This page explains main features of the iDelegate app for Administrators.
To remind, Administrator is a role who sets up and administers the iDelegate system. For more explanations on user roles please see How many actors are there in the iDelegate app?
You do not need to be a computer geek to administer iDelegate. This guide will show how to do it with a minimum of fuss.
You are encouraged to read Delegate / Delegator guide and Auditor guide first. These two guides will help you to understand how iDelegate works from the end user perspective.
Contents
1. Connecting to iDelegate
2. Navigation within iDelegate
3. Administrator dashboard
4. Add and edit Policies, Categories, Authorities
5. Add and edit individual Delegations of Authority
6. Add and edit users
7. Change your password and profile
8. Search iDelegate
Connecting to iDelegate
You will receive all necessary login information from another iDelegate administrator, or directly from us if you are the very first iDelegate administrator in your organisation.
Note: You are strongly advised to change your password as soon as possible in the Profile section of the app.
Navigating within iDelegate
Left side bar allows you to access all areas of the application. If you get lost, clicking on the top left logo will take you back to the dashboard.
In addition, navigation bar at the top can help you search within iDelegate [# Search iDelegate]. Clicking your name on the top right will log you out of the iDelegate platform.
Administrator dashboard
The Administrator dashboard displays key metrics about iDelegate use in your organisation and allows access to other areas of the app.
3.1 Metrics
You have access to several metrics relating to reach and acceptance of Delegations of Authority in your organisation (note that these can be customised for your organisation but the principle will likely remain the same):
Authorities in iDelegateshows at a glance how many authorities there are in the system.Authorities by Statusshows percentage distribution of “reserved” and “delegated” authorities.Users in iDelegatedisplays how many users there are in iDelegate.Users by Rolehighlights percentage distribution of user roles in the system. See How many actors are there in the iDelegate app? for more explanations on user roles in iDelegate.Delegations in iDelegatedisplays how many delegations have been entered in iDelegate. Note that this number will include delegations in ‘draft mode’ (i.e. neither granted nor suspended). See Assigning a Delegation of Authority subsection for additional explanations of what this means.Delegations by Acceptanceshows how many of granted authorities have been accepted. This needs to be as close to 100% as possible. Delegation acceptance is a critical measure of accountability.
Some metrics can display trend data over time. Use drop-downs to select a time range you wish to view.
Add and edit Policies, Categories, Authorities
You can access organisational policies and associated categories and policies by clicking Protocols, Categories or Authorities in the left side bar.
Simply viewing organisational policies, categories and authorities is the same for all users of iDelegate. See Delegate / Delegator guide and Auditor guide on how to do it. In this guide we will concentrate on adding and editing things.
The importance of order
Note that the order of creation of policies, categories and authorities is important in iDelegate. This is how they are linked together in the database: First, policies (or protocols) are created. Second, categories are attached to policies. Third, authorities are attached to categories and through them linked to the correct policies.
4.1 Add and edit policies
You will need to have access to your organisation’s policies to enter them in iDelegate.
4.1.1 Add policies
In the Protocols view click Create button.
This will open a form allowing you to enter all necessary information for the new policy. You can style the text of the policy with headings, bullet points, links and other features.
Click Create to save the new policy. You will be taken to the policy detail screen where you can create categories for it. The new policy will also appear in the list view of all organisational policies.
4.1.2 Edit policies
You can edit existing policies at any moment. Click the Edit button to do so.
You will be taken to the update policy screen where you can edit policy details as necessary.
Click Update when you have finished your edits.
4.1.3 Delete policies
You can remove policies by clicking Delete button against the policy you wish to delete.
Delete or not to delete?
Depending on your specific installation, the delete action may or may not remove associated categories and authorities from iDelegate. In any case and in most instances, it would be better to edit rather than delete and recreate policies, especially if they have been delegated within your organisation.
4.2 Add and edit categories
Once you have added a new policy, you are ready to create its categories.
4.2.1 Add categories
You can add categories in two ways – directly through the Categories link in the left side bar or through their association with policies.
