As you look to create your first program on the Gloo Impact platform, you will notice that each program includes an overview, milestones, and application questions. Milestones serve several critical functions that enhance the structure, monitoring, and overall effectiveness of various programs and initiatives.
This article will first cover the primary functions of milestones you through a longer description and examples of each milestone type to give you confidence in creating your first program with the appropriate milestones on the Gloo Impact platform.
Understanding Milestone Types
Milestones in Gloo Impact define key stages in a project or initiative. Each milestone is tied to significant actions or deliverables, which need to be verified before payment is released. These verifications ensure transparency and accountability, enabling sponsors to track progress and understand the impact their contributions are making.
Milestone Types
1. Applicant Survey
This milestone is a designated point in a Program requiring an Applicant to complete a survey. Surveys can contribute to accomplishing several goals like setting an Applicant's baseline, zeroing in on key characteristics of an Applicant, checking in on their progress, gathering feedback, and evaluating how the Program impacted their baseline.
Examples:
Dimensions of Human Flourishing Pre Survey: Establish the baseline status of an Applicant's human flourishing dimensions
Session Check-in: Gather feedback on how the Program is progressing, how well a Champion is supporting them, or dynamically identify what they should do next
Personality Assessment: Precisely understand the nuances of who this Applicant is to help guide the journey through the Program more precisely
Physical/Mental Health Post Survey: Understand in depth how the Program impacted an Applicant in a specific dimension of human flourishing
2. Champion Survey
A set of questions filled out by the Champion to assess the progress or outcome of a milestone. This ensures that the Champion's perspective is considered during verification.
Examples:
Program Feedback: The Champion has an experience coaching through a Program and understanding how the Program can be tweaked to put them in a position to thrive is incredibly valuable.
Client Check-in: Every Applicant is on a journey unique to them and the Champion can yield unique insights into how a journey is going.
Pre & Post Evaluation from the Champion: Champions have a more objective view of an Applicant's journey and how it was impacted by the Program. Asking them questions about how the Applicant's dimensions of human flourishing were impacted can yield unique insights
3. Meeting
A scheduled interaction, such as a coaching session or check-in, that serves as a key point in the engagement.
Examples:
Calend.ly or HubSpot Booking Link: Make it easy for an Applicant to book an in-person or virtual meeting when one is needed in a Program.
Pre-determined Webinar Link: Enable an Applicant to join a pre-determined webinar or other type of online session with an established link
4. Event
A structured activity, like a workshop or seminar, where attendance or participation is required for milestone completion. It can be an optional milestone to the full Program. This event is verified through attendance records or feedback.
Examples:
Registration Page: If your event has a landing page where folks register to attend, you can send them to the page from here
Eventbrite Link: If your event is using a software tool like Eventbrite to capture registrants or sell tickets, you can link to that location
Couples Retreat: Events come in all shapes and sizes and a couple retreat is an example of one of those even types you may want to use this milestone type for
5. Online Activity
This milestone involves an action completed in a digital environment. It could be watching an instructional video, completing an online course module, or filling out a survey. The activity is often verified automatically or by the Champion based on system logs.
Examples:
Kajabi Module: Direct the Applicant to a course module on Kajabi to complete their learning.
SurveyMonkey or Jotform Survey: Use this milestone to gather insights or feedback from Applicants through an online survey form.
Online Article: Require Applicants to read and reflect on a specific online article as part of the Program.
YouTube Video: Assign a relevant YouTube video for the Applicant to watch and learn from, with automatic verification based on activity tracking.
6. Offline Activity
This type of milestone involves an in-person or non-digital action. It can include tasks like participating in a community service project, attending a local workshop, or completing a task that requires face-to-face interaction. These activities often require manual verification.
Examples:
Help an Old Lady Cross the Road: A task that requires the Applicant to perform a good deed or community action.
Pray or Meditate: Assign Applicants a reflection-based task such as praying or meditating, which can be verified through self-reporting.
Initiate an Important In-Person Conversation: Instruct the Applicant to have a meaningful in-person conversation with someone, verified by the Champion.
7. Reflection
A self-assessment or journaling task where the Participant reflects on their experience or progress. This milestone allows for personal growth and introspection and is often reviewed and verified by the Champion or admin.
Examples:
Journal Prompt: Require Applicants to write a journal entry reflecting on their personal or program-related experiences.
Feedback Prompt: Instruct the Applicant to provide feedback on their experience with the Program or specific milestones, which will then be reviewed.
8. Administrative Task
An internal task required to keep the Program running smoothly. These milestones often don't involve the Applicant directly but are crucial for back-office operations and are verified by the admin team.
Examples:
Send Retreat Details: Admin sends logistical details about an upcoming event to Participants.
Track Progress in Another Location: Admin manually updates progress in an external system or tracking tool to reflect the status of the Applicant.
Unlock a Step in Another Piece of Software: Admin triggers an action in another software platform that impacts the Applicant's journey.
Verify: Admin reviews a milestone(s) the Participant completed to confirm the completion
9. Auto Complete:
These are system-driven milestones that automatically complete without the need for manual input. They are often used for predictable or recurring actions, where no additional verification is required.
Examples:
Trigger Next Payment After Previous Milestones Completed: Automatically release the next payment once all prior milestones have been successfully verified.
Trigger Next Payment After Pre-Determined Timeframe Established: Set up an automatic payment that is triggered after a certain period, regardless of additional actions.