READY User Manual Follow

 

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Dashboards

In READY, the dashboard view is dependent on user permissions.  From both dashboards, users have a set of icons in the top right corner where they can navigate to their system notifications and personal profile.  By clicking the bell icon, users can view all of their system notifications. By clicking the picture icon, users can navigate to their personal profile settings where they can make changes to their system settings, profile, and sign out of the application.  Below are the dashboard views for both a Coordinator and an REA.

 

Coordinator Dashboard

As a Coordinator, the home page will display all Pending, Approved, and Assigned requests as well as requests that have not yet been accepted by the REA and requests that require additional details within their assigned Bureau.  The specific requests will display when the icons at the top of the dashboard are clicked.  Included in the table are further details of each request such as the Request ID, Post, Cone, Title, Start Date, End Date, Additional Comments, and the Action needed for each line item.  The action will differ depending on the status of the request. The status of the request is dependent on where the request stands in the assignment process. 

 

 

The NavBar at the top of the page includes a Notifications icon and the User account dropdown menu. The Notifications icon when clicked allows users to view all recent notifications of actions that have taken place within their Bureau or items that need attention in the system.  Within the new notification pop-up, users can navigate to view all of their notifications by clicking the “View All Notifications” button.  This will display the Notification Hub page where all notifications can be viewed and dismissed.

 

 

REA Dashboard

As an REA, the home page displays, to the left, the Not to Exceed Date and remaining hours allocated to the REA. Next on the dashboard, is any Assignments pending the REA’s review.  To review any pending requests, the REA can click the information (i) icon in the top corner of each assignment.  Within each Assignment on the dashboard the REA can see the Position Title, Position dates, and the Accept and Decline buttons where the REA can accept or deny the requests.  Lastly, on the REA dashboard is the Time Entry sheet where the REA will enter all hours worked for the current time period.  The Time Entry section of the dashboard includes each day of the time period and a field for regular time and overtime worked for each day.  Once completed and submitted, the system will auto-generate the DS-4151 including all hours worked for the current time period. 

 

 

System Profile

To navigate to the System Profile, click the user name dropdown menu in the top right corner of the page.  From here, the user can either navigate to their System Profile or Sign out of their account.

 

 

The System Profile displays the user’s profile information such as First and Last Name, Primary Email, Secondary Email, and User Roles they have been assigned.  There is a Save button in the case that any user information has been changed and needs updating.

 

 

Post User

In the Post level of the READY Application, users can create new requests and view all existing requests that they have created for their assigned Post/Bureau.

 

New Request

A new position submission request can be created on the New Request page.  The Post user will first thoroughly read the Submission Instructions at the top of the page.  Once read, they will then click the “I understand” checkbox to enable the field for data entry.

 

 

The sections on the New  Request page include Requesting Post Information, REA Request Details, and Funding Information. 

 

 

Once all required fields have been populated, there are options to Save as Draft, Submit Request, or Cancel Request.  Saving the request will save it as a draft to allow for additional information to be entered before submitting.  Submitting the request will submit the request to the Bureau Coordinator where they will then review the request.  Canceling the request will close the request without saving the entered information.

 

View Request

The View Request page will allow for the user to view all existing requests created by them within the assigned Post/Bureau.  The page will include the following information for each existing request: Request ID, Title, Post Submission, Status, Requested Cone, Start Date, End Date, Assigned Resource, Comments, and Actions.  The page allows for exporting, filtering, and searching.

 

 

REA User

As an REA, users have the access to their own unique dashboard, the ability to view their remaining hours, accept and decline pending assignments, track and submit timesheets, make specific edits to their employee profile, view their historical hours and timesheets, and enter their availability for upcoming and current assignments. 

