ezFedGrants Panel Creation and Management - USDA-APHIS › mrpbs › fmd › downloads › ezFedGrants … · panel, and/or (3) modify a panel within the ARP workflow. All panel creation

ezFedGrants Panel Creation and Management

Job Aid

Panel Creation and Management Job Aid 1/25 1/31/2017

Purpose

After applications have been received for competitive opportunities, the Application Review Process (ARP) must take place. This is a multi-step review performed by a team of reviewers called a “panel”. One panel may review many applications, and each application may have a different group of panel members. Each panel is created for a specific opportunity; however, there can be multiple panels for one opportunity. For more information on the ARP, please refer to your agency-specific reference guide. When managing a panel, you will take one of three primary actions: (1) create a panel, (2) manage a panel, and/or (3) modify a panel within the ARP workflow. All panel creation and management activities occur in the ezFedGrants External Portal. These actions are:

Creating a Panel: Involves selecting the individuals (Panel Members) who will serve on the panel and assigning their roles. Roles include Readers, Reviewers, Scribe, and Program Manager. Note that Panel Members are automatically assigned to any application assigned to that panel, but they can be edited.

Managing a Panel: Involves locating a panel in the system and adding or removing Panel Members, and reassigning or modifying the Scribe, Program Manager, and Reader/Reviewer assignments. These modifications will apply the revised panel assignments to all future applications that are assigned to that panel. Existing applications’ panel assignments will not change.

Modifying a Panel within the Workflow: Involves modifying panels for specific applications within the ARP workflow. The application will be in either the Application Decision, Conflict of Interest Summary, or Individual Review Summary stage in the Application Review Process (ARP). This type of modification only changes the panel assignments for that specific application and will not modify the overall panel template.

Trigger

Perform these procedures when you need to create a new panel, modify the future role assignments on an existing panel, or modify the panel role assignments for a single application.

Prerequisites

You must have access to the ezFedGrants External Portal with the appropriate permissions to create, manage, or modify panels. Depending on your agency, user role, and assignments, you may be able to perform only one or all of these actions. o Users who can create panels: Program Managers, Grants Specialists, or AGMOs. o Users who can manage panels: Program Managers, Grants Specialists, or AGMOs (for all

panels in his/her associated program), and Panel Managers (only for panels assigned to that user).

o Users who can modify panels within a workflow: Program Managers listed on that panel.

In order to create a panel, an ARP-relevant opportunity must exist. This is determined when the opportunity is created. The user that creates the panel for this opportunity must be a part of the same program as the opportunity. The opportunity is specified during panel creation on the Create Panel screen.

Users with the Reviewer role must have indicated their availability to join panels. These users can be either internal or external users. The users must have checked the I want to be considered as a reviewer for future panels checkbox on their User Profile screens. If a user has not


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checked this checkbox, they will not appear in the Panel Member dropdown menus. More information on this is outlined in the ezFedGrants External Portal section of the agency-specific reference guides and the ezFedGrants External Portal User Profile Management job aid.

Menu Path Use the following menu path to begin this procedure:

FMMI Portal > Grantor Management > Business Activity > Grants and Agreement Management > Grants and Agreement Management External Portal

Helpful Hints

When creating a panel, note the associated Opportunity ID before beginning the procedure, as the Opportunity ID is a required field on the Create Panel screen.

When selecting users for panel roles you will need to click in the role field and press the down arrow or space bar key on your keyboard to display the dropdown menu for that role. You can also begin to type into the field and any matching options will appear. The Panel Members field also includes a Search button.

The usernames displayed in the dropdown menus in this job aid are based on system test data. When you are selecting users for your panels you will see your user’s actual ezFedGrants usernames (e.g. John Doe).

On certain screens you may need to scroll to view additional data fields.

Workflows vary by agency and office. Consult your agency-specific reference guide for more information.

Certain screenshots may display only a portion of the screen. Note that when working within a system, only the center body of the screen will change. The navigation options along the left side of the screen and the header bar across the top of the screen will remain the same.

Note: Data used in this procedure is a representative sample for the purpose of training. Actual data may vary based on agency and scenario.


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Procedure

I. Creating a Panel: 1. Start the procedure by navigating to the ezFedGrants External Portal Home screen.

2. Click the Panels link in the navigation bar.


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3. Click the Create Panel link from the Panels dropdown menu to open the Create Panel Screen.

