The AWARDS Home screen Announcements Center feature enables users with the proper authority to post agency announcements. Once posted, users can view those agency announcements, as well as any announcements posted by Foothold Technology.
Required Permissions
- Announcements Upload/Edit
Viewing Announcements
- Useful Links - These links are populated by your agency. Typically, agencies include important resources here for easy access.
- Agency Announcements - These announcements are also populated by your agency.
- Foothold Announcements - These announcements live in the middle of the screen with a muted green header. These are managed by Foothold and will include important information like what's new in the software, available services, significant regulatory updates, or other noteworthy opportunities.
- Events - This category is also managed by Foothold. This is a list of upcoming training events offered by Foothold, with brief descriptions and links to register.
- Recommended Resources - This category is managed by Foothold. Similar to the Useful Links section, this is a place where Foothold will share resources and shortcuts for information we feel you should keep at hand.
Click on any announcement and a modal window will open showing the full message. Click the X to close the announcement.
Posting an Announcement
- Click the Manage Announcements button on the top right of the AWARDS Home screen. The Manage Announcements page is displayed.
- Click Add New Announcement for either the Agency Announcement section or the Useful Links section.
- The Announcement template is displayed.
- The Title field is required and is the title that will be displayed to users.
- The Text box is also required. This is where you will include the content of the announcement. Above the text box are formatting options that can be used to adjust the appearance of your announcement as needed.
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The following settings must also be determined:
- Type - Here you can select either "Agency Announcement" or "Useful Links" and your selection will determine where the announcement lives on the Home screen.
- Status - The announcement can be set to "Active" or "Disabled." When "Active" is selected, the announcement is available for viewing as of the start date entered. When "Disabled" is selected, the announcement is NOT available for viewing, regardless of any start date or end date selected.
- State Date - The start date is the date on which the announcement should first be viewable. If a start date is not specified, the announcement will be available as soon as the status has been set to "Active."
- End Date - The end date is the date on which the announcement should no longer be available for viewing. If an end date is not specified, the announcement will be viewable until the status has been set to "Disabled."
- Target User Group - Announcements are posted for all staff by default, but can also be published for only staff assigned to specific user groups. If the announcement should be limited to a specific user group. click Target User Group. The Target User Group pop-up will display. Click the checkbox next to each user group for which the announcement should be available, and then click Close.
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Each announcement can have up to four attachments.
- To attach a file to the announcement, type a file name in the Display Name field. The Display Name entered here will be displayed as a link attached to the announcement.
- Click the corresponding Choose File button. A file upload box is displayed. Select the file you want to attach, and click Open.
- The total size of all files attached to the announcements cannot exceed 2MB. The total number of all files attached cannot exceed four. Accepted file types are .DOC, .XLS, .PDF, .JPG, and .BMP.
- When you are finished adding attachments, click Continue. The announcement will be saved and displayed (so long as you have set the status to "Active."
Editing an Announcement
To make changes to an existing announcement, either active or disabled, complete the following steps:
- Click the Manage Announcements button on the top right of the AWARDS Home screen. The Manage Announcements page is displayed.
- From the list of announcements, click the name of the announcement you wish to edit. The announcement will open in editing format.
- When finished editing, click Continue. The announcement will be saved with the changes you've made.
Deleting or Disabling an Announcement
If there is an agency announcement or useful link that should no longer be available for viewing, you have the option to delete that announcement or disable it. Deleting an announcement removes it from AWARDS entirely. Disabling an announcement means that it is not actively available for viewing but it remains in AWARDS to be touched again in the future or as a historical record of previously posted announcements.
To delete an existing announcement, complete the following steps:
- Click the Manage Announcements button on the top right of the AWARDS Home screen. The Manage Announcements page is displayed.
- Under each announcement title, there are three options: View, Clone, or Delete.
- Click Delete. A confirmation box is displayed.
- Click OK. The announcement will be deleted.
To disable an existing announcement, complete the following steps:
- Click the Manage Announcements button on the top right of the AWARDS Home screen. The Manage Announcements page is displayed.
- From the list of announcements, click the name of the announcement you wish to disable. The announcement will open in editing format.
- In the Status settings of the announcement, click the Disabled radio button.
- Click Continue at the bottom of the announcement. The announcement will be disabled, but will still be accessible for later use or a historical record.
Other Helpful Information
Training Films & Demonstrations
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can announcements be viewed by users with consumer logins?
Yes, all users with logins, regardless of whether they are employees or consumers, will see the announcements on the Home screen; however, announcements can be targeted to members of specific user groups, so it is possible to exclude users in consumer user groups from specific announcements as needed. For more information, see the step under Posting an Announcement regarding setting the "Target User Group."
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How do I edit something other than an "agency announcement" or “useful links” from the Manage Announcements pop-up menu?
While you may see up to five announcement categories listed on the Manage Announcements pop-up menu at any given time, you will only ever be able to edit announcements in the "Agency Announcements" or “Useful Links” categories. The other categories are reserved for use by Foothold Technology.
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Why don't I see "Add/Edit Announcement" on the Manage Announcements pop-up menu?
The Add/Edit Announcement option is only available for users who have the "Announcement Upload/Edit" permission. Users who do not have that permission can view all posted announcements, but cannot post any themselves.
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Why don't I see the same "Agency Announcements" or “Useful Links” as my co-workers?
Each agency announcement or resource can be targeted to members of specific user groups. As a result, different users may see different announcements based on the user group to which they are assigned.
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Why is the "Announcement Upload/Edit" permission grayed out under Permissions Maintenance for some users?
In multi-agency databases the "Announcement Upload/Edit" permission can only be assigned by, and to, continuum staff. As a result, when completing permissions data entry for non-continuum staff, the "Announcement Upload/Edit" permission is grayed out.