Accela Civic Platform Citizen Access Administrator Guide 8.0

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Version 8.0

Accela Civic Platform®

Citizen Access Administration Guide

Accela Civic Platform - Citizen Access Administration Guide
© 2015 Accela, Inc. All rights reserved.
Accela, the Accela logo, the Accela logo with “Government Software” notation, Accela Automation, Accela
Asset Management, Accela Citizen Access, Accela Mobile Citizen Access, Accela ERS, Accela GIS, Accela
IVR, Accela Land Management, Accela Licensing, Accela Mobile Office, Accela Public Health and Safety,
Accela Service Request, Accela Wireless, Kiva DMS, Kiva Development Management System, 'PERMITS'
Plus, SiteSynch, Tidemark Advantage, Civic Platform, Civic Cloud, Civic Hero, E-Boardroom,
EnvisionConnect, Envista, GEOTMS, IQM2, Mediatraq, Minutetraq, PublicStuff, Trusted To Do More,
VelocityHall, Vantage360, and other Accela logos, devices, product names, and service names are
trademarks or service marks of Accela, Inc. Brava! Viewer is a trademark of Informative Graphics
Corporation. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Acrobat is a trademark of Adobe
Systems Incorporated. Portions copyright 2009 Ching-Lan 'digdog' Huang and digdog software. All other
company names, product names, and designs mentioned herein are held by their respective owners.

Version 8.0
October 2015
Corporate Headquarters
2633 Camino Ramon
Suite 500
Bishop Ranch 3
San Ramon, CA 94583
Tel: (888) 722-2352
Fax: (925) 659-3201

www.accela.com

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface .......................................................................................................9
Overview ........................................................................................................... 9
Revision History .............................................................................................. 10
Obtaining Technical Assistance...................................................................... 10
Disclaimer ....................................................................................................... 10
Related Publications ....................................................................................... 11
Documentation Feedback ............................................................................... 11

Part I

Getting Started
Chapter 1

Introduction .............................................................................................13
Before You Configure ..................................................................................... 13

Chapter 2

Introducing the Architecture and Interface ..........................................16
Architecture Overview..................................................................................... 16
Payment Processing and Trust Accounts ....................................................... 18
Mobile Citizen Access..................................................................................... 19
Accessing Citizen Access Administration Tool ............................................... 19
Understanding the User Interface ................................................................... 20
Using the Navigation Panel............................................................................. 23
Reviewing Buttons and Icons.......................................................................... 23
Introducing General Panel Configuration........................................................ 25
Introducing Module Tab Configurations .......................................................... 28

Chapter 3

Understanding User Accounts ..............................................................32
Introducing User Types................................................................................... 33
Introducing Registration Options..................................................................... 35
Associating a Contact with a Public User ....................................................... 36
Associating a License with a Public User ....................................................... 37
Enabling Account Management Functionality................................................. 38
Managing Public User Passwords .................................................................. 39

Accela Civic Platform - Citizen Access Administrator Guide

Table of Contents

Organizing Personal Records in Collections................................................... 41
Managing Delegates ....................................................................................... 44
Defining Agency Employee Display Settings .................................................. 48

Chapter 4

Global Settings Configuration Page......................................................56
Official Website ............................................................................................... 56
Global Features .............................................................................................. 57
Access and Display Settings........................................................................... 63
Search Settings............................................................................................... 65
Fees and Check-out........................................................................................ 68
Delegates Settings.......................................................................................... 71
Parcel Genealogy Settings ............................................................................. 73
Examination Setting ........................................................................................ 74
Inspection Result Setting ................................................................................ 75
Defining Your Own CSS Style ........................................................................ 76

Chapter 5

Feature Settings Page ............................................................................80
Feature Setting Configurations ....................................................................... 80
Configuring Required Registration.................................................................. 83
Configuring Service Selection for a Main Agency........................................... 83

Chapter 6

Registration Settings Page ....................................................................86
Register License ............................................................................................. 86
Expiration Interval Settings ............................................................................. 90
Security Settings ............................................................................................. 92
CAPTCHA Settings......................................................................................... 95
Login Settings ................................................................................................. 96
Reset Password Settings................................................................................ 97

Chapter 7

Configuring Notification
E-mails .....................................................................................................98
Customizing an E-mail .................................................................................... 98
Defining Activation E-mails ............................................................................. 98
Defining License Notification E-mails............................................................ 100

Chapter 8

Module Settings Configuration Page ..................................................101
Maps ............................................................................................................. 102
Inspections.................................................................................................... 105
Workflow ....................................................................................................... 108
Fees .............................................................................................................. 108
Copy Record Settings ................................................................................... 108
Contact Information Controls ........................................................................ 109

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Filter Record Search Results ........................................................................ 111
Application Status ......................................................................................... 112
Combine Button with Record Type ............................................................... 116
Record Search .............................................................................................. 119
Record Type Filters....................................................................................... 120
Report Display Controls ................................................................................ 126
License Verification Page Configuration ....................................................... 127
Record Detail Section Configuration............................................................. 128
Social Media Settings ................................................................................... 128

Chapter 9

Page Flow Configuration......................................................................130
Accessing Page Flow Configuration ............................................................. 131
Understanding Page Flow Basics ................................................................. 132
Associating Record Types With a Page Flow ............................................... 133
Working with Steps ....................................................................................... 136
Working with Pages in Page Flow ................................................................ 140
Working with Components ............................................................................ 146
Listing of Components .................................................................................. 149
Understanding Breadcrumbs ........................................................................ 153
Configuring the Final Step ............................................................................ 154

Chapter 10

Working with Web Pages .....................................................................158
Customizing Texts and Images on Web Pages ............................................ 158
Designing Form Layouts for Web Pages ...................................................... 167
Customizing Home Page Components......................................................... 174
Working with Fields....................................................................................... 176
Defining Module Tabs and Display Order ..................................................... 184
Configuring Columns on a Page ................................................................... 186
Assigning Reports to Buttons........................................................................ 188
Number of Records Displaying per Page...................................................... 189
Applying Custom CSS Stylesheet or JavaScript File on a Page .................. 190
Developing and Deploying a Custom Page .................................................. 192
Configuring URLs and Deep Links to Citizen Access Pages........................ 193

Part II

Managing Implementation
Chapter 11

Implementation Planning .....................................................................200
Enabling HTTPS ........................................................................................... 200
Configuring Public User Registration and Account Management ................. 202
Configuring for Record Inquiry ...................................................................... 205

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Configuring Records for Processing ............................................................. 208
Setting Up Fees ............................................................................................ 212
Configuring Inspections ................................................................................ 214
Renewing and Verifying Licenses................................................................. 216

Chapter 12

Defining the Registration and Account Management Process.........221
Understanding the Registration Process ...................................................... 222
Enabling Registration and Displaying Links.................................................. 222
Configuring the Registration Settings Page .................................................. 224
Customizing Registration and Account Management Web Pages ............... 224
Configuring Contact Associations ................................................................. 226
Configuring Registration E-mails .................................................................. 237
Configuring the Security Question Choices .................................................. 239
Setting SSN and FEIN Contact Field Validation ........................................... 240
Registration Submit After Scripting Information ............................................ 241

Chapter 13

Configuring Record Inquiry .................................................................242
Enabling Global Search ................................................................................ 243
Defining Module Search Functionality .......................................................... 245
Defining Licensed Professional Searches .................................................... 253
Configuring Contact Template Record Searches ......................................... 254
Enabling Provider/Education/Licensee Search............................................. 256
Customizing Food Facility Inspection Search ............................................... 259
Enabling External APO Search..................................................................... 261
Modifying Search Pages and Filtering Data.................................................. 262
Exporting Search Results in CSV Format..................................................... 280

Chapter 14

Creating Records ..................................................................................282
Configuring Record Types in Civic Platform ................................................. 283
Preparing Web Pages to Create Records..................................................... 297
Configuring Application Specific Information ................................................ 302
Restricting Access to View Comments ......................................................... 309
Assigning Conditions to Records .................................................................. 311
Displaying Conditions ................................................................................... 312
Configuring Contacts .................................................................................... 317
Document Attachments................................................................................. 330
Populating People Template Fields Using EMSE......................................... 343
Enabling Auto-fill for City and State Fields.................................................... 343
Configuring Record Types in Classic Administration .................................... 344

Chapter 15

Fees and Online Payments ..................................................................355
Enabling Fees for Online Functionality ......................................................... 356

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Defining the Default Qty with Fee Indicators................................................. 358
Enabling Fee Estimation ............................................................................... 359
Customizing Fee Pages................................................................................ 364
Enabling Payment Methods .......................................................................... 365
Removing the Pay Fees Link ........................................................................ 367
Configuring Shopping Cart............................................................................ 367
Online Payment Processing.......................................................................... 371
Trust Accounts .............................................................................................. 372
Assigning Service Fee Structures to Modules .............................................. 375

Chapter 16

Managing Inspections ..........................................................................376
Defining Inspections for a Module................................................................. 376
Configuring the Inspection Calendar............................................................. 377
Managing Inspection Scheduling .................................................................. 381
Customizing Inspection Confirmation Details ............................................... 392
Creating a Deep Link on the Inspection Detail Page .................................... 393
Enabling External Inspectors to Upload Inspection Results ......................... 395

Chapter 17

Authorized Service................................................................................400
Updating the Web.config File........................................................................ 400
Configuring Authorized Service Settings ...................................................... 400
Customizing the Account Management Page for Authorized Agents ........... 402
Configuring the Authorized Service Sale Pages ........................................... 408
Enabling License Tag Printing ...................................................................... 412
Configuring Authorized Service in Civic Platform ......................................... 412

Chapter 18

License Verification and Online Renewal ...........................................414
Managing License Verification ...................................................................... 415
Defining Expired License and Insurance Settings ........................................ 424
Configuring License Renewal ....................................................................... 429
Defining Licensing E-mail Functionality ........................................................ 434

Chapter 19

Certifications and Education ...............................................................438
Configuring the Search for Provider/Education............................................. 438
Configuring Education................................................................................... 442
Configuring Continuing Education ................................................................ 446
Configuring Examinations ............................................................................. 451

Chapter 20

Reporting Information ..........................................................................461
Configuring Report Manager for Citizen Access........................................... 462
Setting Report Viewable Permissions........................................................... 470
Sending Reports to Public Users by E-mail .................................................. 473

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Table of Contents

Configuring Multiple Agency Functionality .................................................... 473
Viewing Available Internal Reports ............................................................... 474

Chapter 21

Maintaining the ACA Website ..............................................................478
Defining Expiration Interval Settings ............................................................. 478
Deleting Partially Completed Applications .................................................... 479

Part III

Appendices
Appendix A

Accela Engineering Event Scripts.......................................................484
Accessing Event Scripts ............................................................................... 484
Citizen Access Events .................................................................................. 486

Appendix B

Features Requiring Interface Implementations..................................493
Globally Disabling Unwanted Actions ........................................................... 493
Implementing Custom Component ............................................................... 497

Appendix C

Variations for Creating Records ..........................................................519
Creating a Parent-Child Record.................................................................... 519
Copying an Existing Record.......................................................................... 523
Creating Records for Multiple Agencies........................................................ 524
Configuring Amendment Record Functionality ............................................. 558

Appendix D

LDAP Authentication and SSO ............................................................565
LDAP Authentication..................................................................................... 565
Single Sign-On (SSO)................................................................................... 568

Appendix E

Mobile Citizen Access ..........................................................................579
Mobile Citizen Access Functionality.............................................................. 580

Appendix F

Legislative Management.......................................................................582
Configuring Legislative Management............................................................ 582
Viewing Videos and Agendas in Citizen Access........................................... 584

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9

PREFACE

Topics


Overview



Revision History



Obtaining Technical Assistance



Disclaimer



Related Publications



Documentation Feedback

Overview
Welcome to the Accela Civic Platform - Citizen Access Administrator Guide. This guide instructs
Accela Services staff and agency system administrators on setting up Citizen Access and
Mobile Citizen Access.
The environment and tasks you perform depend on your agency’s implementation package and
the way your Civic Platform was set up, including access permissions assigned to your user ID.
Citizen Access sits on top of the Civic Platform architecture; therefore agencies can easily
streamline Civic Platform portlets and expose them to citizens over the Internet.
Citizen Access is a customizable Web-based application that works with Civic Platform
applications or databases to provide citizens with on-line access to government services and
information. A citizen may apply and pay for permits, schedule inspections, and look up
information. Mobile Citizen Access brings the accessibility features of Citizen Access to mobile
phones.
Many features in Citizen Access are a reflection of features previously configured or require
configuration in Civic Platform, therefore, ensure that your Citizen Access package is on the
same version as your Civic Platform or you encounter numerous errors. Use this guide in
conjunction with the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide to enable the features your
agency requires.
Mobile Citizen Access provides quick and easy access to information about permits and
associated inspections directly from an agency database, any time and anywhere. Mobile
Citizen Access is available to all registered Citizen Access users. All that is needed to begin
using it is a smart phone that runs operating system software providing a standardized interface
and platform for applications, the URL address of the agency website, and a user ID and
password. For an overview of how it works with Civic Platform, see Mobile Citizen Access on

Accela Civic Platform - Citizen Access Administrator Guide

Preface

page 19. For details on Accela Mobile Citizen Access, see Appendix E: Mobile Citizen Access
on page 579.

Revision History
Table 1: Revision History provides a revision history of this document. This revision history
summarizes changes made during each release of this document for the stated version of Civic
Platform.
Table 1: Revision History
Date

Description

October 2015

Initial release.

Obtaining Technical Assistance
As a starting point for all technical assistance, visit the Accela Success Community. At this site
you can search the knowledge base to find answers to commonly asked questions about our
products and register at the Accela Forum to join in an information exchange with other Accela
users.
If you still have questions after visiting Success Community, or if you encounter any problems
as you use the product, contact your system administrator. If you determine that you need
professional technical assistance, have your agency’s designated contact call the Accela
Customer Support at (888) 7-ACCELA, ext. 5 or (888) 722-2352 ext. 5. Accela Customer
Support is available Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Pacific Daylight/Standard
Time.
Before calling, please have this information available for the Customer Support representative:


The Accela product name and version number



Steps to replicate the issue, including any error message or error number



Screenshots, if possible



Whether the problem is specific to a machine or to a user



Exactly when the problem began



Anything that changed on your computer or your network (for example, was new software
loaded?)



A copy of your configuration file, if appropriate

Disclaimer
Your environment may look and function differently than the environment described in this
guide. The feature set, portlet names, toolbar options, and displays described in this guide
reflect the default settings that are delivered with most new installations. The settings on your
system may be different from these defaults depending on the implementation package for your
agency, your user ID, and the way your system administrator sets up your system. Your system
administrator can customize several forms, drop-down lists, and field labels throughout Civic
Platform.

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Preface

Related Publications
The Civic Platform product family provides a set of documents for Civic Platform users and
system administrators. It also provides client-hosted sites with a document so they can set up
the Accela software application on their own in-house computer system.
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide -- Instructs agency system administrators on how to
set up and manage all the basic features of the Civic Platform application and how to set up
functionality that is unique to the Administration portlet in Civic Platform.
Accela Civic Platform On-Premise Administrator Supplement -- Provides Accela Services staff
and agency system administrators with details on setting up the Civic Platform application
server as a client-hosted system.
Accela Civic Platform User Guide -- Instructs agency users, inspectors, and clerks on how to
use the Land Management application to manage and track the building and inspection
processes along with fees and people. It also explains how agency users or clerks can set up
and use Asset Management to track, schedule, and maintain assets and work orders.
Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference -- Provides detailed reference data for Standard
Choices and Function Identifications (FIDs).

Documentation Feedback
Accela wants to provide you with the most accurate and useful documentation possible. We
welcome your feedback in helping us improve future versions of this guide. Send an email
message with your feedback to documentation@accela.com. Please include the product name
and product version number, whether the feedback involves a printed manual or online help, the
topic title, and a description and context of the suggestion.

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12

P ART I

G ETTING S TARTED
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Introducing the Architecture and Interface
Chapter 3: Understanding User Accounts
Chapter 4: Global Settings Configuration Page
Chapter 5: Feature Settings Page
Chapter 6: Registration Settings Page
Chapter 7: Configuring Notification E-mails
Chapter 8: Module Settings Configuration Page
Chapter 9: Page Flow Configuration
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages

13

C HAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION

Before You Configure
Planning your Citizen Access set up requires that you decide what functionality your agency
wants to provide to the public. For example, you must decide if your agency wants users to be
able to search for permits, apply or renew licenses, schedule inspections, or create a service
request online. You must also decide if you want to display the application type name as your
agency refers to it internally or display it using an alias so the public identify it more easily. For
example, if your agency refers to the application using the typical Civic Platform label of
Building/Planning/Residential/NA, you may want the public to see the permit simply as New
Application. To help you determine how your agency can best use Citizen Access, contact an
Accela Services implementation specialist to discuss requirements agency's and software
solutions.
Use this guide in conjunction with the Accela Civic Platform User Guide, Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide and Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference to ensure a successful
implementation.
This guide comprises the following parts:

1.

Part I Getting Started introduces users to Citizen Access and provides information about the
architecture, interface, configuration pages, and audience. The chapters include:

•

Chapter 2: Introducing the Architecture and Interface provides an overview of the
software architecture, including how Citizen Access interacts with Civic Platform. This
chapter also introduces basic page elements, such as the navigation panel,
configuration pages, Web pages, buttons, and icons.

•

Chapter 3: Understanding User Accounts explains account management information,
user account types, and supporting configurations.

•

Chapter 4: Global Settings Configuration Page explains configurations within sections of
the Global Settings page, including global search features, shopping cart, GIS
functionality, and report controls.

•

Chapter 5: Feature Settings Page explains configurations within sections of the Feature
Settings page including, enabling modules, forced registration login, link display, and
search functionality.

•

Chapter 6: Registration Settings Page explains configurations within sections of the
Registration Settings page including, expiration interval, license registration features,
and activation e-mail customization.

