Signature sections are optional sections available for all plans for the purposes of designating who should electronically sign each plan/review and what options they will have in the signing interface when doing so. The name of this section is consistent across all plans for which it has been added, as are the tools used to set it up, though the signature requirements within each may vary.
When a signature section is added to a plan using the + Add Signature Section option in the-left hand menu, the Signatures Index page is displayed. Each plan/review's signature section as configured on this page is comprised of three components:
- Order Levels - A signature section's order levels enable you to group like signatures together for organizational purposes. They also enable you to determine the workflow for signing by determining whether one or more signatures from a given order level must be applied to the plan before individuals within the second order level will be allowed to sign, and so on. Based on these requirements AWARDS will recognize which order levels are currently open for signing on any given plan, and notify relevant employees via AWARDS Messages.
- Signature Lines- The signature lines for each order level are displayed in a sub-index beneath that order level's header and requirements information. It is here you will set which signatures are to be part of the plan/review, what type of individual is to sign in each case, and whether there are any requirements or optional settings allowed in each instance.
- Signatures Set - The entirety of a plan/review's signature section is referred to as a "set." Each set can be comprised of one or more order levels, along with one or more signature lines within each of those order levels.
Below is a detailed walkthrough of how to configure each of these signature section components.
IMPORTANT! If any portion of a signature set that has been used on a signed plan/review is changed in any way, AWARDS must inactivate the entire set (as of today's date). When you attempt to make a change in these instances a confirmation pop-up is displayed. To proceed with inactivating the signature set and creating a new duplicate set in which changes can be made, click Yes, and then click OK to acknowledge that your new set has been created. To inactivate the entire signature set WITHOUT creating a duplicate copy of that set, click No. The inactivated version of the set is kept as part of already signed plans/reviews, while moving forward the new active version of the set (if you have chosen to create one) is applied to all unsigned plans/reviews using this signature configuration.
To toggle between viewing active and inactive signature sets on the Signatures Index page, use the Show Records options at the top of the page. Active signature sets are displayed by default.
Order Levels
When a signature section is added to a plan/review, it initially has one default order level. Additional order levels can be added using the +Add Order Level link at the top of the page.
IMPORTANT! If any portion of a signature set to which you are adding an order level has been used on a signed plan/review, AWARDS must inactivate the entire set (as of today's date). When you click +Add Order Level in these instances, a confirmation pop-up is displayed. Click Yes to proceed within inactivating the signature set and creating a new duplicate set, and then click OK to acknowledge that your new set has been created. The index page is then refreshed and you can proceed with adding your new order level, as well as making any other changes or additions that are needed. (Clicking No will inactivate the entire signature set WITHOUT creating a duplicate copy of that set.) Note that in all instances the inactivated version of a set is kept as part of already signed plans/reviews, while moving forward the new active version of the set, including your new order level, is applied to all unsigned plans/reviews using this signature configuration.
For each order level, the following fields/options can be configured:
- Order Level Header - In this field, type or make changes to the overall label for the signatures being configured. This is an optional field that, if filled in, will be displayed above this group of signatures in the Plans and Reviews feature.
All order level header data entry is saved automatically; no manual save is needed.
- Order Level - Defaults to the next numerical value based on the number of existing order levels, beginning with 1, but can be changed as needed to adjust the order level's display within the signature section; to do so, click the available drop-down arrow and select the correct number. Adjust the order level of any other signature sections for the plan accordingly so that there are no duplicate numbers.
All order level selections are saved automatically; no manual save is needed.
IMPORTANT! If the order level of a signature section is changed, the ordering of other signature sections for the plan are NOT automatically adjusted to reflect the change; for example, if there are two signature sections and the order level for section 2 is changed to 1, the numbering on the section that was originally 1 must be manually changed to reflect that it is now 2.
- Require Before Next- Click this drop-down and make a selection to indicate how many (if any) signatures from this order level must be applied to the plan/review before individuals from the next order level will be able to sign. Available options are:
- One - When selected, only one of any of the signatures configured in this order level is required in order for individuals form the next order level to also sign the plan/review. As soon as one of these signatures has been applied, any employees from the next order level will be notified via an AWARDS Message that the plan is now available for their signatures. (Notifications require that the signature type for the signatures be set to "Employee.")
- All - When selected, all of the signatures configured in this order level are required in order for individuals from the next order level to also sign the plan/review. As soon as all of these signatures have been applied, any employees from the next order level will be notified via an AWARDS Message that the plan is now available for their signatures. (Notifications require that the signature type for the signatures be set to "Employee.")
During the Plans and Reviews data entry process, the plan/review will automatically display an "Other Signatures Required Before Signing is Available" note for any signature lines not yet open for signing based on the rules set here, and signing will be prevented until the rule requirement(s) are met.
The default value is no selection - a blank - meaning that there are no requirements for that order level. Leaving this selection blank for all order levels should only be used in the event that you don't have any workflow specifications for the plan and any individual configured to sign can do so at any time. A blank requirement can also be set for the last order level on the plan in all instances.
All require before next selections are saved automatically; no manual save is needed.
