difficult during the first program in Kenya to schedule the Boot Camp as a fair amount of the

interns accepted into the program were still wrapping up their final exams during the Boot Camp.

Going forward, final exams at major universities were factored into the schedule

• It is also important to realize that in some (most) countries hardly anything gets done during the

month of December – mid-January. The program in Kenya had to be delayed for a few months as

the country basically shut down for the presidential elections. It was an unpredictable time and no

host organizations were willing to commit to onboarding resources in the 2 months before and 1

month to follow the elections.

0 9 - 0 2 : Searching for and Hiring Trainers

• Instructors will need to be hired to teach each course. In general, it is desired to hire local instructors

whenever possible. It is also desired to bring in subject matter experts whenever possible for the

purpose of helping to build local capacity and enrich the local instructors’ experience.

• In some cases, it has been found that there are very few or no instructors available with the right skill

sets in past target countries. When this is the case, instructors must be sourced from outside of the

country, and where possible, these instructors would be volunteers, the program paying only for

their transportation, accommodations and meals during their visit. For the instructor requirements

for each course, see References below for “Course Delivery Guides”. Work with the NetHope

Academy Program Manager to develop a budget for instructor contracting.

• Instructors are expected to be experts in their given area, but they should be oriented to the

objectives of the course, flow of the course, materials available, and any helpful tips. The Program

Director and NetHope Academy Learning Manager should schedule some time to give the

instructor

• Most of the Program Directors are qualified to teach some of the soft skills courses, but in some

cases it makes sense to bring in real experts in those areas. This has been particularly valuable when

it comes to customer service (IT Managers have really relevant examples), CV/Interview prep (bring

in an HR person or recruiting agency) or other topics where an industry expert can add a lot of

value to the discussion.


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0 9 - 0 5 • In Haiti there were many challenges getting the materials in through customs. Be sure to get

shipping information far in advance. Have the vendors who are shipping any materials on

NetHope’s behalf note on the boxes that the shipment is a donation (when applicable). Sufficient

time, documentation and preparation helps expedite the shipments through customs.

• A paper-sparse approach is utilized for this training program, and only a minimum of materials will

need to be ordered or printed on-site.

• For a detailed listing of materials to order and print for each course, please see the References for

Course Delivery Guides.

• Note that technical materials for the Boot Camp need to be ordered from Microsoft, so allow

enough time for the materials to be shipped and processed through customs.

0 9 - 0 7 • For the NHA 2010 year, evaluations were done through SurveyMonkey. As an alternative, other

evaluations can be set up in Survey Monkey using NetHope credentials.

• In 2011 interns completed their evaluations in the Learning Management System after each course

in the Boot Camp. This allowed for capturing data from the participants while the information and

learning experience was fresh in their mind. It has since been learned that time to complete the

evaluation must be allotted at the end of each course given throughout the year, otherwise,

student’s rates of completing evaluations after Instructor Led courses is VERY LOW and requires a

significant amount of the Program Director’s time to follow-up.

0 9 - 0 9 • In the past, the IT Mentor Feedback survey was conducted via SurveyMonkey. This is an easy to use

online tool that works well for this purpose.

• Getting IT Mentors to fill out online surveys proved to be a difficult task. Many of them did not do this

despite multiple emails and phone calls. It is beneficial to check in with an in person meeting and

now require at least two site visits to the interns’ host organization during the internship period.

• In some countries, people to do not like to provide feedback via email and prefer to discuss with

the Program Director. In these cases the Program Director is responsible for capturing the feedback

in the online tool so that there is a record of this feedback and the results can be accessed. It is

also difficult for some people to provide negative feedback so the Program Director should be sure

to use a variety of questions and strategies to discover areas for improvement.


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10: Host Organization Management Internship Programs will only be successful if the implementation partners are able to recruit enough organizations that are

interested and able to host the Interns in their IT departments. This process details how to go about identifying host

organizations for the internships, sharing program information with them, confirming commitments, and preparing the host

organizations for the program.

10: Host Organization Management

NH

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10 - 05Secure Intern

Mentors

10 - 04Secure Intern Slots and Sign Host Org Contract (includes

stipend)

10 - 08Group Training for IT

Mentors(Sign IT Mentor contract, Provide Mentor guidance

materials)

10 - 03Organization Evaluation/Selection

10 - 02Communicate NetHope Academy Requirements

and Program with Potential Host Org

(Email, meeting with contacts, etc)

10 - 06Collect Logistic Information from

Host Org (location, stipend, etc.)