Accela Civic Platform - Citizen Access Administrator Guide

1: Introduction

2.

•

Chapter 7: Configuring Notification E-mails explains the various configurations
associated with sending e-mails to public users for processes such as registration,
forgotten passwords, account activation, license verification and renewal.

•

Chapter 8: Module Settings Configuration Page explains configurations within sections
of the Module Settings page including inspection scheduling, education/examination
functionality, and map settings.

•

Chapter 9: Page Flow Configuration explains how to create the user experience through
designing page flows for a module.

•

Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages explains how to customize and configure Web
pages including, customizing text, controlling field display, and field configurations.

Part II Managing Implementation introduces users to the various ways an agency can
implement and maintain the Citizen Access environment for their agency. This part provides
information and supportive configuration tasks for the Citizen Access administration site
and refers to configurations in Civic Platform. The chapters include:

•

Chapter 11: Implementation Planning explains the available features and functionality
your agency can offer the public through Citizen Access, such as tasks related to
implementing registration and questions to prepare the agency for implementing record
query and inspections.

•

Chapter 12: Defining the Registration and Account Management Process explains the
decisions, tasks, and configurations to implement the registration process, including
customizing activation e-mails and requiring a license at registration.

•

Chapter 13: Configuring Record Inquiry explains the decisions, tasks, and configurations
to implement record inquiry, such as global search, cross module search, search for a
licensee, and search filter configurations.

•

Chapter 14: Creating Records explains the decisions, tasks, and configurations to
implement and support the ability to create records online, including how to create and
enable record types for ACA, display links, and configure document attachment
functionality.

•

Chapter 15: Fees and Online Payments explains the decisions, tasks, and
configurations for online fees and online payment processing, including fee estimation
and shopping cart.

•

Chapter 16: Managing Inspections explains the decisions, tasks, and configurations to
implement inspections and inspection scheduling online, including optional inspections,
pending inspections, and multiple inspection scheduling.

•

Chapter 17: Authorized Service explains configuration information for you to complete
the implementation of authorized service throughout the various areas of Civic Platform
and ACA Admin.

•

Chapter 18: License Verification and Online Renewal explains the decisions, tasks, and
configurations to implement licenses, license verification, and online renewals, including
scripts, customizing validation e-mails, and setting expired license and insurance
functionality.

•

Chapter 19: Certifications and Education explains the tasks and configurations to
implement education, continuing education, and examination functionality, including
Web page customization, component information, customization of e-mails, and scripts.

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1: Introduction

3.

•

Chapter 20: Reporting Information explains the decisions, tasks, and configurations
supporting reports functionality in Citizen Access including Report Manager
configurations, parameters, and standard reports.

•

Chapter 21: Maintaining the ACA Website a chapter explaining features that assist in
maintaining the Citizen Access website, including partial application purge and expired
interval settings.

Part III Appendices offers additional reference information that can assist in configuring and
implementing Citizen Access. The appendices include:

•

Appendix A: Accela Engineering Event Scripts, an appendix that lists the available s
associated with elements in Citizen Access and Civic Platform.

•

Appendix B: Features Requiring Interface Implementations, an appendix that lists the
features which require interface implementation.

•

Appendix C: Variations for Creating Records, an appendix that provides alternative
methodology for creating records in Citizen Access, such as amendment functionality
and multiple agency services.

•

Appendix D: LDAP Authentication and SSO, an appendix that provides instructions on
how to enable LDAP authentication and how to enable SSO support with Oracle Access
Manager.

•

Appendix E: Mobile Citizen Access, an appendix that lists and explains the Citizen
Access features that extend to mobile functionality in AMCA. It provides administration
configuration and user access information.

15

16

C HAPTER 2:

INTRODUCING THE
ARCHITECTURE AND INTERFACE
Citizen Access allows agencies to interact with their public users in a more meaningful way by
providing online access to government services and information. Mobile Citizen Access brings
the accessibility features of Citizen Access to mobile phones. This chapter introduces you to
Citizen Access and Mobile Citizen Access. It covers highlights of the architecture and provides
a complete overview of the Citizen Access administrative user interface. It includes information
on the navigation area, buttons and icons, configuration settings, and the Web page designer
with its associated Web page tasks.
The Citizen Access administrative tool, known as ACA Admin, serves to configure and design
your ACA website. Use this tool to enable modules and their associated features, including the
design of page flows for record types for the module. You can modify text on a Web page,
display or hide fields, customize drop-down lists, limit search functionality, define permissions to
information, and customize the content of e-mails that relate to Citizen Access tasks. You can
also use this tool to define the features available to Mobile Citizen Access users.

Note:

Record replaces CAP. The term Record defines a broader range
of items or forms that users manage within Civic Platform, such
as application, case, license, permit, service request, and work
order.

Topics


Architecture Overview



Payment Processing and Trust Accounts



Mobile Citizen Access



Accessing Citizen Access Administration Tool



Understanding the User Interface



Using the Navigation Panel



Reviewing Buttons and Icons



Introducing General Panel Configuration



Introducing Module Tab Configurations

Architecture Overview
Citizen Access is built on the Civic Platform architecture, which integrates enterprise
information resources and lets users access this information from any perspective. By providing

Accela Civic Platform - Citizen Access Administrator Guide

2: Introducing the Architecture and Interface

a common framework, standardized interfaces, and an open architecture, Civic Platform
provides the infrastructure that offers agencies a complete 360 view of their total government
enterprise. Additionally, Civic Platform provides a comprehensive self-service function that
easily integrates with the jurisdiction website or existing e-government portal.
This architecture provides direct access to government citizens – public users can access realtime information with this model. Whether the public users want to file a complaint or check on
the status of a permit or license, public users can use Citizen Access, which is an add-on to
Civic Platform, to get up-to-date information.
Topics


Civic Platform Architecture



Accela Add-on Architecture

Civic Platform Architecture
Civic Platform enables Accela software modules to integrate enterprise information resources
and features a powerful set of tools that allow users to enhance the way they interact with
agency data. Refer to an illustration of the deployment of Civic Platform in Figure 1: Civic
Platform Enterprise Deployment.
Figure 1: Civic Platform Enterprise Deployment

Accela Add-on Architecture
Citizen Access and Mobile Citizen Access integrate with agency data as shown in Figure 2:
Citizen Access Deployment.

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2: Introducing the Architecture and Interface

Figure 2: Citizen Access Deployment

Payment Processing and Trust Accounts
You need to configure Civic Platform for in-house and online payment processing. This
configuration allows for payment intake at your agency’s place of business. In addition, your
agency can accept payments online in the form of credit cards and checks. Payment processing
may require connecting with an outside payment provider such as PayPal Pro or Official
Payments CoBrand+. Both Civic Platform and Citizen Access support payment processing for
both credit cards and electronic checks. For the unique online payment setup steps in Citizen
Access, see Chapter 15: Fees and Online Payments on page 355.
To configure back-end payment processing for Civic Platform and Citizen Access refer to both
the Payment Processing chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide and the
integration package EPay SDK.zip. Contact Accela Customer Support for assistance in
obtaining the integration package.
You can also set up trust account functionality in Citizen Access. Registered public users can
review and download a statement of one or multiple trust account balances and transaction
histories for a record. Make deposits to and withdrawals from the associated trust accounts.
Make payments from the trust account associated with the parent record.
To set up the trust account functionality for public users in Citizen Access, administrators must
perform configurations in both Civic Platform and in Citizen Access. For a summary of the setup
steps, see Trust Accounts on page 372. This section provides references to the Civic Platform
documentation, including the required Function Identification numbers that enable specific Trust
Account operations. It also highlights the setup steps within the Trust Account and Account
Management pages in Accela Citizen Setup.

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2: Introducing the Architecture and Interface

Mobile Citizen Access
Mobile Citizen Access provides mobile phones with quick and easy access to information about
permits and associated inspections directly from an agency database.
Mobile Citizen Access is available to all registered Citizen Access users. All that is needed to
begin using it is a smart phone that runs operating system software providing a standardized
interface and platform for applications, the URL address of the agency website, and a user ID
and password. This guide provides details on how to use the ACA Admin to configure and set
up features so they function in Mobile Citizen Access. For AMCA configuration steps, see
Appendix E: Mobile Citizen Access on page 579.

Accessing the Citizen Access Administration Tool
3.

Navigate to Civic Platform > V360 Administration.
Civic Platform displays the Setup administration portlet.

4.

In the Setup portlet, click the Administration item and choose ACA Admin.

Citizen Access Setup administrative tool displays in a pop-up window.

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2: Introducing the Architecture and Interface

Understanding the User Interface
As you work with the Citizen Access administrative tool, you see that it provides two main user
interfaces. Use the settings interface to configure the entire ACA site and the associated
modules enabled for use. Use the designer user interface to design and customize functionality
on a Web page. Both interfaces look similar. The two user interfaces both have a navigation
panel and a work area. The main difference between interfaces is that the designer interface
has a properties panel on the right side of the work area that provides customizations and
configurations specific to the Web page in which you are working.
Topics


Viewing the Settings Interface



Viewing the Designer Interface

Viewing the Settings Interface
The settings user interface provides a work area dedicated to configure the ACA website,
features, registration options, and modules. When working with a settings interface, you view a
page with two distinct panels, a navigation panel on the left side and a large workspace on the
right side. See Figure 3: Settings User Interface. The ACA Administrative tool provides a
settings interface for the following options: Global Settings, Feature Settings, Registration
Settings, and Modular Settings. These areas locate in the top portion of the navigation area
under the Settings block. For more information about the navigation area, read Using the
Navigation Panel on page 23.

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2: Introducing the Architecture and Interface

Figure 3: Settings User Interface
A

B

G

C

D

E

F

A

Navigation Panel. Use the left side of the page to navigate to the various areas of configuration, including
Web pages so you can customize and design your Citizen Access website.

B

Configuration Box. A settings page displays numerous configurations organized by theme in a light
inactive box.

C

Save, Exit, Help, and Clear Cache buttons. Use the buttons to save your changes, exit the ACA Admin,
access Help content, or clear cache data manually.

D

Settings Area. Use this area to select the settings page associated with the configurations you want to
define.

E

Workspace.The center panel provides the interactive work space. Once you choose a settings page or
Web page, it displays in this section for configuration and customization.

F

Module Tab. Any module enabled for ACA has an associated configuration tab to hold the modular
specific configurations and Web pages. Click the module configuration tab to access and configure
modular settings, create Page Flows for Record types, or customize modular Web pages.

G

Agency Drop-down List. This drop-down list displays only when your agency acts as super agency by
implementing the multiple agency services management features. Super agency administrator can switch
among the super agency’s and the sub-agencies’ Citizen Access Setup sites. For detailed information on
multi-agency services management, see Creating Records for Multiple Agencies on page 524.

Viewing the Designer Interface
The designer interface has a left navigation panel and a right properties panel that expands or
collapses anytime, which is particularly useful when you need to maximize the size of the center
workspace. Use the left panel to navigate within the ACA Admin and select Web page(s) for

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customization. For an illustration of the user interface, refer to Figure 4: Web Page Designer
User Interface on page 22.
The center panel provides the interactive work space for where you can view the customized
Web page content. The administrative tool allows you to work on multiple Web pages at a time.
The center work area displays tabs corresponding to each opened Web page near the top of
the screen. Move from one open web page to another by clicking on the corresponding tab. If
you modify a Web page, an asterisk displays next to a tab heading to indicate the page is
modified, but not saved. Make sure you save each page separately.
The right panel provides a list of properties or customization options that are specific to the Web
page displayed in the center workspace.
To save any edits made on Web pages, click the Save button located in the upper left hand
corner. To close the ACA Admin application, click the Exit button.
Figure 4: Web Page Designer User Interface
E

F

G

H

A
B
C

D

A

Save, Exit, Help, and Clear Cache. Use the buttons to save your changes, exit the ACA Admin
access Help content, or clear cache data manually.

B

Navigation Panel. Use the left panel to configure settings, navigate within the ACA Admin, and
select Web page(s) for customization.

C

Pages. ACA Admin displays Web pages in a tree view for easy selection. Any page selected
from the tree displays in the center work area.

D

Configuration tabs. All modules enabled on the Feature Settings page have an associated
configuration tab. Click the module configuration tab to access and configure modular settings,
create Page Flows for Record types, or customize modular Web pages.

E

Page tabs. Any Web page or configuration page you open from the left panel displays in the
center work area. You can have multiple pages open at a time. Move from one page to another
by clicking on the page tab associated with the page you want to work with. Click Save to save
changes and exit the page by clicking the x in the top right corner of the tab.

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F

Center Panel.The center panel provides the interactive work space for configuring login
settings and customizing Web pages.

G

Right Panel.The right panel provides a list of properties or customization options directly
related to the Web page displayed in the center workspace.

H

Agency Drop-down List. This drop-down list displays only when your agency acts as super
agency by implementing the multiple agency services management features. Super agency
administrator can switch among the super agency’s and the sub-agencies’ Citizen Access
Setup sites. For detailed information on multi-agency services management, see Creating
Records for Multiple Agencies on page 524.

Using the Navigation Panel
The navigation panel locates on the left side of the page. It directs you to various modules
enabled for ACA, the Settings pages, and individual Web pages. See Figure 5: Navigation
Panel.
Figure 5: Navigation Panel

Reviewing Buttons and Icons
This section introduces you to the buttons and icons displayed in Citizen Access Setup. Refer to
List 1: Buttons and Icons for a graphical representation and brief description for each icon and
button of page element.

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.

List 1: Buttons and Icons

Asterisk. This icon displays on a page tab in the center panel once a
Settings or Designer page is modified. This symbol serves as a
notification to the public user that changes are made and to click the
Save button to retain them.
Clear Cache. Use the Clear Cache button to clear cache data
manually when you want the administrative edits in Citizen Access
Setup to immediately take effect on Citizen Access.

Note:

Access Citizen Access clears cache data automatically
every two minutes.

Close. This button displays on the right side of a page tab in the
center panel. Click to close the page.
Exit. Click the Exit button to sign out of Citizen Access.

Expand/Collapse buttons. Click the chevron button to expand or
collapse the navigation left panel or properties right panel.

Help. Click the help button to open the Citizen Access Administrator
Guide.

Navigation Tree icons. Click the plus sign to expand or the minus
sign to collapse a tree view. These icons appear on the Feature
Settings page. You can see the icons in the Pages area to expand
Web Page folders to view the associated Web pages.
Page Flow Configuration icon. This icon represents the page flow
configuration page, access it to define what information is available
on Web pages during an intake process. It uses building blocks to
create a unique flow of information customized for and assigned to a
record type to create the user experience.
Save. Click the Save button to retain modifications to a
configuration settings page or designer Web page.
Setting Icon. This icon identifies the Setting pages in the software.

Web Page Folder Icon. This icon identifies a Web page folder.
Expand the folder to view the Web pages requiring customization.
Web Page Icon. This icon identifies a Web page in Citizen Access.
You must customize the content and settings for each Web page to
reflect the message and features your agency wants to provide to
public users.

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Introducing General Panel Configuration
The General tab in the navigation panel houses the Global Settings page, the Feature Setting
page, Registration Settings page, and Email Setting page. It also contains the welcome Web
pages and additional general Web pages applicable to all modules, such as registration page or
general search page.
Topics


Viewing the Global Settings Page



Viewing the Feature Settings Page



Viewing the Registration Settings Page



Viewing the General Pages Area

Viewing the Global Settings Page
The Global Setting page provides the possibility to define the official website and other Global
features for your website including: GIS, Global Search, Report Access and Display
Configurations, Internationalization, Fees, Online Payment Processing, and Shopping Cart. You
can view the Global Settings page by clicking Global Settings from the Settings area of the
General navigation panel. See Figure 6: Global Settings Page. For an overview of the
configurations available on the Global Settings page, see Chapter 4: Global Settings
Configuration Page.
Figure 6: Global Settings Page

To view the Global Settings page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup. For instructions see Accessing Citizen Access
Administration Tool on page 19.

2.

Verify General is active in the navigation panel.

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3.

Locate the Settings area and click the Global Settings page. See Figure 6: Global
Settings Page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Global Settings page in the center panel.

Viewing the Feature Settings Page
The Feature Settings page is used to enable modules, display hyperlinks, enable features, and
define login requirements for your ACA website. The page is identified by a column of check
boxes of features, modules, and links. Additional check boxes display when a module is
expanded in the tree view. See Figure 7: Feature Settings Configuration Page.
When you enable a module on the feature settings page, Citizen Access creates a tab for the
module on the Home page and a module tab in the navigation panel. When you click the
module tab in the navigation panel, Citizen Access activates the module settings page and
associated module Web pages for customization. For more information about the configurations
associated with the Feature Settings page, refer to Chapter 5: Feature Settings Page on
page 80.
Figure 7: Feature Settings Configuration Page

To view the Feature Settings page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup. For instructions, see Accessing Citizen Access
Administration Tool on page 19.

2.

Verify General is active in the navigation panel.

3.

Locate the Settings area and click the Feature Settings page. See Figure 7: Feature
Settings Configuration Page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Feature Settings page in the center panel.

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Viewing the Registration Settings Page
The Registration Settings page is used to enable features and e-mails relating to registered
users, licensed registered users, and the license renewal or modification process. Please refer
to the registration and license renewal chapters for detailed information on how to implement
the license renewal and modification processes with your ACA website.
Figure 8: Registration Settings Page

To view the Registration Settings page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup. For instructions see Accessing Citizen Access
Administration Tool on page 19.

2.

Verify General is active in the navigation panel.

3.

Locate the Settings area and click the Registration Settings page. See Figure 8:
Registration Settings Page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Registration Settings page in the center panel.

Viewing the General Pages Area
The navigation panel displays general pages that require customization. You can access Web
pages by using the +/- buttons to expand a Web Page folder and display the contents in a tree
view. See Figure 9: General Web Pages. The General Web page folders include: Home,
Registration, Login, Account Management, APO Search, Shopping Cart, Collections, and
Provider/Education/Licensee Search. For information on how to customize Web pages, see
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages.

