Retain
Authentic project photography, global-health mission, volunteer-powered identity, multidisciplinary ambition and real prevention programs.
Internal implementation brief
From strong prototype to safe recruitment service.
This page records the audit, product strategy, information architecture, technology recommendation, MVP backlog, acceptance tests and decisions HIF must approve before launch.
Phase 1
Concise audit
Grounded in the public HIF website and selected internal governance, role, program and volunteer documents.
| Area | Finding | Risk | Response built or recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruitment discovery | Public website relies on a generic contact form and an external Google Form rather than a searchable opportunity directory. | High | Replace with structured opportunity records, filters, role detail pages and clear statuses. |
| Content freshness | Public pages include past 2025 deadlines, “currently being updated” pages and role/team information that appears stale. | High | Add owners, review dates, evidence status and automatic expiry for time-sensitive content. |
| Role classification | Older internal drafts say a salary may become available later, which can blur the volunteer relationship. | Critical | Use a mandatory unpaid disclosure at every recruitment stage and obtain workplace-relations advice. |
| Role quality | Legacy descriptions often emphasise senior titles and broad duties without realistic hours, support, deliverables or community need. | High | Use the role health gate and role template implemented in this portal. |
| Safeguarding | The 2023 Code of Conduct contains checks and complaint provisions but concentrates escalation around a small number of leaders. | Critical | Create independent pathways, restricted records, recusal rules and role-specific safeguards. |
| Applicant privacy | Historical recruitment responses are held in spreadsheets and should never be exposed through public views. | Critical | Migrate only necessary active records into role-based storage; archive or delete under an approved schedule. |
| Candidate experience | No reusable profile, visible status, saved roles, accessible alternative or structured acknowledgement journey is evident publicly. | High | Use the applicant dashboard, progressive form and support centre implemented here. |
| Evidence claims | Some program pages make ambitious claims while other pages are incomplete or describe planned work as current. | High | Classify every claim and attach an internal source, owner and review date. |
| Visual identity | The main site has authentic imagery but dense navigation, inconsistent page maturity and a student-club feel. | Medium | Use the calm editorial design system, modular content and evidence-first language shown here. |
Retire
Generic contact-form recruitment, stale deadlines, unverified scale claims, broad senior titles, private contact details and misleading future-pay language.
Build on
Cardiac pop-up clinics, sun safety, health education, student pathways, Health Challenge Rooms, sustainable healthcare, child-and-family systems research and locally led international partnerships.
Phase 2
Product strategy
A serious recruitment service, not merely a refreshed vacancy page.
Make every volunteer role explainable from need to impact.
Applicants can discover where they fit, understand the unpaid commitment, apply accessibly and track a respectful process. Administrators can publish only healthy roles, assess against evidence, restrict sensitive data and explain every decision.
Applicant job
“Help me find a credible role that uses my skills, respects my time and shows how my contribution connects to a real need.”
Program-lead job
“Help me recruit capable volunteers without creating unsafe work, opaque decisions or administrative chaos.”
Governance job
“Help me see whether roles, decisions, access and retention comply with HIF’s stated values and obligations.”
≥90% understand unpaid status and next step
WCAG 2.2 AA + successful assisted journey tests
100% final outcomes have criterion-linked rationale
100% public roles pass mandatory safety and supervision gates
Immediate acknowledgement; median first review <10 business days
Track applicant satisfaction, withdrawal reasons and complaint closure
Phase 0 — governance gate
Approve volunteer classification, privacy, safeguarding, complaints, data retention, role publication and content ownership.
Phase 1 — public MVP
Launch homepage, verified opportunity directory, role pages, support, selection, safeguarding, privacy and role matching.
Phase 2 — applicant accounts
Add approved public identity, reusable profiles, saved roles, draft applications, secure uploads, statuses and privacy controls.
Phase 3 — administration
Add structured review, interviews, references, credentials, offers, onboarding, audit logs and permissions.
Phase 4 — learning system
Connect recruitment to role health, program need, retention, volunteer satisfaction and community benefit.
Phase 3
Information and service architecture
Public discovery, applicant work and administration are connected without sharing the same permissions.
Public portal
- Home
- Opportunity directory
- Role detail
- Compare roles
- HIF Role Navigator
- Volunteering at HIF
- Selection process
- Safeguarding and ethics
- Applicant support
- Privacy centre
Applicant account
- Profile
- Saved roles and searches
- Draft applications
- Submitted applications
- Outstanding actions
- Interviews
- Messages
- Talent preferences
- Privacy and consent
- Accessibility preferences
Administration
- Role builder and publication gate
- Application pipeline
- Structured assessment
- Interview scheduling and scorecards
- References and credentials
- Offers and onboarding
- Safeguarding escalation
- Communications
- Analytics
- Audit and retention
Explore → profile → tailored application → completeness → structured review → interview/checks → outcome → induction
EOI → eligibility → interview → group assessment → checks → conditional offer → training/readiness → final confirmation
Relational data model
Thirty-two core entities, separated by purpose.
