October 2024

• Detailed project locations now are shown in maps - Detailed project locations will be displayed on maps with a new layer: Project Location - Detail; When clicked, these locations will display a pop-up with project name and link to project fact sheet. You can access this layer across all maps in the site. Thanks to TCSI for funding this improvement! (PF-2543)
• Bulk Add Proposals & Pending Projects - You can now create draft Proposals and Pending Projects in bulk. To use this feature, go to the Manage menu and click "Bulk Upload Proposals and Pending Projects." Download the excel template and fill in your basic information for the projects you'd like to bulk upload. Once you've completed the template, upload to ProjectFirma and those projects will be auto-created. You can edit draft projects that were uploaded in bulk via the Proposals and Pending Project pages (depending on the project's stage). Thank you TCSI for spearheading this feature! (PF-2707, PF-2721)

August 2024

• Grid Sizing Improved - Some header rows on the site grids were not displaying well. We updated the code so that the headers will not be taller than the content they vertically display. (PF-2711)
• ProjectFirma & EIP Project Tracker Integration - We worked with our newest ProjectFirma Community Member, Tahoe-Central Sierra Initiative, to build a custom integration between their Project Tracker and TRPA's Environmental Improvement Program Tracker. While custom to TCSI, this work lays a foundation for potential future integrations with other external project trackers. Thanks to TCSI for laying down the groundwork for this improvement! (PF-2688, PF-2697, PF-2699, PF-2700)

June 2024

• Improved Spacing for Reported Performance Measures on Project Detail Pages - Reported Performance Measures display dynamically to better accommodate the display of large values. Thanks the NCRP team for identifying this improvement.(PF-2696)

May 2024

• ProjectFirma Connects to WFS 2.0 from ArcGIS - We've updated ProjectFirma connection to ArcGIS to better serve up data. (PF-2691)

March 2024

• Delete Performance Measures Previously Associated With Projects - You can now delete Performance Measures and Performance Measure Subcategories that were previously associated with a project. To delete a Performance Measure that is no longer needed, remove that Performance Measure from its related projects, from there you will be able to delete the PM in its entirety or subcatogories that are no longer needed. (PF-2675)
• Improved Automated Project Notifications - We have updated the logic for who receives notifications when a project is submitted, returned, or approved. If a user who initially updated a project is inactivated in the system (e.g. retired or otherwise moved on from their position and no longer an active user), they will not receive project notification emails. (PF-2652)
• View Accomplishments & Project Maps on Funding Source Pages - You can now view a map displaying all projects associated with a funding source directly from the funding source's detail page. In addition to daylighting project map on the funding source detail pages, we've also added rolled-up views of accomplishments achieved by the projects that are receiving funding from that funding sources. (PF-1612)
• Classifications Can Be Optional - You can set up your classification systems to be optional for projects. Previously each classification had to have at least one option selected per project, but you can now opt to make one, some, or all classifications optional for your projects. Let ESA know if you'd like to make any changes to your Classification systems! (PF-2664)

January 2024

• Document Libraries Visible By Default - When you navigate to a page where a document library is displayed, you previously had to expand the document area to documents. These documents will now be visible by default . (PF-2663)

December 2023

• View Funding Sources on the Pending Projects Page - You will now be able to view a funding source column on the Pending Projects page so that you can quickly filter pending projects by funding source and more easily identify pending projects that need to be reviewed. Thanks the CA RCD team for identifying this improvement. (PF-2669)

October 2023

• Set Enhanced File Permissions - You can now regulate who has access to various project attachments, an upgrade aimed at safeguarding sensitive information. Admins can set these permissions per file type in the Manage Attachment Type page. Thank to the North Coast Resource Partnership for this new customization feature. (PF-2474)
• Updated Text Editor - You will notice a more modern, reliable text editing experience, ensuring all your essential tools are right where you need them. This improvement is in line with our commitment to providing you with up-to-date, efficient tools. ESA funded this enhancement. (PF-2602)
• Upgraded Data Tables - You'll immediately notice a fresh, modern look with our updated data tables. Not only do they have a new style, but they also lay the groundwork for enhanced flexibility and adaptability in future modifications, ensuring your experience stays efficient and responsive. ESA funded this enhancement. (PF-1856)

July 2023

• Set Visibility Permissions on Training Videos- You can now set visibility permissions for each training video uploaded to the site. Admins can manage video visibility directly from the Training page. Thank to Salton Sea Management Program for this enhancement. (PF-2614)
• Change Project Stage Names - You can now update the Project Stage names (e.g. Planning/Design, Implementation, Post-Implementation, Deferred, Terminated, & Completed) via the Labels & Definitions page. Changing a project stage name will not affect how the system processes project in that stage, only how the stage is displayed in your site. Thank to the North Coast Resource Partnership for this new customization feature. (PF-2564)

June 2023

• Add Classification Columns to Grids - You can now add classification columns to project custom grids. When classification columns are added, there will be separate columns for each classification type (e.g. up to four additional columns will be added when this optional column type is selected). Each project will display a comma separated list of its associated classification within each classification column.  Thank to the North Coast Resource Partnership for this enhancement. (PF-2586)
• View Primary Contact Organizations in Map Pop-Ups- A project’s owner organization now displays when the project point is clicked on a map. Thank to the North Coast Resource Partnership for funding this improvement. (PF-2586)

May 2023

• Better Filtering by Classifications on Project Map - When you open up the Filter Projects By dropdown for the Project Map, you will now see separate filters for each Classification in the system rather than one filter for all classifications lumped together. Thank to the Salton Sea Management Program for this enhancement. (PF-2586)

April 2023

• View Web Services Without An Assigned Role - Users wishing to access web services can now do so as long as they have created a Keystone account to log into ProjectFirma. Previously only users who had created an account and been assigned a role could access web services. ESA funded this enhancement. (PF-2555)