10 - 11Matching Intern/

Host Org Session

10 - 12Validate Match w/

Host Org, if applicable

Ongoing NHA development

08: Interns Identified

13: Send Mentor

Materials

09: Confirm Program Initiation

10 - 07Update Final Host Org Info in NHA

DB Tool

NHA DB Tool

10 - 09Print report – Assessment Outcomes

NHA DB Tool

10 - 10Print Report –

Host Org Demand

NHA DB Tool

10 - 13Update NHA DB Tool with Match

NHA DB Tool

Report:- Applicant Information (skills, interviewing organization, etc)

Report:- All Host Orgs & associated intern requirements (skills, location, etc)

10 - 01Identify Local Intern Host

Organizations

NHA DB Tool

10-1: Identify Local Intern Host Organizations

In each region, Program Directors must identify organizations that are willing to host paid NetHope Academy Interns for 4-6

months. These organizations need to have enough quality IT work at the appropriate level to keep the interns busy and

challenged. They must also have at least one other IT staff who can serve as a mentor for this resource.

NetHope’s primary goal is to serve its NGO members, and the target was to place 70% of interns in NetHope NGO Member

IT Departments. However, as the program expanded beyond Haiti after the initial earthquake emergency, fewer interns

were placed in NGOs and more have been placed in commercial businesses such as ISPs, telecoms, Microsoft Partners and

other large technology partners.


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It has been learned that as multiple program cycles run in a market, fewer interns are placed at NGOs. Many NGOs don’t

have the same IT capacity as other major employers in the region. Also many of the NGOs that were really strapped for

resources ended up hiring one of their initial interns to be a full time employee. They may be interested in mentoring more

interns in the future, but this usually comes with time. Be sure to check and see if the NGOs need IT support on different field

projects, as this is an area where interns have made a big impact.

Other great organizations that could host Interns, aside from the NetHope Member organizations:

• NetHope Member Organizations’ smaller NGO partners

• Microsoft Partners

• UN Agencies

• World Health Organization

• Other NGOs in the area

• Mobile Network Operators/Internet Service Providers – Mobile Money Initiatives

• Banks

• Microfinance institutes

• Government organizations

• For-profit corporation

• Small business or entrepreneurship “apprentice” opportunities

• Large donor projects requiring technology resources (i.e., IDB, USAID, Rockefeller efforts)

• Other local organizations with IT needs

Create a list of all target Host Organizations that will be marketed to in the area.

Regardless of ultimate participation in the program, host organization information needs to be entered and stored in the

NHA database. These pieces of information include:

• Host Organization title

• Host Organization address

• Host Organization security policy & technology requirements (if available)

• Host Organization contact information

10-2: Communicate NetHope Academy Requirements and Program with Potential Host Org (Email, meeting with contacts, etc.)

Either the NetHope Academy Program Manager or the Program Director should reach out to each potential Host

Organization to let them know about the program. Once this note is sent out, the Program Director and NetHope

Academy Program Manager should follow up with each organization accordingly to answer any questions and schedule

an in-person meeting to discuss the program. In these initial discussions, it is best to first explain why there is a need for the

program. Describe the general themes and challenges around both youth unemployment and the need for fresh


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graduates to get more practical experience in the tech sector before they become employable. During these

conversations, be sure to really get a good understanding of the organization’s needs, challenges, and pain points.

Understanding their current structure, programs and applications will best assist in sharing how interns could help them.

REFERENCES

References Overview information sent to potential Host Organizations is located in Appendix P.

Host Org Interest/ Response Form

Interested Host Organizations should be sent a form to fill out internship opportunities. This Host Org Response form is located in Appendix S.

10-3: Organization Evaluation/Selection

After interested potential Host Organization have expressed interest in the program and hosting interns, Program Directors

should confirm they will meet the requirements to participate in the program.

A few different factors will come into play when making these decisions.

• Does the Host Organization have an IT department?

• Does the Host Organization have an IT Manager that can mentor, supervise, and support the Intern on site? If not,

how and who would manage the intern? Confirm that an IT resource is available to give the intern direction,

support and guidance.

• Does the IT department have enough work for the Intern(s) to do?

