Working with Organizations
Topics
Adding a Level to an Organization Structure
When you set up your organization in Civic Platform, you define up to six organization levels. The main level is the service provider. Civic Platform provides this value when you implement Civic Platform. Your service provider code is a unique code that distinguishes your agency from all other jurisdictions for which Civic Platform is the service provider. You cannot change this value.
You can define these six levels:
Agency. You determine this value for one or more agencies that you set up. When you search for departments within Civic Platform, this is the first level within an organization structure you can select. You also use your agency name when you log in to Civic Platform.
Bureau. An organization level within an agency.
Division. An organization level within a bureau.
Section. An organization level within a division.
Group. An organization level within a section.
Office. An organization level within a group. An office is the final level within an organization structure. You cannot add a branch to this organization level.
Note:When you set up an organization structure, you must include all six levels, or branches. Even if you do not use the lower organization levels, you should add an “NA” branch for each level to include in the structure.
Examples:
Metroville > building > na > na > na > na > na > Counter Technicians
Metroville > building > inspections > na > na > na > na > Inspectors
Metroville > buidling > na > na > na > na > Inspections > Inspectors
Civic Platform uses this structure in two places:
To identify the department assigned to the Task in a process stack
To assign a user to a department
When a user does anything, Civic Platform inserts not only the user name but also the assigned department. Also, when assigning inspections or tasks, the manager can look up the department and select a user in that department to do the required inspection or task.
To set up a hierarchy among departments, you can define branches within each branch.
Here is an example of a typical setup:
Your Civic Platform implementation specialist defines the Service Provider as the main agency when during your initial system set up.
Add the first level to the main agency. Usually, this level matches or is equal to the available modules turned on for Civic Platform. For example, if you had Building, Enforcement, and Planning modules, you can add three levels to the Agency called Building, Enforcement, and Planning.
Add under each first level a level called Bureau. The setup looks like this example: Metroville > Building > Inspections Metroville > Enforcement > Inspections Metroville > Planning > Inspections
Add additional levels to the Bureau level. For example, in Building you might have Inspections, Counter, BuildingAdmins, and Cashier. The setup looks like this example: Metroville > Building > Inspections Metroville > Building > Counter Metroville > Building > BuildingAdmins Metroville > Building > Cashier
Each agency could have multiple nodes at the Bureau level. Enforcement might have Inspections, Counter, BuildingAdmins, or Cashier. The setup looks like this example: Metroville > Enforcement > Inspections Metroville > Enforcement > Counter Metroville > Enforcement > BuildingAdmins Metroville > Enforcement > Cashier
When you have no more levels to add, use NA.
To add a level to an organization structure
Access the Classic Administration page (Accessing Classic Administration).
Choose User .
Civic Platform displays the Set Up Organization page with links to each organization level.
Click the link to the appropriate level to which you want to add a branch. For example, click Metroville.
Civic Platform displays a list of all of the branches embedded within a level. For example, if you click the link to a specific agency, Civic Platform displays a list of all of the bureaus defined for that agency.
Continue to click the link to the next level as needed to add a branch to that level.
For example, to add an office to a group, click the link to the agency, then the link to the bureau, then the link to the division, then the link to the section. Lastly, click the link to the group to which you want to add the office branch.
Click Add.
Civic Platform displays an Add Branch window, where you can view the current level of the branch you are about to add.
Complete these fields:
Name Enter the name of the branch that helps to identify it. Description Enter a description of the branch that helps to identify its purpose. Status If you want the branch to be available in Civic Platform, select Enable; otherwise, select Disable. Click Add.
Establishing an Organization Structure
After you identify the branches for each organization level in your agency, you can set up an organization structure. An organization structure, similar to a department, identifies a certain group of staff members. When a user searches for departments in Civic Platform, they can find the organization structures you have set up.
Note:
Before you can define a new organization structure, you must define branches and include all six levels of organization branches within the structure. To set up branches, see Adding a Level to an Organization Structure. |
To establish an organization structure
Access the Classic Administration page (Accessing Classic Administration).
Choose User .
Civic Platform displays the Set Up Organization page with links to each organization level.
Note:Your service provider code shows up as a link under the Service Provider heading.
Click the link to the agency you want to include in your organization structure.