 

 

Accepting Assignments

When a Coordinator assigns a position to an REA, the assignment request displays on the REA dashboard for the REA to accept or decline the assignment.  The pending request displays an information icon that when clicked, shows the details of the position.  REAs can accept the assignment by clicking the ‘Accept’ button, and they can decline the assignment by clicking the ‘Decline’ button on the pending assignment.  When either action is taken on the assignment, Coordinators will receive an email notification notifying them that the assignment has either been accepted or declined and the request will move from the ‘Not Accepted’ status to the ‘Assigned’ status on the dashboard.  Accepted assignments begin displaying on the Time Entry section of the dashboard when the start date approaches.

 

 

Submitting Timesheet

When an assignment’s start date has approached, REAs will have the ability to enter their daily hours worked into the timesheet displayed on their dashboard. REAs have the ability to track their normal hours as well as any approved overtime hours worked. The timesheets display in 2-week increments.

 

When completed, timesheets can be submitted to the REA Coordinator. Once submitted, the hours worked will reflect in the ‘Hours Remaining’ graph on the dashboard and REAs will have the ability to generate the DS-4151 and DS-3060 forms based on the timesheet entries.

 

 

View/Edit Profile

On the View/Edit Profile page, REAs have the ability to view the details of their profile. REAs have the ability to make specific updates to their profile; these updates include User Profile information, Travel Documentation, Summary of their work experience, Skills and Training, and any additional attachments relevant to their REA profile.  REAs will not have the ability to edit any employee, Bureau, or assignment details.

 

 

Historical Hours

REAs have the ability to view all past timesheet submissions for their current and past assignments through the Historical Hours page.  The Historical Hours page includes the Start Date, End Date, Post, Position Title, Supervisor, Regular Hours, Overtime Hours, and the DS-4151 of all past timesheet submissions.  The page includes the ability to search, filter, and export historical hours data.  Additionally, REAs have the ability to manually add hours that have been fulfilled prior to their access to the application in the Manual Hours section of the page to ensure that their hours remaining chart on their dashboard is tracking the correct hours.

 

 

Availability

REAs can track all of their availability for reference for themselves as well as their Bureau Coordinators. The Availability page allows for the REAs and the Coordinators to add any vacation, time off, appointments, or any other prior obligations that will require time off from work.  Both the REA and the Coordinator can switch between months and weeks to view all unavailable hours for the specific REA.  All entries on the Availability page reflect an error message when making an assignment if the entry interferes with the date range of the position.

 

 

Coordinator User

As a Bureau Coordinator in the READY application, users will have the ability to view and edit all Bureau information within the system.  Coordinators are responsible for tracking all Resources within their Bureau as well as maintaining the data within the system.  As a Coordinator some system-related responsibilities include creating REAs profiles in the system, tracking REAs and current assignments within the Bureau, approving position requests, assigning position requests, keeping REA information up-to-date.

 

Position Request and Assignments

Position requests display on the Coordinator’s dashboard in various different statuses with various different action options.  The assignment process begins when a Post user creates a submission request for an REA Position in the Bureau.  As the request moves through the assignment process, it will be given different statuses based on the current assignment step.  Below are the possible assignment statuses:

 

Pending status displays after initial submission by Post.  It will show on the Coordinator dashboard under the Pending table of requests where the request can then be moved to the “Approved”, “Assigned”, “Additional Details”, or “Denied” status.

Approved status will display once the Coordinator approves a pending request.  From this status you can also move to “Denied” status.

Not Accepted  status will display when the Coordinator has assigned an REA to a position and the REA has not taken action on the request on their dashboard yet.  Coordinators can accept the position on behalf of the REA on the Assignments page.

Assigned status displays when a Coordinator utilizes the assignments page and assigns the REA(s) to the request.  Once the assignments are finalized, the status will update to “Assigned” and display “Assigned” on the Coordinator dashboard.

Additional Details status displays when requests in the “Pending” status are sent back to the Post Submitter for more information.  The Coordinator must provide comments on what information is needed. The request will then show in the “Additional Details” status where comments made by the Coordinator can be viewed.  The Post Submitter can edit and resubmit the form for review, moving the request back into the “Pending” status where it continues the approval process.