Prioritizing between Host Organization requests becomes important as the need to balance demand of employers (i.e.,

they may want 5 interns but can only give them 3), allow for new doors to be opened (new partners, referrals of partners),

serve the NGO community, and best set the program up for success (i.e., place interns at host organizations that are most

likely to hire them full time (i.e., an ISP vs. a short term government project).

Once Program Directors have determined if the Host Organization should be pursued, more in depth discussions to confirm

their participation will take place. If the Host Organization does not have an appropriate IT Mentor or appropriate work for

the Intern to do, interns should not be place there!

10-4: Secure Intern Slots and Sign Host Org Contract (includes stipend)

Meet with the Host Organizations in person and also contact them via email to confirm the number of interns they are

interested in hosting.

In order to avoid challenges faced in the past, each Host Organization will be required to sign a NetHope Academy Intern

Placement Contract. This will confirm the Interns’ start date, that she/he will have a mentor in the IT department, and that

the Host Organization will pay the Interns’ the agreed upon stipend in a timely manner. At this time, it is also critical to agree


73

upon a job description and the intern’s expected roles and responsibilities. Some host organizations will want to be very

detailed and some are not.

Review the contract with the NetHope Academy Program Director prior to launching the program in each location so that

it can be customized to the needs of that market. Some Host Organizations require small modifications to the contract in

order for them to sign it. This process may be tedious and time consuming. The Program Director should handle the details

of this and work with the Host Organization’s HR department to do this copying the Program Manager on all

communications.

Please see References below for a sample Host Organization contract.

REFERENCES

Host Org Interest/ Response Form

Interested Host Organizations should be sent a form to fill out internship opportunities. This Host Org Response form is located in Appendix S.

10-5: Secure Intern Mentors

Each Host Organization should provide an IT Mentor who will work with, supervise, coach, and mentor the Interns during their

internship. Often times, these will be the same people Program Directors are engaging directly with at the Host

Organization. Sometimes, Program Directors will first engage with people from the HR/staffing department who will then

connect the NetHope Academy with the appropriate IT Mentors within the organization.

Program Directors should share the roles and responsibilities of IT Mentors and make sure they are comfortable with the

duties outlined in the IT Mentor Contract. A sample can be found in the Reference section below.

REFERENCES

IT Mentor Contract

The Sample Mentor Contract is located in Appendix N.

10-6: Collect Logistic Information from Host Org (location, stipend, etc.)

Once the Host Organizations have finalized their intern headcount, Program Directors must collect the following logistic

information from them:

• Location(s) where the Intern(s) will be working - cities as well as exact office/site addresses.


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• Intern roles and responsibilities and any desired skill sets Confirmation of monthly intern stipend amount and pay

dates

• Other special needs for the organization (i.e., World Vision religious contracts/statements, ability to travel to field

projects, etc.)

• Location where the intern should come on the first day and name of individual who will meet the intern and

provide an orientation in the morning

• Confirmation of intern workspace and equipment at the worksite

10-7: Update Final Host Org Info in NHA DB Tool

Once the Host Org information is collected via email, phone, or in person meetings, it should be entered and saved in the

database.

Upon confirmation of participation, update any applicable host organization information in the NHA database. These

pieces of information may include:

• Host Organization name

• Host Organization local address

• Host Organization security policy & technology requirements

• Host Organization contact information

10-8: Group Training for IT Mentors (Sign IT Mentor contract, Provide Mentor guidance materials)

IT Mentors will go through a group orientation session that will provide them with all the information they need regarding the

Internships program, interviewing candidates, hosting interns, evaluating interns, and other frequently asked questions.

During this session, Program Directors must review and provide the following information, located in the References section

below.

Program Directors should also have IT Mentors sign a contract agreeing to the terms and conditions of the program during

the training session if they have not already done so If are unable to attend the training, Program Directors should work with

them to meet this requirement prior to interns coming on site.

Sometimes an IT mentor will be assigned to the intern, but this person will not ultimately be able to serve as the Mentor.

Make sure to check in on the interns during the internship to ensure they are receiving mentoring from someone at the

internship.


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REFERENCES

Mentor Information

Mentor Information is located in Appendix R - This includes Mentor FAQ & Selection process guidance (including interview questions).

IT Mentor Contract

The Sample Mentor Contract is located in Appendix N.

Evaluations & Feedback

Intern Self Evaluations (Appendix K & Appendix L) & IT Mentor Feedback forms (Appendix J) can also be used during the training session.

