Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions organized by role. If your question is not listed here, please contact the portal administrator.
General Questions
Q: What is the PIDE Internship Portal?
The PIDE Internship Portal is a web-based system for managing the complete lifecycle of internship programs at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics. It handles intern registration, profile management, task assignment, daily logs, attendance, evaluations, reports, and certificate generation.
Q: How do I access the portal?
Visit the portal URL in your web browser. Interns register through the public registration page. Employees are created by the administrator and receive an activation email.
Q: What browsers are supported?
The portal works on all modern browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. We recommend using the latest version for the best experience.
Q: I forgot my password. How do I reset it?
Contact your administrator who can send you a password reset link via email. The reset link expires after 24 hours. Alternatively, if you can still log in, go to your user menu and select "Change Password".
Q: My session expired. What should I do?
Simply log in again. Sessions have a configurable timeout period for security. Any unsaved work may be lost when a session expires, so it is recommended to save your work frequently.
For Interns
Q: How do I register as an intern?
Go to the registration page (/register) during an open internship session. Fill in your name, email, CNIC, university, and program. You will receive a verification email after registration.
Q: Why can't I see the registration page?
Registration is only available when an internship session is open. If no session is currently accepting registrations, the page will not be accessible. Contact the administration for information about upcoming sessions.
Q: I didn't receive the verification email. What should I do?
Check your spam/junk folder. If you still cannot find it, contact the portal administrator who can resend the verification email.
Q: How do I complete my profile?
After logging in for the first time, you will be automatically redirected to the Profile Wizard. Complete all steps (personal info, contact details, academic info, research interests, documents). You can save as draft and return later.
Q: Can I edit my profile after completing the wizard?
Yes, you can view your profile from the "My Profile" page. However, some fields may be locked after completion. Contact the administrator if you need to update locked fields.
Q: What documents do I need to upload?
Typically: CNIC copy, university recommendation letter, CV/resume, and passport-size photograph. Specific requirements may vary by session. Check the document upload step in the wizard for exact requirements.
Q: What file formats are accepted for document upload?
PDF, JPG, JPEG, and PNG formats are accepted. Maximum file size is configured by the administrator. If you receive a file size error, try compressing your document.
Q: How do I submit a daily log?
Go to Daily Logs → Create New. Fill in the date, activities, hours worked, challenges, and notes. You can save as draft or submit directly. Once submitted, your supervisor will review it.
Q: My daily log was rejected. Can I resubmit?
If the status is "Rejected", you cannot resubmit. However, if the status is "Revision Requested", you can edit the log and resubmit. Check the supervisor's comments for guidance on what needs to be changed.
Q: How do I check my attendance?
Go to the Attendance page. You can see your check-in/check-out records, hours worked, and approval status. Use the "Check In" and "Check Out" buttons to record your daily attendance.
Q: I forgot to check in today. What should I do?
Contact your supervisor. Supervisors can manually add attendance entries on your behalf.
Q: When will I receive my certificate?
Certificates are generated by the administration after your internship is marked as "Completed" and all requirements are met. You will be able to download it from the portal once it is issued.
For Supervisors
Q: How do I see my assigned interns?
Your dashboard shows all interns assigned to you. You can also view them from the Interns page (if you have the interns.view permission).
Q: How do I assign a task to an intern?
Go to Tasks → Create New. Select the intern, fill in the task title, description, due date, and priority. The intern will be notified immediately.
Q: Can I assign tasks to interns not under my supervision?
No. You can only create tasks for interns who are assigned to you. This is enforced by the system for data integrity.
Q: How do I approve a daily log?
Go to Daily Logs, find the log you want to review, and click "Approve". You can also "Reject" (with comments) or "Request Revision" if changes are needed.
Q: Can I undo an approval?
No. Once a daily log is approved, it becomes permanently read-only. If you are unsure, use "Request Revision" first so the intern can make corrections before final approval.
Q: How do I evaluate an intern's performance?
Go to Evaluations → Create New. Select the intern, rate them on the defined criteria, add comments, and submit. You can create multiple evaluations per intern (mid-term, final, etc.).
Q: Can I add attendance for an intern who forgot to check in?
Yes. Go to the Attendance page, select the intern, and use the "Add Entry" option to manually record their attendance.
Q: How can I see reports for my interns?
If you have the reports.supervisor_own permission, go to My Reports in the sidebar. You can view and export reports filtered to your assigned interns.
For Administrators & Coordinators
Q: How do I create a new user?
Go to Users → Create User. Fill in the name, email, department, and assign roles. The user will receive an activation email.
Q: How do I import multiple users at once?
Go to Users → Import. Upload a CSV file with the required columns (name, email, department, role). The system validates each row and creates inactive accounts.
Q: How do I create a new internship session?
Go to Sessions → Create. Define the session name, start date, end date, and registration window. Once created, interns can register during the open window.
Q: How do I allocate an intern to a research center?
Go to Interns, find the intern, and click "Allocate". Select the research center/section from the dropdown. The intern must have a 100% complete profile before allocation.
Q: How do I assign a supervisor to an intern?
Go to Interns, find the allocated intern, and click "Assign Supervisor". Select a PIDE employee from the dropdown. The system validates against circular hierarchy.
Q: How do I generate certificates?
Go to Certificates → Generate. Select eligible interns (status: "Completed") and generate certificates. Each certificate gets a unique PIP-ID. After generation, review and issue the certificates.
Q: How do I configure the portal settings?
Go to Settings (requires settings.manage permission). You can configure general settings, security policies, SMTP email, document upload limits, and intern wizard steps.
Q: How do I manage roles and permissions?
Go to Roles to create/edit/archive roles. Go to Permissions to manage individual permissions. Use the Role Matrix for a visual overview of which permissions each role has.
Q: Can I add a new permission to the system?
Yes. Go to Permissions → Create. Define the permission slug (format: module.action), name, and module. Then assign it to roles via the Role Matrix.
Q: How do I view the audit trail?
Go to Audit Logs (requires audit_logs.view permission). You can search and filter audit entries by user, action, entity type, and date range.
Q: How do I force-logout all users?
Click your user avatar in the top-right corner and select "Sign out all users". Confirm the action. This terminates all active sessions except yours. Use this for security incidents or major maintenance.
Q: How do I run database migrations?
Go to Migrations (requires settings.manage permission). You can view migration status and run pending migrations from the browser. Alternatively, use the CLI: php cli/run_migrations.php
Technical Questions
Q: Is my data secure?
Yes. The portal implements multiple security measures: CSRF protection on all forms, prepared statements for all database queries (preventing SQL injection), output escaping (preventing XSS), secure session cookies, HTTP security headers, login throttling, and audit logging of all actions.
Q: What happens to my data if my account is deactivated?
Your data is preserved but you cannot log in. An administrator can reactivate your account at any time.
Q: Can I have multiple roles?
Yes, users can hold multiple roles (e.g., Coordinator + Supervisor). However, the Intern role is exclusive — an account with the Intern role cannot hold any other role.
Q: How long does a password reset link remain valid?
Password reset tokens expire after 24 hours. If the link expires, request a new one from the administrator.
Q: Can I access the portal on my mobile phone?
Yes. The portal is responsive and works on mobile devices. The sidebar collapses into a hamburger menu on smaller screens.
Contact & Support
For technical issues or questions not covered in this guide:
- Email: muhammad.usman@pide.org.pk
- Website: pide.org.pk
- Address: Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, QA U Campus, Islamabad