Projects

Purpose: The Project module can help with tracking, coordinating, and recording time for agency-based projects.

It allows projects to be created and associated with cases, outreaches, users and funding sources that will cover time managing the project. Projects can also support tasks, documents and many-to-one notes.

Both staff users and pro bono users can be assigned to projects. Projects have additional timekeeping functionality available to restrict the time activities that can be charged against the Project, and the "percentage of PAI" that can be charged against a project.

Cost: No cost. To see if your site has the module, visit the /project page (for example, abc.legalserver.org/project). If your site does not have this module, and you want it, file a support request from your site (Help menu> Support Request) and ask that it be enabled.

Project Section Front

The project section front presents a listview of currently active projects you have created. You may also edit existing project information here by clicking the pencil icon under the actions column of the listview and selecting “Edit this Project” from the actions menu.

The view can be filtered to show “active” (current projects) and “non- active” (past projects). The other categories that are available to be filtered by include: project name, notes, date created on, who the project was created by. It can also be printed or exported to share a listing of projects.

Creating a Project

The Projects module must be enabled on your site

Navigate to the projects tab
Once on the profile section front under the action menu select “create a new project”

When creating the project, the required fields that must be completed include:

Project name - Desired Project Name
Active - You must set the project as active for it to appear in the projects list by default
Allowed Activities - Activities which can be associated with the project
Notes (optional) - Optional field to capture any high-level notes about the project or desired outcomes.
Percentage of time set to PAI - Percentage of total private attorney involvement time that can be submitted in association with the project.
Created Date - Date in which the project was created in LegalServer
Created By - The user creating the project

Project Main Profile

Once the project has been created you can access the project main profile by clicking on the project name in the section front list view or the edit pencil under the action column. The main profile page includes the existing information entered about your project and additional list views to show associated users and grants applied to the project.

How to Associate Users to A Project

You can associate both staff and probono users with a particular project. To add users to a particular project click the actions menu and select “Add Users to Project”.

In the “Add Users to Project” form you will see all of the project information with the ability to add users at the bottom of the form. In the users, search box begin to type the name of the user (minimum of three characters must be entered) and the system will return a list matching users. You can set the start date and end date of the users' participation on the project and also have the ability to identify who the primary contact is for the project or project lead.

Additional users can be associated with the project by clicking the “green plus” button and filling out the additional user information. To remove an associated user simply click the “red minus” button to the right of the user you wish to delete.

You must click continue to save the associated users information to your project.

Adding/Editing Associated Users

To add additional users or edit existing ones select the actions menu and then click the “Add Users to Project” menu item.

The add/edit users form will allow you to both remove and edit existing users associated with the project. The user's list view appears at the top to display the existing users associated with the read-only project information previously entered. At the bottom portion of the form, you can edit your project participants.

How to Add Grant Distribution Group

To apply a particular funding code(s) to the associated project we have to add the grant distribution group. This form can be customized with additional fields to capture any additional data points you may require

When creating the grant distribution group, the required fields that must be completed include:

Group name - Desired Group Name
The date the grants were applied to the project
The date the grants were removed to the project - anticipated date the funding will end for a project
Notes - Field to capture any high-level notes about the group distribution
Created on - Date the project was created (defaults to today’s date)
Created by - Who the project was created by (defaults to logged in user however other users can be selected).
Project Grants - Funding sources to be applied to the project and percentage of total time to be allotted to the project (default maximum of 10 funding sources can be applied which can be configured by your administrator)
Total Percentage - Automated system field that calculates the total percentage of assigned grants based on the percentage entered.

You can add multiple funding sources to a project selecting the desired funding code and percentage of time the funding source will cover. To add an additional funding source click the “green plus” button and select the additional funding code and percentage of time to be covered. To remove a funding source from the project simply click the “red minus” button. A funding source must be applied to the grant distribution and equal 100% percent of time to be covered.

Editing Grant Distribution Groups

To edit the grant distribution group click on the group name listed under the project grants listview on the projects profile section front.

The add/edit project grants form displays the existing grants applied under the grants distribution groups for the project listview. Below that listing, you can edit your existing applied grant distribution information.

Administrator Setup

Navigation Bar Tab

Projects can be a tab in the top level navigation bar. If you don't see it, and want it, enable it on the "TABS" tab of the Admin > Top Level Navigation Bar page.

Processes and Forms Needed

The following are a basic set of processes and forms needed for the Project module. Build them on the Admin > Processes, Forms, and Profiles page. Adjust to taste.

Tips:

All processes and forms are created with the Project module selected at the top of the page -- except for the section front.
Save a few steps by using the "Create New Process Containing This Form?" option when creating a new form.

Project Section Front

What people see when they click on the Project navigation tab (if enabled), or visit the /project page.

Module: Home/Section Front

Project Main Profile

Displays each project (like the Main Profile does for cases)

Create Form and Process

After creating this form and process, edit the process and select your project profile as the followup profile:

Add Grant Distribution Group auxiliary form and process

Add Users to Project auxiliary form and process

Edit Project auxiliary form and process

Project Timeslip

Create a new timeslip form with the Timekeeping Module block set to "Project".
The Timekeeping Module block displays several fields for you, like Date of Service and User. You will need to add either the Time Spent field or the Start/Stop Time block.
Add other elements such as Activity Details as desired.
Create a process to call that form.
On the Admin > Timekeeping Settings page, set "Process for adding project time" to your shiny new process.
Optionally, but typically, add the new process to the Actions menu on the Timekeeping section front.

Project Task

As an admin, add the 'Task' list view to the project profile. Once saved you can add a task directly from the list view to the task using the plus (+) button in the list view navigation bar.

Project Note

To enable the Note Process, edit to the Project Profile, expand the Sidebar/Actions section. You can then expand the Custom Link Action Menu Box, and add a new form by clicking on the green plus button. Under the "Static" section, you'll find an "Add Note" process. Add this process, save your changes and you should see the Notes option on the under the Actions menu.

There is an accompanying Notes list view you'll want to add to the Project Profile as well.

Project Document

To enable the Add Document Process, edit to the Project Profile, expand the Sidebar/Actions section. You can then expand the Custom Link Action Menu Box, and add a new form by clicking on the green plus button. Under the "Static" section, you'll find an "Add Document" process. Add this process, save your changes and you should see the Notes option on the under the Actions menu.

There is an accompanying Documents list view you'll want to add to the Project Profile as well.

Associating Cases with a Project

To allow cases to be associated with a project, you'll want to spin up an auxiliary form on the project module and add the "Associate Project with Case(s)" block.

There is an accompanying Cases list view you'll want to add to the Project Profile as well. (This mythical list view does not exist yet. Ref: LS-110891. Putting the "Associate Project with Case(s)" block on the profile is a workaround to list the cases.)

You can also create an auxiliary form on the case and add the "Associate Case with Project(s)" block and add the corresponding project's list view on the case profile.

Associating Outreaches with a Project

To allow outreaches to be associated with a project, you'll want to spin up an auxiliary form on the outreach module and add the "Projects" block.

There is an accompanying Outreaches list view you'll want to add to the Project Profile as well.

Note: you can only do the associating from the outreach record.