March 2023

• Revert Projects Back to a Pending Unapproved Status - You can now change a published project back to a Pending Project status. When moved to a pending status, projects will no longer display in the Full Project List and will need to move through the Pending Project Appoval process to become publicly visible. To move a project back to a Pending Status, click the "Revert Project to Pending Approval" button displayed in a project's Audit Log panel. ESA funded this improvement that was prioritized by the ProjectFirma User Group. (PF-2412)

February 2023

• Customize Navigation Menu Text - You can now customize the top-level navigation menu text in ProjectFirma. To customize the menu names, navigate to the Labels & Definition page and select the menu item you would like to customize. Thank you to the Salton Sea Management Program, for funding this improvement! (PF-2549)

• Pin Key Attachments To Project Detail Pages - Key attachments can now be displayed as a quick link on top of project pages in addition to the link to project Fact Sheets. You can specify which attachment type should display as a quick link from the Manage Project Attachment Type pages. Any project that include an attachment for the specified type, will automatically have a link displayed at the top of project pages for that key attachment. Thank you to the Salton Sea Management Program, for funding this improvement! (PF-2547)

• Improved Layout for Performance Measure Pages - Performance Measure pages are now reorganized in order to better highlight critical information. Thank you to the Salton Sea Management Program, for funding this improvement! (PF-2537)

January 2023

• Add Custom Training Videos - You can now manage the training videos to the Training Page. Management features include the ability to add new videos, remove existing videos, edit video titles and descriptions, as well as update the sort order videos appear in. ESA covered this improvement prioritized during our last ProjectFirma User Group, thanks to all who attended! (PF-2294)

December 2022

• Add Up to Four Classification Systems - We increased the number of classifications supported by ProjectFirma. You can now add up to four distinct and independent classification systems. Let us know if you are interested in adding additional classifications to your Project Tracker. Thank you to the Salton Sea Management Program, for funding this improvement! (PF-2532)

• Improved Photo Selection on Fact Sheets - We simplified the logic for what photos will display on project Fact Sheets. You can now specify which photos will be used on the Fact Sheet regardless of photo timing. ESA covered this improvement prioritized during our last ProjectFirma User Group, thanks to all who attended! (PF-1556)

October 2022

• Improved Organization Management Instructions - We improved the process for deleting unneccessary organizations. When deleting an organization that no longer needs to be tracked in the system, you'll now be notified if the organization has any active users, projects, or funding sources, and instructions on how to process the deletion. Thank you to the Clackamas team for raising this idea for improvement. (PF-2486)

July 2022

• Simplified Accomplishment Dashboard - You now have the option to configure your site to include either the current Accomplishment Dashboard or a Simplified Accomplishment Dashboard. When the Simplified Accomplishment Dashboard is enabled, you can relate Performance Measures by creating Performance Measure groups. The accomplishments of grouped Performance Measures display on the Simplified Accomplishments Dashboard. To create a visually engaging dashboard, you can also add icons to each Performance Measure group. To view an excellent example of the Simplified Accomplishment Dashboard in action, check out the newly published North Coast Resource Partnership Project Tracker. Let us know if you are interested in utilizing the Simplified Accomplishment Dashboard! A big thank you to NCRP for spearheading this new feature! (PF-2491, PF-2492)

May 2022

• Improved Role Summaries - You can now view a more comprehensive description of the permissions associated with each ProjectFirma role. Approved Permissions that rely on the context of a specific Project, Organization, Attachment, etc. are called out for greater clarity. ESA covered this change as part of our ongoing ProjectFirma improvements. (PF-2480)

March 2022

• Draft Proposal Visibility - We streamlined the visibility logic for Proposals and Pending Projects when the “Hide Proposals From Pubic” configuration is turned on. When this configuration is on, proposals will not be visible to public users or unassigned users. Users who have an assigned role will conditionally see the proposal/pending project based on their organization association to that project. Project Stewards and Admins will continue to be able to view all proposals. Thank you to NCRP for helping to improve these permission levels! (PF-2432)

• Identify Partner Organizations That Are Not In the System - You can now opt to add legacy partner organizations who are not tracked in the system to a project using a new free text field in the project workflows. Thank you to NCRP for this new layer of flexibility! (PF-2468)

February 2022

• Homepage Caption Supports 500 Characters - You can now add additional text, up to 500 characters, to the image captions that feature on the homepage of your ProjectFirma instance. Thank you to NCRP for expanding this functionality! (PF-2439)

January 2022

• Organization Pages Improved - If an organization has no funding sources, the related panel no longer displays on the organization’s page. Thank you to NCRP for this dynamic layout update! (PF-2438)

• Classification Descriptions Are Optional - Classifications no longer require descriptions. If you do not include description on a classification, for example if the titles are self-explanatory and do not require additional descriptions, the layout of the classification will dynamically display to optimize the remaining content. Similarly, if you choose not to include a related classification image, the layout of the Classification will dynamically display to optimize the remaining content. Thank you to NCRP for this additional level of customization. (PF-2450)

• Concurrent Solicitations - You can now opt to associate proposals and pending projects to specific solicitations, including solicitations are running concurrently. Admins can add solicitations, provide custom instructions per solicitation, and inactivate a solicitation once the response period has ended. When starting a new proposal or pending project, the proposer can optionally select one solicitation on the proposal’s basic page. Once a project has been approved, Admins will retain the ability to edit the solicitation associated with that project. Let us know if you are interested in configuring your site to support concurrent solicitations. Thank you to NCRP for this new feature!  (PF-2451)

July 2021

• New Performance Measure Display Options for Fact Sheets - We added a new configuration option to control the display of performance measures on fact sheets. You can now opt to display expected performance measures on a project's fact sheet for projects in the implementation and post-implementation stage if the project does not have any reported performance measures yet. If you don't opt in, then expected performance measures will only be shown on Fact Sheets for projects in the Planning/Design stage. You can set this new configuration directly from the Manage > Project Fact Sheets page. Thank you to Peaks To People for the recommendation on improving Fact Sheets! (PF-2402)

• Control the Sort Order of Custom Pages - You can now control your custom page's sort order within the navigation menus. Update the sort order of a custom page directly from the Manage > Custom Pages page. (PF-2140)