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Figure 9: General Web Pages

To view the General Pages area

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup. For instructions see Accessing Citizen Access
Administration Tool on page 19.

2.

Verify General is active in the navigation panel.

3.

Locate the Pages area to view Web page folders and associated Web pages.

4.

Click the Web page you want to customize from the tree view.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Web page in the center panel. See Figure 7: Feature
Settings Configuration Page.

Introducing Module Tab Configurations
Each module has a corresponding tab in the navigation panel which houses feature functionality
and Web pages for the module. Configure features including: maps, education/examinations,
inspections, record search functionality, filtering options, user permissions, application status,
reporting permissions, and other module-specific features. Define user experience using the
Page Flow Configuration page. Customize modular web pages with the text and field
functionality that represents agency implementation.
Topics


Viewing the Module Settings Page



Viewing the Page Flow Configuration Page

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Viewing the Module Settings Page
The Module Settings page houses numerous configurations to define modular-specific features
and functionality including: maps, education/examinations, inspections, workflow, contact
display controls, record search permissions and functionality, filtering options, application status
implementation, and report permission control. See Figure 10: Module Settings Page for an
example of a Module Settings page for a Building module. For more information about the
configurations on the Module Settings page, see Chapter 8: Module Settings Configuration
Page on page 101.
Figure 10: Module Settings Page

To view the Module Settings Page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup. For instructions see Accessing Citizen Access
Administration Tool on page 19.

2.

Choose a module from the navigation panel.

3.

Locate the General Settings area and click the Module Settings page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Module Settings page in the center panel. See Figure 10:
Module Settings Page.

Viewing the Page Flow Configuration Page
The Page Flow Configuration page is used to define what information is available on Web
pages during an intake process. It uses building blocks (pages, steps, and components) to
create a unique flow of information customized for and assigned to a record type creating a user
experience. See Figure 11: Page Flow Configuration Page. For information on how to configure a
page flow, see Chapter 9: Page Flow Configuration on page 130.

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Figure 11: Page Flow Configuration Page

To view the Page Flow Configuration Page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup. For instructions see Accessing Citizen Access
Administration Tool on page 19.

2.

Choose a module from the navigation panel.

3.

Locate the Page Flow Configuration area and select the Page Flow Configuration page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Page Flow Configuration portlet.

4.

Choose an existing Page Flow from drop-down menu or click the Create a New Page Flow
button.

5.

Create a page flow using the configuration building blocks: pages, steps, and components.
See Figure 64: Page Flow Configurations on page 131.

Viewing the Module Pages Area
Citizen Access provides the module name at the beginning of every configuration page for a
module. This helps to keep track of the multiple Web pages, Setting, and Configuration pages
that may appear similar. Expand the tree view of a Web page folder to view the Web pages
requiring customization. Module pages include Home, Inspection pages, Application pages,
Fee pages, and Pages for Plan Check implementation. See Figure 12: Module Pages. For
information on how to customize a Web page, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages.

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Figure 12: Module Pages

To view a Module Page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup. For instructions see Accessing Citizen Access
Administration Tool on page 19.

2.

Choose a module from the navigation panel.

3.

Locate the Pages area to view Web page folders and associated Web pages.

4.

Click a Web page you want to customize from the tree view.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Web page in the center panel. See Figure 12: Module
Pages.

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32

C HAPTER 3:

UNDERSTANDING USER
ACCOUNTS
This chapter introduces you to the various types of Citizen Access users who go online to work
with your government agency. This chapter also identifies the configurations to retrieve a
forgotten password, log in to the site, and designate a public user as a delegate.
After public users log in to Citizen Access, they can make updates to their account
management details by modifying their personal information, grouping the records associated
with their account in a collection, or designating another public user to be their delegates. See
Figure 13: Account Management Page. You must customize the associated Web pages for
these tasks.
Some user types, such as licensed professionals and agency employees, have user-specific
configurations that you can apply. Use Chapter 2: Introducing the Architecture and Interface for
directions on how to get to the various areas of Citizen Access Setup so you can perform
configurations.
The best practice to use this chapter with the other chapters of implementation as described in
Chapter 11: Implementation Planning so your website reflects the agency services you want to
display in Citizen Access.
Topics


Introducing User Types



Introducing Registration Options



Associating a Contact with a Public User



Associating a License with a Public User



Enabling Account Management Functionality



Managing Public User Passwords



Organizing Personal Records in Collections



Managing Delegates



Defining Agency Employee Display Settings

Accela Civic Platform - Citizen Access Administrator Guide

3: Understanding User Accounts

Figure 13: Account Management Page

Introducing User Types
This manual refers to various users who access Citizen Access. This section provides a
description for user types so you know for whom you are configuring features and functionality.
User types include anonymous users, public users, registered users, licensed professionals,
contacts, owners, record creators, and agency employees.
Topics


Public Users



Anonymous Users



Registered Users



Licensed Professionals



Contacts

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

Owners



Record Creator



Agency Employee

Public Users
Public users are any persons that visit your Citizen Access website. They include anonymous
public users and registered public users, all licensed professional types, owners, contacts, and
agency employees. Registered public users have a Public User account in Civic Platform that
they or someone at the agency can manage online.

Anonymous Users
Anonymous users are people that visit the website, but do not have a registered account, or do
not log in to their account to perform a task. For example, an anonymous user may want to get
a fee estimate for a business license so he can prepare for the impending expenses associated
with that process.

Registered Users
A registered user is any person that has a public user account in ACA. He has gone through the
registration process and has username and login information. He may be registered licensed
professionals, contacts, owners, and record creators that can login to ACA and perform a task.

Licensed Professionals
Professionals are contractors, architects, engineers, and developers (CAED) who have
received licenses. Professionals can also be business owners, beauticians, pharmacists,
doctors, nurses, etc. Anyone that requires a license to provide a service or to do something is a
licensed professional.

Contacts
A contact can be any person that relates to an application or a parcel. For example, it may be
the accountant responsible for paying the fees associated with the numerous building permits
for a developer. It can be a contact at an attorney’s office for a property owner.

Owners
The person or people who own the related property or parcel. You can relate this person to
public user accounts so they have access to an application process. For example, a contractor
can share permitting information online by associating the owner with the permit application in
ACA.

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Record Creator
The person associated with the completion and submittal of an application. This person may be
different than the owner or licensed professional. For example, an administrative assistant may
have created a business license renewal record for an architect.

Agency Employee
Someone that works at the agency and performs tasks to assist in moving an application
through the workflow. They may also have relevant tasks to verifying information submitted
through Citizen Access. For example, they may have to approve a license associated with a
public user account. Agency employees perform their tasks in Civic Platform.

Authorized Agent
Someone who can manage agent clerks and sell authorized licenses to citizens. An example of
the license is fishing and hunting license.

Authorized Agent Clerk
Someone that an authorized agent creates for selling authorized service licenses to citizens on
behalf of the authorized agent.

Introducing Registration Options
Your agency may want to require public users to register before accessing information in Citizen
Access.There are several ways for a user to become registered in the Citizen Access website.
Topics


Registration in Civic Platform



Registration in Citizen Access



Registration from External System



Registering Licensed Professional Accounts by EMSE

Registration in Civic Platform
As administrators, you can add new public user accounts for Citizen Access directly in the
Public User administration portlet in Civic Platform. For more information, see the “Public
Users” section in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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Registration in Citizen Access
Citizen Access offers a registration process to collect user account information. For information
on implementing the registration process in your Citizen Access website, see Chapter 12:
Defining the Registration and Account Management Process on page 221.

Registration from External System
Citizen Access allows public users to log in using an external user account with LDAP
authentication or the single sign-on feature. When an external user, for the first time, accesses
an Citizen Access page that is accessible to only registered users, Citizen Access creates a
new public user account for him and a reference contact for the new account based on the
contact information from the external user account. The new Citizen Access user account then
has association with the external user account in the later-on Citizen Access page access.

Note:

Different from normal account registration, Citizen Access does
not look for close matches in the reference contacts based on the
contact information from the external user account.

In the Account Management page, an “Update” action option is available for the reference
contact created with the external account information. If a public user clicks the Update, the
standard contact fields in the reference contact synchronizes with the contact information in the
external account.

Registering Licensed Professional Accounts by EMSE
If your agency uses Citizen Access, you can configure the EMSE script
REFLICPROFADDAFTER EMSE to create a public user account associated with the new
referenced licensed professional with a completed e-mail field on an application. After the intake
process, EMSE initiates the public user account registration process in Citizen Access for the
referenced professional associated with the e-mail address and sends a validation e-mail. After
agency receives the validation, Civic Platform sends the registration confirmation e-mail to the
referenced professional.
Only an Accela Implementation specialist or a system administrator who has received training
from an Accela Implementation specialist or a Product Manager should write and implement
this sample script. Improperly written scripts can seriously damage your system by incorrectly
altering or deleting data for many records.
For information on writing and implementing scripts, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Scripting
Guide.

Associating a Contact with a Public User
Citizen Access manages contact information about public user accounts as reference contacts
associated with public users.
When a public user registers or adds a new contact to his account, if the new contact is a close
match with an existing reference contact in the agency, he can confirm whether to associate the

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reference contact with his account. Otherwise, Citizen Access creates a new reference contact
and associates the new reference contact with the public user account.
Each public user account must have approved association with at least an enabled contact to
remain enabled and active.
Citizen Access gets the information about the reference contacts that relates to a public user
account, and uses the information in various places:


The auto-fill field in page flows for adding contacts lists the reference contacts and licensed
professionals and owners that relate to the user account.



The following places or fields apply the contact name if there is a single reference contact
relating to the public user, or the public user login ID if there is none or more than one
reference contacts relating to the public user:

•

“Logged in as” field in the ACA website;

•

Delegate user name and inspection requestor name;

•

UserID parameter for payment API;

•

$$UserName$$ parameter in email configuration.

Note:



The following variables are no longer available in email
configuration: $$FirstName$$, $$MiddleName$$,
$$LastName$$, $$businessName$$, $$state$$, $$city$$,
$$address$$, and $$zip$$$ parameters.

The following places or fields always apply the public user login ID:

•

Public user information passed to EMSE functions or events;

•

“Created by”, “Uploaded by”, and “Modified by” fields in applications;

•

“Uploaded by”, and “Modified by” fields when users upload scores.

There are some changes to the following fields in the public user accounts and their associated
contacts:


These fields are no longer available: Pager, Preferred Phone, User Role.



These fields hide by default: Mobile Phone and Receive SMS Messages.



The Preferred Channel field lists the options configured in the Standard Choice
CONTACT_PREFERRED_CHANNEL. By upgrading to the current version, the previous
hard-coded Preferred Channel options are merged to the options in the Standard Choice
CONTACT_PREFERRED_CHANNEL.

For additional information about associating a contact with a public user, see Configuring
Contact Associations on page 226.

Associating a License with a Public User
Your agency can configure a way for registered public users to associate a license with their
public user account. You must perform Standard Choices configuration for successful
implementation. Normally, a licensed professional’s public user account has the addition of a
license; however, exceptions may exist when the owner of the license wants to extend license

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privileges to someone. For example, a business owner may want to associate the
administrative assistant with the license so she can schedule inspections. When this happens,
you must configure the multiple licenses on an account e-mail to notify the owner of the license,
the person who associates the license to their account, and also internally to the agency. See
Defining License Notification E-mails on page 100.
For additional information about licensing, see Chapter 18: License Verification and Online
Renewal.
To associate a license with a public user

1.

Administrators must configure the related Standard Choices.
Standard Choice
Configuration of
LICENSED
PROFESSIONAL
TYPE

Standard Choice Values of contractor types. For example,
electrical, mechanical, gas, plumbing, and/or general.

Standard Choice
ACA_CONFIGS

Standard Choices Value: PA_EMAIL_VERIFICATION
Value Desc: NO - all citizen registration requests do not
require activation by agency
Value Desc: YES - all citizen registration requests do
require activation by agency before use

Standard Choice
Enter each e-mail address in a Standard Choice Value field
ACA_EMAIL_REGIST to include it in the “CC” line of the registration e-mail and
RATION_TO
designate it to receive a copy.

2.

3.

Configure associated scripts.

•

RegistrationSubmitAfter

•

RegistrationSubmitBefore

Enable or Disable Associated Functional Identification (FID) numbers.
a. Enable 8223 and disable 8224 for access to activate a license.
b. Enable 8224 to create/edit public user information.

4.

Customize the ACA_MESSAGE_ASSOCIATING_LICENSE_TO_MULTIPLE_ACCOUNTS
notification template in Civic Platform, by navigating to Administration > Setup >
Communication Manager > Notification Templates.
Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.
For more information on Associating a License to Multiple Accounts, see Defining
License Notification E-mails on page 100.

Enabling Account Management Functionality
Visitors to your Citizen Access website can register for a Public User account. The account
information is available online with the registrant and also available in Civic Platform for agency

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users to manage. By default, public users can manage their own public user accounts online on
the Account Management page. They can access this page by clicking the Account
Management link from the Welcome registered page and edit their account information on the
Account Management page as necessary. To set up the and account management feature, you
must enable the following links: Register for an account, Login, and Account Management on
the Feature Settings page. Then, you must customize the Account Management page,
Welcome Global page, Welcome Registered page, and the Login page. Specially, for licensed
professional users to upload attachments to their accounts, you can enable the people
attachments feature in the Global Settings page.
To enable account management functionality

1.

Navigate to the Feature Settings page.
Citizen Access displays a column of features and modules.

2.

Complete the following:

•

Mark the Registration check box to display the registration links on the Welcome Global
page and the Login page.

•

Mark the Account Management check box to display the Account Management link on
the Welcome Registered page.

•

Mark the Login check box to display the login link on the Welcome Global page.

3.

Click Save.

4.

Go to the Pages area in the navigation panel.

5.

Customize the following pages in the Home folder. For customization tasks, see Chapter
10: Working with Web Pages.

6.

•

Welcome Global

•

Welcome Registered

Customize the following page in the Login Screen folder:

•

Login

7.

Customize the pages in the Account Management folder. For more information, see
Customizing Registration and Account Management Web Pages on page 224.

8.

Click Save on each page to save, individually, what you customize.

Managing Public User Passwords
Public users can create their own user name and password for Citizen Access. When the
instance happens that public users forget their user name or password, they can resolve this
situation in a few different ways. They can click the hyperlink on the Citizen Access Home page
to request sending the username and password information to them by e-mail. See Figure 14:
Forgotten Password Link. Public Users can also request their information in person or by
phone. In this situation, agency employees can access the public user account information

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through the Public User portlet in Civic Platform. The public user account holds contact and
security information about identity verification.
When a public user requests that you reset his password either in person or by phone, ask him
his security question and verify the user’s identity. Then, you send him a new system generated
password e-mail.
If you need to customize the Password E-mail, customize the related e-mail notification
template in Civic Platform, by navigating to Administration > Setup > Communication
Manager > Notification Templates. Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Figure 14: Forgotten Password Link

Topics


Changing Passwords Manually



Automating Forgotten Passwords

Changing Passwords Manually
In the instance that public users forget their password, an agency employee can manually send
a forgotten password e-mail to them. Authorized agency employees can access the public user
account information in the Public User portlet in Civic Platform. The public user portlet holds
account details including contact and security information about identity verification.
When a public user requests that you reset their password either in person or by phone, ask him
his security question and verify the user’s identity. Then, you send him a new system generated
password e-mail.
For information on how to manually change a user password, see “Changing a User Password”
in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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Automating Forgotten Passwords
Your agency can automate the forgotten password e-mail. To do this, you must display the “I’ve
forgotten my password’ link on the Login page and the Send Password button in the Public User
portlet in Civic Platform. This allows public users to answer their security questions from the
Welcome page and Civic Platform can generate a temporary password. Agency employees can
go to their public user account and click the Send Password button to manually send the
Password Reset e-mail. When they are logged into Citizen Access using the temporary
password from the e-mail, they can change their password on their Account Management page.
To automate forgotten passwords

1.

Display Forgotten Password button and link.
Verify the password fields are set to read-only in the Public User portlet of Civic Platform.

2.

Define the Forgotten Password e-mail, as follows:
Customize the related e-mail notification template in Civic Platform, by navigating to
Administration > Setup > Communication Manager > Notification Templates.
Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.

3.

Customize the related forgotten password Web page.
a. Verify General is active in the navigation panel.
b. Go to the Pages area and select the Login page.
c. If necessary, customize the Login Web page. See Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages.
d. Click Save.

Organizing Personal Records in Collections
Public users can create personal folders to organize and manage their records online using the
collections feature. Citizen Access provides details about all the records grouped in the
collection including an Inspections Summary and Fees Summary. The inspection summary
provides the number of scheduled, rescheduled, approved, denied, pending and canceled
inspections. The Fees Summary includes the total amount of fees paid and total amount of fees
due for all records in the collection. See Figure 15: Records Organized in a Collection.
Public users create a collection by navigating to a records list and marking check boxes next to
the records they want to organize into a group. Then, they click the ‘Add to collection’ link.
Citizen Access displays a pop-up window where they can enter a name and description for the
group. After the group is organized, they can view the summary information and manage the
contents. They can also rename or delete the collection at any time. Public users can view their
collections by clicking the Collections link at the top of any Web page in ACA.
This feature is useful for contractors who work on multiple projects. The contractor can create a
folder for each project, manage the numerous permits associated with the project, and pay all
associated fees online. A hospital can use this feature to help with organizing license renewals
with professionals who work at their facility. The hospital administrator can create a folder to
manage nurse licenses or physician licenses.

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Administrators must customize the associated collection pages for this feature. Optionally, they
can customize the headings and link labels associated with this feature. For example, your
agency may want to change the link label from Collections to My Projects.
Figure 15: Records Organized in a Collection

To set up collections

1.

Verify General is active in the navigation panel.

2.

Go to the Pages area and expand the Collections folder.

3.