4.2.1.1 Add categories directly
Clicking on the Categories link in the left side bar will display the list of all categories currently in iDelegate.
Click Create button to add a new category.
In the create category view, select the policy to which you want to attach this new category, its name and description.
Click Create Category and you are done. The next screen will offer you to create authorities under this category. We will cover how to create and edit authorities further in the guide.
The new category will now appear when you click Categories in the left sidebar to view all categories in iDelegate.
4.2.1.2 Add categories through policies
Adding categories through policies has an added advantage of not having to actually specify a policy when creating a new category. iDelegate creates this connection automatically for you.
Navigate to the policies list view by clicking Protocols in the left side bar.
Click View button next to the policy for which you want to add a new category.
This will take you to the policy detail view. Once there, click Create Category just above and to the right of the Categories panel.
A new Create Category view is displayed. Note that the policy name field is automatically filled out for you.
Complete the missing details and click Create Category button. The next screen will offer you to create authorities under this category. We will cover how to create and edit authorities further in the guide.
Just as before, the new category will now appear when you click Categories in the left sidebar to view all categories in iDelegate.
4.2.2 Edit categories
To edit a category click the Edit button against the category you wish to modify.
You will be taken to the update category screen where you can edit category details as necessary. Note that you can also reassign an existing category (with its authorities) to a completely different policy.
Click Update when you have finished your edits.
4.2.3 Delete categories
You can remove categories by clicking Delete button against the category you wish to delete.
Delete or not to delete?
Depending on your specific installation, the delete action may or may not remove associated authorities from iDelegate. In any case and in most instances, it would be better to edit rather than delete and recreate categories, especially if policies to which they are attached they have been delegated within your organisation.
4.3 Add and edit authorities
Finally, you are ready to create authorities and relate them to categories.
4.3.1 Add authorities
You can add authorities in several ways – directly through the Authorities link in the left side bar, through their association with categories, or by uploading them to iDelegate with your favourite spreadsheet.
4.3.1.1 Add authorities directly
Clicking on the Authorities link in the left side bar will display the list of all authorities currently in iDelegate.
Click Create button to add a new authority.
In the create authority view, select category to which you want to attach this new authority and enter authority description.
Enter maximum delegated limit (i.e. the top limit that the ultimate decision making power in your organisation delegated in its statement of reserved and delegated authorities) for financial authorities. Enter number 0 if the authority is not financial in nature and it will appear as ‘Responsible’ in iDelegate.
Tick Delegatable box if the authority is not reserved exclusively for e.g. your organisation’s Board (refer to the statement of reserved and delegated authorities for your organisation).
Finally, add a remark if this authority needs to be pre-approved, or if someone needs to be consulted or informed in the course of its application.
Click Create Authority and you are done. The next screen will provide you with a summary of the newly created authority.
The new authority will now appear when you click Authorities in the left side bar to view the list of all authorities in iDelegate.
4.3.1.2 Add authorities through categories
Adding authorities through categories has an added advantage of not having to actually specify a category when creating a new authority. iDelegate creates this connection automatically for you.
Navigate to the category list view by clicking Categories in the left side bar.
Click View button next to the category for which you want to add a new authority.
This will take you to the category detail view. Once there, click Create Authority just above and to the right of the Authorities panel.
A new Create Authority view is displayed. Note that the category name field is automatically filled out for you.
Complete the missing details, click Create Category button and you are done. The next screen will provide you with a summary of the newly created authority.
Just a before, the new authority will now appear when you click Authorities in the left sidebar to view the list of all authorities in iDelegate.
4.3.1.3 Import authorities from a spreadsheet
On some installations it may be possible to import authorities from a spreadsheet.
It is recommended that you use a plain vanilla
.CSVfile for import. You will find a template with required fields here (if your browser opens the file rather than downloads it, right click on the link and chooseSave File As...on your computer). Note that you will need to assign categories to authorities manually after import.
Clicking on the Authorities link in the left side bar will display the list of all authorities currently in iDelegate.
Click Import button to add new authorities.
