Training Plans: The DS-7002 set up and use

For those on the Sponsor package, Hanover allows you to create and manage multi-phase Training Plans. Training Plans are part of the Intern and Trainee programs application process, and are a regulatory requirement for Sponsors.

The Training Plan is a document that outlines what the Participant is going to do on their placement, where they will be located at different times (SOA - Site of Activity), and who their line manager/supervisor is for each phase of their placement. Phase dates must line up and there cannot be any gaps in the date one phase ends and the other begins. Likewise, they cannot overlap.

Training Plans can be created by either Admins, Hosts, or Partners and will require the signatures of the Hosts' Supervisors, the Sponsor (ARO), and the Participant. To learn more about Hosts and Partners using the Training Plan, read our Hub article on the subject here. You can create more specific Training Plan Automations. Find out more here. Throughout the process, there are also system-generated notifications to Admins.

The flow of a Training Plan can vary depending on who creates and signs the plan first, but the order will follow the bullet points below:

• The plan is created by Hosts, Partners, or the Admin/ARO.
• Phases are added to the plan.
• The plan is sent for Supervisor signatures.
• The plan is sent for the Participant signature.
• If the ARO hasn't created and signed the plan first then the plan is sent for ARO signature.
• Lastly, the plan is generated on Hanover.

For this article and the video below, we are focusing on a plan created by the Admin or ARO. From the Participants SEVIS Overview page, or their placement panel on the profile overview, an Admin can select to 'Create Plan'. This will show a new slide in panel.

The Admin can then select to create a new plan from scratch or use a template. Read more about the use of Training Plan templates here. The Admin can select to save the plan as a draft while working on the plan, or when complete, they can save the plan setting its status to 'In Progress'. A plan can only be sent for signatures once In Progress. The ARO can at this point sign the training plan.

Once the plan is In Progress, it can be sent for signatures, starting with the Supervisors listed on the phases of the plan. Once these signatures have been completed, the system will automatically send the plan to the Participant for signature too.

At this stage the ARO will need to add their signature, if they haven't already, and only then will the plan update its status to 'Signed'. After 15 minutes, the plan will be downloadable from the overview page. The DS-7002 Training Plan can also be made available to the Participant too directly from their application section, you'll need to configure the TIPP Settings to allow for the signed DS-7002 to be shown to Participants. We have an article on all the SEVIS settings here.

If a Host is creating the plan first, you can also adjust the TIPP settings to skip the Admin review of Training Plans. We've created an article and video to show you this process and the change it makes; click here to read more. We also have specific settings available for the Training Plan/TIPP process, which you can read about on the Hub here.

The video below will give you an overview of how to set up the DS-7002 training plans for your programs and will walk you through the process of a Training Plan being created for a test placement.