DarkWorld IRC Staff Training
Probationary Staff Program

Program	DarkWorld IRC Staff Training Program
Stage	Probationary IRC Staff
Recommended duration	30–60 days
Minimum recommended period	30 days
Final passing standard	80% with all mandatory competencies
Supervision	Assigned mentor and authorized senior staff
Access	Limited, role-specific, and reviewable

1. Purpose

The Probationary Staff Program is the final evaluation stage before permanent appointment to the DarkWorld IRC staff team.

During probation, the candidate performs limited real duties with role-appropriate access while remaining under supervision.

The program evaluates whether the probationary staff member can consistently:

Assist users.
Apply policy correctly.
Exercise authority proportionately.
Protect confidential information.
Use access securely.
Coordinate with the staff team.
Respond to incidents.
Document important actions.
Accept correction.
Remain reliable over time.

Passing training or probation does not create an automatic right to permanent staff status.

2. Entry Requirements

Before entering probation, the candidate must have:

[ ] Completed Modules 1–10
[ ] Accepted the Staff Code of Conduct
[ ] Accepted the Security Declaration
[ ] Passed the Final Written Examination
[ ] Passed the Final Practical Assessment
[ ] Completed the Supervised Trainee Evaluation
[ ] Received a trainee score of at least 80%
[ ] Completed all mandatory trainee experiences
[ ] Received a mentor recommendation
[ ] Received a secondary review
[ ] Been assigned a probationary role
[ ] Received a written access plan
[ ] Received management approval

3. Probationary Status

A probationary staff member:

Has been selected for limited live duties.
Is still under formal evaluation.
Holds only explicitly approved permissions.
Remains accountable to an assigned mentor.
Must follow the Staff Code of Conduct.
May have access reduced or suspended.
Is not guaranteed permanent appointment.
Must identify their status accurately.

Appropriate description:

I am a probationary DarkWorld IRC staff member working under supervision.

Probationary staff must not misrepresent themselves as senior administrators or representatives of unrelated DarkWorld projects.

4. Duration

The recommended probation period is 30–60 days.

A standard probation may be:

Period	General use
30 days	Candidate demonstrates consistent readiness with sufficient observation
45 days	Additional observation is useful
60 days	Higher-risk role, limited activity, or development areas remain

Management may extend probation when:

There is insufficient activity.
Required scenarios have not occurred.
A mentor was unavailable.
Additional training is required.
A conduct or security concern requires observation.
The candidate is moving into a different role.

Time completed alone does not determine the result.

5. Probationary Roles

Possible initial roles include:

Role	Primary responsibility
Probationary Support Staff	User assistance and support-channel duties
Probationary Channel Moderator	Supervised moderation in assigned official channels
Probationary Policy Staff	Policy guidance and supervised case preparation
Probationary Relay Compliance Staff	Relay records and supervised compliance actions
Probationary Services Support Staff	Normal Services assistance and escalation
Probationary Incident Staff	Incident records, communications, timelines, and coordination
Probationary IRC Operator	Limited operator duties under enhanced supervision

A candidate may serve in more than one area only when the access plan clearly defines each responsibility.

6. Written Role Definition

Every probationary appointment should record:

Candidate:
Registered account:
Probationary title:
Operational purpose:
Assigned responsibilities:
Approved public channels:
Approved restricted channels:
Approved systems:
Approved commands:
Actions requiring prior approval:
Prohibited commands:
Prohibited systems:
Logging requirements:
Primary mentor:
Secondary mentor:
Start date:
Review dates:
Expected end date:
Management approver:

Undefined authority should be treated as not granted.

7. Access Principles

Probationary access must be:

Necessary.
Explicitly approved.
Limited to the assigned role.
Logged where appropriate.
Reviewed regularly.
Reversible.
Removed when no longer required.

Access should not be granted merely because:

The candidate completed the course.
Another staff member has it.
The candidate requests it.
It may be useful eventually.
The candidate is a friend.
The permission is technically easy to add.

8. Access Categories

Category	Meaning
Allowed	May be performed within role and policy
Supervised	May be performed only with mentor awareness or observation
Prior Approval Required	Must be approved before each action
Emergency Only	May be used only to stop immediate harm and must be reported immediately
Prohibited	Not authorized during probation

Every sensitive command or system should have an assigned category.

9. Typical Allowed Duties

Depending on the role, probationary staff may:

Assist in `#Help` and other approved channels.
Provide official documentation and policy links.
Troubleshoot TLS, SASL, and normal Services issues.
Prepare support and incident records.
Issue approved channel warnings.
Apply ordinary moderation in assigned channels.
Escalate network-wide cases.
Participate in staff coordination.
Assist with approved documentation updates.
Observe higher-level investigations.
Perform limited bot actions explicitly assigned to the role.

