Administration & Settings

Program Team Role Reference Guide

Program Team roles available in FORWARD Direct and what each role is responsible for.

When Should I Use This?

Use this role reference guide when you need to:

Add or update members in the Program Team and assign appropriate roles
Understand which roles apply to Individual/Business programs vs Case Management programs
Confirm required coverage (for example, each program must have at least one Process-Admin)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Go to Manage Program and open the program you want to manage.
In the program’s left menu, select Program Team.
Click New.
Enter the team member’s First Name, Last Name, and Email.
Select the team member’s Organization.
In Role(s), select one or more roles from the dropdown.
Click Save.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assigning Program-Manager to staff. The documentation states this role is used solely to create programs, is AUTOSET by the system, and no staff should ever be ASSIGNED this role.
Forgetting to assign at least one Process-Admin (each program MUST have at least one Process-Admin).
Not assigning a PII-Viewer when your program collects or reports PII (the guide notes each program should have at least one PII-Viewer if PII is collected or reported).

Best Practices for FORWARD Direct Users

Make sure every program has at least one Process-Admin, since this role manages key configuration and program administration tasks (including forms, notifications, and closing a program).
Use PII-Viewer to control access to sensitive information in segregated areas of the portal, especially when your program includes PII in reporting.
If your program includes financial processing activities, consider assigning the Finance role (the guide notes it is recommended but not required).
After assigning roles, confirm the user can access the right areas. The guide notes the left menu displays items based on each user’s permissions, so correct role assignment supports safe access and review.

Program Team Roles

Individual/Business Program Roles

Process-Admin

Manages automations and configuration of application stages, notifications, and the look of the portal; can launch programs, add/remove users, change forms, and close a program. Each program MUST have at least one Process-Admin.

Review-Specialist

Evaluates and reviews individual applications (typically checks against eligibility or documentation requirements).

Review-Lead

Supervises Review Specialists and may assign reviews, oversee decision-making, and ensure review quality and consistency.

QA/QC-Specialist

Reviews completed application reviews for accuracy, adherence to standards, and compliance with program rules.

QA/QC-Lead

Oversees QA/QC Specialists and helps ensure quality control processes are effective.

Finance

Handles financial-related tasks such as approving or processing payments, budget tracking, or auditing funding disbursements. (Recommended but not required.)

Customer-Success

Supports applicant experience, including helping applicants navigate the portal, answering questions, or resolving issues.

PII-Viewer

Has permissions to access materials that include PII in segregated areas of the portal. The guide notes each program should have at least one PII-Viewer if PII is collected or reported.

Program-Manager (Do not assign)

Used solely to create programs; AUTOSET by the system; do not assign to staff.

Case Management Program Roles

Case-Manager

Manages client file review, movement, assignment, and updates.

Case-Manager-Supervisor

Manages client file review, movement, assignment, and updates, with additional permissions to manage case managers.

PII-Viewer

Has permissions to access materials that include PII in segregated areas of the portal; recommended when PII is collected or reported.

Process-Admin

Customer-Success

Supports applicant experience, including helping applicants navigate the portal, answering questions, or resolving issues.

Program-Manager (Do not assign)

Used solely to create programs; AUTOSET by the system; do not assign to staff.

FAQ

Who can be added to the Program Team?

The Program Team is made up of “Users” you add to a program, and each user is assigned one or more roles to control access and permissions within that program.

What roles are required for a program?

Each program MUST have at least one Process-Admin.

Should I assign the Program-Manager role to staff?

No. The guide states Program-Manager is used solely to create programs, is AUTOSET by the system, and no staff should ever be ASSIGNED this role.

What role should access PII?

Use PII-Viewer. The guide notes each program should have at least one PII-Viewer if PII is collected or reported, and that this role has access to PII in segregated areas of the portal.

Are roles different for Case Management programs?

Yes. Case Management programs use roles like Case-Manager and Case-Manager-Supervisor, along with Process-Admin, PII-Viewer, and Customer-Success.