Note: The options on the Panels dropdown menu will vary based on your user role, agency, and permissions.

4. On the Create Panel screen, click the Opportunity field and select the relevant opportunity from the Opportunity dropdown menu. As a panel creator, you will only be able to select from opportunities associated with your program. This field is required in order to create a panel.


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5. Click the Panel Name field and type a descriptive name for the panel. This field is required in order to create a panel and will be used later when searching for panels.

6. If you would like to assign an individual to manage this panel, click the Panel Manager field, press the down arrow key on your keyboard, and select the relevant individual from the Panel Manager dropdown menu. This field is not required.

Note: Panel Managers are able to manage panel role assignments for panels that they are assigned to, but this is their only role within the panel. Panel Managers cannot also be panel members (Reviewers/Readers).


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7. To assign a Scribe to this panel, click the Scribe field, press the down arrow key on your keyboard, and select the relevant individual from the Scribe dropdown menu. Although the Scribe assignment is not required for panel creation, a Scribe must be assigned in order to submit the application to Consensus Review.

Note: Scribes are responsible for submitting the Consensus Scorecard in the final stage of the ARP. Users assigned as Scribes may also be assigned as Reviewers/Readers for the same panel. Only one Scribe can be assigned per panel.

8. To add a Program Manager to the panel, click the + (Add a row) icon to add a new row to the Program Manager list. Program Managers are responsible for approval of all panel reviews in each stage of the ARP. This is a required field in order to create a panel.


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9. Click in the new field you created in step eight, press the down arrow key on your keyboard, and select the relevant individual to be the Program Manager from the Program Manager dropdown menu.

A panel can have more than one Program Manager, and all Program Manager-relevant work items will be sent to all Program Managers for that panel. Repeat steps eight and nine to add any additional Program Managers to this panel.

Note: To remove a Program Manager from the Program Manager list, click the X button to the immediate right of the relevant field.


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10. To begin adding Panel Members to the panel, click the Panel Member field, press the down arrow key on your keyboard, and select the individual you would like to assign as a Panel Member from the Panel Member dropdown menu.

You can also click the Search button to access a search for users available to be assigned as Panel Members.

Panel Members are assigned Reviewer and Reader roles. Reviewers provide comments and scores during the Individual Review stage of the ARP, while Readers only provide comments.

Note: There must be at least one Reviewer or one Panel Manager assigned to the panel in order to create the panel.


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11. Once you have selected the individual you would like to add as a Panel Member, click the Add button to the right of the Panel Member field. This will add the selected individual to the Reader list.

12. To move a Panel Member from the Reader list to the Reviewer list, click on the username of the Panel Member you would like to move. This will move the individual from the Reader list to the Reviewer list. As mentioned above, Reviewers provide scores for the applications they are reviewing, whereas Readers only provide comments.

Repeat steps 10-12 to add as many Readers/Reviewers as you need for your panel.

Note: To remove a Panel Member entirely from the panel, click the X button to the right of the relevant individual’s username.


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13. Click the Create button to create and save the panel. This will create the unique Panel ID for this panel. The Panel ID is searchable and can be used to locate the panel later.

Note: The system will display an error message when attempting to create/save if the following minimum required sections are not completed:

Opportunity field

Panel Name field

The Program Manager and at least one Panel Manager or Reviewer must be assigned at this time. Additional assignments will be required later in the process.

The user assigned as Panel Manager cannot also be assigned as a Panel Member.


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II. Managing a Panel: The following procedure can be used to manage (or modify) a panel. Any modifications made to the panel using this procedure will change the panel structure and assignments for future applications that are assigned to that panel. Program Managers, Grants Specialists, AGMOs, and Panel Managers are able to manage panels in this way. When modifying the panel, at least one Panel Manager or one Reviewer must be selected in order for the changes to be saved successfully. On the Manage Panel screen the Opportunity, Panel Name, and Panel ID fields are read-only and cannot be edited. The fields that can be edited are:

Scribe

Panel Manager

Program Manager

Panel Members (Readers and Reviewers) 1. To begin, click the Panels link in the navigation bar of the ezFedGrants External Portal Home

screen.


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2. On the Panels dropdown menu, click the Manage Panels link to open the Manage Panel Screen.

3. On the Manage Panels screen, use the available search criteria fields to search for the panel you would like to edit.


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4. After entering one or more search criteria, click the Search button to execute the search. In the below example, the user used the panel ID assigned to the panel when it was initially created.

