Manual: Questions-Committees

Can our Assigning Committee make and approve assignments before the Referees see them?

No problem! At issue it how to use the Referee Management Site to facilitate this need.

Here's an order that we recommend avoiding:

1. Assignor(s) uses the Site to make Match assignments and "hides" the Assignments
2. The Assignor(s) produces a list of Assignments and takes it to the Assigning Committee
3. The Assigning Committee members review the Assignments and make recommendations and/or changes
4. The Assignor(s) returns to the Site and updates the Matches
5. Assignments are then made public to the Referees

We DO recommend the following process:

1. The Assignor(s) produces a list of Match Assignment requirements and takes it to the Assigning Committee
2. The Assigning Committee provides its recommendations
3. The Assignor(s) use the Site to make Assignments to the Matches, which are then immediately made public to the Referees

The second process eliminates the need to "hide" anything, but permits the Assigning Committee to exercise the desired control. Additionally, it requires less effort by the Assignor(s), which increases productivity.

It also stops the perception of the Assignment process being adversarial. It benefits everyone if the process is cooperative, instead of closed and secretive. This also allows trained Assignors to make the actual assignments instead of a Committee of (often times) untrained Assignors. To sum it up, we recommend permitting the trained Assignor to do his or her job (after receiving appropriate input, of course).