10. Typical Restricted Duties

Probationary staff should normally require supervision or prior approval for:

Long-term channel bans.
Actions affecting shared hosts.
Multi-channel enforcement.
Account or channel suspension recommendations.
Advertising administrative decisions.
Relay compliance status changes.
Access to restricted abuse evidence.
Network-wide notices.
Operator kills.
Network-level bans.
Services administrative actions.
Staff-conduct cases.
Public incident announcements.

11. Normally Prohibited Duties

Unless management explicitly defines otherwise, probationary staff must not:

Use IRCd server-administration commands.
Rehash, restart, disconnect, or terminate IRC servers.
Modify IRCd configuration.
Modify Anope databases.
Change channel founders.
Drop accounts or channels.
Use unrestricted OperServ.
Access root credentials.
Modify production databases.
Grant staff access.
Approve their own request.
Review their own disputed action alone.
Use OperOverride for non-emergency purposes.
Share restricted information.
Access another DarkWorld project without separate authorization.

12. Probationary IRC Operator Controls

A probationary IRC operator should have a specifically restricted operator class where practical.

The access plan should define whether they may:

View selected server notices.
Use expanded WHOIS information.
Issue KILL commands.
Apply local restrictions.
Apply temporary restrictions.
Apply global restrictions.
Use shuns.
Use override capabilities.
Send network notices.
View sensitive statistics.

Higher-risk capabilities should remain excluded until independently approved.

13. First-Week Requirements

During the first probation week, the candidate should:

Review the written access plan.
Confirm access works as intended.
Verify TLS and SASL.
Verify staff account security.
Confirm logging requirements.
Review escalation contacts.
Observe at least one senior-staff session.
Handle only low-risk duties.
Complete the first mentor review.
Report any excessive or missing permissions.

If the candidate discovers access beyond their assigned role, they must report it and avoid using it.

14. Staff Presence and Activity

Probationary staff should:

Maintain reasonable activity in assigned channels.
Avoid being online only to retain status.
Participate meaningfully.
Respond when available.
Communicate planned absence.
Hand over active cases.
Avoid leaving unresolved emergency actions.
Maintain professional behavior during quiet periods.

Activity should be measured by quality and reliability, not raw message count.

15. User Support Expectations

Probationary staff should consistently:

Welcome users professionally.
Identify the actual problem.
Ask focused questions.
Give safe instructions.
Protect passwords.
Use current official information.
Respect language differences.
Confirm outcomes.
Escalate administrative matters.
Avoid making promises outside their authority.

16. Moderation Expectations

Probationary moderators should:

Intervene only when appropriate.
Use clear warnings.
Select proportionate actions.
Use precise masks.
Consider shared infrastructure.
Provide professional reasons.
Record significant actions.
Review temporary restrictions.
Avoid personal involvement.
Escalate network-wide abuse.

17. Policy Expectations

Probationary policy staff should:

Use current official policy.
Provide concise public links.
Keep detailed cases in approved restricted systems.
Verify advertising or relay status.
Distinguish approval from general conversation.
Record evidence accurately.
Avoid changing statuses without authority.
Escalate disputed interpretations.
Respect registered-project boundaries.

18. Services Expectations

Probationary Services support staff should:

Use current Services help.
Never request passwords.
Confirm registered accounts.
Distinguish live modes from Services access.
Assist with normal recovery procedures.
Escalate founder and ownership disputes.
Avoid restricted OperServ functions.
Protect account information.
Recognize Services outages.
Document administrative referrals.

19. Incident Expectations

During incidents, probationary staff should:

Follow the incident lead.
State confirmed facts.
Record UTC timestamps.
Protect evidence.
Avoid duplicate actions.
Communicate changes.
Avoid unsupported public claims.
Maintain handover information.
Assist with recovery.
Participate in post-incident review.

20. Action Logging

Significant probationary actions should be recorded:

Date and time:
Probationary staff member:
Role used:
Channel or system:
Incident or case reference:
Action:
Target:
Reason:
Policy:
Scope:
Duration:
Authorization:
Mentor notified:
Result:
Users affected:
Review date:
Correction required:

The log must not contain credentials.

21. Daily Probation Record

The candidate should maintain:

Date:
Hours or sessions active:
Assigned channels:
Support cases:
Moderation actions:
Policy or relay cases:
Incidents:
Escalations:
Reports completed:
Mentor contact:
Mistakes and corrections:
Pending items:

This record supports evaluation but should not become unnecessary surveillance of normal conversation.

22. Weekly Mentor Review

A review should occur at least weekly.