• Program Logo Displays on System Emails - Your organization's logo image will now display on most automated emails sent out to ProjectFirma users. These include reminders, notifications, and automated replies when a project is proposed or submitted. (PF-1146)

June 2021

• View Photo Credit on FactSheets - You can now opt to include photo credits in your Project Fact Sheets from the Manage - Fact Sheets page. Project photos will continue to display on Fact Sheets regardless of which photo credit display option you set. Thank you To Idaho for identifying this improvement! (PF-2379)

• Get Geospatial Area Layers From External Sources - Geospatial Areas can now be sourced directly from external web services and synced to your ProjectFirma instance on-demand. We recommend selecting the external web service configuration if your geospatial areas periodically change, such as legislative districts that have boundary adjustments every few years. Contact us if you're interested in sourcing your current geospatial areas externally. Thank you to PSP for bringing this new configuration to ProjectFirma! (PF-2321)

• Turn Off Accomplishments Reporting - We added a new configuration option that allows you to turn off Accomplishments Reporting if you haven't developed Performance Measures yet. Turning off the Accomplishments Reporting will remove Performance Measures from the project pages, workflows, matchmaker profiles, and navigation menu. Please reach out to your main Sitka contact if you'd like to turn off accomplishments reporting. (PF-2378)

• Updated Configuration Guide Available - We updated the ProjectFirma Customization Guide with the latest features developed. You download the guide from the Training page located under the Help Menu.

March 2021

• Multiple Reporting Periods Per Year  – Previously, the reporting period for project updates reset annually, allowing for only one reporting period per year. You can now set up multiple reporting periods per year by manually updating the kick-off and end-dates for a project reporting period. Once a reporting period closes, enter a new kick-off date and the next reporting period will automatically trigger the new reporting period and send project update reminders on the specified date. Thank you to PSP for spearheading this helpful improvement! (PF-2149)

• Grant Additional Contacts Permission to Update a Project  – Some projects have multiple stakeholders who are associated with the project via various contact types. However, of these contact types, only primary contacts had the ability to update a given project. With a little help from us you can extend editing permission to additional contact types. For example, you could add a contact type called “Project Collaborator” and configure it so that any person added to a project as this contact type will be able to edit the project. Contact types who have been granted editing permission will access project updates and receive update notifications in the same way a primary contact does. Reach out to Sitka if you would like to grant project update permissions to additional contact types! Props to PSP for funding this improvement! (PF-2365, PF-2371)

• Prevent Inactive and Unassigned Users from Becoming a Primary Contact – Users who are inactive or have an unassigned role no longer display as options in the list to add a Primary Contact for a project or organization. This prevents users who cannot log into the system or don't have permission to access all necessary site areas from inadvertently being assigned as a primary contact. If a current primary contact's account is inactivated, they will remain the primary contact of their organization or project until reassigned by another user with permission to avoid gaps in the database and maintain historic project information. (PF-2308)

• Validate a Project's Simple Location – When you enter a project's location, the system now has an extra check that the latitude and longitude are correctly entered. (PF-2350)

• Clearer Information in QA Site Footer – We updated the footer on the QA site for all ProjectFirma instances to better clarify when the code was last updated and data was pulled from the production site. (PF-2301)

February 2021

• Make Project Locations Private – You can now specify whether your project’s location is publicly visible or hidden from all areas of the site including maps and fact sheets. This includes both simple and detailed locations. For the Matchmaker Service, projects with private locations will only match on non-geographic factors, such as keywords. Those who have permission to edit a project will still be able to see its location on the detail page, editors, and workflows. (PF-1101)

January 2021

• Improved Map Consistency – Layers are now more consistently available and named within the layer selector on maps throughout the system. We also gave administrators more control over map configurations and improved the instructions for managing map layers. (PF-2338)

• See Information on All Map Layers – Map pop-ups now display information about all the visible layers within the map, rather than just one of the layers. Click any point within most maps to see the layer information. Some maps, such as the overall Project Map, display the same layer information when you hover with your mouse rather than requiring a click. (PF-2342)

• Access an Example GDB File When Uploading a Detail Project Location – You can now download an example GDB file from the Detailed Project Location editor, which is the same place you go to when uploading a detailed location file. (PF-1219)

December 2020

• Reported Performance Measures Pre-populate Intelligently – Reported Performance Measures now pre-populate with the Expected Performance Measure list if a project has no Reported Performance Measures. You will see pre-populated Performance Measures in both the Update Project workflow and Admin editors. Thanks to CA RCDs for funding this improvement!  (PF-1120)

• Funding Sources Pre-Populate for Expenditures – Funding Sources on a project’s Expenditure page now pre-populate from the Budget step of the Update Project workflow. Funding Sources will only pre-populate if a project has no prior expenditure records. We also added this pre-population logic to the Admin editors. Thanks to CA RCDs for funding this improvement! (PF-1224)

• New Performance Measure Grid Columns - The Performance Measure grid now has columns for both the number of projects reporting on a given Performance Measure and the number of projects expecting to report on the measure. We also added a new optional column to view the Number of Expected Performance Measure Records per project on the full project list. Admins can add this column from the Project Custom Grids page under the Configure menu.  (PF-2317)

• Map Pop-ups Display Geospatial Areas – You will now see the correct Geospatial area in a pop-up when clicking on a map’s Geospatial layer. (PF-2320)

• Invalid Geometries Prevented – We added new validations to prevent invalid map geometries. Before this change, you could unintentionally save invalid shapes (such as a self-intersecting polygon) and trigger a crash. The new validations will notify you if your geometry could not be uploaded or was auto-corrected.  (PF-2314)

• GIS Uploads Working Again for Detailed Location Editors – You can now use the editors to upload a GIS file for a project’s detailed location. If you do not have a GIS file, you can still use the Polygon Draw Tool to manually add the project’s boundary using the Polygon Draw Tool. (PF-2269)