 

In each status, there is an Action icon that guides the Coordinator to the next step of the assignment process. Below is a list of each status and its corresponding Action:

• Pending: Action icon leads to the request for approval, denial, or request additional details.
• Approved: Action icon leads to Assignment page to assign REA to the Position.
• Not Accepted: Action icon leads to the checklist for reference.
• Assigned: Action icon leads to the checklist for reference.
• Additional Details: Action icon leads to an edit form page to make changes to the request.

 

Making Assignments

Coordinators can assign an REA to a position request once the request has been approved by a Bureau Coordinator.  To assign the REA to a request, the Coordinator will navigate to the Assignments page by clicking the Action icon of request in the Approved status, or by clicking the Assignments link from the left NavBar.  The Assignments page includes all approved positions within the Bureau at the top of the page.  The positions can be viewed in either a table view, map view, or calendar view.  To toggle between the views the Coordinator can click between the corresponding icons on the top right of the positions section.  In each of these viewing options, there is the ability to filter, search, and export the available positions. 

 

 

Once a position has been selected, the next step is assigning an Resource to that position.  The selected position will display in the bottom half of the screen where it will be assigned by a drag-and-drop functionality.  On the left side of the screen there is a list of available Resources to fill the selected position.  The list of Resources includes filter and search abilities.  On the right side, within the gray box, is where the chosen Resource will be dragged and placed.  Once a Resource is selected, the Coordinator chooses dates that the Resource is filling that position.  In the case that there are multiple Resources assigned to one position, the Coordinator can assign all Resources with their applicable date range within this section of the page.  In the case that there is an error with the assignment, there is a red bulleted list below the Resource’s name that explains what error is taking place with the assignment.  Some of the errors can include overlapping dates with another resource, overlapping dates with a previously assigned position, insufficient cone, expiring NTE during duration of assignment, insufficient hours, and planned vacation/PTO during the assignment dates.

 

 

When the Resource(s) have been assigned to the Position and no errors have been identified, the Coordinator can then finalize, Remove, Accept on Behalf, or Decline on Behalf of the REA.  Once the details have been reviewed by the REA, they can either accept from their profile or the assignment can be accepted and finalized by the Coordinator by clicking the “Finalize” button at the bottom of the page.  At this time, the assignment has been made and the process is complete.

 

 

Viewing More Information About Potential Assigned REAs

When REAs have been added to a position on the Assignment page for potential assignment, the Coordinator can view additional details existing on the REA's profiles by clicking the More Info button above the assignment gray space.  On the Assignment More Info page, Coordinators can view the status of the assignment and details such as Travel Documents, Medical Clearances, Languages, Skill Codes, Training, and Unavailability for each potential assignee.  Coordinators can also finalize, remove, accept, or decline for the assignment on this page.  At the bottom of the page, Coordinators can view any history of REAs that have been removed from the assignment.

 

 

Sharing REAs Across Bureaus

Coordinators have the ability to transfer an REA to another Bureau that is in need of a specific REA. This can be done by editing the profile of the REA they want to transfer and choosing the new Bureau from the ‘Loaned Bureau’ dropdown menu.  Next, they will enter the date of expiration for the loan or choose that the transfer is permanent by clicking the ‘Make Load Permanent’ checkbox.  By clicking the ‘Transfer Profile’ button, they will transfer the REA to the specified Bureau.  There is also an option to remove the loan if necessary.

 

 

Current Assignments

Once an assignment is finalized, it will display on the Current Assignments page.  The Current Assignments page includes information for all active assignments for the Bureau including the Request ID, Employee Name, Post, Position Title, Cone, Start Date, End Date.  The Request ID field is hyperlinked so that Coordinators can click and view additional information on the Assignment.  The page allows for exporting, filtering, and searching all current assignments.

 

 

New Request Submission

A new position submission request can be created on the New Request page within the Post dropdown menu.  Similar to the process under the Post section of this User manual, the Coordinator can also submit new requests for positions available to REAs within the Bureau.  Once all required fields have been populated, there are options to Save, Submit, or Cancel This Request.  Saving the request will save it as a draft to allow for additional information to be entered before submitting.  Submitting the request will submit the request to the Bureau Coordinator where they will then review the request.  Canceling the request will close the request without saving the entered information. 