Navigate to your spreadsheet containing authorities and click Run Action.
iDelegate will import your authorities and display them in the authorities list view.
If you cannot see your imported authorities in the list straight away, click Category column once or twice. Unattached authorities will be sorted first.
To remind, you will need to assign categories to authorities manually after import. You can do so by clicking the
Editbutton and choosing the desired category as explained below.
4.3.2 Edit authorities
To edit an authority click the Edit button against the authority you wish to modify.
You will be taken to the update authority screen where you can edit authority details as necessary. It is here that you assign categories to newly imported authorities. You can also reassign an existing authority to another category.
Click Update when you have finished your edits. The next screen will provide you with a summary of your edits.
The newly edited authority will also appear when you click Authorities in the left sidebar to view the list of all authorities in iDelegate.
4.3.3 Delete authorities
You can remove authorities by clicking Delete button against the authority you wish to delete. The authority will also disappear from Delegations of Authority, if previously granted.
Add and edit individual Delegations of Authority
All individual Delegations of Authority are accessed by clicking on Delegations in the left side bar. From this screen you can create new delegations and edit existing ones.
Note that administrators can see all Delegations of Authority entered in iDelegate, including those in ‘draft mode’. Administrators are thus able to prepare delegations on behalf of somebody else.
With great power comes great responsibility
The only action administrators cannot do with Delegations of Authority in iDelegate is accepting them on somebody else’s behalf. Go carefully when manipulating existing delegations, especially if they have already been granted!
Ideally, you would only need to create the first root delegation (e.g. from the Board to the CEO) and then individual delegates would cascade it further. However, this is not always practical and your help may be required in preparation of personal Delegations of Authority on behalf of others. Make sure you have necessary internal authorisations for doing so.
5.1 Create a new Delegation of Authority
To create a new Delegation of Authority click Create button in the top right of the delegation list screen.
Enter necessary delegation details such as its title and validity. Use drop-down menus to select the delegator and the intended recipient of the new Delegation of Authority.
Click Create Delegation when done and a new Delegation of Authority will be created. You can start adding authorities to it straight away. Read below on how to do it. Note also that administrators, like auditors, can see a trail of actions performed on all individual Delegations of Authority.
The new Delegation of Authority will also appear in the list of available delegations in ‘draft mode’.
5.2 Edit individual Delegations of Authority
You can edit any Delegation of Authority from the delegations list view. Click Delegations in the left side bar to show this view.
5.2.1 Edit delegation details
In order to edit details of any Delegation of Authority click Edit button against the delegation you wish to modify.
Amend delegation details as necessary. Click Update when you are done to save your modifications.
5.2.2 Add delegated authorities
Adding authorities to any individual delegations is easy. Click View button against the delegation to which you want to add a new authority.
You will be taken to the delegation detail screen.
Above the Issuances panel click Create button.
Select an authority you wish to add to the delegation from the Authority drop-down selector. Note that only authorities marked ‘delegatable’ can be selected. Enter authority delegated limit for this particular delegation if it is a financial one. Enter number 0 if the authority is not financial in nature and it will appear as ‘Responsible’. Finally, tick the Further Delegatable box if the recipient of this authority can delegate it further.
Click Create when finished. iDelegate will add this authority to the chosen Delegation of Authority and display confirmation.
5.2.3 Edit delegated authorities
You may be asked to edit delegated authorities to change their delegated limit, for example. The procedure to follow is identical to changing authority limits described in the Delegate / Delegator guide.
5.2.4 Remove delegated authorities
You may be asked to remove authorities from Delegations of Authority. The procedure to follow is identical to removing specific authority from delegation described in the Delegate / Delegator guide.
5.3 Other actions that you can perform on individual Delegations of Authority
In addition to creating and editing personal Delegations of Authority, administrators can perform a number of actions to help them manage individual delegations on somebody else’s behalf. These actions include assigning delegations, granting and suspending them, and exporting delegations as a PDF files.
To see all available actions, click on the Actions dropdown button against the delegation on which you wish to perform an action.
