Overview
This release introduces a collaborative workflow for assessment plan reviews. This update provides institutions with greater flexibility and administrative oversight by allowing multiple reviewers per organization and an optional final approval step.
Collaborative Assessment Plan Reviews
This updated feature provides a flexible, multi-stage workflow designed to improve the quality and efficiency of the feedback process. Instead of relying on a single individual, institutions can now assign multiple reviewers to a shared queue for any organization, ensuring that reviews are completed faster and without bottlenecks. Additionally, administrators can enable an optional final approval step, which allows a designated lead to verify and refine feedback before it is officially released to the submitting organization.
Managing Reviewers
Administrators can assign more than one reviewer to an assessment plan review for the same organization. This creates a shared queue where any assigned reviewer can pick up and complete a review.
- Flexible Assignments: Administrators can add, edit, or remove reviewers at any time, even after a review has been created.
- Reviewer Removal: If a reviewer is removed, the system retains existing data according to standard protocols.
Configuring Final Approval
A new Require Final Approval setting is available. This setting is off by default. When enabled, reviews submitted by initial reviewers are routed to a Final Approver for a second look before feedback is released to the submitting organization.
- Assigning a Final Approver: Administrators can search for and assign one Final Approver by name or email. Eligible users include administrators and contributors.
- Modifying Approvers: The Final Approver can be changed or removed at any time. A confirmation prompt appears if an administrator replaces an approver who has already started their work.
Reviewer and Final Approver Tools
Reviewers access assigned reviews through email notifications or the Home page under Service and Committee Involvement.
- Review Cards: These cards display a summary of progress, including counts for organizations waiting for submission, currently in review, in final approval, or complete.
- Filter Options: Reviewers can toggle between All Reviews and My Reviews to focus on personal assignments.
- Continuous Workflow: The Start the next review after submitting option automatically loads the next organization's review to save time.
Review Actions and Tools
- Save and Continue: Reviewers and Final Approvers can save work in progress to prevent data loss.
- Concurrent Review Protection: When a reviewer is active, a lock indicator appears to other reviewers to prevent conflicting edits.
- Final Edits: The Final Approver can view all ratings and feedback from initial reviewers, make necessary edits, and add comments.
- Shortcut for Dual Roles: If a user is both the initial reviewer and the Final Approver, the Approve and send now option skips the separate approval step.
Tracking and Notifications
Once a review is finished, reviewers and the Final Approver have a read-only view of the finalized feedback, including criteria ratings, comments, and attachments.
- CSV Exports: The Plan Review Rubric Results CSV export includes an Approved By column to identify the Final Approver for each record.
The system manages communication through the following automated alerts:
- Reviewer Notifications: Assigned reviewers receive an email when a plan review is launched or an organization submits a plan.
- Final Approver Notifications: A configurable notification, Assessment Plan Review – Final Approver Emails, alerts the Final Approver when an initial review is ready. This is enabled by default under Admin > Notifications > Planning.