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Area Manager request process?

Post by CTGreybeard
I know we have a fairly new process to request new or expanded Area Manager status within the US. I am posting to ask if that process is in place and what the expectations are for new/expanding Area Managers. Could the Waze Champs (or whoever is in charge of the process) please respond?

I have requested an expansion of my Area Manager area. I provided a quadrangle of the suggested area (mostly Western Connecticut and Southeastern New York) using the form found on the Wiki. This was a couple of weeks ago.

The form suggested that I would hear within 48 hours on the determination of my request. I have not heard anything at all.

I would suggest the following changes to the Area Manager request process:

1. Send an immediate acknowledgement upon receipt of the request. This would ONLY indicate that the form was received and not any indication of review status.

2. A second email to indicate that the information on the form was correct and complete and that the formal review is in progress. This may be combined with #1 if the time period is short (2-3 hours)

3. A contact point which the applicant may use to request status. This is completely lacking from the current process.

4. Additional status messages if there is a delay in processing. These should be sent out every 48 hours (this is because the form says a decision is due in 48 hours, if that is not reasonable then change the form)

The end complaint that I have is that I have no acknowledgement that my request was even received and no contact point to determine what the delay in approval/denial might be.

Is this how we want to be treating map editors that want to expand their self-imposed responsibility?

I don't think so.
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Post by AlanOfTheBerg
We're still kinda working through the process. We want it to be efficient yet thorough. The plan is to have one email or PM sent when a Regional Coordinator has started reviewing the application. At that point, if there are any discrepancies in the submission on first glance (wrong answers to questions), then that will be noted as either being a reason for denial or allowing the editor to change their answer. That same person is to be used as a contact point. If that person is different from the Regional Coordinator, then both may be used. If you have a question about the submission, the Regional Coordinator is the contact point.

We are people and we have regular lives, so we are not going to "send out status messages every 48 hours." In fact, due to what we've experienced in how long it can take to do a thorough review is to change the expectations that the process will take about a week.

If we all had nothing else to do except process AM applications, a single day would suffice. But that isn't realistic. While we do owe applicants a clear process and expectations and communication, I do expect some understanding and patience from an applicant, yes.
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Post by AlanOfTheBerg
Email response on form submit has been added. Tested and working.
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Post by AlanOfTheBerg
Riamus wrote:I was wondering about the form myself. I had submitted one and it asked for *my* regional coordinator. Yet I was requesting an area in another state. I wasn't really positive from the form whether it really wanted mine or the one for the area I was requesting.
That's a good callout. I'll update the form. The RC on the form should be the one for the area you are requesting.
Riamus wrote:I've also seen a combination of wording around the site and forum for regional coordinator. It seems like there's either 2 different levels (regional and community) or they are one and the same. I'm not entirely positive if they are interchangeable or not.
There is Regional Coordinator and Country Manager. The Regional Coordinators are shown in the US Information and Announcements forum.

CMs have editing rights across their country and are considered high quality editors, regular community participants in terms of forums, social media, wiki/standards guideline creation, etc.
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Post by AlanOfTheBerg
There are currently 13 apps submitted all of which are already being reviewed (have notes entered). Four more were approved in the last two days. It looks like a dozen or so processed (approved/denied) in the last week.

The process is working as designed. Sarcastic bitching isn't appreciated or warranted or mature. Nor appropriate in this thread.


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Post by AlanOfTheBerg
jondrush wrote:CTGreybeard, we have not heard back from Waze on your problem.
It's been too long. I approved the coords. We can't keep requests waiting for a Waze data issue.


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Post by AndyPoms
jondrush wrote:Bill, I don't see a request for you. Also, one of our tools is down at the moment so we won't be able to process any requests until it is restored. Could you PM me your requested area so I can investigate?
It's in there - I commented on it...

It's on line 14 (you may have missed it as he put me down as RC - he know I'm not and PMed me to make sure it wasn't an issue).
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Post by AndyPoms
There are 6 Regions in the US, each of which has ONE Regional Coordinator as appointed by Waze.
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Post by CTGreybeard
Alan, thanks for your reply.

I agree that 48 hours seems overly aggressive and optimistic. Once the process has matured then perhaps the form should be changed to reflect the true process.

Regarding communications, though, I am afraid that this is an area where the process has completely failed. I have received NO communication at all despite having written a PM to my RC. It has been well over a week, perhaps even two, and I have heard nothing at all. This is rather discouraging. Is it too much to ask for if I would like to know that status of my application? It's not the time that it has taken, it is the silence.
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Post by CTGreybeard
It has been four weeks since the last post in this thread. Has anyone had their AM request approved since then? I can say that mine is still in limbo apparently because they can't see that I am currently an AM even though my editing abilities clearly show that I am.

Edit: four weeks
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