A cycle moves through states, and the state gates what anyone can do. This is why an action can be missing even when your role has it.
The states
| State | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being configured. Not accepting anybody. |
| Open | Accepting candidates. Imports run. |
| In progress | Sessions are being run and candidates evaluated. |
| Paused | Temporarily halted, deliberately. |
| Finalisation | Evaluation is done; decisions are being made. |
| Completed | Finished. |
| Archived | Filed away. |
| Cancelled | Abandoned. Terminal: nothing follows it. |
The allowed moves
| From | To |
|---|---|
| Draft | Open, Cancelled |
| Open | In progress, Paused, Finalisation, Cancelled |
| Paused | In progress, Open, Finalisation, Cancelled |
| Finalisation | Completed, In progress, Cancelled |
| Completed | Archived, Finalisation |
| Archived | Completed |
| Cancelled | nothing |
Only an Administrative Council member can move a cycle, and the console only offers the moves that are actually legal from where you are. There is no way to jump.
Careful
Cancelled is terminal. Nothing follows it and it cannot be undone. If you want to stop temporarily, use Paused.
What the state changes
Draft. Configure freely. No candidates, no sessions.
Open. Imports work. Candidates arrive. Live form intake only accepts responses into a draft or open cycle; responses arriving at any other time are quarantined so they can be replayed rather than lost.
In progress. The working state. Sessions, evaluations, stage movement.
Paused. Use it when the cycle has to stop for a week and you do not want sessions started in the meantime.
Finalisation. Where results are set and selection emails can be sent. Selection emails require this state or Completed, so they cannot go out mid-evaluation.
Completed and Archived. Read-only in practice. Completed can be reopened to Finalisation if a decision needs revisiting.
Going backwards
Finalisation can return to In progress, and Completed can return to Finalisation. So a cycle closed too early is recoverable. Cancelled is the only one-way door.
Practical advice
Do not open a cycle until the rubrics are right. Criteria can be changed later, but evaluations already submitted were scored against the old ones, and comparing across a rubric change is not something the system can do for you.