Evaluation area	Weight
Support and communication	15%
Policy accuracy	10%
Moderation and operational judgment	15%
Security and confidentiality	15%
Incident response	10%
Documentation and accountability	10%
Teamwork and communication	10%
Reliability and availability	10%
Acceptance of feedback	5%	Total	100%

23. Weekly Review Form

PROBATIONARY STAFF WEEKLY REVIEW

Candidate:
Registered account:
Probationary role:
Week:
Review period:
Mentor:
Secondary reviewer:

Support and communication:               /15
Policy accuracy:                         /10
Moderation and operational judgment:     /15
Security and confidentiality:            /15
Incident response:                       /10
Documentation and accountability:        /10
Teamwork and communication:              /10
Reliability and availability:            /10
Acceptance of feedback:                   /5

TOTAL:                                   /100

Actions reviewed:
Incidents handled:
Positive observations:
Errors:
Corrections:
Security concerns:
Conduct concerns:
Access concerns:
Required remediation:
Access change recommended:
Candidate comments:
Mentor recommendation:
Next review date:

24. Permission Review

Probationary access should be reviewed:

After the first week.
At the midpoint.
After any security incident.
After a role change.
After a serious mistake.
Before permanent appointment.
When probation is extended.
When the candidate becomes inactive.

The review should determine:

Is every permission still required?
Is any permission excessive?
Is any required permission missing?
Were permissions used correctly?
Are actions properly logged?
Should any access remain supervised?
Should any access be suspended?

25. Mistakes During Probation

When a probationary staff member makes a mistake:

Stop continuing harm.
Inform the mentor.
Correct the action where authorized.
Preserve the original record.
Document the correction.
Notify affected users appropriately.
Identify the cause.
Complete remediation.
Review whether access should change.

Factors include:

Severity.
Intent.
Honesty.
Harm.
Repetition.
Cooperation.
Security impact.
Whether the candidate exceeded authority.

26. Immediate Access Suspension

Probationary access should be suspended immediately when:

Credentials are exposed.
Access is shared.
A privileged device is compromised.
Private information is deliberately disclosed.
Evidence is falsified or destroyed.
Retaliation occurs.
Unauthorized high-risk commands are used.
The candidate accesses another system without authority.
A serious conflict is concealed.
The candidate refuses to stop unsafe conduct.
Continued access creates significant risk.

Suspension should be documented and reviewed by authorized management.

27. Security Incident Procedure

If probationary access may be compromised:

Stop using the affected access.
Notify management immediately.
Preserve relevant logs.
Rotate credentials.
Revoke exposed tokens or keys.
Review actions performed during the exposure period.
Secure the device.
Restore access only after approval.
Complete an incident report.
Review related accounts for password reuse.

28. Staff Complaints During Probation

A complaint against a probationary staff member should be:

Acknowledged.
Preserved.
Kept confidential.
Reviewed by an appropriate person.
Protected from retaliation.
Compared with action records.
Considered during the final evaluation.

The mentor should not dismiss a complaint merely to protect the candidate.

The candidate should not contact or pressure the complainant outside the approved process.

29. Conflicts of Interest

Probationary staff must disclose conflicts promptly.

When involved personally:

Protect against immediate harm if necessary.
Preserve evidence.
Step away from the final decision.
Notify the mentor.
Transfer the matter.
Avoid discussing private review details publicly.

Failure to disclose a serious conflict may prevent promotion.

30. Required Probation Experiences

Before permanent appointment, the candidate should complete:

[ ] At least ten meaningful support cases
[ ] At least three Services support cases
[ ] At least three documented moderation cases
[ ] At least one shared-host or ban-scope analysis
[ ] At least one policy or compliance case
[ ] At least one incident exercise or supervised incident
[ ] At least one incident timeline
[ ] At least one formal handover
[ ] At least one appeal or complaint simulation
[ ] At least one security exercise
[ ] At least four weekly mentor reviews for a 30-day probation
[ ] At least one midpoint access review
[ ] At least one secondary-review observation
[ ] A final access and conduct review

Equivalent simulations may be used when real incidents do not occur.

31. Midpoint Review

At the midpoint, the mentor and candidate should review:

Progress.
Weekly scores.
Required experiences.
Access usage.
Security conduct.
User feedback.
Staff feedback.
Mistakes and corrections.
Remaining weaknesses.
Suitability of the assigned role.
Whether probation should continue unchanged.

Possible midpoint outcomes:

Continue.
Continue with additional supervision.
Reduce access.
Expand low-risk duties.
Require remediation.
Change probationary role.
Pause or end probation.