 

REA Management

The REA Management section of the left NavBar allows you to view dashboards and historical hours of all current REAs within the bureau.  To view REA Home pages, you can click the “REA Home” link from the REA Management section. Next, you will select an REA from the REA Profile dropdown and when selected, that REA’s dashboard view displays.

 

 

To view REA Historical Hours, you can click the “Historical Hours” link from the REA Management section. Next, you will select an REA from the REA Profile dropdown and when selected, that REA’s historical hours page view displays.

 

 

Configurations

As a Bureau Coordinator, there is the ability to configure specific pages and functions to be unique to each Bureau.  Some of these configuration options include the Submission Instructions for the New Request page, additional text to all automated emails sent by the system, and editing the roles and permissions for all Users within the Bureau.

 

Submission Instructions

The Submission Instructions configuration allows Coordinators to make additions to the template for the instructions that display at the top of the Post Submission page.  The template includes various formatting options.

 

 

Automated Emails

The Automated Emails configuration allows Coordinators to make edits to the templates for the system generated automated emails. Coordinators are able to edit the templates for the following system automated emails:  Position Requested, Position Request Approved, Position Request Denied, Position Request More Information, Tentative Assignment, Assignment Accepted, Assignment Declined, End of Assignment Survey.  The templates include the ability to add variables, as well as the ability to CC additional users on the automated emails when they are sent by the system.  The templates include various formatting options.

 

 

User Management

The User Management page is where Coordinators can make changes to users’ roles and permissions, including upgrading Post users to Coordinators upon initial application access.  Coordinators have the ability to add existing users to their Bureau either by clicking the edit icon for the user and adding permissions to their profile.  From here, the user will have the permissions given to them within the bureau.  The page includes the ability to export to excel, filter results, and search.

 

 

Document Section

The Document Section page allows Coordinators to add any helpful documents or links that could be useful for the REAs to reference while working in the READY system.  Only Coordinators have the ability to add content to the page.  REAs have the ability to view and download documents added to the page. To add documents, click the "Add Document Section" button and add a title, description, and either drag and drop or choose a file from your device to upload to the Document Section page.  To add links, click the "Add Link Section" button and add a title, link, and description to add to the page. 

 

 

Reporting

The READY application allows for various reporting abilities to pull data from any existing Assignments and Resources.

 

Historical Assignments

When assignments reach their end date, they then display on the Historical Assignments page.  The Historical Assignments page includes information for all historical assignments for the Bureau including the Request ID, Employee Name, Post, Position Title, Cone, Start Date, End Date.  The Request ID field is hyperlinked so that Coordinators can click and view additional information on the Assignment.  The page allows for exporting, filtering, and searching all past assignments.

 

 

Skills and Languages Report

The Skills and Language Reporting allows Coordinators to pull data specific to the REAs Skill Codes and Languages that are existing on the REA Profile.  This report can be helpful in finding REAs for specific positions that require special skills and language abilities.  Coordinators will select the skill code they are looking for from the “Skill Codes” dropdown option and/or select a language from the “Languages” dropdown.  Once the desired data is entered, clicking the “Submit Query” button will return all data in the system that matches the filters selected.

 

 

Inactive REAs Report

The Inactive REAs Report displays the information for each REA Profile that has been marked as "Inactive" on the REA profile.  The page displays the following information: First Name, Last Name, Primary Email, Title, Not to Exceed, Reactivate.  REAs that have been deactivated, can be reactivated via the Reactivate column on the table.  To activate the REA profile, click the activate icon. The REA will then appear back in the Resource Pool and the Edit REA Profile page.

 

 

For additional help, please contact ISC at Post or ADG Support by selecting the ‘Submit a request’ button at the top of the page or by emailing adg-support@state.gov.
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