Feature - QA Extension
- Lisa Clancy
We have made changes to expand on the QA screen, utilising a similar design that we used for the new Appeals work.
We have added tabs to include more information, the ability to create tasks for the EPA’s, allow developmental feedback, have a full audit trail, a comments section for messaging and the ability to use file uploads.
Please note that this development contains changes to core functionality within the QA system. We will also be providing further materials to help with training, in the form of a Powerpoint document and bitesize videos
PowerPoint for Guidance is below
This work is loaded now to your Production site in release 5.03.0 on Dec 7, 2022 & Dec 8, 2022
The QA screen has been re-written to provide additional functionality to both EPA and QA users. Aside from the visual design changes, the following functionality has been introduced:
Guide to the QA Algorithm Information on QA Percentages & the QA Algorithm
QA Question Templates
A new screen has been added to the “Entity Management” screen, entitled “QA Question Templates” - this new screen allows the creation, reading, updating, and deleting of a new QA Question Template entity type. These entities hold a list of questions that should be asked as part of the QA process, which can then be assigned against a QA record.
Questions follow the same structure as other existing question style inputs, meaning that text, text area, and checkbox are available. There is also a toggle to enable whether the question is mandatory.
Questions are editable once they are created, but any questions that are assigned against a QA will be automatically archived to preserve the history of existing data.
Please note that the original “QA feedback” and “EPA feedback” fields have been moved to a new QA Question Template called “Default Template” - this template is assigned to all pre-existing QA records to maintain legacy data.
Users will also need Assessment Schema → Create permission as well as these new ones specific to the Templates to create these questions.
Separated QA updates
The QA creation stage has been simplified to only request a small amount of information in the first instance.
Once created, the rest of the QA information can be applied via smaller, individual updates - for example, QA Question Template answers, file uploads, comments, and tasks are all applied via separate save buttons.
This is the same as the File Uploads tab you are already familiar with, with the option to browse and upload a file to the apprentice, but instead via this QA page. The files will still be stored against the apprentice and are able to be marked as Internal only and/or program specific.
QA Comments
The existing chat-style system from the Appeals process has been ported into the QA process - this allows QAs and the EPA to communicate together via a chat system in app, keeping all of the information within epaPRO. Comments can be created, updated and deleted depending on new permissions.
Posting a comment also offers the ability to update the QA status, to indicate that the QA is now awaiting an assessor/EPA.
QA Tasks
QA users are now able to create tasks against a QA record for the EPA to complete. This makes the feedback more structured than free-text fields that were previous used within the legacy system.
The tasks are assigned a Task Type, which can help break down the type of feedback that is being provided.
These codes are configurable in the new Custom Dropdowns entity management screen (details of this screen can be found against the corresponding release notes).
EPA users can then mark tasks as complete as the work is completed, providing greater granularity to the progress against the QA.
Tasks that are marked as complete can then be re-checked by the QA user and can be “Resolved” once the work has been confirmed complete. Like the Task Types, these resolution types can be configured within the Custom Dropdowns entity management screen.
If a QA user creates a task for an EPA to complete, the system can be configured to create a summary custom task within the EPA’s To-do list within epaPRO. This feature can be enabled against each individual QA record, by toggling the “QA Tasks Trigger EPA Custom Task Entries” within the create/edit QA section.
Note that the To-do entry is a summary for the QA record - it does not contain task specific data.
A new report has been introduced to allow reporting on QA tasks and their corresponding outcomes, to help keep track of the type of feedback that is being raised, and how they’re being addressed.
QA Activity
The activity functionality from the appeals screen has been added to the QA record screen, to help keep track of what progress is being made against the QA. Changes to the QA, such as comments, tasks, file uploads, QA Question Template answers, are all shown within an audit trail - this audit trail shows a brief description of the change, including who did the change and when.
EPA Developmental Feedback
We have implemented an area with QA that allows specific points regarding EPA developmental feedback to be created. This can be located on the Developmental Feedback tab on the QA screen.
Please note any EPA developmental feedback items can be seen within the profile screen for that EPA, only after the QA has been published.
An EPA will be able to 'Acknowledge' any feedback that they have been given. There are no restrictions on when the EPA developmental feedback can be seen within the QA screen itself.
A QA user will have the ability to sign-off, edit and delete EPA developmental feedback that they create. They will only have the delete functionality before the QA is published. This is available via the ellipsis on the right-hand side of the screen: -
Dates can be entered for when the QA user would like the feedback to be acknowledged by and a date for a QA user to review the developmental feedback item.
Custom categories can be set from the Custom Dropdowns screen, and we have provided some generic ones as a template that can be deleted if they are not suitable.
Reporting
We have also added a report called EPA Developmental Feedback that can be located on the EPA tab of the reporting area. This report provides information about the developmental feedback that has been created.
The following filters have been provided:
Standard, EPA,
Component Name,
Feedback Category
QA Type (Result or Certification).
New Permissions
The following new permissions have been introduced as part of this work, these are given by default to the Owner user and AO users.:
QA → Update comments
Enables who can update comments against a QA. Note that users can only edit their own comments, not comments from other users.
QA Question Templates → Create
Enables the creation of new QA Question Templates.
QA Question Templates → Delete
Enables the deletion of existing QA Question Templates.
Note that deleting a QA Question Template that is in use will not remove historical data.
QA Question Templates → Read
Enables the reading of existing QA Question Templates.
QA Question Templates → Update
Enables the updating of existing QA Question Templates.