10-9: Identify Assessment Outcomes (Sign IT Mentor contract, Provide Mentor guidance materials)

After the conclusion of the Assessment Day and final selection of interns, identify all the candidates along with associated

documented skillsets and interest.

This report should include the following information:

• Intern Name

• Intern Address/Location

• University status/Field of study

• Key Application responses (Skillset, interests, career goals, etc.)

• Interview notes

• Interviewer Name

• Interviewer’s organization

• Interview recommendation (Hire/No-Hire)

• Technical Assessment Score

10-10: Identify Host Organization Demand

In order to match interns with Host Organization Internships, another report is needed to view all available internships. This

report should include the following information:

• Host Organization name

• Host Organization local address

• Internship availability

• Number of internship spots

• Internship Description

• Internship skills required

• Associated Mentor/Contact/IT Manager

• Stipend information (if applicable)

• Intern skills/interests


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The intern’s skills and interests should also be validated during the Boot Camp as an additional input into the matching

process.

Due to the relatively small class sizes or 30-35 students, Program Directors found that it was much easier to manually assign

interns to Host Organizations based in what they knew about the Intern and Host Organization’s needs.

10-11: Matching Intern/Host Org Session

Each Intern will be assigned to a Host Organization, and it is important that a match that will be a good fit for both parties is

made.

Program Directors should consider these factors when finalizing internship assignment:

• Did the IT Mentor from the Host Org interview and want one of the interns? If so, try to match them together.

• Make sure the Host Organization is a reasonable distance from the intern’s home. There have been scenarios

where the intern had to wake up at 3:30 A.M. in order to make it to work at 9:00 A.M. on time. Avoid this situation.

• Does the Intern have any special/unique skills that the Host Organization is particularly looking for? Do they have

the right customer facing social and communication skills to work in sales or pre-sales or are they better suited for a

more technical role?

• Does the Intern have any particular interests in subject matter or Host Organizations?

• Is the Host Organization/IT Mentor one that will provide a good working environment for female interns?

10-12: Validate Match w/ Host Org, if applicable

Several Host Organizations will make requests for specific skills or will want interview the intern(s) before confirming them.

Program Directors should work to make this process go as quickly and efficiently as possible by coordinating with both the

intern and the host while helping the host to facilitate any logistic requests as needed.

10-13: Update NHA DB Tool with Match

The intern assignments should be entered and saved in the database.

10: LESSONS LEARNED

1 0 - 0 2 : • Securing host organization commitments requires lead time and persistence. It is important to start

the process early, identify the right contacts within the organization who can make decisions, and

maintain regular contact with the decision makers until a contract is signed.

• It is extremely important to realize that securing host organization commitments is a critical and time


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consuming portion of the program. Many organizations make commitments and end up backing

out of them for various reasons. Perhaps their hiring needs changed, they can’t get the right

approval, their budget cycle is off, the timing does not work, or they have to hire other interns

(friends/family/customer contacts).

1 0 - 1 2 : • Ensure ample time for this Host Organization – Intern matching activity. It may be possible that a

Host Organization may want to follow-up with their intern match, possibly with another interview.


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11: Intern On-Boarding Good communication between NetHope Academy staff, the Interns, and Host Organizations is essential for a successful

program launch. This process walks through the steps of informing Interns of acceptance into the program and next steps.

11: Intern On-Boarding

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11 - 02Confirm

Acceptance

11 - 04Send Welcome

Email – Program Schedule,

Location, etc.

11 - 05Conduct NetHope Academy Program

Orientation (Bootcamp Day 1)

11 - 08Send Host Org Intern Information (Name,

contact info, background info)

11 - 07Notify Candidates of Internship Placement

(Send Intern initial logistics)

11 - 06Conduct Boot

Camp

11 - 09Connect IT Mentor with

Intern (email, etc.)

Internship Details Notification

13: Commun-ications

12: Execute Training

11 - 03Update Tool if

Applicable

NHA DB Tool

11-01Notify Applicants of Acceptance

08: Interns Identified


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11-01: Notify Applicants of Acceptance

Once interns are selected to participate in the program, the Program Director should congratulate them and let them know

of their selection. Any known logistic details can be shared here, and candidates should be informed that more details will

be coming in a future e-mail.

Applicants who were not selected to participate in the program should also be notified.

