Merit Engine - Screen Flow Specification
Merit Engine: Screen Flow Specification
Candidate Portal, Agency Dashboard, FSP Admin
Prepared by: Fairlawn Strategy Partners Date: June 29, 2026 Version: 1.0
CANDIDATE PORTAL SCREENS
Screen C-01: Login and Enrollment
First-time entry. Candidate receives an enrollment code from their agency (generated at contract activation).
Elements: - Merit Engine wordmark - Enrollment code field - Email field - Password creation - “What rank are you preparing for?” selector (populated from agency setup) - “When is your exam date?” date picker - “I understand my responses are private unless I choose to share them” consent checkbox
Design note: Enrollment code ties the candidate to their agency’s sovereign item bank without requiring the agency to manage individual accounts. The candidate creates their own credentials.
Screen C-02: Home Dashboard
The primary screen. Opened every time the candidate launches the app. Mobile-first layout - single column, scrollable.
Top section - Readiness Summary Card: - Readiness level in large text (e.g., “Approaching Proficiency”) - Day X of 60 progress bar - Theta trajectory arrow (up / flat / down since last session) - “Your exam is in 38 days”
Middle section - Today’s Action Card: - “Today’s Focus: Constitutional Law” - Estimated time: “20 minutes” - [Start Today’s Session] - primary call to action, full-width button - Secondary: [Skip today] (logs as missed session, does not penalize theta)
Lower section - Domain Snapshot (condensed): - 3-4 domain rows visible, green/yellow/red status dots - [See all domains] expands the full list or navigates to My Progress
Bottom navigation bar (persistent): - Home | Session | Progress | Resources | Settings
Notification badge on Home icon when a new session is ready.
Screen C-03: Adaptive Quiz - Item Screen
Clean, distraction-free. One item at a time.
Elements: - Domain label at top in muted text (“Constitutional Law - Search and Seizure”) - Progress indicator: “Item 4 of ~15” (approximate because adaptive length varies) - Item stem in readable body text (16px minimum, generous line height) - Four answer options as large tap targets (full-width cards, not radio buttons) - Timer visible only in Phase 3 mock exams - not shown during regular sessions - No back navigation - once an option is selected, the response is recorded
Tap behavior: - Candidate taps an option - it highlights - [Confirm Answer] button appears below - Two-tap confirmation prevents accidental selections on mobile
After confirmation: transition immediately to Item Result screen.
Screen C-04: Item Result Screen
Shown after every item. Brief - candidate should not linger here. Moves automatically to next item after 4 seconds unless candidate taps [Read More].
Elements: - Large status indicator: correct (green check) or incorrect (amber X - never red) - If correct: one-line reinforcement (“Correct. The automobile exception extends to all areas where contraband might be found.”) - If incorrect: one-line explanation of why the correct answer is right, and why the selected option was wrong (“You selected B. The automobile exception is not limited to the passenger compartment - United States v. Ross established that the trunk and all containers may be searched.”) - [Next Item] or auto-advances after 4 seconds - [Read More] expands the source citation if the candidate wants to see the exact policy text (this is a read-only preview, not the Stage 2 source review)
Design note: Amber for incorrect, not red. Red feels punitive. Amber is corrective.
Screen C-05: Session Complete and Session Summary
Shown after the adaptive session ends (standard error threshold reached or session cap hit).
Elements: - “Session complete” header - Items answered count and accuracy percentage for this session only - Domain performance this session: which domains were tested, how many correct per domain - Theta change indicator: “Your ability estimate in Constitutional Law moved from Approaching Proficiency to Proficient” (plain language, no raw theta values) - “Next session available: Tomorrow” or “Next session available: In 4 hours” based on spaced repetition schedule - [View Full Progress] navigates to My Progress - [Share This Report] navigates to opt-in sharing screen
Screen C-06: My Progress
The full picture. More detailed than the home dashboard summary.
Sections: - Overall readiness level with trajectory chart (theta over time, 7-day view by default, expandable to full cycle) - Domain heat map: all domains with current status, trend arrow, and days since last session in that domain - Exam countdown with projected score range and confidence interval - Session history: last 7 sessions with completion status and domain tested - [Export Progress Report] generates a PDF version of the full candidate report
Domain row tap: navigates to Domain Detail View (C-07)
Screen C-07: Domain Detail View
Drill-down for a single domain. Accessed by tapping any domain row in My Progress.