November 2020

• Project Finder Page – Those of you using the Matchmaker Service will now see a new page under the Projects menu called Project Finder. This page can also be accessed from an organization’s Matchmaker Profile. As long as an organization has opted in to the service, all users can see their profile and the organization’s Project Finder page. Matched projects will display in both tabular and map format. Each matched project will also include a Match Score – click the score to see how it was calculated. We also added the Match Score explanation to the Partner Finder list on project pages. (PF-2243, PF-2277, PF-2289, PF-2302)

• Harmonized Project Workflows – The steps within the Proposal, Pending Project, and Update Project workflows are now more consistent. You can now edit External Links and Classifications in all workflows. (PF-2241)

• Improved Organization Tabs – We renamed and reordered the tabs on Organization pages. For example, “Detail” tab is now “Background” which better aligns with the tab’s purpose and only displays for normal users if the primary contact for the organization has entered background information. Similarly, we renamed the “Profile” tab to “Matchmaker Profile” for better clarity. (PF-2302)

• Photo Orientation Bug Fix – Some project images were previously displaying in the incorrect orientation, even though they were uploaded correctly. This has been fixed. Thank you to TRPA for alerting us to this issue! (PF-2305)

October 2020

• Report Center Supports Project Performance Measures – Both Expected and Reported Performance Measures can now be added to project report templates. Further details are available in the Model Documentation reference file in the Report Center, which is accessible from the Reports menu. Don't have a Reports menu? Let us know – we can turn it on for you. Big thank you to Idaho for funding this improvement! (PF-2292)

• View List of Potential Partners – We expanded the visibility of the new "Partner Finder" so that any user that has permission to edit a given project can view it. This includes includes the project's primary contact, and users who belong to the same organization as the project's Lead Implementer, and Project Stewards. (PF-2279)

• Select Performance Measures and Taxonomy Levels in Matchmaker profiles – We added Performance Measures as another Matchmaker category that organizations can use to find relevant projects. We also improved the layout and styling of the Taxonomy editor. (PF-2237, PF-2260)

• Request Support on Invite User page – Admins can use the Invite User feature to invite new users to the system and associate them with an organization that has been added to Keystone. If you need to invite a user who belongs to a new organization that has not been added to Keystone you can now send a support request to update Keystone directly from the Invite User page. (PF-2291)

September 2020

• Customize Your Matchmaker Profile – We gave organizations more ways to interact with the Matchmaker service. Organizations can now choose to opt in or out of the Matchmaker Service and specify the types of resources they can provide to projects. They can also define a geographic area of interest and identify project classifications and key words that they are most interested in supporting. (PF-2280)(PF-2235, PF-2236, PF-2238, PF-2239, PF-2256)

• Organization Colors Display in Grids and Charts – We can configure unique colors for each organization type in ProjectFirma. Once configured, these colors now display in grids and charts throughout the site to visually distinguish organizations. Please reach out to your main Sitka contact if you would like to update your instance’s organization type colors. Sitka covered this improvement. (PF-2280)(PF-2280)

August 2020

• Smarter Year Selections – The years available to select for a project’s Implementation Start Year or Completion Year will now dynamically populate to only show valid years in the dropdown selection. This prevents a user from selecting an Implementation Start Year that predates the Planning/Design Start Year or a Completion Year that predates the Implementation Start Year. Sitka covered this filtering improvement. (PF-2066)

• Control Visibility of Geospatial Area Map Layers – Admins can now configure which Geospatial Areas Layers are displayed on maps throughout the site and whether those layers are displayed by default when the map first loads. For consistency - Geospatial Area Map layers will always appear on the Project Map page and relevant Geospatial Area maps. Thanks to Puget Sound Partnership for improving an admin’s ability to tailor information displayed on maps! (PF-2210)

• Create Custom Pages Under Any Menu – We expanded the Custom About Page functionality to support creating custom pages for any Menu item. Admins can specify the Menu item a custom page should display under, a page name, vanity URL, and visibility permissions by role. Thanks to Puget Sound Partnership for this expanded functionality! (PF-1967)

• Admins Can Set the Sort Order for All Taxonomy Levels – Admins can now control the sort order for all levels of a Taxonomy from the Manage menu. Thank you to Puget Sound Partnership for funding this additional level of customization. (PF-2250)

• Clearer Performance Measure Instructions and Validations – We clarified and simplified the instructions for adding Performance Measures in the Project Update and Create Workflows. We also fixed the workflow for creating a Pending Project so users can identify identify years that have no accomplishments to report. Sitka covered these fixes. (PF-2257)

• New Matchmaker Features – When the Matchmaker Service is enabled, a Matchmaker Profile tab appears on organization pages. While we are still building out this area, an organization can now specify the taxonomy items it is most interested in. Projects will be then be assigned a Match Score based on their level of fit within an organization’s designated interests. Potential partners will display on Project Detail pages along with their Match Scores. Let us know if you want the Matchmaker Service turned on or off. Sitka is covering this exciting enhancement. (PF-2233, PF-2234, PF-2242)

July 2020

• Layout of Project Map Page – The Project Map page now defaults to a clustered display of project locations; users will continue to have the ability to deselect the project cluster option. The map legend has also been relocated above the map for improved visibility. Thanks to Puget Sound Partnership for these enhancements. (PF-2206)

• Taxonomy Display Improvements – Longer project names will now be left-aligned when displayed within the Taxonomy index. Previously longer project names were pushed out of alignment. Thanks to Puget Sound Partnership for this improvement. (PF-2209)

• Matchmaker Service – We started work on a new service to connect project proponents with interested organizations that may have resources to offer. While in July we focused on the building blocks, we hope to have more to talk about in the coming months. Stay tuned! (PF-2230)

June 2020

• Geospatial Areas Short Names – Geospatial Areas can now be assigned an optional short-name. A Geospatial Area's full name will appear as the header of its corresponding detail page and also appear on all project related web services. All other instances of a Geospatial Area will display its short-name, if a short-name has been added. Please reach out to your main Sitka contact if you are interested in incorporating Geospatial Area short-names into your ProjectFirma instance. Thanks to Puget Sound Partnership for implementing this new level of customization. (PF-2205)