Customize the Web pages associated with Collections. For example, you can change the
labels from Collections to My Projects.

•

Collections Management page

•

Collection Detail page
Citizen Access displays the customized labels.

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4.

Click Save.

5.

If necessary, change the link associated with this feature on a Welcome page.

•

6.

Welcome Registered page

Click Save.
Citizen Access is set up so public users can organize records in a group collection.

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Managing Delegates
You can configure ACA to provide public users with the ability to designate other public users as
their delegates and grant the delegates permissions to access their data. Delegates can work
on the data based on the granted permissions, such as viewing records, scheduling
inspections, creating, renewing and amending records, uploading, downloading and deleting
documents, and making payment.
Topics


Understanding the Delegate Functionality



Implementing Delegate Functionality

Understanding the Delegate Functionality
You can enable the delegate functionality so public users can designate other public users as
their delegates to work on their data based on the granted permissions.
With the delegate functionality enabled, a Delegates section displays in the Account
Management page in public users’ account. Public users can designate other public users to be
their delegates by clicking the “Add a delegate” link, completing the Add a Delegate form and
submitting it. In response, Citizen Access sends an e-mail to public users to notify them that
they are invited to be delegates. Meanwhile, an invitation is appended to the invited public
users’ Delegates section. See Figure 16: Pending Invitation for the pending invitation in invited
public users’ Delegates section.
Figure 16: Pending Invitation

The invited public users can accept or reject invitations. When the invited public users accept
the invitation, they officially become the delegate of the public users who invited them. The
rejected or expired invitation is purged from their account when the invitation purge day arrives.

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You can configure the invitation expiration day and purge day in the Global Settings page. For
more details on how to configure invitation expiration day and purge day, see Delegates
Settings on page 71.
When a public user designate delegates, they can grant them permissions to their data. Public
users can grant these levels of permission: view, schedule inspections, create, renew, and
amend record, upload, download, and delete documents, and make payments. See Figure 17:
Assigning Permissions. The access permission that a public user can assign to a delegate is
limited to the access right that he/she owns. For example, if a user enables his delegate to
create applications in all categories, the delegate can create applications in all the categories
that the user himself has access to.
Figure 17: Assigning Permissions

The data that is viewable to delegates displays in the delegates’ account along with their own
data. See Figure 18: Displaying Data in Delegate’s Account. A delegate can work on another
public user’s data based on the granted permissions.

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Figure 18: Displaying Data in Delegate’s Account

Public users can terminate the delegate relationship by removing them from their Delegates
section at any time. In this way, the granted permissions are revoked from the delegates, thus
the removed delegates can no longer view or work on the data of the public users they act on
behalf of. See Figure 19: Terminating Delegate Relationship.

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Figure 19: Terminating Delegate Relationship

Implementing Delegate Functionality
This section provides a list of configuration steps to fully implement delegate functionality.
To implement delegate functionality on your site

1.

As a pre-requisite to displaying the Delegate section in the Account Management page in
public users’ account, you must enable the Account Management functionality. For more
information about the Account Management, see Enabling Account Management
Functionality on page 38.

2.

Configure the related Standard Choice BATCH_JOB_SERVICE_CATEGORY with
Standard Choice Value Proxy User Process. For complete information on configuring a
Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

3.

Schedule a batch job in Civic Platform to set invitations to expired or purge expired or
declined invitations from database at the end of the time intervals. For complete information
on creating a batch job, refer to the “Batch Engine” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.

4.

Enable the delegate functionality to allow public users to manage their delegates in ACA.
For more information about the configuration, see Delegates Settings on page 71.
Citizen Access displays the Delegates section in the Account Management page in public
users’ account.

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5.

Customize the content of the Delegate Notice e-mail by navigating to Administration >
Setup > Communication Manager > Notification Templates.
Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.
When an Add a Delegate form is successfully submitted, Citizen Access sends an e-mail to
the delegate’s e-mail address specified in the Add a Delegate form notifying that a public
user invites them to be their delegate.

6.

Configure the Manage Delegate web page located in the Delegate folder in the General
Pages area. For customization steps, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages.

Defining Agency Employee Display Settings
You can configure how the user name of an agency employee displays in Citizen Access; that
is, whether you want to display the first and last names or the user initials. You can also
determine if you want the e-mail address available to public users in Citizen Access so public
users can notify agency about the completion of a required application task. These features are
particularly useful when tracking who makes changes to an inspection or workflow. Citizen
Access notes any modifications as part of the history along with the identification information

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about the person who made them. For example, the software displays the user initials
associated with the user that assigned an inspection to an inspector or rescheduled the
inspection.
Topics


Defining the Display of User Names or User Initials



Displaying User E-mail Addresses

Defining the Display of User Names or User Initials
By default, the first and last names of agency employees display in Citizen Access. You can
choose to display the user's initials instead, and can determine whether to display the initials for
all or part of the users. Table 2: Fields Supporting Displaying Users’ Initials on page 51 lists the
fields that display initials in the Citizen Access website.
Topics


Setting Initials for a User



Enabling the Display Initials Option

Setting Initials for a User
To display a user’s initials, you must first ensure the user name has initials set on the user
profile. Otherwise, even if you enable the Display Initials option (see Enabling the Display
Initials Option on page 50), Citizen Access still displays the user full name, or displays the user
ID if the user has no full name.
To set initials for a user

1.

Navigate to Classic Administration and click the Admin Tools tab.

2.

Choose User Profile > Users.
Civic Platform displays the User Profile Add/Edit page

3.

Enter search criteria and click the Submit button to select an existing user.
Civic Platform displays the User-Edit page for the user.

4.

Locate the Initials Field and enter the user initials you want to display for the user.

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Note:
5.

See Enabling the Display Initials Option on page 50 for
information on configuring the Display Initials in ACA option.

Click Save to save your change.

Enabling the Display Initials Option
You can configure the Display Initials option for all users or selected users.
To enable the Display Initials for all users

1.

Navigate to Global Settings > Access and Display Settings in ACA Admin.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Access and Display Settings section.

2.

Mark the Display Users' Initials check box.

3.

Click the Save button.
Citizen Access will display users’ initials for all users. Table 2: Fields Supporting Displaying
Users’ Initials on page 51 lists the fields that display initials in the Citizen Access website.

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To enable the Display Initials for selected users

1.

Complete the following steps to disable the Display Initials setting for all users.
a. Navigate to Global Settings > Access and Display Settings in ACA Admin.
b. Unmark the Display Users' Initials check box, and click Save.

2.

Navigate to Classic Administration and click the Admin Tools tab.

3.

Choose User Profile > Users.
Civic Platform displays the User Profile Add/Edit page

4.

Enter search criteria and click the Submit button to select an existing user.
Civic Platform displays the User-Edit page for the user.

5.

Mark the Display Initials in ACA check box, and click Save.
Citizen Access will display users’ initials for the selected user. Table 2: Fields Supporting
Displaying Users’ Initials on page 51 lists the fields that display initials in the Citizen Access
website.

6.

If you want to enable the Display Initials setting for more users, repeat step 4 and step 5.

Table 2: Fields Supporting Displaying Users’ Initials

Component

Web Page

Section

Fields

Workflow

Record Detail

Process Status

Assigned To, Action By

Status

Updated By (or Last Updated)

Status History

Inspector, Updated By

Result Comments

Updated By

Previous Inspections

Inspector

Upcoming, Completed

Inspector

Completed

Inspector, Operator

Pay Fee Due Receipt,
Renewal Receipt,
Shopping cart,
Receipt,
Record Detail

Condition,
Conditions of Approval

Action By User, Action By User,
Applied By User

Condition Details

Conditions of Approval
Detail

Action By User, Action By User,
Applied By User

Inspection Detail
Inspection

Food Facility Inspection
Detail
Record Detail

Condition

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Table 2: Fields Supporting Displaying Users’ Initials (Continued)

Component

Record

AMCA

Web Page

Section

Fields

Facebook Home

My Shared List

Created By

Record Home,
Show Record Dialog
accessed from Accela
GIS (Silverlight
version),
Collections Detail

Record List

Created By

Fishing & Hunting
License Sales folder >
Customer Details

Associated Licenses

Created By

Schedule or Request
an Inspection,
Completed,
Status History

Inspector

Status

Resulted by

Status History,
Result Comments

Updated By

Process Status

Assigned To, Action By

Inspection

Workflow

Displaying User E-mail Addresses
Administrators can configure the ability to display an e-mail address belonging to an agency
user associated with the plan review process for a record in the record details area of Citizen
Access. An agency may want to use this feature so citizens can notify the agency by e-mail
about the progress or completion of an action item related to a failed inspection.
The e-mail address field on the user profile for the assigned person populates the contact email address displaying to public users on the workflow. For example, if Stan from the agency
changed the status of the workflow, the e-mail address defined in his user profile displays in the
processing status section of the record details page in Citizen Access. Those public users
associated with the record can click the e-mail address hyperlink and make e-mail
communications with the agency about new developments for the record. See Figure 20:
Viewing the E-mail Address Associated with Processing a Record. For information on how to
access the user profile to set an e-mail address, refer to the “User Profile” section in the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
This feature may be implemented in two ways. One way is to display an e-mail address for
individual record set by agency. The other way is to define a standard feature, through the
Standard Choice WORKFLOW_CONFIGS, so all records provide an e-mail contact in the
process status area of Citizen Access.
If your agency wants to implement this feature for all records at the agency, you must mark the
check box associated with this feature in Citizen Access Setup. This ACA setting overrides any
settings at the record level in Civic Platform.
If your agency prefers to customize which records display e-mail addresses in ACA and which
ones do not, you must clear the check box associated with this feature in Citizen Access Setup.

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Then, administrators control which records display e-mail addresses by marking a setting in the
record workflow task details in Civic Platform.
Figure 20: Viewing the E-mail Address Associated with Processing a Record

To display e-mail addresses to public users

1.

Verify agency users have e-mail addresses defined in their user profile. For information on
how to set up a user profile, refer to the “User Profile” section in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.

2.

Configure the Standard Choice WORKFLOW_CONFIGS by defining the values listed
below.
For complete information on configuring a Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic
Platform Configuration Reference.
Type

Choose System Switch

Value

ACA_ENABLE_WF_DISP_EMAIL
This value determines the default setting for the e-mail display option on
the workflow task detail page in Civic Platform.

Value Description

3.

Enter either Yes or No. Yes to display e-mail in ACA by default. No to hide
e-mail display in ACA by default.

Set the agency e-mail display setting in Citizen Access Setup to reflect the way you want to
implement this feature. Mark the check box to display e-mails on all records. Clear the
check box to hide e-mails for all records by default and enable the ability to control the email display at each individual record level.

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a. Navigate to Civic Platform Administration.
b. In the Setup portlet, choose Citizen Access > Citizen Access Setup from the dropdown menu.
Civic Platform displays the Citizen Access Setup portal.
c. Select a  tab and go to the  Settings page.
d. Go to the Workflow section of the page and mark or clear the Display email address
check box.

e. Click Save.

4.

If applicable, administrators and users can enable the display of e-mail addresses at the
record level. This setting is available based on the administrative agency e-mail display
setting as described in step.
a. Find the application you want to work with.
Navigate to the  portlet and click the Search button.
Civic Platform displays the record search form.
b. Enter your search criteria in available fields. For a description of the fields, see the
“Application Field Definitions” list in the “Applications” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform User Guide.
c. Click the Workflow secondary tab.

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d. Locate the Display Email Address in ACA check box and mark it so this record
provides a contact e-mail address in the Process Status section.

e. Click Submit.

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C HAPTER 4:

GLOBAL SETTINGS
CONFIGURATION PAGE
Use the Global Settings page to enable features and functionality compatible with any module.
The page comprises multiple sections. Each section requires configuration. Many of the
configurations on the Global Settings page are only a small part of the larger configuration
process for a feature. Therefore, it is important to determine what feature you want to
implement and follow the configuration steps for a successful feature setup. The Global
Settings page houses some of the configurations: FEIN mask setting, announcement setting,
search settings, access and display settings, fees and check-out setup, delegate settings,
parcel genealogy settings, GIS feature, internationalization, examination settings, inspection
result setting, and display settings. It also reviews the GIS feature, internationalization and
cache management. This is also where you define the official website URL and custom CSS
style.

Note:

If your agency implements the Registration feature, then you
customize the registration e-mails on the Registration Settings
page of the ACA Admin. For further information on setting up
registration, see Chapter 12: Defining the Registration and
Account Management Process on page 221.

Topics


Official Website



Global Features



Access and Display Settings



Search Settings



Fees and Check-out



Delegates Settings



Parcel Genealogy Settings



Examination Setting



Inspection Result Setting



Defining Your Own CSS Style

Official Website
Define the official website for the agency. This URL is particularly useful during record creation
in a multiple agency services environment. During the application process, public users search

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for a work location by address. If Civic Platform cannot find a work location address, Civic
Platform redirects the public user to the Official website. See Figure 21: Official Website.
Figure 21: Official Website

Global Features
Define the following global features: account settings, GIS settings, internationalization settings,
FEIN Mask, accessibility functionality for your website, whether or not to display the state prefix
with license numbers, and whether to display announcements for users. See Figure 22: Global
Features.

Note:

Citizen Access only supports Accela GIS (Silverlight version).
You must perform additional configuration tasks to properly implement
Accela GIS (Silverlight version) and Internationalization features.
For complete configuration information, refer to the Civic Platform GIS
Administrator Guide.
For internationalization, refer to the Civic Platform Internationalization
Installation and Administrator Guide.

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Figure 22: Global Features

Topics


Account Settings



GIS Settings



Internationalization Settings



FEIN Mask Settings



Accessibility Setting



License State Setting



Announcement Setting



Contact Settings

Account Settings
Public users can click the Account Management link in the ACA website to manage their
account information. You can decide on whether public users can perform the following tasks
when managing their accounts.


Manual Contact Association. If you mark this check box, the Add a Contact button displays
in the Contact Information section of the Account Management page. Public users can click
the button to add more contacts to their accounts.

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•



Automatically Activate New Association. To activate the association of a newly-added
contact with an account as soon as the public user adds the contact, you can mark the
Automatically Activate New Association check box. To suspend the activation until the
agency administrator approves it in the Civic Platform Public User portlet, unmark the
check box.

Enable Contact Address Maintenance. If you mark this check box, when public users click a
contact in the Account Management page to edit the contact details, an Add Additional
Contact Address button is available for users to add more contact addresses, and the
Actions menu provides menu items such as Deactivate and Edit. You can control the
availability of menu items in the Actions menu in Contact Settings on page 63.

Note:



The setting on this option works only when the Standard Choice
ENABLE_CONTACT_ADDRESS is set to Yes.

Enable People Attachments. If you mark this check box, the Attachments section displays in
the Account Management page. Licensed professional users can manage the attachments
to their account.

• Because each attachment uploaded by licensed professional
users may be associated to one document type and one
license, you may configure the Standard Choice Licensed
Professional Type. For more information on setting up
Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

• Users can click the View People Attachments link in the
Attachments section on the Record Details page of the
records that associate with the licensed professional to
access the people attachments of a licensed professional.
Users’ permission to people attachments are granted in the
same way as to record attachments. See Defining Public
User Permissions for Attachments on page 333.

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GIS Settings
Note:

Citizen Access only supports Accela GIS (Silverlight version).
You must perform additional configuration tasks to properly implement
Accela GIS (Silverlight version) features.
For complete configuration information, refer to the Civic Platform GIS
Administrator Guide.

If your agency uses Accela GIS (Silverlight version), you can enable public users to access the
map control directly from Citizen Access. You can also designate a GIS server URL for use in
Citizen Access.
Your agency GIS administrator determines which map functions commands are available to
public users. For more information, refer to the Civic Platform GIS Administrator Guide.
If you plan to use Bing maps in Accela GIS (Silverlight version), configure the default country in
the Standard Choice Value ACA_DEFAULT_COUNTRY in the Standard Choice
ACA_CONFIGS. Once defined, Bing Maps automatically uses the default country when public
users search for an address without specifying a country.
Topics


Activating GIS Map Control



Setting the GIS Server URL



Enabling the Document Type Filter



Configuring Pages Related to GIS Functionality

Activating GIS Map Control
Select the Activate GIS Map Control check box to enable public users to access the Accela GIS
(Silverlight version) map control from Citizen Access.

Note:

Even when the GIS map control is activated, there are separate
settings for each module to display the map in Citizen Access.
See Maps on page 102.

Setting the GIS Server URL
Enter the URL for the GIS server. For example, https://arcgis-server/agis/.

Enabling the Document Type Filter
Select the Enable Document Type Filter check box to enable public users to view the
associated documents of a parcel through GIS map in Citizen Access.
This setting takes effect only when the Show Documents map command is enabled in Accela
GIS (Silverlight version). For detailed information on how to configure the map command, see
the Accela Civic Platform GIS Administrator Guide.

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Configuring Pages Related to GIS Functionality
You can configure the following two pages to show records and documents via GIS maps in
Citizen Access. For information on how to customize a web page, see Chapter 10: Working with
Web Pages on page 158.


Show Record Dialog



Show Geo Docs Dialog
In this page, you can mark the check box of Include historical documents to allow public
users to view a full listing of documents associated with the current parcel or the historical
parcels that, by splitting or merging from the root downward, eventually generate the
current parcel. If you clear the check box, only the documents that relates to the current
parcel are viewable. You can also mark the check box of Select All to allow public users to
view the associated documents of any document type.

Internationalization Settings
You can enable internationalization so your agency can provide a website in multiple
languages. Mark the Enable Internationalization check box to provide additional fields for
localizing your website. You can activate additional fields for phone numbers and addresses.
For example, you can display the country code field for a phone number on the Registration,
Contact, and Licensed Professional Web pages. This feature requires pre-configuration setup.
For complete instructions to implement internationalization on your ACA website, refer to the
Accela Civic Platform Internationalization Installation and Administrator Guide.