32. Final Evaluation

At the end of probation:

DARKWORLD IRC FINAL PROBATION REVIEW

Candidate:
Registered account:
Probationary role:
Start date:
End date:
Total observed days:
Primary mentor:
Secondary reviewer:
Management reviewer:

Average weekly score:
Required experiences completed: Yes / No
Code of Conduct maintained: Yes / No
Security requirements maintained: Yes / No
Confidentiality maintained: Yes / No
Actions properly documented: Yes / No
Conflicts properly disclosed: Yes / No
Complaints resolved: Yes / No
Access used within scope: Yes / No

Support performance:
Moderation performance:
Policy knowledge:
Services knowledge:
Incident response:
Security:
Documentation:
Teamwork:
Reliability:
Acceptance of feedback:

Strongest areas:
Development areas:
Outstanding concerns:
Unresolved incidents:
Recommended permanent role:
Recommended permanent permissions:
Permissions to exclude:
Additional specialist training:
Final recommendation:

33. Final Outcomes

Outcome	Meaning
APPOINT PERMANENT STAFF	Candidate is suitable for a defined permanent DWIRC role
EXTEND PROBATION	More observation or remediation is required
REASSIGN ROLE	Candidate may be suitable for a different role
REDUCE ACCESS	Candidate may continue with narrower duties
RETURN TO TRAINING	Candidate must repeat specified modules or assessments
PAUSE	Evaluation cannot continue currently
END CANDIDACY	Candidate is not suitable for appointment

34. Promotion Requirements

For permanent appointment, the candidate should:

Complete at least the minimum probation period.
Achieve an average score of at least 80%.
Complete required experiences.
Demonstrate consistent reliability.
Protect credentials and private information.
Use access within scope.
Apply proportionate judgment.
Maintain accurate records.
Cooperate with staff.
Accept feedback.
Resolve or disclose conflicts.
Have no unresolved serious conduct concern.
Receive mentor recommendation.
Receive secondary review.
Receive management approval.

Management may require a higher standard for IRC operator, Services, security, or infrastructure roles.

35. Permanent Role Assignment

Permanent appointment should define:

Staff member:
Registered account:
Official title:
Team:
Operational responsibilities:
Approved public channels:
Approved restricted channels:
Approved Services permissions:
Approved bot or API permissions:
Approved operator permissions:
Server access:
Explicitly excluded permissions:
Reporting line:
Review schedule:
Appointment date:
Approved by:

“Full access” should not be used as a role description.

36. Permanent Access Activation

Before activating permanent access:

[ ] Final probation review approved
[ ] Role definition recorded
[ ] Permissions reviewed
[ ] Excess probation permissions removed
[ ] Required credentials generated securely
[ ] TLS and SASL verified
[ ] Additional authentication enabled where available
[ ] Logging confirmed
[ ] Emergency contacts confirmed
[ ] Staff channels updated
[ ] Documentation access updated
[ ] Next access-review date scheduled

37. Staff Announcement

If an appointment is announced publicly, the notice should include only:

Staff nickname or approved identity.
Assigned DWIRC role.
Relevant official team.
Effective date.
Appropriate welcome message.

It should not disclose:

Private evaluation scores.
Personal information.
Credentials.
Restricted access details.
Internal concerns.
Confidential training records.

Example:

DarkWorld IRC welcomes ExampleNick as a member of the Support Team following successful completion of the staff training and probation process.

38. Post-Appointment Review

A newly appointed staff member should receive an additional review after approximately 90 days.

The review should consider:

Performance after supervision was reduced.
Continued security compliance.
Use of access.
User and staff feedback.
Documentation quality.
Activity.
Training needs.
Whether permissions remain appropriate.
Suitability for specialist training.

Permanent appointment does not end accountability or access review.

39. Specialist Development

After successful appointment, staff may be considered for specialist programs such as:

IRC Operator Program.
Services Administration.
IRCd Administration.
Policy and Compliance.
Abuse and Security.
Relay Compliance.
Support Team Leadership.

DWShells, DWBouncers, and other DarkWorld projects should maintain separate training and access processes.

40. Candidate Acknowledgement

Before probation begins, the candidate should affirm:

I understand that probation is a supervised evaluation and does not guarantee
permanent staff appointment.

I will use only the permissions listed in my written access plan.

I will report mistakes, security concerns, credential exposure, and conflicts
of interest promptly.

I will protect user information, staff communications, incident evidence, and
all other confidential information.

I understand that my access may be restricted, suspended, or removed when
necessary to protect DarkWorld IRC.

Candidate:
Registered account:
Probationary role:
Start date:
Mentor:
Management approver:

41. Program Completion

The DarkWorld IRC Staff Training Program is considered successfully completed when:

[ ] Modules 1–10 completed
[ ] Staff Code of Conduct accepted
[ ] Security Declaration accepted
[ ] Final Written Examination passed
[ ] Final Practical Assessment passed
[ ] Trainee Evaluation passed
[ ] Probation completed
[ ] Final review approved
[ ] Permanent role defined
[ ] Access approved and recorded

42. Related Pages

Previous: Trainee Evaluation Program: DarkWorld IRC Staff Training Program

DWIRC:Staff Training/Probation