• Organization "Detail" Tab – An organization's detail page now includes a tab where the organization's primary contact or administrators can add additional details, pictures, etc. Thanks to Puget Sound Partnership for this enhancement. (PF-2213)

• Updated Training Documents – We updated the Customization Guide and Administrator Quick Guide with the latest enhancements to ProjectFirma. (PF-2189)

• Sitka-Funded Improvements – We made a number of small improvements:
  • The project detail page has been improved to better align with sections of the Project Update workflow. (PF-1805)
  • Administrators can now delete a classification tile's photo. (PF-1472)
  • Normal users will no longer see user names as hyperlinks that lead to a page for which they do not have permission. (PF-2197)
  • PDF attachments now open for users working in Internet Explorer 11. (PF-1967)
  • The Project Timeline is no longer a year ahead of itself! (PF-2183)

May 2020

• Document Library – Administrators can now create Document Libraries that can be displayed on an About Pages. From the Manage menu, select Document Libraries. An admin can select the document categories (e.g. RFPs, Meeting Agendas, etc.) for each library, select which page(s) in the About menu the library should be displayed on, add documents to the library, and set viewing permissions at the document level. Documents can be public, or only visible to users with certain roles in the system (like Admin). - Thank you to Clackamas Partnership for funding this new feature! (PF-1076)

• Project Timeline Quarter Flexibility – Administrators can now control the project timeline's display of quarters to be calendar or fiscal year based. Thanks to Reclamation for helping fund this improvement. (#2133)

• Latitude and Longitude Format – Project simple location can now be keyed in following either the decimal degrees or degrees minutes seconds conventions, allowing users to skip using an online converter and instead just directly input their preferred format into ProjectFirma. Thanks to Reclamation for helping fund this user experience improvement! (#2133)

• Support of KMZ Files for Detailed Location – Users can now upload a KMZ file of their detailed location to ProjectFirma. Thanks to Reclamation for improving flexibility of upload handling. (#2133)

• Improved Handling of Geometry Issues – Now users can identify any issues with detailed location geometries when uploading detailed location files to ProjectFirma. This allows the user to either proceed with uploading the clean subset of geometries, or back out of the upload to fix the geometry issues outside of ProjectFirm before trying again. Sitka covered this improvement. (#2124)

• Added "Submitted By" to Pending Projects Grid – Now reviewers of pending projects can clearly see who submitted a pending project in the Pending Projects grid. Sitka covered this improvement. (#2150)

April 2020

• Woah Nellie! – Pages with long lists of things such as projects, organizations, funding sources now load quite a bit faster after some care and feeding behind the scenes. It was Sitka's pleasure to do this routine maintenance.  (#2085)

• Geoserver Upgrade – A key piece of system infrastructure – the open-source GIS server Geoserver – has been updated and containerized. This enables development teams to work more efficiently and deploy system updates more quickly. Thanks to Reclamation for helping fund this critical upgrade!  (#1829)

• Export of Projects' Simple Locations – Recently folks at Clackamas Partnership wanted to export project simple locations (aka latitude/longitude coordinates) in order to create some custom maps in their GIS system. While the GetProjectGeometries web service allows another system to request this data, we realized we needed to make this easier for end users. So, we improved a couple things: 1) the "Download Full Database" feature now includes simple location coordinates for all projects, and 2) we added a new, simpler web service call that exports all projects' coordinates in CSV format that can be opened in Excel or directly imported into a GIS system. Sitka took care of this one.  (#2097)

• Easier Access to Request Account, Forgot Password – We've occasionally received reports that new users have been confused about how to sign up for an account or to have their password reset. Now, rather than having to go to the Log In page in order to access these function, users can click the menu button next to Log In to get direct access to them. We hope this makes new users' initial experience a little smoother. This is another one that Sitka funded.  (#1212)

• Fixed Under-reporting Bug – While working on some other functionality we noticed that in some situations a project's Unfunded Need was not being displayed accurate. While the system was correctly storing values that users entered into the "No Funding Source Identified Yet" field on the "Budget" page, it displayed "$0" on the Project Details page and project lists' "Unfunded Need" column. This resulted the "Total Estimated Cost" also being under-reported. However, not all customers were affected since this bug was only triggered under a certain budget configuration. We're happy to report we found and fixed this bug. Sitka took care of this one.  (#2129)

March 2020

• Proposal and Pending Project Review Comments – Project reviewers can now save comments in the Proposal and Pending Project review workflow. If a proposed project is returned, any comments the reviewer enters are shown in the workflow and the proposer can correct or add information in response to the comments. This new feature will help ensure accurate and complete information is captured in the project tracker from the start. Thanks to the John Day Basin Partnership for providing this functionality.  (#1065)

• See All Your Projects  – Previously, users could only see the projects for which they were a Primary Contact. Now users can see all projects for which they are a contact – regardless of contact type – and filter by what type of contact they are. This is available in the User Detail page. Thank you Reclamation for supporting this work.  (#2038)

• A Few Small Enhancements – Now map pop-ups will directly link you to both the Project Detail page and the Project Fact Sheet. A user’s contact type for a project displays on the Project Status History timeline. The order of same-day updates on the Project Status History timeline now match the order of the rest of the timeline: most recent at the top. Thank you Reclamation for this functionality.  (#2064, #2067, #2068)

• Odds & Ends – From the Manage menu, Administrators can now upload/change the logo used on all project fact sheets, control whether or not to also display the logo of the project's lead implementer, and specify a custom footer. To raise awareness that web services are available, we made it so non-logged in users can now access the Web Services page. Last, we squashed an elusive bug that caused fact sheets to sometimes display an error message instead of a chart. These are on us - Sitka's contribution to the community!  (#1542, #2084, #1330)

February 2020  

• Simple Projects – ProjectFirma now handles two project categories, regular projects and “simple” projects. Users can capture different information for each category using custom attributes that apply to only one of the project categories. Thanks to Reclamation for providing this functionality.  (#1867-70)

