An action is a specific project, task, or initiative, created and assigned with the goal of improving a result, program, or measure. Actions are created with start and end dates, they can be assigned to team members, and their status can be updated as the action progresses.
All actions for a scorecard can be viewed in timeline format, in the scorecard’s Gantt Chart.
Note: This article discusses how to add an action directly to a result, program, or measure. Actions can also be added from within a Gantt Chart, or from the Action Manager.
To add an action to a result or program, open the object view. The Actions section is below the list of Measures, and above the Relationships section.
To add an action to a measure, open the measure view. Below the data graph, click the Action icon to open the Actions tab.
To create an action, click Add New Action. (If the action you want to add has already been created, click Add Existing Action and choose an action from the Action Manager.)
Fill in the action name and description, and projected start and end dates. An assignee is not required, though it’s recommended to assign the action in order to track accountability.
Assigned actions will appear on the Dashboard of both the assignor and assignee.
Email notifications are sent to the action assignee when:
- The action is created
- The action has not started by the start date
- The action is not complete by three days before the end date
- The action is completed
Note: Action notifications can be enabled or disabled in the Preferences.
Once created, the action is listed along with its status and progress. The Delete icon to the right can be used to delete the action. Use caution when deleting an action - this is permanent and cannot be undone. To edit or update an action, click its name.
When editing an action, the icons across the top can be used to Edit the action name or add tags, Export to PDF or Word format, or Add the action to a container or measure.
The Action Details section has its own Edit button, which you can use to change action description, status (on track, behind or ahead of schedule, etc.), assignor / assignee, start and end dates, and percent completion. After saving changes, the assignee will be notified by email.
Below Action Details are several additional sections. Note that changes in these sections are saved automatically.
Status Update: Those working on the action can click Add Action Status to let the team know of any updates issues. An action can have unlimited status updates.
To Do: In this section you can list the specific tasks required to complete the action, with assignees and due dates. In addition to actions, to do’s also appear on each assignee’s Dashboard.
Clicking the check-mark icon of a to-do marks it as complete, and removes the to-do from the list. Clicking Show Completed brings back all to-do’s. Clicking the check mark of a completed to-do reverses its completion status.
File Attachments: Click Upload File to upload any action-relevant documents or other files. Or click Add Existing File to add any file already uploaded to your account.
Action Custom Fields: Click Add Custom Field to create action-specific fields that can be used to better align Scorecard with your project. These fields will appear after the action is saved.
Note: Users with admin permission can configure action custom fields that will appear by default for all actions.
Relationships: This section lists all containers and / or measures to which the action has been added. You can also add the action to an existing container or measure.
