Enquire’s new configurable grant assessment workflows were introduced in the latest system release. This new capability includes the ability for clients to customise assessment workflows and introduces the Application Stage smart component.
Enquire currently provides clients the ability to assess and track grant applications via the 4 step Application Approval Workflow on the Project Applications tab in My Group. This workflow forces the application to be updated by assigned users prior to being activated as a reportable project.
The new workflow features provide further flexibility allowing clients to build multiple workflows which can be assigned to projects within grant rounds. This caters for the situation where a group of projects under a grant round may require one series of steps prior to approval while another grant project is assessed differently.
Enquire Assessment Workflows
In Enquire an assessment workflow determines the steps, tasks and staff involved to review and approve a submitted grant application. Your organisation may use different workflows for specific grant rounds.
This can be useful in assessing internal versus external applications or in the case an application requires an additional assessment stage by an external assessor as grant funding is jointly provided by your organisation and a partner organisation.
Workflows have 3 different options:
- Form: Allows user allocated to this step to update and view a particular form by a due date. This step can be configured to permit or restrict users’ ability to skip this step.
- Alert: Triggers a customised alert to relevant people when this step is reached.
- Stage: Provides the ability to assign a particular stage to an application at a point in the workflow, such as “Initial Assessment Complete” and “Moderation and Approval” stages.
A simple example workflow using each of these options looks like this:
- Application submission alert
- Application form presented for review
- Application ready for financial review alert
- Form presented for financial review
- Application Stage changed to Phase 1 approved
Setting up Workflows
Workflows require configuration by your system administrator before they can be used to assess grant applications. Enquire has developed an Application Stage smart component to assist clients using the existing Application Approval Workflow to migrate to the new system.
1 – My Group > Create Application Stages
Stages are created through the Project Applications tab and can be used in the existing Application Approval Workflow and within Assessment Workflows.
2 – My Group > Configure Application Stage Smart Component
Project Templates define the Application Stages available when creating a workflow through the Application Stage smart component. When this is added to a project template, you can set the application stages available to the workflows through a stage step.
3 – My Group > Create User Defined Components
Create any User Defined Components (UDCs) and fields you may want to use in your Assessment Forms to customise data collected, how it is verified, validated and processed. Remember to add these new UDCs to the relevant Project Template.
4 – My Group > Create Assessment Forms
Enquire’s Form Builder can be used to create assessment forms that are used by internal and external assessors within a workflow. All assessment forms are built based on a Project Template.
5 – My Group > Build and Activate Workflow
The Workflows tab allows you to easily customise your assessment workflows integrating your Application Stages and Assessment Forms. You can also restrict or provide assessors the ability to skip, reassign or request amendments on form steps to ensure applications are rigorously assessed. A workflow must be activated before it can be used.
6 – Round > Apply Workflow
Workflows can be applied to existing internal or published grants and are used to assess any new applications that are entered manually or submitted through your grant Applicant Portal.
7 – Application > Use Workflow
Assigned users can begin assessing applications using the steps defined in the relevant workflow. Assessors can update the workflow by assessing the application or skip the current workflow step. When the application is assessed, it can be activated as a reportable project.
What’s Changed?
Existing grant applications will continue using the existing 4-step Application Approval Workflow. The 4-step Application Approval Workflow will remain available for a limited period after the introduction of Enquire’s new grant Assessment Workflows and will still be managed through the Project Applications tab. Enquire has migrated the existing 4-step workflows as Application Stages within the new workflow features.
A new Workflow tab will be available under My Group, from here you can create new workflows and archive older ones as assessment requirements change.
Once a workflow has been applied to a grant round, new applications will be assessed through the workflow’s steps. The Project Tracking table will then be replaced with the Workflow Tracking section.
Assessment workflows provides clients the ability to customise and track the assessment process and offers the flexibility to change grant assessment workflows as business processes and requirements change over time.
More information and detailed instructions about these features can be found on the Enquire help site. Contact our Help Desk or call us on +61 7 3846 1555 for more information and assistance.