• Custom Reports – Users can generate their own custom reports via a report template. While generating report templates requires some technical expertise, it gives end users more latitude and power to create, modify, and share reports as they choose. Thanks to Reclamation for providing this functionality.  (#2048-51)

January 2020

• Evaluate Projects/Proposals – Allows Admins to define evaluation criteria, create an evaluation composed of selected projects and/or proposals, and conduct an evaluation by ranking them and providing notes regarding the ranking decision. Thank you, Reclamation, for this wonderful feature that allows for evaluation and prioritization of Proposals and Projects within ProjectFirma! (#1182, #3199, #1400)

• Final Status Report – When a project is completed, admins and project stewards can submit a final status report that captures lessons learned for the project. The projects grid shows whether a final status report has been submitted. Thank you, Reclamation, for adding this functionality to support project retrospectives! (#1950, #1962)

• Corrected Display of Expenditures on Funding Source Detail page – We fixed a bug for those of you who track financials by cost type – the grid on the Funding Source detail page now displays aggregated expenditure information for each project. Thank you, PSP, for funding this improvement!(delta/#427)

• New Configuration Setting to Source Organizations and Funding Programs Externally – The Action Agenda is part of a larger platform called Puget Sound Info. We added a configuration option that allows you to source the Organizations and Funding Programs externally (e.g. a "Data Center") rather than using ProjectFirma's built-in functionality. Note that setting up this configuration requires development work in the external site to align the databases and build web services to sync data. Thank you, PSP, for improving our  configuration settings! (#delta/430)

December 2019  

• Expose Project Web Feature Service – Provides project simple locations, project detailed locations, and geospatial area features in vector format that can be consumed or added to geospatial applications such as ArcGIS or QGIS. Thanks to Reclamation for adding this great feature!  (#1963, #1222)
   
• Set Performance Measure Targets by Geospatial Area – Allows Admins to assign performance measure targets that are specific to an individual geospatial feature shape. Now, on the Geospatial Area detail page you can see how Performance Measure results compare to both the Geospatial Area target and the overall Performance Measure target. Thank you, Reclamation, for this wonderful feature that allows for great visual comparisons of Performance Measure goals and results!  (#1901)
   
• Download Project Financial Data – The download full database functionality now includes budget data. Additionally, for those tenants capturing financial information by cost-type, the reported expenditures now include cost-type information. With gratitude to Reclamation!  (#1981, #1986)
   
• Upload KML for Project Detailed Location – This feature extends supported file formats for project detailed location. Previously, users were limited to gdb zip files, now users can also add project detailed locations through KML file types. Appreciations to John Day for this addition!  (#1958)
   
• Display External Reference Layers from Web Services on Project Maps – Admins can now pull in publicly available geospatial data sets through ProjectFirma’s External Map Layers manager. This functionality supports many feature types, such as points and polygons, as well as high resolution imagery and LIDAR layers. For example, you could give your users the ability to show/hide USGS's Basins (3rd-field HUCs)by adding an external map layer using this URL: https://hydro.nationalmap.gov/arcgis/rest/services/wbd/MapServer/3  Thank you to John Day for adding this great enhancement to PF mapping functionality!  (#1262)
   
• Streamline Navigation for Manage and Configure Menu Items – We improved the layout of the navigation menu by splitting the ever-growing “Manage” menu into more… manageable, “Manage” and “Configure” menus. With all the enhancements tenants are adding to ProjectFirma, we’re trying to keep up and maintain an easy to navigate platform. Thank you to the Sitka team for continuing to support our clients!  (#1980)

November 2019  

• Classification portfolio page – Classifications are flexible structures that each tenant can configure for their own reporting purposes. For example, CA RCDs use “Project Themes” while Reclamation, Clackamas Partnership, and John Day Partnership all use “Focal Species.” The page that lists all the projects with a certain classification now has a new portfolio layout where you can view the classification's map of projects, expenditures by funding source, and accomplishments. So, another built-in report to help communicate and tell more complete stories about your work! Thanks to John Day Basin Partnership for adding this nice feature!  (#1942)


• Improved "simple" expenditure entry – The expenditures data entry forms were updated with usability improvements. Note that this update is for ProjectFirma users who enter budgets and expenditures by funding source, but not by detailed cost type. Thanks to John Day Basin Partnership for making expenditure data entry easier for all!  (#1699)


• Bulk set project simple location – As part of the Project Create or Project Update workflow, a user can use a project’s simple location to quickly select multiple geospatial area features that the simple location falls within at the same time. Thank you to Reclamation for adding this!  (#1799)


• Allow Impersonation – This feature allows Sitka administrators to more effectively support users by mimicking a user and their permissions within the QA environment to see exactly what they see. This reduces time to resolution for support requests. Thank you to Reclamation for adding this!  (#1827)


• Set/display Performance Measure targets – Users can now create targets for performance measures and compare these goals with reported project accomplishments. Thank you to Reclamation for adding this!  (#1033)


• Display cumulative Performance Measure values – To facilitate tracking of project/program outcomes across time, users can now choose to display reported accomplishments cumulatively. Thank you to Reclamation for adding this!  (#1887)


• Set project status – Users can now define custom project status criteria (e.g., red/yellow/green, or healthy/unhealthy) and set the status for any project. That information is displayed on the Project detail page and the Full Project List page, where admins can also efficiently update the status of multiple projects directly. Thank you to Reclamation for adding this!  (#1900)


• Display Project update/status via timeline – Admin users can view a project’s update history and status in the form of a timeline, facilitating better contextualization and communication of how a project has changed over time. Thank you Reclamation for adding this!  (#1896)

October 2019

• Display last updated date for projects – The last updated date now appears on the project detail page and fact sheet for every project. Whenever a lead implementer or administrator saves a change, the date will update automatically. The last updated date is also available for administrators to include as a column in the project grid (see September update for details on ability to customize project grids). Thanks to PSP for adding this nice feature!  (#1860)
   