Applicant, assessment, credential, safeguarding, adjustment, consent, communication and audit records are related by controlled identifiers, not collapsed into one spreadsheet.
usersapplicant_profilesvolunteer_profilesopportunitiesprogramsregionsdivisionsrole_criteriaapplication_questionsapplicationsapplication_responsesuploaded_documentsreviewer_assignmentsassessment_scorecardsinterviewsinterview_feedbackreferencescredentialssafeguarding_checksaccessibility_adjustmentsconsentscommunicationsoffersonboarding_requirementsvolunteer_agreementstalent_poolssaved_searchesopportunity_alertsaudit_logsretention_actionssupport_requestscomplaints
Phases 4–5
Implementation recommendation
Softr is suitable for a limited public MVP; sensitive end-to-end recruitment requires a stronger application architecture.
Use for verified public content and low-risk workflows.
- Public opportunity directory and role pages
- Basic filters, conditional visibility and simple forms
- Non-sensitive applicant acknowledgement
- Limited user groups and dashboard views
- Fast editorial adoption by a volunteer team
Complex least-privilege permissions, separate sensitive records, strong audit history, secure uploads, structured assessment, retention automation and transparent AI controls require fragile workarounds.
Typed web application + relational data + secure object storage.
- Next.js and TypeScript interface
- PostgreSQL / Supabase or platform D1 for structured records
- R2-compatible secure object storage for documents
- Approved public identity provider with MFA for administrators
- Server-side permission and validation controls
- Australian-region hosting where practical
Prioritised MVP backlog
Build safety and clarity before automation.
Priority reflects launch dependency, not technical novelty.
P0 — Launch blockers
- Approve volunteer classification and mandatory wording
- Name independent safeguarding and complaint pathways
- Approve privacy notices, identity path and retention
- Verify every role, claim, partner and program
- Complete accessibility and permission tests
P1 — Public MVP
- Opportunity CMS and publication gate
- Directory, filters, compare and role pages
- Role matching with explainable suggestions
- Volunteering, selection, support, privacy and safeguarding pages
- Editable communication templates
P2 — Applicant accounts
- Reusable profile and preferences
- Draft and submitted applications
- Secure uploads and credentials
- Dashboard, messages and interview dates
- Data access, export and deletion controls
P3 — Administration
- Structured review and reviewer reconciliation
- Interview scorecards and scheduling
- References, offers and onboarding
- Audit log and retention automation
- Ethical analytics and recruitment learning loop
Acceptance criteria
A feature is not complete because it renders.
- Keyboard-only user can complete every public task with visible focus.
- Screen-reader labels, headings, errors and status changes are understandable.
- Unpaid disclosure appears on card, role, start, review, confirmation, interview and offer content.
- No applicant can access another applicant’s record or document.
- Recruiters cannot access restricted adjustment or safeguarding content.
- Every selection outcome stores a human, criterion-linked rationale.
- Every public claim has a classification, source, owner and review date.
- Under-18 workflow uses approved consent and supervised communication.
- International programs cannot progress without local, safeguarding and readiness approval.
- Retention, deletion, breach and account-recovery workflows pass scenario tests.
Approval required register
Decisions the interface must not invent.
These items are intentionally visible instead of being silently filled with assumptions.
| Decision | Owner | Why required | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteer classification | Australian workplace-relations lawyer | Required before any structured role is publicly launched | Blocked |
| Privacy collection notices | Privacy adviser / board | Required before applicant accounts or submissions | Blocked |
| Public identity provider | Technology and privacy owners | Sites starter cannot safely invent public applicant authentication | Blocked |
| Safeguarding reporting contacts | Board and safeguarding specialist | Independent escalation and recusal contacts are not yet approved | Blocked |
| Data retention schedule | Legal, safeguarding and insurance owners | Recommended periods need formal approval | Blocked |
| Opportunity content | Program lead + volunteer manager | Demonstration listings must be verified, dated and approved | Blocked |
| International program readiness | Country lead + safeguarding + board | Do not publish travel dates or accept payments before approval | Blocked |
| Insurance and reimbursements | Operations / insurer / board | Plain-language coverage and expense rules are needed | Blocked |
| AI register and notice | Privacy and responsible-AI owners | Controls are designed but governance owner must be named | Review |
| Accessibility acceptance test | Independent users and accessibility specialist | Required before public launch | Review |