When considering your e-signatures workflow and setting up signing requirements that will trigger notification messages, keep in mind that a corresponding Ready for E-Signature Notification option is available under Notifications for all users who have the Receive External Email Notifications permission assigned to them under System Setup > Permissions Maintenance. Users with this permission can receive external email notifications when an internal audit message is set to them within AWARDS letting them know when a note is available for signing. In order for those notifications to be sent, the Notifications feature must be configured.
IMPORTANT! Available for e-signing messages tip!
When setting up your order levels, please take into consideration that when the signatures page is saved under Plans and Reviews for the first time, it will result in an automatically generated AWARDS message to any employee(s) configured to sign the plan as part of the first order level. Because the plan/review might not be fully ready for signing at that time we recommend limiting the first order level to only the employee who can designate that the plan/review is done, and setting the requirement for that order level to "All." That way, once they've signed the plan it will be locked from further edits and any employee(s) in the second and/or subsequent order levels will be notified that signing is now available to them (based on whatever requirement rules have been established for each of the plan's order levels).
For example, imagine that a program's workflow requires that the plan reviewer finalize and sign the plan. Once that's been done, either the client or his/her guardian must sign, and then as a final step in the process the reviewer's supervisor and/or the program director sign off on the plan as well. To configure the plan/review's signature section in this way, you'd want to set it up to look as follows: 
In this sample configuration Require Before Next is set to "All" for the first order level because in this scenario no one but the plan reviewer should be allowed to sign the plan initially. As soon as the signatures page of the plan has been saved under Plans and Reviews, the selected (or default) reviewer designated there will be notified that he/she can sign the plan. Once that signature has been applied, either the client OR the guardian must sign the plan, as indicated with a Require Before Next selection of "One" in the second order level. The application of that signature will result in the plan being opened for a supervisory review (represented by order level three), and at that time both the reviewer's supervisor and the program directory will receive an AWARDS message alerting them to that fact. Note that in order level three of this example, no Require Before Next selection was necessary because it's the last order level on the plan.
Each order level also contains a sub-index of configured signature lines, along with an action bar for adding, editing, viewing, and deleting those signature lines. (Each of these actions and any corresponding data entry fields/options is detailed below). The order level itself also has a delete icon available for it; however, it's important to keep in mind that an order level cannot be deleted unless all of the signature lines it contains are deleted first.
Signatures
Once a signature order level has been created, signatures can be added to it. Moving forward those signature lines can also be edited, viewed, and deleted using the following tools:
IMPORTANT! If any portion of a signature set to which you are making a change has been used on a signed plan/review, AWARDS must inactivate the entire set (as of today's date) and then create a new copy, which be added to or edited as needed. When you click a signature radio button and click an action bar icon in these instances, a confirmation pop-up is displayed. To proceed with inactivating the signature set and creating a new duplicate set in which changes can be made, click Yes, and then click OK to acknowledge that your new set has been created. (The index is refreshed and you can then proceed with your edits.) To inactivate the entire signature set WITHOUT creating a duplicate copy of that set, click No. Note that in all instances the inactivated version of a set is kept as part of already signed plans/reviews, while moving forward the new active version of the set (if you have chosen to create one) is applied to all unsigned plans/reviews using this signature configuration.
Add a new signature line - To do so, click the Add New icon from the action bar in the order level to which the signature line is being added. A new data entry page is displayed. Configure the fields and options on this page as needed, and then click Save. The signature line is saved and a confirmation page is displayed. This new signature line is now included as part of any unsigned instances of this plan under Plans and Reviews.
For more information on each field/option available on the data entry page, see Signature Line Fields/Options below.
Edit an existing signature line - To do so, click the signature to be updated, or click the radio button to the left of that record, and then click the edit icon from the action bar corresponding to the order level you are working with. The data entry page is displayed. Make changes to the information on this page as needed, and then click Save. The signature line is saved and a confirmation page is displayed. Any changes made are included as part of any unsigned instances of this page under Plans and Reviews.
For more information on each field/option available on the data entry page, see Signature Line Fields/Options below.
View or print an existing signature line's configuration - To do so, click the signature for which the configuration settings are to be viewed, or click the radio button to the left of that record, and then click the view icon from the action bar corresponding to the order level you are working with. A read-only version of the record is displayed and can be printed as needed using your browser's print option.
Delete a signature line - To do so, click the signature to be deleted or click the radio button to the left of that record, and then click the delete icon from the action bar corresponding to the order level you are working with. A confirmation message is displayed. Click OK to proceed with the deletion. The signature line is deleted, the updated signatures index is displayed, and the signature line is no longer included as part of this plan under Plans and Reviews.
To return to the signatures index for the plan/review you are working with at any time, click Signatures from the left-hand menu.
Signature Line Fields/Options
As noted above, when a signature line is added or edited, the signature configuration data entry page is displayed:
Configure the following fields/options on this page as needed (listed in order of their appearance on the page), and then click Save to complete the data entry process. The new/edited signature line is then saved, a confirmation page is displayed, and unsigned plans/reviews are automatically updated to reflect your work.
- Signer Type - Click this drop-down arrow and select the type of individual who will be signing this electronic signature line on the plan. Available options are:
- Client - When selected, only the individual for whom a plan has been filled out can sign that plan with staff assistance.
