Program Statuses and Lifecycle

Every MentorNeko program moves through a predictable lifecycle, from creation to wind-down. Understanding each status helps you plan launches, manage enrollment timing, and communicate clearly with participants about what to expect.

Draft

When you create a new program, it starts in Draft status. A draft program is invisible to members. No one can browse it, enroll in it, or be matched through it.

Use the draft state to:

• Write and refine your session guides
• Configure matching settings and dimension weights
• Set the partnership agreement template
• Customize the exit survey
• Define cohort dates if applicable

You can take as long as you need in the draft state. There is no time pressure, and you can iterate on the configuration freely before any member is aware the program exists.

Published

When you click Publish Program, the program becomes visible in the member directory and enrollment opens. Members with completed profiles can browse the program, read its description, and join.

For always-on programs, published is the steady state. The program remains published and accepting enrollments indefinitely, and matching cycles run on an ongoing basis.

For fixed cohort programs, published means enrollment is open. You will have set a start date and an end date when configuring the program.

Fixed Cohort Enrollment Window

Fixed cohort programs have a defined enrollment window. Members can join from the time the program is published until the cohort's end date arrives. Once the end date passes:

• The program is no longer visible in the member directory
• Enrollment is permanently closed
• No new matching cycles can be initiated

It is good practice to communicate the enrollment deadline to your members ahead of time. You can use your organization's announcement channels or the MentorNeko notification system to remind members to enroll before the window closes.

Winding Down (Fixed Cohort End)

When a fixed cohort program reaches its end date, all active matches enter Concluding status. This triggers:

• An exit survey for every participant in an active or concluding match
• A series of nudge emails if participants do not complete their surveys promptly
• The final session guide becoming available to all pairs

Members in concluding matches can continue to access their Match Hub, complete their exit survey, and earn their completion certificate. Once the exit survey is submitted and both participants have marked their final session complete, the match transitions to Completed and becomes read-only.

Always-On Program Cycles

Always-on programs do not have a wind-down event. Instead, individual matches conclude on their own timeline when the pair completes all sessions or when the admin concludes a match manually. After a match concludes and the exit survey is submitted, both participants are returned to the matching pool and can opt into a new match.

The program itself remains active until you choose to archive or unpublish it from the admin panel.

Archiving a Program

If you want to retire a program entirely, you can archive it from the admin panel. Archiving unpublishes the program, closes enrollment, and retires it from active management. Existing matches and their history remain accessible to participants, but no new activity is possible.