See References section below for a sample communication.

REFERENCES

Sample Acceptance Notification

See Appendix F for a sample Acceptance Notification, sent to all applicants accepted, post Assessment Day. This will include initial details on the NHA Program and upcoming Boot Camp.

11-02: Confirm Acceptance

The interns should respond to the note and confirm their acceptance and participation in the program by a specified date.

The Program Director should follow up with all candidates to confirm acceptance prior to the start of the program and with

enough time to invite others to take their slots if they decline.

11-03: Update Tool if Applicable

If any candidates are no longer interested or unable to participate in the program, the database should be updated

accordingly to note this and to note the participation of other candidates. If the candidate never begins Boot Camp, they

should be deleted from the database. If they participated in the Boot Camp, they may be maintained in the database and

the reason they chose to leave the program should be noted on their Person record.

11-04: Send Welcome Email – Program Schedule, Location, etc.

The Program Director should send Interns a welcome email that contains detailed information about the date, time,

location, and logistics for the program.


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11-05: Conduct NetHope Academy Program Orientation (Boot Camp Day 1)

The Program Director should provide an in-depth, detailed program explanation and orientation during the first day of Boot

Camp. “Boot Camp” refers to an intense training period over the course of two weeks. Interns are taught both technical

and non-technical skills that will help prepare them to enter the professional working world.

Below is a sample Day 1 Boot Camp schedule. Always refer to the latest Boot Camp Delivery Guide for exact details.

Topic: Welcome and Program Overview

Duration: 4 hours

Agenda: Day 1 Morning

Source Content: NetHope Standard Presentation, Parts of Curriculum Overview

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe NetHope

2. Describe the Intern Program

3. Describe the experience of working in an NGO or other host organization

Topics:

• Welcome/Instructor Intros – .5 hour

• Ice Breaker – Human Bingo – .5 hour

• Students introduce themselves and their expectations for the program (2 minutes each) – 1 hour

• NetHope Overview (NetHope Standard Presentation) – .5 hour

• Program Overview (Parts of Curriculum Overview) – .5 hour

• Two managers share experience of working at their NGO/ISP, plus Q&A – .5 hour

References section below contains Bootcamp Curriculum Topics to include.

REFERENCES

Intern Commitment Form

A sample Intern Commitment form is located in Appendix U.

11-06: Conduct Boot Camp

It has been found that a solid block of intern training up front prepares the interns well for their roles in the Host

Organizations. Interns are given a mix of technical training and soft skills training to enable them to be successful in their

roles. They also build a lot of confidence, a sense of teamwork and connections with their peers during this time.


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The mid-point of the Boot Camp is likely the best time to enter the interns into the NHA database. At this point, Program

Directors should feel relatively secure that the interns who are participating will remain in the program.

See References section below for a detailed Boot Camp overview and agenda.

REFERENCES

Bootcamp Reference Information

See Reference section in Process 11-05 for details on Boot Camp documentation.

11-07: Notify Candidates of Internship Placement (Send Intern initial logistics)

The Program Director should notify the candidates of their internship placement and provide the logistic information the

Intern needs to start their first day. This note should include NGO name, address, contact name, phone number, time they

should arrive, dress code, any other special instructions.

See References section below for a sample communication.

REFERENCES

References Sample Communication to Intern regarding their internship placement can be found in Appendix I.

11-08: Send Host Org Intern Information (Name, contact info, background info)

The Program Director should notify the Host Organization of their Intern selection and provide them with the Intern(s)’

contact information and any relevant background information. They should also encourage the IT Mentor at that Host

Organization to reach out to the Intern directly and to welcome him or her to the team prior to their start date.

See References section below for a sample communication

REFERENCES

References Sample Communication to Host Organization & IT Mentor regarding their intern for internship placement can be found in Appendix H.


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11-09: Connect IT Mentor with Intern (email, etc.) - Optional

At the discretion of the Program Director, an email may be sent to the intern / IT Mentor pairs initiating a discussion between

the two. However, Program Director should encourage Interns to be proactive in reaching out to their IT Mentors personally.

This will allow Interns to take on more responsibility and ownership in the Mentoring relationship. Only if intern / IT Mentor

pairs are not proactively connecting should the Program Director intervene.

This is an optional step for the Program Director. If Interns and IT Mentors are collaborating effectively without any outside

assistance, initial involvement from the Program Director is not necessary.

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