5. Locate the relevant panel in the Panel Search Results table and click the Manage button on the far right of the row for that panel. This will open the Manage Panel screen for that panel.

Note: If a panel has been assigned to review an application, there will not be a Manage button for that panel. Instead, there will be a View button, and the Application ID column will include the relevant Application ID for the application currently assigned to the panel. No changes can be made to panels currently reviewing an application from the Manage Panel screen. If a change is required for a panel currently engaged in the ARP, the Program Manager (panel approver) must make these changes using the process for managing panels within the ARP workflow. This is described in section III of this job aid.


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6. Use steps six and seven as follows to modify the Scribe and/or Panel Manager assignments. Click the Scribe or Panel Manager field and press the down arrow key on your keyboard to view the list of users available to assign to that role.

Note: This will modify the Scribe or Panel Manager assignments for all future applications assigned to this panel. This will not alter the role assignments for previously assigned applications.

7. From the dropdown menu, select the user you would like to assign to the Scribe or Panel Manager role.


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8. Follow steps eight and nine to assign a new or additional Program Manager to the panel. First, click the + (Add a row) icon to add a new row to the Program Manager list. You must add a new row whether you are replacing an existing Program Manager or adding an additional Program Manager. As demonstrated in step eight and nine of section I (Creating a Panel), a new field will appear in the Program Manager list. Click the new field, press the down arrow key on your keyboard and select the individual you would like to assign as Program Manager from the dropdown menu.

Note: Panels may have more than one Program Manager. All Program Manager-relevant work items will be sent to all Program Managers for that panel. Repeat the above procedure to add as many additional Program Managers as you need.

9. To remove a user from the Program Manager list, click the X button to the right of the user’s username. If you are replacing a Program Manager, you must both add the new user and remove the old user.


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10. Follow steps 10-13 below to add new Panel Members, remove Panel Members, or switch Panel Members between Reader and Reviewer roles. To add a new Panel Member, click the Panel Member field and press the down arrow key on your keyboard to display the Panel Member dropdown menu.

11. Select the appropriate user from the Panel Member dropdown menu.

Note: You can also click the Search button to access a search for users available to be assigned as Panel Members.


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12. Once you have located the user you would like to add as a Panel Member, click the Add button to the right of the Panel Member field. This will add the selected user to the Reader list.

13. To move a Panel Member from the Reader list to the Reviewer list, click the username of the Panel Member you would like to move. This will remove the Panel Member from the Reader list and add them to the Reviewer list and vice versa. Repeat steps 10-13 in this section to add additional Panel Members.

Note: To remove a Panel Member from either the Reader or Reviewer list, click the X button to the right of the user’s username.


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14. Once you have made all of your desired changes, click the Save button in the top right corner of the Manage Panel screen.

Note: If any required fields or assignments are missing, the system will display an error message and prevent you from saving successfully.

15. Once your changes have saved successfully (note the bolded message confirming the successful save in the screenshot below), click the Close button to close the Manage Panel screen.


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III. Modifying a Panel within the ARP Workflow: Once a panel has been assigned an application to review, only Program Managers are able to adjust certain panel role assignments at three specific stages of the ARP. These stages and associated screens on which the Program Manager may make these adjustments are:

Application Decision screen: This screen appears when the panel is assigned an application before the start of the ARP. On this screen Panel Members can be added or removed, Reader/Reviewer assignments can be altered, and a new Scribe can be chosen.

Conflict of Interest (COI) Summary screen: This screen appears when reviewing COI responses during the ARP, prior to sending the application to the Individual Review stage of the ARP. On this screen Panel Members can be removed, Reader/Reviewer assignments can be altered, and a new Scribe can be chosen. New Panel Members cannot be added at this time.

Individual Review Summary screen: This screen appears when reviewing the Panel Member responses from the Individual Review stage of the ARP, prior to sending the application to the Consensus Review stage of the ARP. On this screen Panel Members can be removed and a new Scribe can be chosen. New Panel Members cannot be added at this time. Note that the system will display the option to change Reader/Reviewer roles on this screen, but changes made to Reader/Reviewer roles here will not save in the system.

