Call Management

Overview

Call management in Waldur enables organizations to manage resource allocation through a structured application proposals and review process. This feature is particularly useful for research institutions, funding agencies, and organizations that need to allocate computational or infrastructure resources through a competitive process.

Introduction

Call management in Waldur is built around structured components: calls, rounds, proposals, and reviews. A call is a defined period during which resources can be allocated. Each call is divided into rounds, where stakeholders can submit and review proposals for resource allocation. Proposals are evaluated through a structured review process. Successful proposals lead to approved allocations, seamlessly integrating into the rest of the Waldur ecosystem. When a proposal is approved, Waldur automatically creates a project under the proposing organization that initiated the call. Allocations are granted to this project, and team members who submitted the proposal are added to the project, ensuring the resources are immediately ready for use.

Prerequisites

Organization must be registered as a Call Managing Organization
Marketplace offerings must be available to be requested in calls

Stakeholder Roles

Organization Owner

Assign call managers
Grant final resource allocations, if defined in round configuration
View statistics across all calls in the organization
Archive calls when they are no longer active

Call Manager

Create and configure calls
Manage call rounds
Set review strategies
Assign reviewers
Make decisions (if configured as deciding entity)
Add documentation and descriptions
Monitor call progress
Close rounds early if needed
Manage requested offerings from service providers

Call Member (Applicant)

Submit proposals to active rounds
Upload required documentation
Select offerings and allocations
Add team members to proposals
Track proposal status
Provide additional information during revision process
View review feedback when available

Reviewer

Evaluate assigned proposals
Provide scores and feedback
Complete reviews within specified duration
Accept or reject review assignments
Provide both public comments (visible to applicants) and private comments (visible only to call managers)

Service Provider

Accept or reject requests to include their offerings in calls
View requested resources related to their offerings
Configure parameters for offerings available in calls

Call Structure and Workflow

1. Call Setup

Organization owner assigns call managers
Call manager or Organization owner creates a call
Call manager configures call rounds
Call manager requests offerings from service providers
Service providers accept or reject offering requests
Call manager activates the call when configuration is complete

2. Round Configuration

Call manager must configure:

Start and end dates
Review strategy options:
After round closure
After proposal submission
Review parameters:
Review duration (in days)
Minimum number of reviewers
Minimal average scoring threshold for automatic approval (if applicable)
Decision making:
Deciding entity (call manager or automatic)
Allocation timing (on decision or fixed date)
Allocation date (if fixed date is selected)
Round description and documentation
Reviewers and managers assignment
Default project role for proposal team members

3. Proposal Submission

Call members should:

Submit proposals to active rounds
Upload required documents
Select offerings and allocations
Add team members (optional)
Provide required details:
Project name
Project summary
Description
OECD FOS 2007 code (Fields of Science classification)
Civilian purpose declaration
Confidentiality requirements
Duration in days

4. Review Process

Reviewers are assigned to rounds
Reviewers are assigned to specific proposals
Reviews are conducted according to strategy
Feedback and scores are provided on multiple aspects:
Project title
Project summary
Project description
Project duration
Supporting documentation
Resource requests
Team composition
Summary score and comments are provided
Reviews are submitted for consideration

5. Decision and Allocation

Decision maker (as configured) evaluates reviews
Final decisions are made (allocation or rejection)
For allocated proposals:
A project is automatically created
Requested resources are provisioned in the marketplace
Team members are assigned the configured project role
Resource limits are applied as specified in the proposal

6. Tracking and Reporting

Call managers can monitor statistics on:
Open calls
Active rounds
Accepted proposals
Pending proposals
Pending reviews
Rounds closing soon
Pending offering requests
Organization owners can track resource allocation across all calls

States and Transitions

Call States

Draft: Initial state, call is being configured
Active: Call is open for submissions
Archived: Call is completed and no longer active

Round Statuses

Scheduled: Round start date is in the future
Open: Round is currently accepting submissions
Ended: Round cutoff date has passed

Proposal States

Draft: Initial creation, editable by applicant
Submitted: Sent for review, awaiting reviewer assignment
In Review: Assigned to reviewers, under evaluation
In Revision: Sent back to applicant for changes
Accepted: Approved for resource allocation
Rejected: Declined for resource allocation
Canceled: Withdrawn or automatically canceled

Review States

Created: Review has been assigned
In Review: Reviewer has accepted and is working on evaluation
Submitted: Review is complete
Rejected: Reviewer has declined the assignment

Requested Offering States

Requested: Initial state, awaiting service provider decision
Accepted: Service provider has approved use in call
Canceled: Service provider has declined use in call

API Endpoints

The system provides RESTful API endpoints for:

Managing Call Organizations
Creating and configuring Calls
Managing Rounds
Submitting and updating Proposals
Assigning and completing Reviews
Requesting and approving Offerings
Allocating resources

Best Practices

Set clear evaluation criteria and communicate them to applicants
Provide comprehensive round documentation including resource availability
Allow adequate time for review process (recommended: 2+ weeks for reviews)
Configure appropriate minimum number of reviewers (recommended: 2-3)
Maintain consistent communication with applicants throughout the process
Close rounds promptly when cutoff dates are reached
Monitor reviewer workload to ensure balanced distribution
Configure automatic allocation only when clear scoring criteria are established
Provide templates for proposal documentation where applicable
Schedule multiple rounds in advance for recurring allocation cycles

Troubleshooting

Round Configuration

Issue: Round dates overlap with existing rounds Solution: Adjust dates to ensure no overlap within the same call
Issue: Unable to create a round Solution: Ensure call is in Draft or Active state

Proposal Submission

Issue: Unable to submit proposal Solution: Verify round is in Open status and required fields are completed
Issue: Resource requests unavailable Solution: Check that service providers have accepted offering requests

Review Assignment

Issue: Not enough reviewers available Solution: Assign additional reviewers to the call or adjust minimum number requirement
Issue: Reviews not being created Solution: Verify review strategy configuration and check reviewer availability

Allocation Process

Issue: Resources not provisioned after approval Solution: Check marketplace availability and quotas
Issue: Team members not added to project Solution: Verify default project role configuration
Issue: Unable to allocate proposal Solution: Ensure proposal is in correct state (In Review, Submitted) and review requirements are met