Tips & Tricks

Coordinate a stress-free review process with automatic review assignments

Ross May

Your application deadline has passed, and you’ve collected a record number of applications – amazing! Now it’s up to you to distribute all those applications to your reviewers for evaluation.

Assigning applications can be an overwhelming task. How do you ensure all your applications are accounted for and being reviewed by the right people, while adhering to strict deadlines?

As a program administrator, it’s up to you to ensure all applications are reviewed by the right number of qualified reviewers, while also dividing up the workload fairly. If you’re anything like us, you want to do this as quickly as possible.

Automatic review assignments can help.

Automatic review assignments enable you to automate the assignment of incoming applications to reviewers or review teams. You can even customize assignments, to ensure they meet your criteria.

 

Assign all applications to all reviewers

In our example below, Astra Grants’ review process begins with an initial review, where program staff look over applications to ensure they meet minimum quality standards. With automatic review assignments, each application can be automatically assigned to all program staff, as soon as it’s submitted. Fast and easy.

Distribute applications randomly

Sometimes, you might not be concerned about which applications go to which reviewer, but you want to make sure that all applications receive the same number of reviews. Not a problem.

Take the example below. Following their quality review, Astra Grants requires the remaining applications to be ranked by several members of their selection committee. With automatic review assignments, they’ve configured each application to be randomly assigned to 3 members of the selection committee. Automatic assignments enable an even distribution of assignments to each reviewer and ensure the workload is divided fairly.

Allow SurveyMonkey Apply to randomly but evenly assign applications to reviewers.

Distribute applications based on advanced rules

In other cases, you might have more defined and complex requirements. You might require applications that meet a certain set of criteria to be assigned to specific reviewers. This can also be automated.

In their final round of review, Astra Grants requires top applications to be reviewed by a team of experts in a related field. Using custom assignment rules, applications are assigned by focus area to a team of expert reviewers in that same field. For example, applications focusing on biology are assigned to a team of expert reviewers in the field of biology; chemistry applications are assigned to the chemistry review team; and so on.

Allow SurveyMonkey Apply to automatically assign applications based on category, to a specific review group.

 

Why automatic review assignments?

1. Reduce manual effort

You have a lot on your plate. On top of managing your application process, you have other responsibilities like marketing, communication, impact measurement, and more. By enabling automatic review assignments, you’ll eliminate hours of manual work, while the assignment process runs in the background.

2. Make decisions faster

Automating review assignments can mean cutting out weeks of administrative work between your application deadline and when reviewing can begin. You can even have applications assigned as soon as they are submitted, leaving reviewers with more time to complete their required tasks.

3. Gain peace of mind

Coordinating a lengthy review process can be confusing. Automated assignments ensure that the entire process stays organized and on track. You’ll feel confident knowing that all your applications are accounted for and are being reviewed by the right people. You’ll also ensure that you’re dividing up the workload fairly amongst your reviewers.

 

Interested in learning more? Get started with automatic assignments using our tutorial video, step-by-step documentation, or by reaching out to our Customer Success team today!

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