Note: In the following section the Individual Review Summary screen has been used as an example of modifying a panel within the ARP workflow. However, these steps can be replicated when modifying panels from the Application Decision and COI Summary screens as well. Please refer to the above screen summaries for a description of which modifications can and cannot be made at each stage of the ARP. Additionally, if you are adding Panel Members on the Application Decision screen, please refer to the previous sections of this job aid for guidance on adding Panel Members. 1. Click the Pending Applications tile on the ezFedGrants External Portal Home screen.

Note: If you have a Reviewer role in addition to your normal user role in the ezFedGrants External Portal, you will use your normal role for this procedure.


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2. When you click the Pending Application link, the Applications for Last 90 Days popup window will appear. In the bottom left corner of this window, click the View All Pending Applications link to open the All Applications Pending Approval screen.

On the All Applications Pending Approval screen, shown below, locate the application that has been assigned to the panel you would like to modify. Click the Application ID link for the relevant application in the Application ID column.

Once you click the Application ID link, one of the three screens referenced at the beginning of this section will open, depending on the current stage of the ARP. From that screen, you will be able to both make modification to panel role assignments and make a decision on the application to move it along the ARP workflow.

Note: If an application has not reached a stage associated with one of the three screens referenced above, you will not see the application in your worklist. It is only when you need to take action on an application (and move it along the ARP workflow) that you will be able to access the application and modify the panel role assignments.


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3. To change the Scribe, click the Scribe field and press the down arrow key on your keyboard to view the Scribe dropdown menu. Scribe role is only relevant during the Consensus Scorecard stage of the ARP, as the individual in this role submits the Consensus Score Card after offline panel discussions.

Note: You can change the Scribe during any of the three possible modification stages of the ARP.

4. Select the user you would like to assign as the new Scribe from the Scribe dropdown menu.


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5. To move Panel Members between the Reader and Reviewer roles, click the username of the user you would like to move in either list. This will remove them from the current list and add them to the other list.

For example, in the below screenshot, when the user “SEFO SEFO-ST-P-GR-Proc” is clicked, he/she will be removed from the Reviewer list and added to the Reader list. Remember, your screen will display your actual user’s username (e.g. John Doe), not the system test data usernames used for these examples.

Note: You must have at least a Panel Manager or one Reviewer in order to move the panel to the next stage of the ARP. At a later point in the workflow, additional role assignments will be required.


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6. To remove a Panel Member from the panel, click the X button to the right of the user’s username.

Note: On the Application Decision screen, when an application is first assigned to a panel, the Program Manager will also be able to add Panel Members. This is the final opportunity to add Panel Members. Once the ARP advances beyond this point, Panel Members can only be modified (switched between Reader/Reviewer) or removed from the panel.


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7. Once you have made any desired modifications and are ready to submit the panel/application to the next stage of the ARP, click the relevant button in the top right corner of the Application screen.

Note: It is not possible to save and return to this screen. It is also not possible to make panel changes only without taking action on an application. You must either abandon your changes (by clicking the Close button), or make all panel changes and send the application/panel to the next stage of the ARP at this point. However, if you are on the Application Decision screen, you can select the Consider Pending Panel Assignment option from the dropdown menu of panel actions to successfully adjust panel roles without advancing the ARP.

The button and/or action needed to move the panel/application to the next stage of the ARP will vary based on the stage in the ARP workflow. In the below example, the Program Manager would review the Individual Review Summary and make any adjustments to the panel, then he/she will then click the Send to Consensus button to send the panel/application to the Consensus Review stage of the ARP.

From the Application Decision screen, the user would select the panel to assign the application to from a dropdown menu and click the Submit button to initiate the ARP for that application. From the COI Summary screen, the user would select the appropriate action for the application/panel based on the COI summary information. If the COI summary information is satisfactory, the user would select the Send to Individual Review option from a dropdown menu of available ARP/panel actions in order to send the application to the next stage of the ARP.

For more information on the various ARP stages, please refer to the other ARP job aids and your agency-specific reference guide.


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Comments

Refer to the following additional materials:

ezFedGrants Agency-Specific Reference Guides

ezFedGrants ARP – Individual Review Summary Approval Job Aid

ezFedGrants ARP – Individual Review Completion Job Aid

ezFedGrants ARP – Approval of Consensus Scorecard after Panel Approval Job Aid

ezFedGrants ARP – Approval of COI Summary Job Aid

Documents

ezFedGrants Panel Creation and Management - USDA-APHIS › mrpbs › fmd › downloads › ezFedGrants … · panel, and/or (3) modify a panel within the ARP workflow. All panel creation