Elements: - Domain name header - Current readiness level and theta trend chart for this domain only - Subdomains list with individual status (e.g., within Constitutional Law: 4th Amendment at Proficient, 5th Amendment at Approaching, 6th Amendment at Developing) - Recent missed items in this domain (item stems only, no options - not a re-test screen) - “Source Material” section: if Stage 2 has been triggered for this domain, the verified source link appears here as a persistent reference - [Start Targeted Session] launches an adaptive session focused on this domain
Screen C-08: Source Review - Stage 2
Triggered automatically when theta remains below threshold after targeted drilling. Not navigable directly - appears as an in-session prompt.
Elements: - Header: “A key policy section relates to the items you missed” - The verified source excerpt displayed in a clean reading view (generous text size, no visual clutter) - Source citation shown below the excerpt (“Source: Alabama Code Title 13A, Section 13A-6-132. Verified June 29, 2026.”) - [I’ve read this] button activates after a minimum dwell time (30 seconds) to confirm the candidate actually read it - Comprehension check: 2-3 items generated from the excerpt, served in standard item format - After comprehension check: returns to session summary or, if gap persists, transitions to Stage 3
Screen C-09: E-Learning Invitation - Stage 3
Appears after Stage 2 comprehension check if theta gap persists.
Elements: - “A guided session is available for this topic” - Brief description of the module: topic, duration, instructor name and credential - Instructor photo (Tonya or Caraline) - [Learn More] expands module detail - [Schedule a Session] navigates to booking - [Not Now] dismisses for 3 days
Framing: no deficit language. “A guided session is available” not “You need help with” or “You were referred to.”
Screen C-10: Sharing Preferences (Settings)
Candidate controls all sharing from one screen. Accessible from Settings at any time.
Elements: - “Your data is private by default” statement at the top - Toggle: “Allow my Training Officer to see my reports” (off by default) - If toggled on: “Your Training Officer will be able to see your progress reports when you choose to share them. You can turn this off at any time.” - History of shared reports with date and a [Revoke] option per entry - No bulk sharing - candidates share individual reports, not ongoing access
AGENCY DASHBOARD SCREENS
Screen A-01: Training Officer View
Desktop layout. Four-panel grid.
Panel 1 - Engagement Summary (top left): - Total enrolled / active today / not active in 5+ days - Completion rate this week as a percentage - Flagged: candidates with no activity in 5+ days (count only, no names)
Panel 2 - Domain Error Clusters (top right, largest panel): - Ranked list: top 5 domains with highest error rates across all candidates - Bar chart showing error rate percentage per domain - Alert indicator if any domain error rate exceeds 60% (department-wide knowledge gap signal) - [Generate Training Bulletin] button: exports a summary of the top error cluster as a one-page PDF suitable for a shift briefing
Panel 3 - E-Learning Status (bottom left): - Stage 2 triggered count / Stage 3 triggered count / enrolled count / completed count - Funnel visualization showing the three-stage progression - No candidate identifiers unless the candidate has opted in to share
Panel 4 - Cycle Timeline (bottom right): - Visual timeline of the 60-day cycle with current day marked - Phase labels (Diagnostic / Mastery / Simulation / Peak) - Days remaining to exam date
Screen A-02: HR Director View
Desktop layout. More forward-looking than the Training Officer view.
Panel 1 - Readiness Distribution: - Histogram: number of candidates at each readiness level (Foundation Building through Command Ready) - Trend line showing how the distribution has shifted since Day 1
Panel 2 - Bench Strength by Unit: - Horizontal bar chart: one bar per organizational unit - Bar fill = percentage of that unit’s candidates at Proficient or above - Color coded green / yellow / red
Panel 3 - Projected Pass Rate: - Large number: “68% projected above passing threshold” - Confidence interval displayed below: “Margin of error: +/- 12% at Day 22 of 60” - Trend line showing projection movement over the cycle - Note: interval narrows automatically as cycle progresses
Panel 4 - Comparative Data: - If historical data exists: current cycle vs. prior cycle at same day - If no historical data: panel shows “Comparison data will be available after your first completed cycle”
Screen A-03: Chief Executive Summary
One screen. No panels. Minimal.