5.3.1 Assign a Delegation of Authority
Assigning a Delegation of Authority follows the procedure identical to 6.1 Assign a Delegation of Authority described in the Delegate / Delegator guide.
Note that the newly assigned delegation will initially appear as if you are its delegator. Simply change your name to that of the intended delegator as described in the section 5.2.1 Edit delegation details above.
5.3.2 Grant or suspend a Delegation of Authority
You may be asked to grant, suspend or revoke individual delegations. This is easy:
- To grant a delegation, follow the procedure 6.2 Grant a Delegation of Authority described in the Delegate / Delegator guide.
- To suspend a delegation, follow the procedure 6.3 Suspend a Delegation of Authority described in the Delegate / Delegator guide.
- To withdraw a delegation, follow the procedure 6.4 Revoke a Delegation of Authority described in the Delegate / Delegator guide.
5.3.2 Download Delegation of Authority as PDF file
To download a specific Delegation of Authority as pdf, click on Actions and select Download PDF. iDelegate will generate a pdf file for you to save locally. Note that because pdf files are generated on the fly, they may take some seconds to do so. Please be patient.
Add and edit users
The list of all iDelegate users is accessed by clicking on Users in the left side bar. From this screen you can create new users and edit existing ones.
6.1 Add new users
You can add users in several ways – directly through the Users link in the left side bar, or by uploading them to iDelegate with your favourite spreadsheet.
6.1.1 Add users directly
Click Create button to add a new user.
In the create user view, select role which you want to assign to this user and enter their details. Leave the Password field empty for it to be generated automatically.
Finally, click Create to save the new user in iDelegate database.
iDelegate will not alert a user when s/he is created in the database. It will only send them a message when they are granted a Delegation of Authority.
Many administrators is too many
It is not advisable to have too many administrators due to their ability to manipulate iDelegate data. Make sure that you review access permissions regularly and ‘downgrade’ users who no longer require full administrator access.
6.1.2 Import users from a spreadsheet
On some installations it may be possible to import users from a spreadsheet.
It is recommended that you use a plain vanilla
.CSVfile for import. You will find a template with required fields here (if your browser opens the file rather than downloads it, right click on the link and chooseSave File As...on your computer). Note that you will need to assign Line and Functional Managers to users manually after import.
Click Import button to add new users.
Navigate to your spreadsheet containing new users and click Run Action.
iDelegate will import new users and display them in the user list view. If you cannot see your imported users in the list straight away, refresh this page in your browser.
By default, all new users are added as delegates. To change their roles, as well as to assign Line and Functional Managers to users manually after import, see below.
6.2 Edit users
To edit details of any user click the Edit button against the user whose details you wish to modify.
You will be taken to the update user screen where you can edit user details as necessary. It is here that you can change user role in iDelegate.
Click Update when you have finished your edits.
6.3 Delete users
You can remove users from iDelegate by clicking Delete button against the user you wish to delete.
iDelegate will ask your confirmation. Click Delete to remove the user.
Deleting users may leave ‘orphan’ delegations in iDelegate.
Change your password and profile
Every iDelegate user has an opportunity to change information contained in their profile such as name, surname, position etc. To do so, click Profile on the left sidebar or shortcut panel on the dashboard.
You are encouraged to keep your iDelegate details up to date and change your password regularly. Doing so will help other users to find you easier and keep the system more secure.
Search iDelegate
There are two ways to search iDelegate – global and item-specific.
8.1 Global search
iDelegate’s global search box is located to the left of the top navigation bar. Global search will trawl all iDelegate database for the terms you research.
In the example above, global search for ‘investment’ returned not only authorities containing this term, but also categories, policies and even individual delegations that the person searching was scoped to see.
8.2 Item-specific search
As the name suggests, item specific search is only limited to the resource you are currently viewing. iDelegate’s item-specific search box is located on the main screen, usually just below the title of the currently viewed resource.
In the example above, authority-specific search for ‘investment’ narrowed selection of authorities to just those dealing with investment issues.