SPS Personnel Workspace user guide

The steps below describe a typical workflow in the personnel workspace, though steps may not always take place in this order. These steps should be completed after senior/key personnel have been added to the proposal in SPS. Detailed instructions on these steps are provided in the sections that follow.

Click here for a video tutorial.
Important: If a proposal does not already have a workspace, creating the first document will automatically create one. To ensure a clear and consistent workflow, we recommend that the PAL create the workspace as soon as possible. This helps prevent a workspace from being unintentionally created simply because another user happened to be the first person to generate a document.

1. Go to the Personnel --> Other Info tab in the proposal.
   
    

2. Please note, if you are NOT the PAL of the proposal, please avoid creating a workspace and skip this step.
   Important: If a proposal does not already have a workspace, creating the first document will automatically create one. To ensure a clear and consistent workflow, we recommend that the PAL create the workspace as soon as possible. This helps prevent a workspace from being unintentionally created simply because another user happened to be the first person to generate a document.
   
   In the Personnel Workspace section at the bottom of the page, click Create to create a new personnel workspace for this proposal.
   
   Please note, a proposal may have more than one personnel workspace. Personnel workspaces are like CP(O)S documents in that they are created for a specific purpose (i.e., a new proposal, a Just-In-Time request, a non-competing renewal submission, a multi-year funded progress report, or something else).

   If you were requested to prepare a document, please ensure the requester uses the "Send to Preparer" action in the tool and you prepare the document from the email notification. See Step 6 below for more information.
    

3. Select the purpose the workspace is being created for and click “Create.”
   
   
    
4. Each senior/key person on the proposal will be listed in the personnel workspace, regardless of when they were added to the proposal.
   
    

5. Set the date by which the document(s) need to be prepared by. If all documents need to be prepared by the same date, click “Edit All Prepare By Dates” and enter the date. If the documents need to be prepared by different dates, click “Set Date” in each row to set the date.
   
   
   

    

6. The Personnel Workspace supports multiple assignment scenarios to account for each department’s processes. For example, in some departments, the PAL of the proposal prepares the CP(O)S documents, whereas in other departments, a SPOC individual or group is responsible for delegating document preparation.

   If the PAL of the proposal creates the document:	Click “Assign Preparer” to enter the PAL, then click Save. If you did not assign yourself as the preparer and need to notify the preparer, click “Send to Preparer” to notify the preparer(s) that the document is ready to be created. The preparer(s) will receive the following email:
   If a SPOC individual or other person is responsible for assigning out document preparation, or completing it themselves:	Click “Assign Preparer” to enter the individual(s) responsible for assigning out document preparation. Multiple preparers can be assigned. If you are entering individuals from the SPOC list, ensure you enter both the primary and backup SPOC, then click Save. Click “Send to Preparers” to notify the preparers that the document is ready to be created. The preparers will receive the following email: The individual(s) can then re-assign the preparer(s) if needed and trigger a notification to the new preparer(s) by clicking "Resend to Preparer," or they can complete the document themselves, depending on the department's process.
   If a SPOC group is responsible for assigning out document preparation:	Click “Choose SPOC to Notify.” Then, select the SPOC group to notify from the dropdown and click “Send.” The SPOC group inbox will receive the following email: Someone from the SPOC group will then open the workspace and assign a preparer, then click "Send to Preparer" to let the assigned preparer know the document is ready for preparation.

    

7. To edit the document, open it from the personnel workspace. Click “IMPORT SPS PROJECTS” to populate the document with projects. Project information as of the current date populates, so do not import projects too early because the information populated could be stale by the time reviews and submission occur. For example, if projects were imported today but the submission is in 3 months, the project information may be outdated by submission time.
   
   
   
    
8. Complete document preparation and request department and researcher reviews in the review tool. The process for these reviews has not changed. It is recommended to not request central reviews on individual documents as the personnel workspace supports a more efficient batch review process.
   
   
    
9. When general and researcher reviews have been received and the document is ready to be reviewed by the central office, mark the document as prepared. This locks the document and prevents edits (but it can be unlocked if edits are needed).
   
    
10. Repeat steps 8 through 10 for each document.
    
     
11. After all documents have been marked as prepared, on the Personnel Workspace page, click “Send All For Central Review.” The central reviewer(s) responsible for this proposal will receive the email notification below.
    
    
     
12. The document will then be either approved or returned for changes. If it has been returned for changes, update the document with required changes and request central review again. During this point, it is okay to request a central review on an individual document.
     
13. After the document has been centrally approved, click “Begin SciENcv Process” in the review tool.
    
     
14. Complete the SciENcv process. See the Other Support User Guide for detailed steps on this process.
     
15. Upload the certified SciENcv document to the review tool.
     
    
     
16. The document will then automatically enter the Final Check stage, which is an automated system check that flags any differences between the uploaded SciENcv document and the document in the review tool.
    
     
17. If there are discrepancies found during the final check, unlock the document to edit it and correct or resolve the discrepancies. The document must then be reviewed by the central office for approval since there were changes since the last approval.
    
     
18. After the document is approved, upload the certified SciENcv PDF to the Other Support document slot in the SPS proposal.
    

1. Central reviewers may receive review requests from either a batch review initiated from the Personnel Workspace or from an individual document.
    
2. If the central review was requested via the batch process in the personnel workspace, the central reviewer(s) will receive the email notification below.
   
   Open each document in the email to complete the review.
    
3. If the central review was requested on an individual document, the central reviewer(s) will receive the email notification below.
   
   Click “Complete Your Review” to open the document, review the information, and add annotations.
    
4. Click “Approve for Submission” or “Return for Changes” in the review pane depending on the review disposition and add any (optional) review notes. Submit the Review.
   
    
5. Returning the document for changes will send the email notification below to the grant manager. Note how the document state is "Returned."
   
    
6. Approving the document will send the email notification below to the grant manager. Note how the document state is "Pending." This is because it must then undergo a Final Check stage prior to entering the Ready for Submission stage, which is discussed in steps below.
   
    
7. Then, the grant manager or researcher will export the XML and generate a certified SciENcv document. The certified SciENcv document is then uploaded to the Other Support Review Tool.
   
    
8. The document then enters a “Final Check” state, which checks for any differences between the certified SciENcv PDF and the document in the review tool. If no differences are detected, the document automatically moves to the “Ready for Submission” state and the SciENcv PDF should be uploaded to the correct slot in the SPS proposal.
   
    
9. If differences between the certified SciENcv PDF and the document in the review tool are detected, the document remains in the pending state. The grant manager should then unlock the document, resolve the PDF differences, and complete the process to generate a new certified SciENcv document to upload to the review tool.
   Please Note: Since changes have occurred since the central office approved the document, the document is no longer approved, and the central office should review the document for approval again.