Four metric cards across the top: 1. Cohort Readiness: “54% at Proficient or above” 2. Strongest Unit: “Investigations Division” 3. Top Policy Gap: “Use of Force - Updated March 2026” 4. Cycle Status: “Day 22 of 60. 68% projected ready by exam date.”
Below the four cards: - [Export One-Page Summary] - generates a clean PDF version of these four metrics - [View Full Dashboard] - navigates to HR Director View for more detail
No charts. No tables. No individual data. Reads in under 90 seconds.
FSP ADMIN SCREENS
Screen F-01: Agency Client Overview
Master view of all agency relationships.
Table layout: - One row per agency - Columns: Agency Name, Track (LE/Fire/Both), Candidates Enrolled, Avg Completion Rate, Cohort Avg Readiness Level, Cycle Day, Tier, Renewal Date - Row tap navigates to that agency’s detailed view (same data as Training Officer view, but accessible to FSP) - Alert indicators: low completion rate (below 60%), cohort readiness declining, renewal within 60 days
Screen F-02: E-Learning Outreach Queue
FSP’s business development tool. Sorted by urgency (longest-stalled Stage 3 invitations first).
Table columns: - Candidate ID (anonymized) - Agency - Domain Gap - Stage Reached - Days Since Trigger - Invite Response (Not Now count) - Recommended Action
Action column options: - [Draft Outreach Email] - generates a pre-written email to the agency’s Training Officer referencing the domain gap in aggregate (not individual candidate) terms. Tonya reviews and sends. - [Mark as Handled] - removes from queue if Tonya has addressed it via another channel
Screen F-03: Item Bank Health
The data science view.
Summary row at top: Verified / Provisional / Pre-calibration / Suspended / Flagged counts
Table below - one row per flagged or suspended item: - Item ID - Domain - Status - Flag Reason - Last Verified Date - Action: [Review] navigates to item review screen
Filter controls: by domain, by status, by flag type
Screen F-04: Human Review Queue
Single-item review screen. Shown when Tonya clicks [Review] on any flagged item.
Left panel - Item content: - Item stem - All four options with primary distractor labeled - Distractor rationale notes from generation - Reviewer notes from automated checks
Right panel - Source verification: - Source section and document name - Current source text (fetched fresh at review time) - Verification check results (which of the three checks passed/failed) - Failure reason if applicable
Action bar at bottom: - [Approve] - item enters active bank - [Approve with Edit] - inline editing of stem or options before approval - [Reject] - archives item with required rejection reason - [Flag for SME] - routes to external subject matter expert queue with pre-drafted request note - [Next Item] - moves to the next flagged item without deciding on this one
Deployment and Access Model
The Merit Engine is a SaaS web application accessed via a single URL in any browser. No software download or installation is required on any device.
Access flow: - Agency contracts with FSP and activates their sovereign instance - FSP provisions agency admin accounts and generates enrollment codes - Agency distributes the URL and enrollment codes to candidates - Candidates create their login at the URL using their enrollment code - All subsequent access is via URL plus login credentials
Device support: The application is responsive and works on mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. Candidate-facing screens are mobile-first (optimized for phone use between shifts) but fully functional on larger screens. Agency and FSP admin screens are desktop-first.
Proprietary protection: The platform is FSP intellectual property. The URL is protected by login - no content is accessible without authentication. Agency data lives in isolated sovereign instances within the database. Client data is never commingled. When a contract ends, data is exportable and the instance is closed.
Design System Notes for Development
Candidate portal: mobile-first, minimum tap target 44x44px, system font stack for speed, session screens are distraction-free (bottom nav hidden during active quiz).
Agency and FSP dashboards: desktop layout, data density is appropriate because these are professional users at a workstation, export to PDF is a core feature on all views.
Color semantics used consistently across all screens: - Green: at or above threshold, on track, verified - Amber: approaching threshold, needs attention, caution - Red: below threshold, action required, failed verification - Blue (accent): primary actions, links, selected states
Amber is the signal color for knowledge gaps, not red. Red is reserved for system-level failures (verification failures, items suspended). This framing protects the developmental tone of the candidate-facing product.
Fairlawn Strategy Partners, LLC, an affiliate of the Institute for Transformative Change - Confidential and Proprietary Contact: Tonya R. Dawson | tonya@fairlawnstrategy.com Document Version 1.0 - June 29, 2026