FEIN Mask Settings
Mark the Enable FEIN Mask check box to apply the mask defined in the Standard Choice
MASKS for Federal Employer Identification Numbers (FEIN). For a better understanding of the
FEIN mask, see the Standard Choice MASKS and the FID-8464: SSN and FEIN Mask in the
Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
For information on configuring the FEIN field validation, see Setting SSN and FEIN Contact
Field Validation on page 240.

Accessibility Setting
You can enable accessibility mode so your agency can provide a website that supports
assistive technology. To configure this, you must mark the Display Accessibility Switch check
box in the Global Features section.
After that, Citizen Access provides an alternate user interface mode that enables users with
screen readers (such as JAWS or Window-Eyes) to use your website application more
effectively. Public users can mark the Accessibility Support check box at the top of the Citizen
Access Home page. See Figure 23: Accessibility Support Check Box for Public User.

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Figure 23: Accessibility Support Check Box for Public User

The accessibility mode includes the full functionality of Citizen Access Web pages with slight
modifications designed to create a better user experience for users with some disabilities or
impairments, particularly those who are blind. For a summary of the Web page areas that
behave significantly different for users who have accessibility mode enabled, see the Accela
Civic Platform Accessibility Administrator and User Guide.
Most browsers support jumping to specific links by typing keys defined on the website. For
example, on Windows, you can press ALT + an access key; on Macintosh, you can press
Control + an access key.

License State Setting
You can mark the Display License State check box to display the two-letter abbreviation for the
state where the license is issued as a prefix to the license number; for example, AK-10-SMPL00001, where AK is abbreviation for the state of Alaska, and 10-SMPL-00001 is the license
number. To hide the state prefix from public users, clear the check box.

Announcement Setting
You can enable the Announcement functionality by marking the check box ahead of Enable
Announcements, and define how often should Citizen Access refresh the announcement by
entering a positive integer into the text box for the “Refresh Announcement every minutes” item.
After the configuration, Citizen Access provides an Announcement link on the top of the home
page. See Figure 24: Announcements Link and the Latest Published Announcement. Users can
click the link to view a list of announcements.
Figure 24: Announcements Link and the Latest Published Announcement

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To enable posting a specific announcement to Citizen Access, administrator must go to Civic
Platform, create a message (announcement), set the message to be viewable by Citizen
Access, and determine who should receive it. For detailed information on how to do this, see
the Announcements section of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. When a
message is disseminated to Citizen Access, it displays in a small pop-up window immediately
under the Announcement link. Public users can click the More link to view the full content of the
announcement. The message displays in the pop-up window until the public user clicks the
Mark as Read link.
The messages, including messages marked as read, continue to be available in the
announcement list until the designated end date. Public users can click the Announcements
Link to get a list of announcements. You can configure the Announcement List page in the
Page panel in General to adjust the view to suit your agency’s need.

Contact Settings
The Contact Settings determines whether public users can edit or deactivate contact address
during the registration, account management, or application page flow. The Contact Settings
consists of the two options below.


Enable Contact Address Modification. Mark the Enable Contact Address Modification check
box to enable the Edit menu item under the Actions menu at each active contact address.
Public users can click the Edit item to edit a contact address in their accounts or
applications.
If you want to hide the Edit menu item, unmark the Enable Contact Address Modification
check box.



Enable Contact Address Deactivation. Mark the Enable Contact Address Deactivation
check box to enable the Deactivate menu item under the Actions menu at each active
contact address. Public users can click the Deactivate menu item to deactivate a contact
address in their accounts or applications.
If you want to hide the Deactivate menu item, clear the Enable Contact Address
Deactivation check box.

Public users can always add contact addresses in an application page flow regardless of the
settings. The Enable Contact Address Maintenance under Account Settings on page 58
determines whether public users can add contact addresses in account management.
You can configure the Standard Choice Value DEFAULT_CONTACT_ADDRESS_TYPE in
ACA_CONFIGS. In the value description of DEFAULT_CONTACT_ADDRESS_TYPE, you can
specify the default contact address type for all the Contact Address sections in the Citizen
Access website.

Access and Display Settings
The Access and Display Settings section provides the options to grant access or define display
settings for your website. It also provides a brief overview of the features and provides
additional information to complete the feature configuration requirements. See Figure 25:
Access and Display Settings.

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Note:

You may need to perform additional configuration tasks to
properly implement the access and display setting features. For
complete configuration information, refer to Chapter 4: Global
Settings Configuration Page on page 56 and Chapter 20:
Reporting Information on page 461.

Figure 25: Access and Display Settings

Topics


Displaying Users’ Initials



Allowing Anonymous Users to Select Records



Report Display Controls

Displaying Users’ Initials
Mark the Display Users’ Initials check box when you want to set the users’ initials to display by
default on web pages in Citizen Access. The initials come from the User Profile settings for an
agency user. For complete configuration information, see Defining Agency Employee Display
Settings on page 48.

Allowing Anonymous Users to Select Records
You can mark this check box to allow a non-registered public user to select records from a
record list. This can be useful if your agency does not require registration for a particular
application. For example, a fishing license. If an anonymous user completes multiple fishing
license applications for their family members during their session, then the completed records
can show up in their records list where they can be selected, grouped in a collection, or added
to a shopping cart where the fees associated with the licenses can be paid for in one
transaction. This check box is clear by default.

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Report Display Controls
You can set who can view reports on the report list link at login. Define which types of users
have permissions to view available reports assigned to the ACA Report list from the Home page
by indicating user type permissions in the Report Display Controls area. For a description of
user types, see Defining Permissions for the Home Page Report List on page 470. For more
information about reporting, see Setting Report Viewable Permissions on page 470.

Search Settings
Common search pages on the Citizen Access website provide a set of search fields for users to
enter the search criteria, a Search button to start the search, and a Clear button to reset the
search page to its original state.
The Search Settings section of the Global Setting page allows you to define some of the search
functionality for your website including: Global Search, Cross Module Search, Contact and
Licensed Professional Search, and Address Range search. This section also provides the
configuration to allow data export of search results in CSV format. For an illustration of the
settings on this page, see Figure 26: Search Settings.

Note:

You need to perform additional configuration tasks to properly
implement the global search or additional search features. For
complete configuration information, refer to Chapter 13:
Configuring Record Inquiry on page 242.

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Figure 26: Search Settings

Topics


Global Search



People Search



Additional Settings

Global Search
You can activate the global search feature by marking the Enable Global Search check box.
Then, indicate which groups you want to allow the public user to search by marking the check
box next to the Records, Licensed Professionals, and/or Property Information. Citizen Access
scans the groups that you choose to enable for Searches to populate a matched result list.
Similar to the global search feature in Civic Platform, this feature allows public users to enter
search criteria and search for information across modules for any record on any Web page. For
example, a public user can enter at least three characters in the search window and Citizen
Access returns data elements meeting this criteria, such as records or addresses. Citizen
Access retains the five latest searches by key word in a Recent Search drop-down list, which
are accessible by clicking the drop-down arrow next to the search window. For more information
about Global Search including the additional configurations, see Enabling Global Search on
page 243.

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People Search
This section provides options for you to restrict searching reference data of Contact and
Licensed Professional during the application process.
Topics


Enabling Contact Search



Enabling Licensed Professional Search

Enabling Contact Search
Mark the check box to turn on the Look Up functionality for the Contact and the Contact List
sections in the application intake form. With the Look Up functionality, public users can search
the contact reference data and populate the search result to the Contact or Contact List section.
After you enable contact search, you can click the Configure button to select the contact types
to be available in the Look Up Contact window.

Note:

To display the Look Up button in the Contact and the Contact List
sections, you must also set the Data Source property of their
components in the page flows to either Reference or No Limitation. For
detailed information about Data Source, see Table 6: Components
Setting Attributes on page 151.

Enabling Licensed Professional Search
Mark the check box to enable the Look Up functionality for the Licensed Professional and the
Licensed Professional List sections. With the Look Up functionality, public users can search the
licensed professional reference data and populate the search result to the Licensed
Professional or the Licensed Professional List section.
After you enable licensed professional search, you can click the Configure button to select the
licensed professional types to be available in the Look Up License window.

Note:

To display the Look Up button in the Licensed Professional and the
Licensed Professional List sections, you must also set the Data Source
property of their components in the page flows to either Reference or
No Limitation. For detailed information about Data Source, see Table 6:
Components Setting Attributes on page 151.

Additional Settings
You can customize search functionality to accommodate the demands of your agency. The
Additional Settings section provides options to Enable Cross Module Search, Enable Address
Range Search, Restrict Licensed Professional Search Results to Only Those Associated with
the User, and Allowing Public Users to export search result data. For more information about
these additional search settings and associated configurations, see Chapter 13: Configuring
Record Inquiry on page 242.

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Topics


Enabling Cross Module Search



Enabling Address Range Search



Restricting Licensed Professional Search Results to Only Those Associated with the
User



Allowing Public Users to Export Search Results in CSV Format

Enabling Cross Module Search
Mark the check box to enable the Cross Module Search feature for the module and then define
which additional modules you want to include. For more information about Cross Module
Search and how to configure full functionality, see Configuring Cross Module Searches on
page 247.

Enabling Address Range Search
Mark the check box to enable the Address Range Search functionality. For more information
about address range searches and configurations, see Enabling Address Range Search
Functionality on page 249.

Restricting Licensed Professional Search Results to Only
Those Associated with the User
Mark the check box to limit the licensed professional search results to only those licenses
associated with the current user. For more information about licensed professional search
restrictions and configurations, see Defining Licensed Professional Searches on page 253.

Allowing Public Users to Export Search Results in CSV Format
Mark the check box to allow users to export search results in CSV format, such as an excel
spreadsheet. For more information about exporting search results, see Exporting Search
Results in CSV Format on page 280.

Fees and Check-out
The Fees and Check Out section provides configurations surrounding Fees and Online
Payments, including enabling decimals points. It also provides some of the Shopping Cart
configurations. See Figure 27: Fees and Check-out. The Cart Settings support a feature that
allows public users to group records together and pay for associated fees in one transaction.

Note:

You need to perform additional configuration tasks to implement the
features for fees and check out. For complete configuration information
about online payments, refer to both the “Payment Processing” chapter in
the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide and the integration
package EPay SDK.zip. Contact Accela Customer Support for assistance
in obtaining the integration package. See also, Chapter 15: Fees and
Online Payments on page 355.

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Figure 27: Fees and Check-out

Topics


Enabling Online Payment



Selecting the Script to Run before the Fee Estimate Page



Cart Settings

Enabling Online Payment
Your agency must enable online payment processing if you want to allow public users to pay for
their fees online. Mark the check box to activate online payments. Verify the pre-configuration
tasks are complete.
Refer to both the “Payment Processing” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide and the integration package EPay SDK.zip. Accela Customer Support for assistance in
obtaining the integration package. See also Configuring Shopping Cart on page 367

Selecting the Script to Run before the Fee Estimate Page
This section provides the ability to enable a script to run during the Fee Estimation phase of the
application process. Select the FEEESTIMATEAFTER4ACASCRIPT from the drop-down list.
This script is designed to identify applicable conditions flagged to display on the Fee Estimate
Page for the application. For more information on how to configure conditions to display on the
Fee Estimate page, refer to Displaying Conditions on page 312.

Cart Settings
Your agency can provide a shopping cart feature to allow public users to group records or group
other items in one location and pay for all items at the conclusion of the session. See Figure
101: Shopping Cart Details. This step in the Cart setup defines payment transaction options and
expiration settings. This is also the section where you enable the Shopping Cart feature. For

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complete configuration information and implementation of the shopping cart, see Configuring
Shopping Cart on page 367.
Topics


Enabling Cart



Configuring Payment Transaction Settings



Setting Expiration Days for Selected Items



Setting Expiration Days for Saved Items

Enabling Cart
Mark the check box to enable the Shopping Cart feature for your website. For additional
information about the Shopping Cart and complete configuration information about
implementation, see Configuring Shopping Cart on page 367.

Configuring Payment Transaction Settings
The payment transaction settings define how Citizen Access generates receipts and bill the
customer for items placed in the cart. The two options are Transaction per Shopping Cart and
Transaction per Record Type. Review the descriptions provided in each section described
below.
Transaction Per Shopping Cart
This is the default setting which generates one receipt number for the entire shopping cart. You
can choose this option if your agency supports online payments or API payments.
When your agency implements multiple agency functionality and you choose this default
setting, then Citizen Access generates a receipt for each agency per shopping cart. Citizen
Access supports API payments in this environment. And it also supports online payments
across multiple agencies through a custom payment adapter, instead of a build-in online
payment adapter.
Transaction Per Record Type
Generates a receipt number for each record type in the shopping cart.

Setting Expiration Days for Selected Items
Enter a number to define the number of days items can remain in the shopping cart Selected
area. Once the expiration day arrives, ACA removes the record from the Selected Items area.

Setting Expiration Days for Saved Items
Set expiration days for Saved Items. Enter a number to define the number of days items can
remain in the shopping cart Saved area. Once the expiration day arrives, ACA removes the
record from the Saved Items area.

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Delegates Settings
This Delegates Settings section provides configurations to enable delegate functionality, set the
number of expiration days for the delegate invitations, and set the number of purge days for the
expired or declined invitations. See Figure 28: Delegates Settings.
Figure 28: Delegates Settings

The delegate functionality allows public users to designate other public users as their delegates
and grant delegates permissions to access their data. Delegates can work on the data based on
the granted permissions, such as viewing records, scheduling inspections, creating, renewing
and amending records, uploading, downloading and deleting documents and making payment.

Note:

You need to perform additional configuration tasks to properly
implement the features for delegate functionality. See Managing
Delegates on page 44 in Managing Delegates for complete
configuration information.

Topics


Enabling Delegates



Setting Expiration Days for Delegate Invitations



Setting Purge Days for Expired and Declined Invitations

Enabling Delegates
You can enable the delegate functionality to allow public users to designate other public users
as their delegates. Delegates work on the public users’ data based on the granted permissions.
Mark the Enable Delegates check box in the Delegates Settings section to enable the delegate
functionality.
With the delegate functionality enabled, the Delegates section displays in the Account
Management page in public user’s account. See Figure 29: Delegates Section in Account
Management Page. Public users can designate other public users to be their delegates by
clicking the “Add a delegate” link, completing the Add a Delegate form and submitting it. In
response, Citizen Access sends an e-mail to public users notifying them that they are invited to
be delegates. Meanwhile, an invitation is appended to the invited public users’ Delegates
section.

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Figure 29: Delegates Section in Account Management Page

Setting Expiration Days for Delegate Invitations
When a public user receives a delegate invitation, he can accept or reject it. If a public user
does not accept or reject the invitation within a number of days, it expires. The expired
invitations are invisible on the Account Management page unless public users click “Show all
declined or expired items” link to display them. See Figure 30: Showing Declined or Expired
Invitations. Public users still have a chance to accept a declined or expired invitations before the
invitation reach the purge day.
Enter a number to define the number of days that an invitation can display in the Delegate
section before it hides. Once the invitation reaches the expiration day, it expires and hides from
Delegate section automatically.

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Figure 30: Showing Declined or Expired Invitations

Setting Purge Days for Expired and Declined Invitations
The expired or declined invitations remain in public users’ account for a number of days.
However they hide from the Account Management page unless public users click the “Show all
declined or expired items” link to display them. See Figure 30: Showing Declined or Expired
Invitations. Public users still have to accept a declined or expired invitations before the they
reach the purge day. When the purge day arrives, the invitations are purged from the public
users’ account.
Enter a number to define the number of days that the expired or declined invitations can remain
in public users’ account. Once the purge day arrives, the expired or declined invitations are
purged from the public users’ account.

Parcel Genealogy Settings
The Parcel Genealogy Settings section provides the option to enable the Parcel Genealogy
feature. Mark the Enable Parcel Genealogy check box to enable this feature. See Figure 31:
Parcel Genealogy Settings.
The Parcel Genealogy feature allows public users to access the Genealogy History and
Genealogy Children sections in Citizen Access. See Figure 32: Genealogy History and
Genealogy Children for a visual example of the Genealogy History and Genealogy Children
sections on the Parcel Detail web page in Citizen Access Setup. From the Genealogy History
section, public users can access all the historical records for the parcel, including its parents,
grandparents, and ancestors. From the Genealogy Children section, public users can review
only one generation of children parcels.

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Figure 31: Parcel Genealogy Settings

Figure 32: Genealogy History and Genealogy Children

Examination Setting
The Examination Setting section provides the option for you to define whether allow
examination providers to update Examination scores by uploading CSV score files. See Figure
33: Examination Setting.
If the check box of Enable Auto-update Examination by CSV is marked, when Examination
providers upload Examination score file, the associated Examination records are updated on
the Examination Scores. For more information about Examination, see Configuring
Examinations on page 451.
Figure 33: Examination Setting

Enabling the Education, Continuing Education, and
Examination Sections
A public user can enter education, continuing education, and/or examination data as part of the
application process and have that data become a part of his user account data so that he can
update it and re-use it for other applications. He can also enter this data apart from the
application process. After the public user submits the data, it synchronizes with Civic Platform,
where an authorized Civic Platform user can review and approve the education, continuing
education, and/or examination records. This approval ‘validates’ the education, continuing

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education, and/or exam records and this validation syncs back to the public user’s account,
where it is available for future applications.
To enable public user interaction with education, continuing education, and examination
data for their own account

1.

Open the ACA Admin window, and navigate to the Global Settings page.

2.

Mark the Enable User Entry of Education, Examination, and Continuing Education
option.

3.

Click Save.

Agencies can customize each of the three sections via the generic page customization function.