• Performance measure reporting guidance –  We updated the helpful pop up on the Accomplishments steps of the project create and update workflows to include additional information including the reporting guidance for each performance measure and a link to the perofrmance measure detail page. An administrator can customize the reporting instructions for each performance measure via editors on the performance measure detail page. Thanks to PSP for identifying and funding this improvement!  (#1594)
   
• Additional budget information now available in the funding source grid –  The funding source grid now has a few more columns of information: Number of Projects with Secured Funding, Total Secured Funds, and Total Targeted Funds. This information provides an at a glance view of how Funding Sources are contributing to future funding of projects. Once again, with gratitude to PSP!  (#1857)
   
• Allow grouping of custom attributes – Custom attribute groups provide a way to separate certain custom attributes from other custom attributes, typically by theme or concern. This allows for greater flexibility and clarity when displaying and editing your project's custom attributes in all steps of the workflow.Thanks to Reclamation for adding this nice feature!  (#1619)
   
• Move custom attributes to their own workflow step – Custom attributes have been moved to their own step in the workflow in order to accommodate grouping and more heavy utilization. This reduces busyness and clutter in the Project Basics section. Thank you to Reclamation for adding this!  (#1619)
   
• Control custom attribute visibility on project fact sheet –  Admins can manage which custom attributes will display on project fact sheets. In addition, we added a toggle that allows logged in users to choose between two views of the fact sheet – with and without the display of custom attributes. Thank you to Reclamation for adding this!  (#1297)
   
• Allow capture of multi-line text data – Custom attributes can now be given the data type "multi-line textbox," which supports larger blocks of narrative text that need to be captured. Thank you to Reclamation for adding this!  (#1599)
   
• Add new measurement unit – The unit kg/m^3 has been added to support Canopy Bulk Density estimation.  (#1722)

September 2019

• Customize project grids – Administrators can specify which columns should appear in the Full Project List and other Project grids throughout ProjectFirma. The order that the columns appear are also customizable. To use this feature, select "Project Custom Grids" from the Manage menu.Thanks to PSP for adding this nice feature!  (#1857)
   
• Add Project Attachment Types – Project attachments can now be organized according to attachment type, which can be defined by program administrators. Attachments are grouped by type on the Project Detail page, and can also be added/viewed/edited/deleted in one place by program administrators in a project attachments grid. For ProjectFirma tenants who haven’t defined custom attachment types, or would prefer not to, all attachments are in a default category called “Documents”. As part of this work we also built a grid for administrators to add/view/edit/delete project attachments from a single location. Thank you to Reclamation for adding this!  (#XXXX)

August 2019

• Customized text and images -- administrators can now optionally add content to "Geospatial Area" pages. Geospatial Area pages are the detailed view for a particular Local Area (Action Agenda Tracker), ISWCC Division (Idaho Conservation Project Tracker), or Watershed (Clackamas Partnership Project Tracker, CA RCD Project Tracker, Peaks to People Outcomes Tracker). Thanks to PSP for adding this nice feature!  (#1605)
   
• Expanded financial data tracking – this area of the system now includes collecting annual budget and expenditure amounts by cost type. Cost Types can be customized to include attributes like "Capital" and "Operating" to track project financial data at a more detailed level. Thanks to PSP and Clackamas Partnership for adding these features!  (#1680, #1719)
   
• Add Contact Types – Similar to the Attachment Types work, project contacts can now be organized by contact type, which is defined by program administrators. Contacts will appear on the Project Detail page organized by their contact type for the project. A user can be a different contact type for different projects. Thank you to Reclamation for adding this one!  (#1654)
   
• Define Project Simple Location by typing lat/long values – In addition to clicking on a map to identify the project simple location, users now have the option of entering exact latitude and longitude values to set a project’s simple location. Once again, with gratitude to Reclamation!  (#1741)

July 2019

• Added custom attributes for Funding Sources. If Custom Attributes are enabled, an administrator can add fields to capture tenant-specific information about funding sources. The values of the attributes appear in the Funding Source grid.  (#1663)
   
• Removed the Funding Type, Estimated Total Cost, and Estimated Annual Operating Cost from the Project basics section and editors, and moved those fields to a newly renamed Budget section (formerly called Expected Funding).  (#1685, #1689)
   
• The Budget editors now include the question "Does your project's budget vary by year or is it the same?". This replaces the confusing "Funding Type" option. If the project's budget varies by year, the project Estimated Total Cost is required. If the project's budget is the same each year (e.g. annual mainenance), the project Estimated Annual Operating Cost is required. Note these changes are part of an onging update to improve project budget tracking in ProjectFirma- stay tuned for more soon!  (#1687)
   
• Updated some labels throughout ProjectFirma, including renaming the "Expenditures" section of the Project Proposal and Update workflows to "Financials" and the "Expected Funding" sections to "Budget".  (#1682)
   
• Removed the dynamically calculated "Unfunded Need" for projects and standardized the calculation of the "No Funding Source Identified Yet" value. The "No Funding Source Identified Yet" amount is the difference between the total or annual project cost and any secured or targeted funding.  (#1787)

June 2019

• Added Invite User functionality. An administrator can now send an invitation to a new user with or without a Keystone account. If the indidivudal does not already have an account they will receive an email from Keystone to verify their new account.  (#1600)
   
• Fixed a bug where an administrator could not delete a funding source.  (#1552)
   
• Added additional validation checks to make sure a user cannot create more than one project update at a time. This was in response to several support requests where a user had trouble accessing their project detail page.  (#1661)
   
• Fixed a bug where users could not save reported expenditures in the Project Create workflow.  (#1695)

May 2019

• Enabled editing or customization of the “Instructions” on the first step of the Project Update wizard.  (#1549)

Apr 2019

• During Project Update workflow, users can now enter Expected Performance Measures, regardless of the project's Stage. Not being able to enter/update expected accomplishments while updating projects was a source of support requests and seemed to be frustrating to some users. We felt the best course was to relax the rules on this and rely on the review and approval part of the workflow to catch an egregious revisioning of history that some implementers might be tempted to do in order to make their project appear "on plan" when it's not.  (#1526)
   
