2015 MWF Reader Scoring Instructions
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MANDELA WASHINGTON FELLOWSHIP FOR YOUNG AFRICAN LEADERS: READING COMMITTEE INSTRUCTIONS 2015 Thank you for your assistance in reading and scoring applications for the 2015 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Please read the following carefully. We look forward to working with you in the coming weeks! Online Application System Log-in Information An account has been created for you to log-in and view the Mandela Washington Fellowship applications assigned to you. In order to log in and view applications, you first need to establish a password. Your username will be your email address. The following is a summary of the log-in instructions: ** FIRST-TIME LOGIN ** 1. Please visit the following link, and enter your email address in the text box as prompted: https://yaliapp.irex.org/PasswordReset 2. You will then receive an email with a link you can follow to reset your password. 3. Once you reset your password, you will automatically be redirected to a page that lists your assigned applications. ** LOGGING OUT ** In order to protect the privacy of YALI applicant data, please click the "Sign Out" link in the top right corner of your screen before closing your browser when you are done viewing applications. ** SUBSEQUENT LOGINS ** When you return later to view more applications, you can log in here: https://yaliapp.irex.org/admin Online Application Review When you log-in and are directed to the screen listing each of the applicants you have been assigned, you can sort columns by clicking on the column header, and filter the list using the search tab at the bottom left of the screen. On the right side of the screen next to each applicant’s name, you will see a .PDF icon ( ) to click to view the candidate’s application. Within that application, you will be able to click on additional links to view the applicant’s optional supplemental materials. Supplemental documents are optional for applicants. However, readers should give submitted supplemental documents adequate review and consideration. For your convenience you may print PDF versions of each of the applications, but you must enter the applicants’ scores online. Each application should contain: completed application form, applicant resume, and optional supplemental materials (accessible via links in the application). Note that each applicant’s status will be Assigned until you have completed the scoring form fully, at which point the status will change to Completed. If you leave any sections of the scoring form blank, the final score and recommendation will not show up in the main grid. We recommend that you read a few applications in their entirety before finalizing your scoring. You will be able to go back to your scores and adjust them if necessary. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. government and supported in its implementation by IREX. Reading Committee Instructions Page 2 Selection Criteria Each criterion corresponds closely to one or two of the essay questions, which are noted on the Scoring Rubric. You should first read the application as a whole, including the resume and supplemental documents, before you begin to score, but you may find it useful to reference specific questions for specific criteria. These are noted below. Questions 1) If you had 50 words to introduce yourself to President Obama, what would you say? Corresponding Criteria All criteria, reflected in your overall recommendation 2) Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.” Describe a specific instance of when you did something that seemed impossible. How did you gain support from others who did not share or understand your vision? Ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups and respect the opinions of others 3) Describe the role you play in your community. What interaction do you have with your community outside of your professional work? Demonstrated commitment to public or community service, volunteerism, or mentorship 4) Where do you see yourself professionally in 10 years? How will the Mandela Washington Fellowship help you meet your goals? Demonstrated commitment to return to Africa and apply leadership skills and training to benefit their country and/or community 5) What do you consider to be your most significant professional accomplishment or most innovative idea? Explain the accomplishment or innovation, why it was important, and the lessons learned. Demonstrated knowledge, interest, and professional experience in selected track 6) Describe a specific issue or cause that you are working on in your profession or community. Explain any challenges you are facing and the skills and resources you possess to deal with this issue. Also explain any additional skills and resources you still need in order to effectively address this challenge. Proven record of leadership and accomplishment in the selected track The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. government and supported in its implementation by IREX. Reading Committee Instructions Page 3 Online Application Scoring Overview: On the right side of the screen next to each applicant’s name you will see this icon: . Click this icon to access the Evaluation Sheet for that applicant. The Evaluation Sheet as it will appear on your screen is below. Explanations on the specifics of the questions/criteria are below the diagram. APPLICATION SCORES Ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups and respect the opinions of others 5 4 3 2 1 0 Demonstrated commitment to volunteerism, mentorship, or public or community service 5 4 3 2 1 0 Demonstrated commitment to return to Africa and apply leadership skills and training 5 4 3 2 1 0 Demonstrated knowledge, interest, and professional experience in selected track 5 4 3 2 1 0 Proven record of leadership and accomplishment in selected track 5 4 3 2 1 0 Ability to communicate in written English 5 4 3 2 1 0 APPLICANT DEMOGRAPHICS From the application content, is the applicant a US government employee? Yes No From the application content, is the applicant employed in the military, police, or defense forces? Yes No Is there anything in this application that leads you to believe the applicant is living outside of sub-Saharan Africa? Yes No If yes, please include details in the comments section below. COMMENTS and RECOMMENDATION: Overall Comments: Overall Recommendation: Highly Recommend Recommend Do Not Recommend Scoring: You will be rating each applicant according to six overall criteria with scores of 0 through 5. Please refer to the Scoring Rubric to understand how the Department of State and IREX qualitatively define each mark on the sixpoint scale (0-5). Please note that each row in the rubric corresponds to a two-point range of scores. For example, the row for “5 Exceptional” and “4 Strong” describes characteristics of responses that could correspond to either a “5 Exceptional” score or a “4 Strong” score. You will assign each application a whole number score of 0-5 for each of the six criteria, for a possible perfect score of 30. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. government and supported in its implementation by IREX. Reading Committee Instructions Page 4 Applicant Demographics: This section has a few questions about applicant demographics. From the information given in the application, please check “yes” or “no” for the questions listed. For example, if you think from reading the application materials that the applicant is currently living outside of sub-Saharan Africa (in the United States or Europe, for example), please mark “yes” for the residency question and then explain in the comments section. Comments and Recommendation: The point total will be automatically calculated as you select your scores in the online system. A check should be placed next to “Highly Recommend,” “Recommend,” or “Do Not Recommend” in order to indicate your final recommendation on each applicant. Your overall recommendation should take into account the entire application including the essay questions. Please provide clarifying comments and/or notes in this section to justify your recommendation. Your comments will be provided to the interview committee so please be as detailed as possible. Comments regarding the five selection criteria and/or relevant topics can be included here as well. Below are examples of helpful versus less helpful comments. Helpful Comment: “X is the founder and president of a start-up organization that provides sanitary pads to young girls who cannot afford them. The start-up is in its 2nd year and has already reached 400 girls. X shows business sense (MBA from a local university) as well as a commitment to serve the community (X mentors young girls, helping them to stay in school). X has met a fair amount of opposition from conservative men and has enlisted male allies to boost her efforts to expand girls’ education and opportunities. X will use the Fellowship to build her networks, to gain more support for this cause, and to get more business training to expand her start-up.” Less Helpful Comments: “This applicant shows great leadership and accomplishment in his selected track. He meets all the criteria and would be a great fit for the Mandela Washington Fellowship.” “Wonderful candidate!” Things to Remember: You should NOT review or score an applicant that you know. If you find that you have the applications of individuals whom you know in a personal or professional capacity, please notify IREX immediately by emailing wfellowshipreaders@irex.org so that the application(s) in question can be reassigned to an alternate reader. When reviewing applications, please be sure to record all comments and questions. Examples include specific concerns about an applicant, outstanding achievements, your reasoning behind your overall recommendation of the candidate, suggested issues or questions to address to the applicant during interviews based on their application, etc. Please also note information about the supplemental materials received, including any notable letters of recommendation. CONTACT INFORMATION If you have questions or concerns about the scoring process or the applications themselves please contact IREX at wfellowshipreaders@irex.org. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. government and supported in its implementation by IREX.
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