Inspection Result Setting
The Inspection Result Setting section provides the option for you to decide whether it is
necessary to review the inspection result CSV file from an external inspector before the
inspection results get updated. See Figure 34: Inspection Result Setting on page 75 for a visual
example of the Inspection Result Setting section.
Figure 34: Inspection Result Setting

When you select Enable Inspection Result Auto-update by CSV, Citizen Access updates the
inspection results immediately after the inspector uploads the inspection result CSV file through
the Resulted Inspections section (see Figure 35: Upload Inspection Results Page on page 76).
When you clear Enable Inspection Result Auto-update by CSV, Citizen Access attaches the
inspection result CSV file that the inspector uploads through the Resulted Inspections section to
the licensed professional associated with the inspector. Your agency can use a script with the
EMSE event DocumentUploadAfter to notify agency employees of reviewing the CSV file. Civic
Platform lists the CSV file on the Documents tab for the licensed professional. Agency
employees can click the Result Inspections button to have Civic Platform update the inspection
results per the file. When the update process is complete, Citizen Access displays an
announcement to the inspector. For more information, see “Managing Attachments Associated
with Professional” in the Contacts and Licensed Professional chapter of the Accela Civic
Platform User Guide.

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Figure 35: Upload Inspection Results Page

Defining Your Own CSS Style
You can change the look and feel of elements on any pages in Citizen Access. There are two
possible approaches to take:


Create and apply a custom CSS stylesheet and/or javascript file to a page. For instructions,
see Configuring URLs and Deep Links to Citizen Access Pages on page 193.



Directly create your own Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) in ACA Admin. See Figure 36:
Defining Your Own CSS Style. You can modify any CSS controllable display. For example,
you can change the background color, choose a different text font, or resize tables. The
CSS code you can modify is based on the source code you see when you invoke the View

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Source command from your browser. For an example that walks you through changing the
appearance of an element, see Updating the Title Bar on page 77.
Figure 36: Defining Your Own CSS Style

Updating the Title Bar
You can modify any CSS controllable display for Citizen Access. This section shows you how to
modify the appearance of the Citizen Access title bar.

Note:

The following example assumes the Internet Explorer 8 is being used
to access the Citizen Access. If you are using a different browser, you
may need to adjust your workflow to accommodate your browser. To
learn how to use the Developer Tools, please visit
http://
msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd565626(VS.85).aspx.

To update the title bar

1.

Access the Login page of Citizen Access with Internet Explorer 8.

2.

Log in to the Citizen Access as a public user.

3.

Access page that contains a title bar, such as Record List page.

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4.

Press F12 on your keyboard.
The Developer Tools window displays.

5.

Select element by Click button (button resembles a mouse pointer) in the Developer Tools
or press Ctrl + B on your keyboard.

6.

Return to the browser window where you have Citizen Access open.

7.

Move your mouse cursor to the element you are modifying - in this case, the title bar. As
you move your mouse, notice that a blue box appears over elements you are passing.
When the blue box is enveloping the whole title bar for the page, click once.
The left side of the Developer Tools window automatically scrolls to and highlights the
corresponding HTML for the selected element; while the right side displays the CSS code
for the element.

8.

On the left side of the Developer Tools window, identify the CSS class for the title bar. In this
example, it is called .ACA_Title_Bar.

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9.

Log in to Citizen Access Setup and navigate to the Global Settings page.

10. Scroll down to display the Define Your Own CSS section.
11. Modify your own title bar style in the CSS Content box by changing the value of any of the
listed attributes. The illustration below makes changes to the background color and to the
border around the title bar.

12. Click the Save button.
13. Click the Clear Cache button.
14. Return to Citizen Access and access a page that contains a title bar.
Citizen Access displays the changes you made to the title bar.

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C HAPTER 5:

FEATURE SETTINGS PAGE

Enable modules and features for Citizen Access on the Feature Settings page. See Figure 37:
Feature Settings Configuration Page. This page is most commonly used to enable modules for
Citizen Access and define login requirements to perform tasks. When a module is enabled on
the Feature Settings page, ACA creates a tab on the Home page and in the navigation panel
where you can configure modular settings, customize Web pages, and create a page flow for
Record types. Refer to Table 3: Feature Settings Configuration Check Boxes for a complete
description of Feature Setting configurations.
Expand the tree in a module to activate hyperlinks on the home page so public users can
quickly go to the associated task. Continue to expand the tree to view check boxes used to
enable the force login or registration feature. This means that in order to access the modular
task, the public user must register with your agency website. If the user has already registered,
ACA requires the public user to log in before they can perform the task.
Topics


Feature Setting Configurations



Configuring Required Registration



Configuring Service Selection for a Main Agency

Feature Setting Configurations
This section provides details for each check box configuration element on the Feature Settings
page. Refer to Table 3: Feature Settings Configuration Check Boxes for a description of the
check box and the effect in ACA. Refer to Figure 37: Feature Settings Configuration Page as a
reference tool for the configuration check boxes.
You can provide a more prominent Login panel making it easier for public users to access ACA.
You can configure the text size, color, and font of the login user ID and the links next to it,
including Register for an Accounts, Collections, Shopping Cart, Reports, Account Management,
Login, and Logout. Additionally, a Login box is added to the Welcome page. To configure the
text size, color, and font for the login user ID and the links, navigate to the ACA Admin >
General Settings > Feature Settings. For a brief summary of the Login configuration item locate
it in Table 3: Feature Settings Configuration Check Boxes.

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Figure 37: Feature Settings Configuration Page

Table 3: Feature Settings Configuration Check Boxes

Configuration

Citizen Access Result

Registration

Marking this check box enables the Registration feature to the public
user and exposes the Registration hyperlink on the Home page.

Account
Management

Marking this check box displays the Account Management link on the
Welcome Registered page so that public users can access and update
their account information on the Account Management page.

Login

Marking this check box exposes the Login hyperlink located at the top
right corner of the Welcome Global Web page. It also exposes the
standard Login panel in the middle of the Welcome Global page. If this
check box is not marked, then the user will not be able to log in to ACA
and will only be able to search for records.

General Information

Marking this check box enables search functionality for certified
businesses, providers, education, licensees, food facilities,
attachments, and property information. It enables the Upload Scores
feature, where providers can upload scores using the Citizen Access
website. It also enables the Upload Inspection Results feature, where
contract inspectors and self-certified inspectors can submit CSV files
containing inspection results to the agency. If necessary, clear a check
box to disable the feature.

Search for Certified
Businesses

Marking this check box creates a link to search for certified businesses
from the Welcome or General Information page. It also enables the
Certified Businesses search form.

Search for a
Provider/Education

Marking this check box creates a link to search for providers or
education from the Welcome or General Information page. It also
exposes the Search for Provider/Education section on the Record
Detail page and enables the Provider/Education search form.

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Table 3: Feature Settings Configuration Check Boxes (Continued)

Configuration

Citizen Access Result

Search for a Food
Facility

Marking this check box creates a link to search for inspections on food
facilities (licensed professionals) from the Welcome or General
Information page. It also enables the Food Facility Inspection search
form.

Search for a
Licensee

Marking this check box creates a link to search for licensees from the
Welcome or General Information page. It also enables the Licensee
search form.

Lookup Property
Information

Marking this check box enables the APO Lookup feature. For more
information about the APO look up feature, see Modifying Search
Pages and Filtering Data on page 262.

Search Documents
by Geographic
Location

Marking this check box to create a link to search for attachments from
the Welcome or General Information page. For more information about
searching attachment through GIS map, see Enabling the Document
Type Filter on page 60.
It also enables the Search Documents by Geographic Location form.

Upload Scores

Marking this check box allows examination providers to upload the
CSV file of scores directly from your agency’s Citizen Access website.

Modules

Marking the check box for each module enables the module for ACA
and creates a modular tab on the ACA Home Page. This check box
only enables the module. You must expose Record-Types for the
module in Civic Platform. Refer to Enabling Applications on page 345.

Module Tasks

Marking the check boxes for any of these modular tasks exposes the
tasks on the home page. The task names below reflect the default
settings delivered with a new installation. You can change the task
names by customizing the labels of the task links on the Welcome
Registered web page.
• Create an Application
• Create an Application by Selecting Services

Note:

The Create an Application by Selecting Services task is
only available for the main agency in the multiple-agency
administration.
• Obtain a Fee Estimate
• Search Applications
• Schedule an Inspection
You can indicate if you want to require registration before performing
the task. Refer to Configuring Required Registration on page 83.

Single Service
Selection Only

Marking this check box nested under the Create an Application by
Selecting Services modular task forces a user to make a single section
on the Select Services page.
This check box is only available for the main agency in the multipleagency administration. See Configuring Service Selection for a Main
Agency on page 83.

Force Registration/
Login

Marking this check box for a modular task forces a user to log in or
register with the agency before gaining access to the task functionality.

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Configuring Required Registration
ACA provides the ability to force a user to register with your agency before they can gain
access to perform a modular task. For example, the administrator configures the Permits
module to require user login or registration for any Permit related task. When a public user
selects to create an Application, he or she will be forced to the registration and/or login page.
They either register or login and then are redirected back to Create Application task.
This feature requires you to mark or clear the Force Registration/Login check boxes for each
modular task.
To configure the registration required feature

1.

Navigate to General Settings > Feature Settings.
Citizen Access displays the Feature Settings page.

2.

Expand the navigation tree for a module.

3.

Mark the check boxes next to each modular task to which you want to require registration.

4.

Repeat step 2 and step 3 above for each module.

5.

Click the Save button.

Configuring Service Selection for a Main Agency
The multiple-agency functionality allows public users to select services provided by various subagencies from the main agency and create multiple applications at a time. For more information,
see Understanding the Process for Creating a Record on page 525.
After marking the Create an Application by Selecting Services check box in Feature Settings for
the main agency in a multiple-agency environment, use the Single Service Selection Only
check box to further control whether public users can select a single service or multiple services
in the main agency.

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To configure service selection for a main agency

1.

Navigate to General > Settings > Feature Settings.
Citizen Access displays the Feature Settings page.

2.

Expand and mark the Create an Application by Selecting Services check box next to the
desired module.

Note:

This check box is only available for the main agency in the
multiple-agency administration.

3.

Mark or clear the Single Service Selection Only check box.

4.

Click the Save button.

5.

Click the Clear Cache button.

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6.

Log in to Citizen Access as the main agency’s public user and click the Create an
Application by Selecting Services hyperlink from the Welcome page.
Citizen Access displays the Select Services page.
If the Single Service Selection Only check box is marked in Feature Settings, the Select
Services page displays a list of services for public users to make a single selection only.

If the Single Service Selection Only check box is cleared in Feature Settings, the Select
Services page displays a list of services for public users to make a single selection or
multiple selections.

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C HAPTER 6:

REGISTRATION SETTINGS PAGE

The Registration Settings page offers registration configurations. The registration configuration
provides the details for Register License, Expiration Interval Settings, Password Settings,
CAPTCHA Settings, Login Settings, and Reset Password Settings. If you want your agency to
require registration to perform tasks in a module, you must define the forced registration setting
on the Feature Settings page for each module. See Configuring Required Registration on
page 83. For complete information regarding registration implementation, see Chapter 12:
Defining the Registration and Account Management Process on page 221.
To customize the content of the registration e-mails exchanged between the agency and public
users, navigate to Civic Platform > Administration > Setup > Communication Manager >
Notification Templates. Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.
Topics


Register License



Expiration Interval Settings



Security Settings



CAPTCHA Settings



Login Settings



Reset Password Settings

Register License
The Register License section of the Registration Settings page provides configurations
supporting license functionality during the registration and application process.
Figure 38: Register License

Topics


Requiring License

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

Disabling Add License



Disabling Remove License

Requiring License
You can mark the Require License check box to require a public user to associate at least one
license when registering for an online account. When this feature is enabled, the first page of
the registration process requires license information data entry. Only after the license
information is validated, the applicant can proceed with registration process or add additional
licenses.
If you require license from applicants, an Select from Professionals button displays in the
Contact section of the registration page. When applicants click the button, they can select an
licensed professional with the associated license as the contact. See Figure 39: Select from
Professional in the Contact Information Section.
Figure 39: Select from Professional in the Contact Information Section

If you enable the Requiring License feature, you must also configure the settings for the
associated e-mails, Registered License web page, License List web page, and Confirm License
web page.
To require a license for registration

1.

Navigate to General Settings > Registration Settings.
Citizen Access displays the Registration Settings page.

2.

Go to the Register License area and mark the Require License check box.

3.

In Civic Platform, navigate to Administration > Setup > Communication Manager >
Notification Templates.

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a. Select the Validate Citizen User notification template.
b. Customize the content of the e-mail. Refer to the Notification Templates section of the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
c. Click Save.

4.

Customize associated web pages: Registration License, License List, and Confirm License.
Select each page from the Pages area in the Navigation panel, customize labels, button
text, or page content, and then click Save.

•

The Registration License page

•

The License List page

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•

The Confirm License page

Disabling Add License
Administrators can configure the ability to accept an additional licensed professional on an
application intake form or restrict the number of additional licensed professionals. If you want to
restrict the number of licensed professionals on an application, mark the Disable Add License
check box and save the changes.
To restrict additional licensed professionals on an application

1.

From the General Area, navigate to the Registration Settings page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Registration Settings page.

2.

Go to the Register License section.

3.

Mark or clear the Disable Add License check box to set the configuration.

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4.

Click the Save button.

Disabling Remove License
You can restrict applicants from removing an associated license with an application. You do this
by hiding the Remove License button from display to public users.
To hide the Remove License button

1.

From the General Area, navigate to the Registration Settings page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Registration Settings page.

2.

Go to the Register License section.

3.

Mark or clear the Disable Remove License check box to set the configuration.

4.

Click the Save button.

Expiration Interval Settings
Figure 40: Expiration Interval Settings on page 91 shows the Expiration Interval Settings section
of the Registration Settings page. This section relates to the number of days Civic Platform
saves inactive registrant information before purging from the system. If the Account Verification
setting is enabled, a registration account remains inactive until the registrant activates their
account by selecting the hyperlink associated with their account verification e-mail they
received after registration. Refer to Defining Activation E-mails on page 98. The expiration
interval setting defines how many days allocated to the registrant to select their hyperlink before
their registrant information expires and is purged.
This feature functions by defining an EMSE script that purges the inactive accounts and runs as
a regularly scheduled batch job. The script references the number of days in this setting. See an
example script following the instructions below. For more information about EMSE scripts and
batch jobs, contact Accela Customer Support for assistance. Some important details are in the
“Event Manager and Script Engine” chapter and the “Writing Scripts” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Scripting Guide.

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This setting relates to the Standard Choice Value PURGED_EXPIRED_ACCOUNT_INTERVAL
in the Standard Choice ACA_CONFIGS. For instructions on configuring the Standard Choice,
refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
Figure 40: Expiration Interval Settings

To configure the expiration interval

1.

Navigate to General Settings > Registration Settings.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Expiration Interval settings. See Figure 40: Expiration
Interval Settings.

2.

Mark the check box if you want to purge expired accounts.

3.

Define the expiration interval in number of days in the Days field.

4.

Write the EMSE script that purges the inactive accounts meeting that meet expiration
criteria.
For example:
aa.print("=====================purgExpiredInactiveAccount
begin=============================");
var result = aa.publicUser.purgExpiredInactiveAccount();
if (result.getSuccess())
{
aa.print("run purgExpiredInactiveAccount method
successfully!");
}
else
{
aa.print("ERROR: run purgExpiredInactiveAccount method failed"
+ result.getErrorMessage());
}
aa.print("=====================purgExpiredInactiveAccount
end=============================")

5.

Create a batch job to define the frequency Civic Platform runs the script. Refer to the Batch
Job section of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

6.

Customize the Account Verification Expired page in the Login Folder of the Pages area in
General Settings.

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Security Settings
Public access to your agency’s Citizen Access portal requires a certain level of security. The
specific level is dependent upon the agency and the type of functions they have on the portal.
Password security is the first level of defense against harmful security threats. This section
describes how to define password security for your agency.
Figure 41: Security Settings

Topics


Setting Up a Password Policy



Configuring the Password Settings



Locking Account after Failed Attempts



Enabling Authentication by Security Question

Setting Up a Password Policy
The first step in defining password security is to set up a password policy for your agency
according to the industry standard set of password strength rules. These rules include character
requirements, such as minimum password length, number of upper case characters and
number of numeric characters. They also include password restrictions such as not allowing the
user ID to be part of the password, or the password not being the same as the previous X
number of passwords.
You can only configure the password strength rules from Civic Platform when logging in with
multi-Agency administrative privileges. For the Civic Platform password strength rules to apply
to Citizen Access public users, you must mark the check box for "Apply the same requirements
for passwords for public users in Citizen Access" at the bottom on the same page that
configures these password rules.
For the process, see the “Agencies and Functions” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform OnPremise Supplement Administration Guide.

Configuring the Password Settings
The Password Settings section of the Register License page is used to configure password
expiration settings and password failed attempts. These items relate to the password security

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definition in the registration definition section. The password expiration setting field sets the
number of days in which a user’s password expires, and the password failed attempts fields set
the number of times a user can enter an incorrect password during a specified period before
their account is locked.
When account lockout policy is enabled, there is a risk of locking out legitimate users. To avoid
locking out legitimate users who have simply mis-typed or forgotten their passwords, the best
practice is to set the account lockout threshold to a high number. If a user does get locked out,
a message displays. They also receive an account locked e-mail message, as described in
Chapter 7: Configuring Notification E-mails on page 98. In that case, they need to contact their
agency and have then unlock the user’s account.
To configure the password settings

1.

Navigate to General Settings > Registration Settings
Citizen Access displays the Registration Settings page.

2.

Go to the Password Settings area.

3.

To set a password expiration period, mark the Password Expires In check box, and enter
the number of days for password expiration.

4.

To set the account to lock after a number of failed attempts, mark the Lock Account After
check box, then enter the number of failed attempts and the number of hours.

5.

Click the Save button.

6.

Configure the password lockout e-mail:
a. In Civic Platform, navigate to Administration > Setup > Communication Manager >
Notification Templates.
a. Customize the ACA_MESSAGE_ACCOUNT_LOCKED_NOTICE_CITIZEN notification
template.
Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.
b. Write and customize the body of the e-mail using the text editor.
c. Click the Save button.

7.