• We can configure a "short name" for your ProjectFirma instance that will appear in browser tabs, making it easier to differentiate pages when you have multiple tabs open.  (#1143)


• After user verifies their new account, the redirect now takes them the log in page, encouraging them to log in and thus be "in the system" and available to be assigned as the Primary Contact to a project. (#1539)
   
• The "Is Primary" attribute on associations between your customizable taxonomy level (e.g. for Clackamas Partnership, "Ecological Sub-Concern", for RCD Project Tracker, "Resource Area") and Performance Measures has been removed. Given the evolution of ProjectFirma, this attribute was no longer necessary yet was causing some people confusion. (#1528)
   
• The download of the "Custom Labels and Definitions" grid, available from the Manage menu and thus only visible to Administrators, now includes the definitions along with the field names. (#1543)
   
• We fixed a bug whereby the unit for reported values on a performance measure was being duplicated. (#1527)

Mar 2019

• Project maps don't look so green ;)  We made the project's simple and detailed (if provided) locations the only map layers turned on by default.   (#1566)
   
• Users can now attach other document types to their projects such as Powerpoint files and images/diagrams.
• The full project list (data grid) now includes the project's primary contact and email. The email is only displayed to users with a role to protect primary contacts from spammers.  (#1580)
   
• Custom Attributes: Added controls so an administrator can decide who can view and edit custom attributes.  They can also control the display of custom attributes in the full project grid.  (#1583 and #1581)
   
• We added a tenant configuration setting to allow secondary associations to a level in your taxonomy. This is turned on in the Action Agenda tracker if you would like to see an example. Contact Sitka for more information if you are curious how this feature works.  (#1584)
   
• User and Organization lists now default to not show Inactivated Users and Organizations. (#1478)
   
• Log in and account management pages (provide by Sitka's Keystone authentication service) have been upgraded to a more modern security protocol. This Keystone upgrade includes some new features like being notified via email when your account is locked due to too many failed attempts (includes a link to reset your password). While the Log In, Request Account, Forgot Password pages look different, the functionality is the same. (#1492)
   
• Fixed a bug for tenants with a 3-tier taxonomy where the add taxonomy button went missing. (#1489)

Feb 2019

• Added Release Notes under the Help menu! (#1211)
   
• Simplified adding the step for adding "Expected Funding" and "Reported Expenditures" within the project workflows. This included removing the "Only show my project's funders" checkbox. (#1254)
   
• Improved the standard data grid layout so that primary actions (e.g. "Create a new Organization") appear as buttons rather than harder-to-see hyperlinks. (#1466) 
   
• Added ability for Administrators to delete an Organization, but only if that Organization only has inactivated users. (#1254)
   
• Fixed bug whereby the Add photo button went missing from the project update workflow. (#1479)

Jan 2019

We have deployed dozens of updates over the past many months, so this first note touches on the highlights:

• Search -  You can now search for projects by their name or any text in their description. This feature was added to all tenants and is not configurable by tenant.
  
  
   
• Project Attachments - Users can attach files to their projects from any of the workflows (propose, add existing, or update a project). Administrators and Data Stewards can also manage attachments from the Project Details page. File types supported: pdf, zip, doc, docx, xls, xslx. While there is no limit on # of attachments, the maximum file size for a single attachment is 4 MB. This feature was added to all tenants and is not configurable by tenant.
  

• Custom Attributes - Added for Idaho's Conservation Project Tracker, other programs are already taking advantage of the ability to define n-number of custom project attributes. Accessible from the Manage menu, Administrators can define the attribute name and its data type (e.g. string, integer, decimal, date/time, pick one from list, and select many from list). You can also decide if the attribute should be a required field. This new functionality is available to all tenants, but it's up to Administrators to decide if and how to use it.
  • Note: Custom Attributes are not fully-integrated into the data model like other attributes (i.e., adding them to grids/pages is not as quick and easy as other fields). Once added, they show up on the "Basics" step of activity workflows and in activity detail pages. Ideally, Administrators should define Custom Attributes BEFORE end users start adding projects. Changing a Custom Attribute's data type after projects have been added could result in data loss.
  

• Internal Notes - Only Administrators and Data Stewards can view, add, edit, delete internal notes on a project. This means not even the Primary Contact for a project can view them. To add an internal note, go to a project and scroll down to its "Notes" section and you'll see both "Public Notes" and "Internal Notes." This feature was added to all tenants and is not configurable by tenant.

• Automated Spatial Attributes - By working with Sitka, you can add multiple spatial areas to your project tracker. In the screenshot example below, the Idaho Conservation Project Tracker has added four spatial areas: Congressional Districts, ISWCC Divisions, Legislative Districts, and Watersheds. ProjectFirma used to support just one, which has typically been set up for Watersheds. Once your ProjectFirma instance is configured, during project create and update workflows, users can click the "Set from Simple Location" button to have the system perform a geospatial intersection with underlying layers such Legislative Districts shown in the map below. Users can click other polygons within the spatial area to associate them to their project as well -- there is no limit on the number of associations a project can have.
  • Note: This is a big improvement over the way this need was met in the past, which involved adding Organization Types and then individual "Organization" records for each district and then manually adding each district to a project via it's Organizations editor. However, please keep in mind that some configuration and likely data migration will be required to convert tenants who have used Organization Types to collect this same information. Please contact Sitka for an estimate.
  

• Manage Project Updates - Administrators can now access a "Manage Project Updates" page from their "Manage" menu. This operational / oversight page was something Sitka built for TRPA’s EIP Project Tracker, but until now hadn't been ported to ProjectFirma. This new page provides access to a number of functions:
  • Define schedule for reminders sent to project’s primary contact by the system
  • Customize the content of the reminder emails.
  • View list of all primary contacts (users defined as the primary contact for one or more projects), along with a number of useful statistics:
    • # of projects they’re responsible for
    • # that need updating
    • # with updates submitted
  • Send ah hoc emails to selected primary contacts
  • View list of all projects requiring an update and the status of those updates.