Workflow#

This page describes the Standard Operating Procedures for Partnerships Business.

2i2c provides interactive computing services to partner communities. These notes describe standard operating procedures used by 2i2c and CS&S to establish and cultivate business relationships with partner communities. The workflows orchestrate information exchanges (meetings, emails, negotiations) between 2i2c/CS&S and partners or prospective partners and produce documents (service agreements, quotes, statements of work, renewal notices, invoices, service descriptions, receipts).

Arc of Partnership Formation#

The procedures describe action sequences our team will carry out as expression of interest in 2i2c evolves through phases Lead –> Prospect –> Partner:

A Lead is a contact with possible interest in a partnership with 2i2c. A lead is qualified when the contact is connected to an organization that can enter agreements with CS&S/2i2c. 2i2c’s main goal during the lead phase is to empower the lead to decide whether to partner with 2i2c. The lead phase ends with a “verbal close” no or advances to the next phase with a yes.
A qualified lead becomes a Prospect after a “verbal close” yes to form a partnership. The prospect phase involves two parallel activities: business terms of the partnership are negotiated in the service agreement and accompanying documents; technical exchanges specify details and the requested services are deployed. The prospect phase ends with an “executed close” when the service agreement is fully signed by all parties in the partnership.
A Partner is an organization that has a signed agreement with 2i2c/CS&S.

Technology Context#

2i2c/CS&S use a variety of technologies and subscription services in our overall operation. Personnel involved in supporting 2i2c’s leads –> partnerships business processes need to have accounts and appropriate access to these resources. The technologies and servies used in the leads –> partnership procedures are described next:

The Partnerships Slack channel#

The #partnerships Slack channel is for discussions around the partnerships and community lifecycle. It is primarily used by the Partnerships team in planning, coordinating, and discussing their work.

FreshDesk #

2i2c uses FreshDesk (https://2i2c.freshdesk.com) to manage leads and support requests. FreshDesk’s ticketing system is used to track information exchanges around a particular lead or support request. FreshDesk’s canned messaging support is used in some of the standard operating procedures described below.

Google Drive#

2i2c uses Google Drive and Google docs to process and store business documents. Most of the procedures described below involve action sequences that affect the Partnerships folder inside the 2i2c Team Drive. Some of the procedures take place inside the 2i2c + CS&S Shared Drive.

An exploded tree-view of the Partnerships folder:

2i2c Team Drive
|
|---Partnerships/ 
    |---Agreements/
        |---PartnerX/
        |---PartnerY/
        |...
    |---Assets/
        |---service description documents
    |---Invoices/
    |---Templates/
        |---[Template] -- service agreement
        |---[Template] -- Running - Notes - PartnerX + 2i2c
        |---2i2c-CS&S stationary template
    |---Running Notes -- 2i2c + CS&S

GitHub#

2i2c uses GitHub to manage code and infrastructure with version control. 2i2c and partner communities collaborate on managed services, software development, documentation, and sharing of responsibilities using GitHub issues.

Infrastructure services operated by 2i2c are managed through the infrastructure repository. Technical exchanges leading to the deployment of new hubs for partner communities mostly take place in issues in the infrastructure repo.

AirTable#

CS&S uses AirTable to process and store tabular data. They store a record of all invoices and executed agreements with 2i2c’s partners.

See our Invoices and Contracts section for information about this table.

DocuSign#

CS&S uses DocuSign to execute agreements using digital signatures gathered from signatories to agreements between 2i2c/CS&S and partner organizations.

Lead Phase Procedures#

SOP: Hail the Lead#

A member of the 2i2c Partnerships Team sends an email to partnerships@2i2c.org requesting Hail the Lead action for contact(s) with email addresses. This message creates an issue in FreshDesk that will be used to track the lead as it progresses through the arc toward a singed partnership agreement. 2i2c’s Partnerships Assistant carries out this action sequence:

Send Canned Response “Hail the Lead” from FreshDesk to contact email(s):

Hello!

Thank you for your interest in learning more about 2i2c. Please find a service description with pricing information attached to this email. If you have questions or wish to connect for a conversation, reach out to us by email using partnerships@2i2c.org or [schedule a virtual meeting by clicking here](https://calendly.com/colliand/25-minute-zoom-meeting). 