Configure the Change Password page:

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a. Navigate to General > Pages > Account Management > Change Password.
Civic Platform displays the Change Password page.

b. Use the text editor to customize the Change Password page text.
c. Customize any other labels or any other buttons as needed.
d. Click the Save button.

Locking Account after Failed Attempts
A failed login attempt can result from an invalid user name/password or an invalid answer to a
security question. For example, if a user enters invalid user name and password twice, the
failed attempts count is 2; if the user then enters invalid answer to the security question after
clicking Login with valid user name and password, the failed attempts count increases to 3.
The registration settings provides the Lock Account after Failed Attempts option in the Security
Settings section (see Figure 41: Security Settings on page 92). You can select the option and
configure the number of failed attempts that Citizen Access allows before locking an account for
a certain time period.

Enabling Authentication by Security Question
The Authentication by Security Question option in the Security Settings section (see Figure 41:
Security Settings on page 92) is an additional safeguard against unauthorized login to Citizen
Access.
When a public user registers on the website, or when an authorized agent adds a clerk, no
matter whether you enable or disable the Authentication by Security Question option, the user
or agent must select one or more security questions to answer from the dropdown list of the
Select a Security Question field.
If you enable the Authentication by Security Question option, when a public user logs in to
Citizen Access, the user must answer a security question, as shown in Figure 42: Security
Question Verification.

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Figure 42: Security Question Verification

The Compulsory Security Question in Registration setting defines the number of security
questions that users must select to answer during registration. You can specify a number
between 1 and the number of available security question choices which you configured for the
Select a Security Question field of the registration page. For example, if you require 3
compulsory registration questions during registration, when a public user registers for an
account, the user must select 3 different security questions to answer.

Note:

This authentication by security question setting does not apply to
users who log in using an external user account with LDAP
authentication or the single sign-on feature.

CAPTCHA Settings
CAPTCHA is an acronym based on the word “capture” and standing for Completely Automated
Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.
Citizen Access provides both visual and audio versions of CAPTCHA for registration and login.
Users can click the SPEAKER button next to the CAPTCHA to access the sound, click the
REFRESH button to obtain a clearer CAPTCHA word, or click the QUESTION MARK button
when you have questions about CAPTCHA. A user has to enter the correct word into
CAPTCHA for a successful registration or login. For more information, see Figure 43:
CAPTCHA for Login.

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Figure 43: CAPTCHA for Login

There is a prerequisite for you to use CAPTCHA feature in Citizen Access: the web server must
be able to access http://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/verify. For more information, see https:/
/developers.google.com/recaptcha/docs/verify.
The CAPTCHA Settings section of the Registration Settings page provides configurations
supporting CAPTCHA functionality during the registration and login process.
To enable CAPTCHA for registration and login

1.

Navigate to General Settings > Registration Settings.
Citizen Access displays the Registration Settings page.

2.

Go to the CAPTCHA Settings area.

3.

Do any of the following:

•

To enable CAPTCHA for registration, mark the check box prior to Enable CAPTCHA for
Registration.
The Enter Information page requires entering correct CAPTCHA before continuing
registration.

•

To enable CAPTCHA for login, mark the check box prior to Enable CAPTCHA for
Login.
The Login page displays CAPTCHA.

Login Settings
Figure 44: Login Settings shows the Login Settings section of the Registration Settings page. If
you mark the check box next to Enable Direct Login after Registration option, a Login Now
button displays on the Registration Completion page. Public users can click the button to log in
to Citizen Access without entering user name and password. If you unmark the option, the
Login Now button is not available on the Registration Completion page.

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Note:

This feature works best when you mark the Enable AutoActivation and Stop Sending Account Verification E-mail option in
Registration Settings. Otherwise, public users’ accounts are still
inactive when the registration completes. Even though a user
clicks the Login Now button, Citizen Access forbids the login
from the inactive account.

Figure 44: Login Settings

To configure the login settings

1.

Navigate to General Settings > Registration Settings
Citizen Access displays the Registration Settings page.

2.

Go to the Login Settings area.

3.

Mark the Enable Direct Login after Registration In check box, and enter the number of
seconds for the direct login to be effective. The default period is 300 seconds.
If users click the Login Now button when the specified period of time elapses after their
registration, Citizen Access prompts them to enter the user name and password.

4.

Click the Save button.

Reset Password Settings
Figure 45: Reset Password Settings shows the Reset Password Settings section of the
Registration Settings page. You can mark the check box next to Combine Reset Password
and Security Question to combine the Reset Password page and the Security Question page
into one page. When public users request to reset their passwords, they can enter the email
address and answer their security questions in one page. If you unmark the check box, the
Reset Password page displays separately from the Security Question page.
Figure 45: Reset Password Settings

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C HAPTER 7:

CONFIGURING NOTIFICATION
E-MAILS
Administrators must configure and customize the content and subject of e-mails by navigating
to Civic Platform > Administration > Setup > Communication Manager > Notification
Templates. Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
Some of the e-mails administrators must edit and format include license renewal e-mails,
password reset, registration of a public user account, account verification when a user registers
for an account, and other types of e-mails.
The Registration process and License Verification and Renewal process have specific tasks
associated with the e-mails exchanged between the agency and public user account. The
instructional text associated with activation e-mails and license notification e-mails are provided
for you separately.
Topics


Customizing an E-mail



Defining Activation E-mails



Defining License Notification E-mails

Customizing an E-mail
You can customize an e-mail by completing a few basic tasks.
First, navigate to Civic Platform > Administration > Setup > Communication Manager >
Notification Templates. Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.
You must define the recipients and the contents of the e-mail. Then you must provide
information in the From, Subject, and Body fields to create the information that the e-mail
contains. For more information about the license verification and other types of e-mails, see
Chapter 18: License Verification and Online Renewal on page 414. Specifically, refer to
Configuring License Renewal on page 429.

Defining Activation E-mails
You can configure Citizen Access to automatically send an activation e-mail to the registrant
after registering for an account in ACA. This e-mail contains a hyperlink that the registrant
selects to confirm and activate their public user account. The registration process remains in an

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inactive state until the registrant selects the hyperlink that the activation e-mail contains. Once
Civic Platform receives the response, it activates the registration and sends the standard
registration e-mail confirming registration activation to the registrant. Civic Platform purges
those accounts that do not get verification from the system. Refer to Expiration Interval Settings
on page 90.
To configure this feature, you must customize the content in the Account Verification e-mail,
define the URL for the hyperlink, and set the Purged Account Interval. If you do not choose to
use this feature, go to Registration Settings and mark the Enable Auto-Activation and Stop
Sending Account Verification E-mail check box.
To configure the activation e-mail

1.

Go to Registration Settings and clear the Enable Auto-Activation and Stop Sending
Account Verification E-mail check box.

2.

Configure the Standard Choices required for the feature in Civic Platform.
a. Navigate to Civic Platform > Agency Profile > Standard Choices.
Civic Platform displays the Standard Choices-Search page.
b. Configure the Standard Choices listed in Table 4: Activation E-mail Related Standard
Choices. For complete information on configuring the Standard Choices, refer to the
Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

3.

Customize the related e-mail notification template in Civic Platform:
a. Navigate to Civic Platform > Administration > Setup > Communication Manager >
Notification Templates.
b. Select Account Verification e-mail from the e-mail customization drop-down list.
c. Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.

4.

When customizing the content of the notification template, set the hyperlink for activation.
a. Select the text you want to be the hyperlink.
b. Click the Hyperlink button.
c. Use the format below to set the hyperlink:
http://@ACA_SERVER@:@ACA_SERVER_PORT@/Account/
PreAccountVerification.aspx?uuid=$$UUID$$
Replace @ACA_SERVER@ with the agency Citizen Access URL.
If the agency uses a port, replace @ACA_SERVER_PORT@ with the port used for Citizen
Access.

5.

Click the Save button.

6.

Define the number of days Civic Platform saves inactive registrant account information.
Refer to Expiration Interval Settings on page 90. This requires you to define an EMSE script
and set as a regularly scheduled batch job.

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Table 4: Activation E-mail Related Standard Choices

Standard Choice

Standard Choices Value

Description

CONTENT_TEMPLATE_LIST

ACA_EMAIL_ACCOUNT_VERIFICATION
_BY_HYPERLINK_CONTENT

E-mail content

CONTENT_TEMPLATE_LIST

ACA_EMAIL_ACCOUNT_VERIFICATION
_BY_HYPERLINK_SUBJECT

E-mail subject

ACA_EMAIL_TO_AND_FROM_
SETTING

ACA_EMAIL_ACCOUNT_VERIFICATION
_BY_HYPERLINK_MAILFROM

E-mail from address

ACA_CONFIGS

PURGED_EXPIRED_ACCOUNT_INTER
VAL

The maximum
number of days Civic
Platform holds onto
inactive accounts
before purging.

Defining License Notification E-mails
Public users can register for an ACA account and associate a license with it. This license
number may be associated with multiple public user accounts. For example, a business license
could be associated to various employees: the owner, the manager, and an administrative
assistant. This provides flexibility in performing functions within ACA for the business. For
example, if the administrative assistant has a public user account with the license associated
with it, he/she can upload documents for the manager to ACA. This is assuming the agency
administrator has already granted permissions for licensed professionals to upload documents.
Civic Platform provides a way to notify the original registered public user when their licenses are
associated with another public user account as a means of security. You can configure the
license notification e-mail to not only notify the registrant, but also notify either the original
license registrant or all associations with the license. For example, if only the original license
registrant is notified along with the registrant, the e-mail notification may only go to the business
owner as the original license registrant and the administrative assistant when the administrative
assistant registers and associates the license with their public user account. When the e-mail is
configured to go to all associations with the license, the owner and manager both receive e-mail
notification when the administrative assistant associates the license with their account.
To configure the license notification e-mail

1.

In Civic Platform, navigate to Administration > Setup > Communication Manager >
Notification Templates.

2.

Select the notification template
ACA_MESSAGE_ASSOCIATING_LICENSE_TO_MULTIPLE_ACCOUNTS.

3.

Customize the e-mail using the text editor and save your changes.

Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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C HAPTER 8:

MODULE SETTINGS
CONFIGURATION PAGE
The Module Settings configuration page is one of the most critical elements to setting up your
Citizen Access website. The page comprises multiple sections which contain configurations
specifically relevant to the module. Sections include: maps, inspections, workflow, online
payment accessibility, record copy functionality, contact display controls, search functionality,
filter functionality, report display controls, license verification page configuration, and record
detail section configuration. See Figure 46: Module Settings Configuration Page.
This chapter details the configurations in each section. The configurations in a section may
completely control implementation of a feature in ACA. For example, the Workflow section.
However, it is most common to have additional configurations, such as Standard Choice
configuration, Function Identification (FID) settings, or configuration tasks in Civic Platform that
houses complete implementation of a feature.
Topics


Maps



Inspections



Workflow



Fees



Copy Record Settings



Contact Information Controls



Filter Record Search Results



Application Status



Combine Button with Record Type



Record Search



Record Type Filters



Report Display Controls



License Verification Page Configuration



Record Detail Section Configuration



Social Media Settings

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Figure 46: Module Settings Configuration Page

Maps
The Maps section on the Module Settings page controls whether public users have access to
Accela GIS (Silverlight version) from a specific module. Accela GIS (Silverlight version)
provides either a Bing map, ESRI map, or other supported map.
If you want to enable user access to Accela GIS (Silverlight version) at the module level, you
must first activate the GIS map control and designate a GIS Server URL in GIS Settings. See
GIS Settings on page 60 for instructions.
For more information about which pages in Citizen Access provide access to Accela GIS
(Silverlight version), see the “Integrating with Citizen Access” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform GIS User Guide.
Figure 47: Maps

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To display the Show on Map button in a module

1.

Navigate to Module Settings > Maps.

2.

Mark the Show on Map check box.
Citizen Access Setup enables the display of the Show on Map button in various pages or
sections such as:

•

Record search result list

•

Property search result list

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To display the Use map to select work location button in a module

1.

Navigate to Module Settings > Maps.

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2.

Mark the Use map to select work location check box.
Citizen Access Setup enables the display of the Use map to select work location button on
the Address and Parcel sections in an application intake form.

Inspections
You can provide or hide Civic Platform inspection information on the record detail page through
role assignment for record detail page sections. Role assignment can be useful if you want to
completely disable some user roles from scheduling inspections for a module. For example, you
can choose to provide inspection information for record creators in the Permits module and
Licensing module, but not for the Enforcement module. For more information on role
assignment, see Record Detail Section Configuration on page 128.
If inspections are enabled for the module, the Inspections section of the Module Settings page
allows you to define permissions for which public user can schedule an inspection, set
availability of inspection information about public users, enable or disable a default inspection
contact, define the display of the optional inspections on the Record Detail page, and enable
multiple inspection scheduling. See Figure 48: Inspections.
Refer to Chapter 16: Managing Inspections on page 376 for the complete inspection
implementation options for your Citizen Access website.
For information on how to set up inspections in Civic Platform, refer to the “Inspections” chapter
in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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Figure 48: Inspections

Topics


Configuring Schedule Inspections Permission



Configuring Inspection Contact Input Permission during Schedule/Request Inspections



Configuring Inspection Contact Information Viewing Permission on Inspection Detail
Page



Displaying a Default Contact when Scheduling an Inspection



Displaying Optional Inspections



Allowing Multiple Inspections

Configuring Schedule Inspections Permission
Define who has permissions to schedule inspections for the Module. Mark check boxes next to
the users allowed to schedule inspections. Options include: All ACA Users, Registered Users,
Record Creator, Contact, Owner and Licensed Professional.

Configuring Inspection Contact Input Permission during
Schedule/Request Inspections
Define who has permissions to input or change the inspection contact information when they
are scheduling or requesting an inspection. Mark check boxes next to the users allowed to do
so. Options include: All ACA Users, Registered Users, Record Creator, Contact, Owner,
Licensed Professional, and Specific Licensed Professional.

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Configuring Inspection Contact Information Viewing
Permission on Inspection Detail Page
Define who has permissions to view the inspection contact information in the Inspection Detail
page. Mark check boxes next to the users allowed to do so. Options include: All ACA Users,
Registered Users, Record Creator, Contact, Owner, Licensed Professional, and Specific
Licensed Professional.

Displaying a Default Contact when Scheduling an
Inspection
The default option is Yes, which means when public users schedule an inspection, the primary
contact of the application displays as the default inspection contact.
If you mark the No option, when public users schedule an inspection, there is no default
inspection contact. Public users must select a contact from the contacts associated with the
application, or manually enter the contact information.

Displaying Optional Inspections
Mark the Yes option for Optional Inspection display in the inspection list. Mark the No option to
exclude Optional Inspections from the inspections list.
The public user views required inspections or both required and optional inspections based on
the administrative configuration for inspections in ACA Admin. The required inspections have
Required in the Status column on the Record Detail page.

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Allowing Multiple Inspections
If Yes is selected, this module allows multiple inspections scheduling and uses inspection type
settings for each inspection type. If No is selected, Citizen Access does not allow multiple
inspection scheduling. For more information about how to implement multiple inspections, see
Providing Multiple Inspection Scheduling on page 388.

Workflow
The workflow section of the Module Settings page provides an e-mail address display option on
the Workflow task list of the Processing Status section on the Record Detail page. See Figure
20: Viewing the E-mail Address Associated with Processing a Record on page 53. For more
information about agency user name display, see Defining the Display of User Names or User
Initials on page 49.
Figure 49: Workflow Display E-mail Address

Fees
The Fees section provides you with the configuration to restrict public users from accessing
online payment functionality from the Record Detail page. See Figure 50: Display Pay Fee Link
Setting. Mark the check box to display the Pay Fee Link on the Record Detail page to public
users. Clear the check box to hide it.
This configuration is necessary when an agency does not implement online payment
processing. Thus a public user cannot go into the pay fees page during the application process
because the agency does not offer a way to pay monies due over the Internet. For more
information, see Removing the Pay Fees Link on page 367.
Figure 50: Display Pay Fee Link Setting

Copy Record Settings
The Copy Record Settings section provides you with the ability of determining whether to allow
public users to use the copy record functionality. See Figure 51: Display Copy Record
Functionality Setting. Mark the Enable Copy Record check box to allow public users to copy an
existing record to create a new record in various pages, such as Record Detail page, Receipt
page, record list, and record search list. When public users copy a record, they specify the
source record content to include in the new record. See Figure 52: Copying Record.

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Note:

Public users may find that some of the source content options are
disabled. This is because the page flow associated with the record type
does not add those components, consequently the application intake
form does not include those sections. For detailed information about
adding components to a page flow, see Working with Components on
page 146.

Figure 51: Display Copy Record Functionality Setting

Figure 52: Copying Record

Contact Information Controls
You can assign permissions for who can view Contact information on the record detail page in
the Contact Display Controls section of a Module Settings page. Grant access to view Contact
Type information to the various ACA User Roles by marking its associated check box for each

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module on its Module Settings page. Restrict access to the ACA User Roles by clearing the
check box. Refer to List 2: ACA User Role Definitions for a complete list of User Roles.
The Standard Choice CONTACT TYPE defines the contact types. You can determine which
contact types to be used to create contact information or to search records. For detailed
information about setting contact types, refer to Configuring Contacts on page 317.
Figure 53: Contact Display Controls

To assign permissions to view contact information

1.

Navigate to a Module Settings > Contacts Display Controls > Role Assignment for
Contact Types.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Contact Display Controls section. See Figure 53: Contact
Display Controls.

2.

Mark or clear the check boxes next to the ACA Users to grant or restrict access to contact
information on the record detail page.
Refer to List 2: ACA User Role Definitions.

3.

Click OK.

List 2: ACA User Role Definitions

Role Name

Description

All ACA Users

All public users, including the anonymous (non-registered) user.

Contact

The contact of the record.

Owner

The owner of the record.

Licensed
Professional

The public user who has the same license number relating to the record. If you
mark this option, you can further select the licensed professional types in the
Specific Licensed Professional column.

Registered Users

The public user with an ACA registered account, which includes all registered
non-licensed professionals and registered licensed professionals, and does
not include anonymous users.