- Employee - When selected, an employee selection list is placed on the plan when it is opened in data entry mode. The selection defaults to the individual meeting the selected Signer Role for this signature; however, changes can be made to that selection as needed. (A selection must be made from that list to enable the selected individual to sign there electronically. The list is comprised of any staff person with chart access to the program in which a plan/review is being completed.)
- Other - When selected, someone other than a client or employee can sign the plan. In order to do so, that individual must be assisted by a staff member with access to the plan.
- Default Signer Role - Only available when the Signer Type is set to "Employee." Click this drop-down arrow and select the type of individual who will be signing the plan. If a selection is made, the employee selection list placed on the plan for this signature when it is opened in data entry mode defaults to the appropriate individual; otherwise, a selection must be made from the list and saved to enable the selected individual to sign there electronically. Available options are:
- Primary Worker - When selected, the primary service coordinator of the individual as of a plan's effective date (or as of the due date if there is no effective date) can electronically sign that plan. If a primary worker has not been set for the individual, this signature slot on the plan will be left blank with the option of manually selecting an employee for signing purposes.
Primary worker (service coordinator) information is maintained using the Services - Individual module's Service Coordinators feature.
- Reviewer - When selected, the employee who has been set as the reviewer of a plan can electronically sign that plan.
- Reviewer's Supervisor - When selected, work supervisors can electronically sign the plan if one of their supervisees is set as the reviewer of that plan.
Work supervisor information is maintained using the Human Resources module Staff Information feature.
- Program Director - When selected, the program director of the program in which a plan was completed can electronically sign that plan.
Program director assignments are maintained using the System Setup module, Agency Program Information, Configure Administration feature.
- Program Deputy Director - When selected, the deputy program director of the program in which a plan was completed can electronically sign that plan.
Program deputy assignments are maintained using the System Setup module, Agency Program Information, Configure Administration feature. If more than one deputy has been configured for the program, the employee selection list for this signature slot will default to the first of those deputies; however, both will have the option of signing the plan until one is specifically saved as the signer during the signing process.
- Lock Employee Drop-Down - Click this drop-down arrow and select "Yes" to prevent the worker listed as the default signer on the plan from being changed when entering or signing the plan. If "No" is selected, or if this option is left at its default "blank" value, the default signer selection can be changed if needed.
This option is only available for signatures where the Signer Type is "Employee," AND the Default Signer Role option has been selected.
- Signature Title - In this field, type or make changes to the label to be placed on the plan for this electronic signature.
A title is not required if the Signer Type has been set to "Client." If one is not entered, the signature label defaults to the terminology set up for the program behind-the-scenes; for example, individual, client, consumer, member, etc., as reflected in Consumer name drop-downs throughout AWARDS.
- Authority Level / Other Authority Level - In this field, type or make changes to the selected signer type's authority level. If the signer should be allowed to enter his or her own authority level information, check the corresponding Authority Level Other checkbox. If neither option is configured, the signer will not have an authority level associated with his/her signature during the signing process.
- Message Notifications Suspended - By default when a record is ready for electronic signing an internal notification message is generated and sent to the anticipated signer via AWARDS Messages. In some agencies where signatures are applied immediately in all cases these notifications are not necessary. To have them turned off in such instances, click this toggle to set it to "Yes."
- Images Allowed - Only available when the Signer Type is set to "Employee" or "Client." Click the checkbox next to each image type to be available for use during the signing process when using a PIN and uploaded image. Available options are "No Image," "Initials Image," and "Full Name Image." At least one selection must be made.
- Allow Refused/Unavailable - By default the only option available to signers is to record a signature, with no way to indicate a refusal to sign or to allow anyone else to record that they may be unavailable to sign for any reason. To allow recording of such a refusal or unavailability for this signature, click this drop-down arrow and select "Yes." When "Yes" is selected the signing process will include a Click for Refused/Unavailable option that will enable anyone with access to the plan to record a refusal or unavailability, and to specify a corresponding Reason.
Recorded refusals/unavailability will be captured in the Audit Trail ReportBuilder.
- Reason - Only available when Allow Refused/Unavailable is set to "Yes." In this text box type a list of the reasons to be available for selection when a signature is refused or a signer is unavailable. The default values are "Unavailable" and "Refused." Those options can be overwritten with a new list, or added to as needed. Each selection item must be recorded on a separate line.
- Display Comments/Note Field - If the signing process should include a Comments/Note field that can be used by the signer to record additional information pertaining to their signing of a plan, click this drop-down arrow and select "Yes."
- Signature Order - Only available after the signature record has been saved at least once. Defaults to the next numerical value based on the number of existing signatures, beginning with 1, but can be changed as needed to adjust the signature's display order on the plan.
If a signature line is deleted, the ordering of other signatures in that order level is NOT automatically adjusted to reflect the change; for example, if there are two signatures and signature 1 is deleted, the numbering on signature 2 must be manually changed to reflect that it is now 1. Similarly, if no signatures are deleted but the numbering on signature 3 is changed to be number 2, the other signature orders must also be adjusted accordingly.