Context

Currently, users of this application only receive notifications via email.

Problem

Challenges with deliverability damper the effectiveness of email notifications for some users.

Solution

Introduce SMS as an additional communication channel. Stakeholders believe that SMS will have a further reach than email when it comes to volunteers who historically have not engaged via email – especially for those who already rely on SMS and/or phone for corresponding with their supervisor.

Competitive advantage:

This will mark a truly unique feature for CASA staff and volunteers across the country, as current market solutions (there are really only two that are widely used) do not offer any form of SMS notifications.

Approach

This will mark the first time Ruby For Good is utilizing Twilio's services, so many of the items below under "requirements" relate to account creation and initial setup. We will be securing platform credits through a partnership with Twilio, hopefully keeping this feature forever free to stakeholders.

A handful of the notifications below already exist in email form. The stakeholders' preference is for these to be replicated as SMS notifications, so that users can choose the combination of communication channels that works best for them.

The initial cadence of many of the below notifications is quite conservative at the stakeholders' request. We may increase frequency (or give users the ability to customize frequency) later on.

Use cases (Events for which SMS can be sent)

Must-haves:

1. Notify Supervisor (if actively assigned to a volunteer):

• When supervisor asked to reset their password users can choose to receive password reset via SMS #1792
• Weekly for a shorter version of email digest (Contains list of volunteers who have not created a case contact in the last 14 days) see SMS biweekly skinny volunteer digest for supervisors #1797

2. Notify Volunteer (if actively assigned active cases):

• To remind volunteer one week before court report due date to write court reports for active assignments volunteer receives SMS reminder to submit court report #1794
• When volunteer asked to reset their password users can choose to receive password reset via SMS #1792
• 2 weeks after volunteer logged a case_contact as contact_made=falseto remind them to try again. "try again"! reminder for volunteers after no contact made #1796
• When a supervisor or admin generates a follow up on a case_contact associated with a volunteer's active case_assignment volunteer receives SMS to notify of follow up generated by admin or supervisor #1886
• When they are deactivated by an admin Volunteer receives SMS notification when their account is reactivated by admin #1887
• When they are reactivated by an admin Volunteer receives SMS notification when their account is reactivated by admin #1887
• Quarterly to remind them to connect with any case_contact_types they haven't made contact with in 60 days or more quarterly SMS reminder to connect with case_contact_types #1793

2. Notify Admin:

• When Admin asked to reset their password users can choose to receive password reset via SMS #1792

Nice-to-have(s):

• Notify new CASA admin with invite SMS (includes details on how to log in for the first time). all users receive account activation sms notification #1784
• Notify new volunteers with invite SMS (includes details on how to log in for the first time). all users receive account activation sms notification #1784
• Notify new supervisors with invite SMS (includes details on how to log in for the first time). all users receive account activation sms notification #1784

Requirements

• admins can add/edit phone numbers for all users #1785 admins can add phone numbers to all user accounts
• supervisors can add/edit their own mobile number #1786 supervisors can add and edit phone numbers to their own accounts
• supervisors can add/edit volunteer mobile numbers #1787 supervisors can add and edit phone numbers to volunteer accounts
• add mobile number column to system imports for supervisors #1788 add phone number column to system imports for supervisors
• Add mobile number column to system imports for volunteers #1789 add phone number column to system imports for volunteers
• add SMS opt-in to system imports with mobile numbers #1790 add SMS opt-in to system imports containing mobile numbers
• create SMS Terms & Conditions and add to site footer #1791 create SMS Terms & Conditions and add to site footer
• create RFG Twilio account(s) #1780 Ruby For Good CASA has a Twilio account
• Twilio is integrated with app for event triggered notifications #1781 Twilio is integrated with app for event triggered notifications
• URLs in SMS notifications are shortened #1782 URLs in notifications are shortened
• enable deep linking in SMS notifications #1783 URLs in notifications are deep links when applicable
• all users receive account activation sms notification #1784 all users receive account activation notification
• users can choose to receive password reset via SMS #1792 all users have the option to receive password reset via SMS
• Users can configure their communication preferences #1016 all users can configure their communication preferences
• quarterly SMS reminder to connect with case_contact_types #1793 volunteer receives one quarterly reminder to connect with any case_contact_types they haven't made contact with in 60 days or more
• volunteer receives SMS reminder to submit court report #1794 volunteer receives one reminder to submit their court report seven days before their court report is due
• "try again"! reminder for volunteers after no contact made #1796 volunteer receives a "try again" reminder two weeks after logging a case_contact as contact_made=false
• volunteer receives SMS to notify of follow up generated by admin or supervisor #1886 volunteer receives SMS to notify of follow up generated by admin or supervisor
• Volunteer receives SMS notification when their account is reactivated by admin #1887 volunteer receives SMS when account deactivated/reactivated by admin
• SMS biweekly skinny volunteer digest for supervisors #1797 supervisor receives one notification every two weeks alerting them of their volunteers assigned who haven't logged a case_contact in 14 days or more
• Give user the ability to customise which SMS notifications they want to receive #1885 Give user the ability to customise which SMS notifications they want to receive
• Give user ability to enable/disable SMS notifications #1884 Give user the ability to enable/disable SMS notifications
• Handle errors when an SMS failed to send (can be handled in Twilio?) #3551

Additional Issues

• User validator should use PhoneNumberHelper for validation #3411 User validator should use PhoneNumberHelper for validation
• Import javascript has null values on non-import pages #3547 Import javascript has null values on non-import pages
• Add phone number field to create supervisor and volunteer page #3609 Add phone number field to create supervisor and volunteer page
• Send a "Set your password" link in account activation SMS message #3616 Send a "set your password link" with account activation SMS