Best regards, 
2i2c's Partnerships Team

Change From field to partnerships@2i2c.org.
Add cc: partnerships@2i2c.org
Confirm that service description has been automatically attached
Confirm canned response includes a meeting invitation with 30 minute Calendly link

SOP: Running Notes for First Meeting with Lead#

A lead confirmed an upcoming meeting with 2i2c. Calendly sends an automatic message with Zoom link to the contact and enters a calendar booking into Partnerships Lead’s calendar. Partnerships Lead forwards email with meeting details to partnerships@2i2c.org triggering the following actions script:

Partnerships Lead specifies that the lead will be tracked under “PartnerX” (usually the name of the partner organization)
Create PartnerX folder inside 2i2c Team Drive >> Partnerships >> Agreements >> PartnerX
Copy 2i2c Team Drive >> Partnerships >> Templates >> [Template] Running Notes into PartnerX folder.
Rename [Template] – Running Notes… to Running notes -- PartnerX + 2i2c (with PartnerX replaced by name of partner organization).
Replace PartnerX by partner name in the title of the running notes document.
Set sharing of running notes file (with editor rights) with lead contacts (meeting participants); Send message from Google notifying the availability of the shared running notes file.

SOP: Meet with Lead#

2i2c Partnerships and Community Teams will develop improved procedures for initial meetings with leads.

Answer questions
Right to replicate
Demo?
Target: “verbal close”
Forecast upcoming procurement/negotiation and technical/deployment stages
Record notes and exchanges in Running Notes file

Prospect Phase Procedures#

SOP: Send Draft Contract#

A member of 2i2c Partnerships Team sends email to partnerships@2i2c.org requesting Send Draft Contract to PartnerX contact email(s). 2i2c’s Partnerships Assistant carrys out the following actions script:

In the Agreements folder, navigate to the folder for the partner you’re contracting for (or create a new one if needed) - this step is important for Step 5.
Return to the Agreements folder and navigate to the Templates folder, and open the [TEMPLATE] Outbound Services Agreement shortcut.
In the template document, from the menu bar, select File > Make a copy
Name the copy appropriately (i.e. PartnerX + 2i2c/CS&S - Services Agreement YYYY-MM-DD)
Click the box below the word Folder and in the pop-up menu, the partner folder you navigated to in Step 1 should appear at the top of the list. Mouse-over it and hit the Select button
Do not check either of the boxes (re: sharing or copying comments)
Click Make a Copy - your new agreement will open, and will be filed in the appropriate partner folder.
Set sharing of service agreement (with editor rights) with lead contacts
Add dated entry “YYYY-MM-DD Sent (Draft) Service Agreement as shared Google doc” to PartnerX >> Running Notes... file (create a new one if needed).

SOP: Service Agreement Negotiation#

2i2c’s Partnerships Team works with the Prospect to upgrade the draft services agreement into an executable document that can be signed by all signatories.

Answer questions
Negotiate; Adjust text
Specify addenda (statement of work; deliverables; …)
Target: get to “ready to sign”

SOP: DocuSign Agreement#

2i2c’s Partnershps Team sends email to fsp@codeforscience.org requesting that the executable agreement be circulated for DocuSigning by all signatories.

CS&S arranges for DocuSign requests from signatories.

Partnership Phase#

SOP: Launch Meeting#

2i2c’s Community and Partnerships Teams will work to specify standard operating procedures for kickoff events to launch partnerships.

SOP: Invoicing#

Procedure to be specified better in collaboration with CS&S

SOP: Satisfaction Check-In#

2i2c’s Community and Partnerships Teams will work to specify standard operating procedures for checking in with partners.

SOP: Renewal Tickler System#

2i2c’s Community and Partnerships Teams, in collaboration with CS&S, will work to specify standard operating procedures for managing renewals of partnerships.

When to decide to work with a lead#

To decide whether we should continue engaging with a particular lead, we need to know whether they are in-scope for our mission and likely to be able to successfully collaborate with us. The MANIAC-T framework can be helpful in coming to a decision. Here is a short description of these guideilnes:

Money. Is there a specific amount of money set aside for the project? If they are seeking funding in order to pay for this, what are the details?
Authority. Does the contact have the authority to make a buying decision? Who else will need to be involved in the decision-making process?
Need. What are their clear pain-points with their current infrastructure setup? Do they seem to have a real need for change?
Impending Event. Do they have an upcoming event that is urgent or pressing?
Application. Is their use-case a good fit for 2i2c infrastructure? Would their use-case require major changes to our hubs? Is there a different organization better-suited to help them?
Competition. What alternative options are they considering? e.g., other organizations, internal approaches, or deciding to do nothing?
Timeline. What does the buying process look like for this prospect? E.g., finalizing a contract, or receiving a sub-award.

Workflow

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