Civic Platform displays a list of all of the bureaus within the agency.
Click the link to the bureau you want to include in your organization structure.
Civic Platform displays a list of all of the divisions within the bureau.
Click the link to the division you want to include in your organization structure.
Civic Platform displays a list of all of the sections within the division.
Click the link to the section you want to include in your organization structure.
Civic Platform displays a list of all of the groups within the section.
Click the link to the group you want to include in your organization structure.
Civic Platform displays a list of all of the offices within the group.
Click the link to the office you want to include in your organization structure.
Click Add.
Civic Platform displays an Add Structure screen. In this window, you can view the definition of the structure you are about to add.
Complete these fields:
Description Enter a unique description for the structure. Status If you want the structure to be available in Civic Platform, select Enable; otherwise, select Disable. Click Add.
Editing an Organization Structure
After you add an organization structure to Civic Platform, you might need to change the description. You might also need to disable a structure that represents an obsolete department within your agency.
Note:
Because departments link directly to tasks, if you change a department name, you must rework every related task and associated user in Civic Platform. Accela recommends that you do not change organization names. |
It is best practice to inform users of any departments that you disable. Departments affect many areas of the Civic Platform system, including conditions, workflow, and inspections. If users try to use a disabled department, Civic Platform displays a message informing them that the department is not active and to contact their agency administrator.
To edit an organization structure
Access the Classic Administration page (Accessing Classic Administration).
Choose User .
Civic Platform displays a list of structures at the bottom of the window.
In the list of structures, click the red dot that appears next to the structure you want to edit.
Civic Platform displays the Edit Structure pop‑up window. In this window, you can view the definition of the structure you are about to edit.
Update these fields:
Description Enter a unique description for the structure. Status If you want the structure to be available in Civic Platform, select Enable; otherwise, select Disable. Click Update.
Establishing an Organization Alias
An organization contains six organization levels. If enabled, you can have the option to specify a department name alias. Aliases enable you to replace a multi-level organization description with an abbreviated and descriptive alias, such as Records Department.
After you establish an alias, users can choose from a list of organization aliases when selecting a department in these situations:
Assigning a workflow task
Creating a new user
Scheduling an inspection
Assigning an inspection
Looking up inspection statistics
Applying conditions
Updating the workflow status for a set of applications
Creating a tickler
Note:If you choose not to establish an alias for an organization structure, Civic Platform displays the 6-level combined version of the department name when users search for a department.
You must establish an organizational structure before you can apply an alias to the structure. For instructions, see Establishing an Organization Structure.
To establish an organization alias
Access the Classic Administration page (Accessing Classic Administration).
Choose User .
Civic Platform displays the Set Up Organization page.
Scroll down the page to display the list of organizational structures.
Click the red dot that appears to the left of the organization structure you want.
Civic Platform displays the Edit Organization Structure window.
Complete this field:
Department Enter a unique alias that clearly represents the organization structure. Click Update.
Editing an Organization Level
After you add a branch to an organization level, you might need to change the branch description. You can enable and disable branches in your organization as needed.
It is best practice to inform users of departments that you disable. Departments effect many areas of the Civic Platform system including conditions, workflow, and inspections, for example. If users try to use a disabled department, Civic Platform displays a message informing them that the department is not active and to contact their agency administrator.
To edit an organization level
Access the Classic Administration page (Accessing Classic Administration).
Choose User .
Civic Platform displays the Set Up Organization page with links to each organization level.
Click the link to the appropriate level for which you want to edit a branch.
Civic Platform displays a list of all of the branches embedded within a level. For example, if you click the link to a specific agency, Civic Platform displays a list of all of the bureaus defined for that agency.
Continue to click the link to the next level as needed to edit a branch at that level.
Click the link to the agency > the link to the bureau > the link to the division > the link to the section. Lastly, click the link to the group where you want to edit that branch.
Click the red dot that appears next to the branch you want to edit.
Civic Platform displays an Edit Branch pop‑up window. In this window, you can view the current level and the name of the branch you are about to edit.
Update these fields:
Description Enter a description of the branch that helps to identify its purpose. Status If you want the branch to be available in Civic Platform, select Enable; otherwise, select Disable. Click Update.