Restricting/Granting Access to Specifications
This function allows specification authors to restrict access to specified users within their practice. This is especially useful where teams need to restrict access either for security or to create dedicated team access to a project.
The module also allows specification authors to provide access to any other existing Masterspec login. That means specification authors can grant access to any individual from an external consultancy or practice as and when required without opening up the entire practice's specifications. Once activated all the external user needs is their own Masterspec account details to log in. At any point in the project lifespan, you can switch that access on and off at your discretion.
To specify who can work on a project, log in to your Masterspec account and click on your name top right of the screen - this will take you to your dashboard.
Select the specification you wish to restrict. From the Overview, select the new Access tab.
The Access workflow allows you to restrict the specification to specific staff members. You can also invite external Masterspec users such as partner practices, consultants, and contractors to view the specification or with trusted partners allow them access to edit the content with you.
Be aware currently, the platform will not track which user granted access makes any changes to the specification.
To give an internal staff member access check, "Restrict access to only nominated staff." Choose from the list of associated Masterspec users currently associated with the practice. Highlight those practice staff you want to grant access and use the arrow icon to add them to the Selected/Applied list. Now only these users will be able to view, open and edit the content of this specification. Note that at any point in the future, you can add more users or remove access to any of the nominated users.
By default, all account Administrators will already be added to the 'Administrator' (full) access: list.' At this point, you can also modify the list of administrators who can access by reversing the process - select their name and then, using the arrow icon, remove access.
Masterspec recommends that you leave at least one administrator with access so that, in the future, the practice can continue to grant and restrict access to the Project. This is especially important as staffing requirements may need updating at some future point.
Note that practice administrators can access and reallocate any specification that has no users (orphaned) with access due to staff leaving or allocated to other projects.
Select UPDATE to confirm your choices.
To grant access to external practices or consultants, select the next tab and check "Give access to external contractors". You can now add any current Masterspec user by entering their existing login (their Masterspec registered email address). Note they must have a Masterspec login to be able to access your specification.
NB. We have added a level of permission where you can restrict their access to either Edit or Read-only, check the Access button and select ADD. You must do this for each external user you wish to add to the Project.
Their login email will appear in the list of users that have been granted access once you push add.
From this point on, you can control that user's access level, or remove access, using the edit icon beside any of the nominated external users. You can update or modify their permissions at any time in the future.
Once assigned as a restricted access specification project only, practice users with access will be able to see the Project appear in the practice specification listings. Those granted External Access status can see and gain access to the specification from their dashboard. A new icon will display any external project they have been given access to under Special Access Specifications.
Once assigned as an editor, a user can contribute and edit the specification as any internal users within your practice can. They select any section and open the Edit tab to start work in your team.
Any external user assigned View only access can open and read any specification section but do not have any capability to edit remove or contribute content to the project specification.
NB. Any users that have external access to a specification will see the name of the 'owner' practice controls the specification displayed in the header of the index window.
NOTE: In the event the specification administrator no longer requires access to the specification (for instance if they leave the practice), they should be removed as the Admin. of the Project. By default, the Project will no longer appear in the Special Access Projects list or the main project list.
In essence, the system has 'orphaned' the Project. The situation can be rectified by following the steps below.
Hover over Project in the navigation bar to reveal a new 'Special Access Projects' navigation link.
You can also go to the page via the Extended Tools link to the left of the screen.
The link opens a summary of the entire practice's Special Access Projects for practice administrators. The page provides an overview of all Special Access specifications for the whole practice..
To modify access to any project, the administrator should open the Project directly and make those adjustments on the Access tab of the Project.
To recover any orphaned specification, select Grant Access to reset the Project for access for all staff.
A window will indicate that the Project has been retrieved. The Practice Administrator has been automatically registered as the specification administrator, and the Project no longer appears as an Orphaned Specification.
By opening the Practice Projects list on your dashboard, the specification project is now available to all practice users. If you need to re-assign 'Restricted Staff Access' or modify the Administrators, repeat the process in that Project's Access tab as outlined above.
