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When Should I Use This?
Use this guide when you need to:
Decide which role to assign when adding a new team member
Understand why different staff see different left-menu items (menus display items based on permissions)
Make sure the right users can access sensitive data (like reports with PII) and program areas like Tasks or Payments
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start at Portal Settings → Team to understand who has Portal Admin access for the portal (organization-level settings).
For program-specific access, go to the program and select Manage Program → Program Team.
When adding a user, select the role(s) that match what they need to do in that program.
Use the role descriptions below to choose appropriate access.
After assigning roles, confirm the user can see the right menu options (the left menu shows items based on permissions).
User Roles and What They Do
Portal-Level Role
Portal Admin (Organization Administrator)
Portal Admins manage the portal, including:
Creating and editing Portal details
Uploading and updating Logos and Images
Creating and editing Portal Notifications
Creating and managing Programs
Adding or removing Process-Admin team members
Program Team Roles (Individual/Business Programs)
Process-Admin
A high-level administrative role that manages automations and configuration, including application stages, notifications, and the look of the portal. Each program MUST have at least one Process-Admin.
Review-Specialist
Evaluates and reviews individual applications, checking submissions against eligibility or documentation requirements.
Review-Lead
Supervises Review Specialists. 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 ensures quality control processes are effective.
Finance
Handles financial-related tasks such as approving or processing payments, budget tracking, or auditing funding disbursements. Finance is not required, but each program should have a Finance role.
Customer-Success
Supports applicants by helping them navigate the portal, answering questions, or resolving issues.
PII-Viewer
Accesses segregated areas of the portal that include Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Each program should have at least one PII viewer if information is collected or reported out.
Program-Manager (Do not assign)
This role is used solely to create programs in the portal, is auto-set by the system, and should not be assigned to staff.
Program Team Roles (Case Management Programs)
Case-Manager
Manages client file review, movement, assignment, and updates.
Case-Manager-Supervisor
Performs case manager functions and can access additional permissions to manage case managers.
Process-Admin, PII-Viewer, Customer-Success
These roles are also used in case management programs, with the same general purpose described above.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Assigning the Program-Manager role to staff. This is automatically assigned by the system.
Forgetting to assign a Process-Admin to a program. Each program MUST have at least one Process-Admin.
Expecting all staff to see the same left-menu options. The menu displays items based on the user’s permissions.
Not assigning a PII-Viewer when your program collects or reports PII. At least one PII viewer should be assigned in that scenario.
Best Practices for FORWARD Direct Users
Assign roles based on job responsibilities so staff only see and access what they need (the menu is permission-based).
Always ensure each program has at least one Process-Admin before building and launching program configuration.
If your program collects or reports PII, assign at least one PII-Viewer to support secure access to reporting and sensitive information.
FAQ
Why do different users see different menu options?
The left menu serves as a table of contents and displays items based on each user’s permissions.
Do I need a Process-Admin for every program?
Yes. Each program MUST have at least one Process-Admin.
Who should have access to Reports with sensitive information?
A team member must have the PII Viewer role to see Reports.
Who can see Tasks and Payments?
A team member must have the Finance role to see Tasks and Payments.
Should I assign the Program-Manager role to staff?
Program-Manager is auto-set by the system and should not be assigned.