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List 2: ACA User Role Definitions (Continued)

Role Name

Description

Record Creator

The public user that created the record in Civic Platform.

Note:

In authorized service, “Agent” and “Agent Clerk” are record creators
as well. If you want to restrict agents and agent clerks from
accessing a section, you must leave the “Record Creator” option
unmarked at the section.

Specific Licensed
Professional

The public user that matches a specific licensed professional type. This
configuration becomes available after you mark the Licensed Professional
check box and click the Configure button.
Mark the check box next to a specific licensed professional type to grant
access to the record type. Clear the check box to restrict permissions.

Agent

The authorized agent who can manage agent clerks and sell authorized
licenses to citizens. An example of the license is fishing and hunting license.

Agent Clerk

The authorized agent clerk that an authorized agent creates in the account
management page. Agent clerks can sell authorized service licenses to
citizens like the authorized agent.

Filter Record Search Results
You can define who can search and view the records of the specified record types based on
their user role in ACA. See Figure 54: Filtering Record Search Results. This feature filters
search results so that ACA only returns records of record type applicable to a public user’s role
in their search results list. For example, a licensed plumber can perform a search and see only
plumbing permits. This filters the result list so the plumber does not have to see electrical
permits on the results page.
To begin, decide if you want to set the same permissions for all record types or if you want to
define permissions for each record type. Mark the For All Record Types option or the For
Each Record Type option accordingly.
Then you determine who can search and view records of any record types or of a specific
record type. Mark the option which reflects this decision in the Filter Record Search Results
area. Options include All ACA Users, Registered Users, Record Creator, Contact, Owner,
and Licensed Professional. If you want to set configuration for a specific type of Licensed
Professional, you must mark the Licensed Professional option and click the Configure button
in the Specific Licensed Professional column. This opens a Licensed Professional type popup window where you can define permissions and restrictions accordingly.

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Figure 54: Filtering Record Search Results

Application Status
The Application Status section on the ACA Admin Module Settings page displays a tree view
populated with the Application Status Group. See Figure 55: Application Status. Expand the
tree. You view a list of all application status groups for any of the records in the module. Use this
feature to limit the display of records of a certain status in search results, or to restrict inspection
scheduling permissions to any public users for certain inspection type when the record is of
certain status. Also this feature can enable the "Trade License/Approval" link for records of
certain status. This feature does not apply to the record statuses that are created by workflow
task and not included in the application status. For more information about application status
group, see “Working with Application Status Groups” in the "Record Types" chapter in the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Topics


Filtering Applications by Status



Inspection Scheduling Control by Application Status



Enabling Trade License Link per Application Status

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Figure 55: Application Status

Filtering Applications by Status
You can determine what statuses of records can be displayed in the search results lists by
marking the check boxes next to the statuses in each application status group. Clearing the
check boxes next to the statuses prevents the records of those statuses from displaying in the
search result lists.

Note:

A helpful tip is when configuring this feature is to think about what
statuses you want to hide from pubic user view in an application status
group. For example, restrict applications with the Void status by
clearing the Void check box.

To filter applications by status

1.

Navigate to Module > Module Settings > Application Status.

2.

Expand the navigation tree for an application status group.

3.

Do any of the following:

•

Mark the check boxes next to each status of which you want to display the records to the
search results lists.

•

Clear the check boxes next to the statuses if you do not want the records of those
statuses to display in the search results lists.

4.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each application status group.

5.

Click the Save button.

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Inspection Scheduling Control by Application Status
In this feature you can control whether public user can schedule or request an inspection of
certain inspection type when record is of certain status. For example, you can restrict public
user from scheduling inspections for the inspection type of Compliance Review when the record
is of Approved status. In order for this configuration to take effect, you must set the inspection
scheduling actions to display in ACA for the desired inspection type in the associated calendar
in Civic Platform. Inspection scheduling actions include Request, Schedule, Reschedule, and
Cancel. For more information on the inspecting scheduling control, see “Configuring Citizen
Access Inspection Calendars” in the “Inspection Calendars” section of the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
To control the inspection scheduling actions

1.

Navigate to Module > Module Settings > Application Status.

2.

Expand the navigation tree for an application status group.

3.

Locate an application status and click the Manage Inspection link next to it.
Citizen Access displays an Inspection Group drop-down list with the inspection groups that
relate to the inspection status group and a form of Permission Assignment for Inspection
Types.

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4.

Select an inspection group from the Inspection Group drop-down list.
Citizen Access displays a list of inspection types to the form of Permission Assignment for
Inspection Types, as shown in the figure above. By default, all the actions are selected for
each inspection type.

5.

Mark the check boxes for the actions for each inspection type to allow public users to
perform the actions for the inspection type when the record status is the one next to the
Manage Inspection link you clicked in the Application Status tree. Clear the check boxes to
restrict the actions.

6.

Repeat step 2 to step 5 to configure the inspection scheduling actions for each inspection
type in each application status.

7.

Click the Save button.

Enabling Trade License Link per Application Status
If a license application reaches certain status, you may want to provide the "Trade License/
Initial Approval" link for public users to quickly access the trade license request page.
Figure 56: Trade License/Initial Approval Link on Record Page

To display the Request a Trade License option in the Application Status section, you must
configure the Standard Choice ACA_CONFIGS with the
DISPLAY_REQUEST_TRADE_LICENSE_FILTER Standard Choice value. For more
information on working with Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration
Reference.
To enable Trade License link per application status

1.

Navigate to Module > Module Settings > Application Status.

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2.

Click the + next to an application group status, for example, Trade Name Status.
Citizen Access expands all the included statues.

3.

Click the + next to a specific status, for example, Approved.
Citizen Access displays the Request a Trade License option.

4.

Mark the option Request a Trade License to display the Trade License/Initial Approval link.

Combine Button with Record Type
You can configure the Combine Button with Record Type section on the Module Settings
page to determine which record types display the Create Amendment button or Document
Delete link on the Record Detail page. See Figure 57: Combine Button with Record Type.
Figure 57: Combine Button with Record Type

Topics


Create Amendment



Create Document Delete

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Create Amendment
You can define which record types display the Create Amendment button. This button is used to
enable a public user to create an amendment (or child record) from the original parent record
and upon doing so, the child record inherits certain information from the original parent record.
If you configure the Create Amendment button to display on all commercial license applications,
when the public user accesses his current licenses, he has the option to click the Create
Amendment button and create a child record to a parent record. The public user may want to
create a child record because they are renewing the existing license or might have an additional
license relating to it. For this example, the Record Type filter is configured so that the child
record can be a business license renewal, electrical license, plumbing license, or architecture
license. When the citizen generates the child record, such as renewal of the business license,
the user avoids re-entering personal, business contact, and other information on the child
application intake form. This is because the child record (business renewal license) inherits
information from the parent record (original business license) and has an association with it.
The user experience changes in two ways after you configure Associating a Button with a
Record Type and the Record Type Filter. First, a specialized button displays on the Record
detail page on defined Record Types. See Figure 58: New Button Applied to the ACA
Application Intake Form. Second, the application intake form displays a filtered list of record
types that a user can select to generate a new child record of the that type. See Figure 59:
Filtered Record Types Displayed in the ACA Application Intake Form. If, after filtering, only one
record type is available for the creation of a child record, Citizen Access automatically assigns
that record type as the child record type, skipping the Record Type selection step. For more
information about the Record Type Filter section, see Record Type Filters on page 120.
For information on how to implement amendment functionality based on record status, see
Associating a Record Type Filter to the Create Amendment Button on page 561 in Appendix C:
Variations for Creating Records on page 519.

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Figure 58: New Button Applied to the ACA Application Intake Form

Figure 59: Filtered Record Types Displayed in the ACA Application Intake Form

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To combine a button with a Record Type

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > Module Settings.

2.

Go to the Combine Button with Record Type section of the page.

3.

Select a button from the available drop-down list.
Citizen Access displays a list of available Record Types and a list of Selected Record
Types.

4.

Add records to or remove records from the Selected Record Types list:

•

To add a record to the Selected Record Types list, highlight a record in the Available
Record Types list and click the Add button.

•

To remove a Record from the Selected Record Types list, highlight the desired record in
the Selected Record Types list, and click the Remove button.

5.

Click the OK button.

6.

Configure the Record Type Filter.
For configuration instructions, see Record Type Filters on page 120.

Create Document Delete
You can configure which record types the Create Document Delete link displays to public
users on an application. This provides an option to restrict this link on record types so public
users cannot delete a document attachment from an application. This feature follows the same
logic to display or hide the page element on the Record Detail page as described in Create
Amendment on page 117. Configure the application status to display the link. See Defining
Document Deletion Permissions on page 338. For more information about Document
Attachments, see Document Attachments on page 330.

Record Search
The Record Search section provides configurations to define how you can search for a record
between modules, by contact, or by application-specific information. See Figure 60: Record
Search Configurations. For complete information on how to implement search functionality,
refer to Chapter 13: Configuring Record Inquiry on page 242. See also Configuring for Record
Inquiry on page 205 in Chapter 11: Implementation Planning on page 200.

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Figure 60: Record Search Configurations

Topics


Cross Tab Search Settings



Additional Search Criteria Settings

Cross Tab Search Settings
The Cross Tab Search Settings on the Module Settings page provides the configuration to
extend a search originally contained within a module to other tabs (modules) enabled for ACA.
Mark the check box next to each tab that you want to include in cross tab search functionality.
For more information about cross module searches and additional configuration required for
setup, see Configuring Cross Module Searches on page 247.

Additional Search Criteria Settings
This setting controls the availability of the Additional Search Criteria link on the Record Home
Page for searches that contact template or application-specific information performs. For
example, after a user chooses a contact template from the contact search form, he can click the
additional search criteria link. Citizen Access displays the related contact template fields, such
as SSN or FEIN. The user can then leverage those fields to find associated records.
Mark or clear the appropriate check box to enable searches by ASI or Contact Templates. The
check boxes are marked by default. See Figure 60: Record Search Configurations. For more
information about configurations related to contact searches, see Configuring Contact Template
Record Searches on page 254.

Record Type Filters
The Record Type Filter section on the Module Settings page allows you to define which record
types display in the Record Type Picker page and who have the permission to create records of
the record types.

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Figure 61: Record Type Filter

Topics


Enabling Record Type Filter Drop-down List



Creating or Editing a New Record Type Filter



Associating a Record Type Filter to a Button



Associating a Record Type Filter to a Link

Enabling Record Type Filter Drop-down List
By default, all the filtered record types display in a bulleted list on the Record Type Picker page,
which could be a long list and difficult for public users to locate their desired one. If you mark the
check box of Enable Record Type Filter Drop-down List, the second level (groups) of the
standard four-levels of record types displays in a drop-down list on the Record Type Picker
page. Upon users selecting a group, if there is only one record type relating to the selected
group, Citizen Access will automatically start the page flow for the record type. If there are
multiple record types, all the record types display in a bulleted list for selection.

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Creating or Editing a New Record Type Filter
When you create or edit a filter, you firstly select record types, then you grant creating
permission to the role groups for each record type. You can associate one record type with one
or more filters.
To configure a Record Type Filter

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > Module Settings > Record Type Filter.

2.

Click the Create a new Record type filter button and designate the name for the new filter.
Citizen Access Setup displays a list of record types available and a list of record types
previously selected as child records.

3.

Add record types to or remove from the Selected Record Types list:

•

To add a record to the Selected Record Types list, highlight the desired record in the
Available Record Types list, click the Add button.

•

To remove a record from the Selected Record Types list, highlight the desired record in
the Selected Record Types list, and click the Remove button.

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4.

Click the Show Details link.
Citizen Access Setup displays a list of selected record types.

5.

Mark or clear the check boxes in the list. See List 3: Role Assignment for Record Type.
If you mark the Licensed Professional check box, the Configure button becomes active in
the Specific Licensed Professionals column.

6.

If necessary, click the Configure button to define specific licensed professionals with
permissions to the record type.

7.

Click the OK button.

8.

Click the Save button to save the changes to the Module Settings page.

List 3: Role Assignment for Record Type

Anonymous

Public users who access Citizen Access without logging in.

Registered Users

Public users with an ACA registered account. This includes all registered
non-licensed professionals and registered licensed professionals.

Licensed Professionals

Public users with a license. This includes all licensed professional types.
When you mark this check box, the Configure button becomes available
in the Specific Licensed Professional column. This allow you to filter
which licensed professionals have access to the record type.

Specific Licensed
Professionals

Public users that match a specific licensed professional types. This
configuration becomes available after marking the Licensed Professional
check box and click the Configure button. Mark the check box next to a
specific licensed professional type to grant access to the record type.
Clear the check box to restrict permissions.

Associating a Record Type Filter to a Button
To set a Record Type filter to be effective in Citizen Access, you must associate the filter with a
link or button that directs users to record creation page or fee estimation page.
The record type filters take effect with the result of only displaying the applicable sub-sets of
record types to the public user for selection. When the user clicks a link or button, an event runs
in the background to filter the available record types exposed to the user.

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For example, your agency may provide various types of licenses and permits to citizens that
come into the agency. However, the agency may only provide public users with building permit
applications online through ACA. If so, then the filter includes any record type related to building
permits and excludes any licensing record types from exposure.
Below is an example demonstrating how to associate a filter to the Create Amendment button
for all records in a module that have the Create Amendment button on their Record Detail
pages.

Note:

You can also associate a filter to the Create Amendment button for the
records that are of a specified record type and at a specified status.
See Configuring Amendment Record Functionality on page 558 in
Appendix C: Variations for Creating Records on page 519 for detailed
information.

Associating a filter to the Create Amendment button

1.

Go to Citizen Access Setup and select a Module tab.

2.

Navigate to the module’s Record Detail web page.
Citizen Access displays the module Record Detail page.

3.

Select the Create Amendment button displayed on the Web page.
Citizen Access displays the button properties in the right panel.

4.

Go to the Field Properties area in the right panel.

5.

Click the Record Type Filter Value cell and select the record type filter you want to
associate to the button from the drop-down list.

6.

Click the Save button.

Associating a Record Type Filter to a Link
To set a Record Type filter to be effective in Citizen Access, you must associate the filter with a
link or button that directs users to record creation page or fee estimation page.

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The Record Type filters take effect with the result of only displaying the applicable sub-sets of
record types to the public user for selection. When the user clicks a link or button, an event runs
in the background to filter the available record types exposed to the user.
For example, your agency may provide various types of licenses and permits to citizens that
come into the agency. However, the agency may only provide public users with building permit
applications online through ACA. If so, then the filter includes any record type related to building
permits and exclude any licensing record types from exposure.
To associate a record type filter to a link

1.

Go to Citizen Access Setup > General.

2.

In the Pages section, navigate to the Welcome Registered page.
Citizen Access displays the Welcome Registered page.

3.

Click the link to which you want to associate a Record Type Filter. For example, under the
“What would you like to do today” section, select Create an Application.
Citizen Access displays the Field Properties tool.

4.

Go to the Field Properties area in the right panel.

5.

Click the Record Type Filter Value cell and select the record type filter you want to
associate to the link from the drop-down list.

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6.

Click the Save button.

Report Display Controls
The Report Display Controls section of the Module Settings page allows you to define
permissions for who can view reports from the Reports link on all pages in the module. This
section displays a list of available reports with check boxes associated with each type of user.
See Figure 62: Report Display Controls. Mark the check box to grant access to view the reports.
Clear the check box to restrict the user from viewing the report.
Figure 62: Report Display Controls

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License Verification Page Configuration
The License Verification Page Configuration provides the configuration settings to help
customize the display of the license details for individual record types. To specify a license
verification section for a module, you must configure the record type for this module. The
configuration allows you to make these sections available: Select All, Related Records,
Education, Continuing Education, Examination, Public Documents.
To verify license configuration

1.

Go to Citizen Access Setup and select a Module tab.

2.

Navigate to the module’s Record Detail Web page.
Citizen Access displays the module Record Detail page.

3.

Scroll to the License Verification Page Configuration section.

4.

To change the column display order, click the down arrow. You can sort and filter the column
headings.

5.

To customize the display of the license details for individual record types, click the
respective Configure button.
The Section Display popup window displays.

6.

Mark the sections, and click the OK button.

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Record Detail Section Configuration
The Record Detail Section Configuration area of the Module Settings page provides the
configuration settings to determine what Citizen Access displays to a public user when they
navigate to the Record Detail page. There are several page sections with check boxes for each
type of user, such as All ACA Users, Anonymous Users, Registered User, Licensed
Professional, Authorized Agent, and Authorized Agent Clerk. Mark the check box associated
with the Page Section and User Type to grant access for viewing. Clear the check box to restrict
the user from viewing the section. For a description of user types, see List 2: ACA User Role
Definitions on page 110.
Scroll through the list of all page sections on the Record Detail page and set the permissions. If
you want to set configurations for a specific type of Licensed Professional, you must mark the
Licensed Professional option and click the Configure button in the Specific Licensed
Professional column. This opens a Licensed Professional Type pop-up window where you can
define permissions and restrictions accordingly. See Figure 63: Record Detail Section
Configuration.
Figure 63: Record Detail Section Configuration

Social Media Settings
Because the Citizen Access web server uses TinyURL functionality in social media integration,
you must ensure that the web server can successfully connect to www.tinyurl.com before you
enable the social media feature.
The Social Media Settings section of the Module Settings page allows you to define who has
the ability to “like” and “tweet” records. For more information about social media integration, see
the “Social Media Integrations” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
To configure social media Settings

1.

Navigate to Module Settings > Social Media Settings.

2.

Choose which users can “like” and “tweet” records:

•

All Citizen Access Users

•

Record Creator Only

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•
3.

None

Next, configure the comments that display when a user clicks “like” or “tweet” on a record.
In the Shared Comments field, shown in the sample screen below, construct a brief
comment containing the record detail variables and the text that you want to display on
user’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

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C HAPTER 9:

PAGE FLOW CONFIGURATION

For every module enabled for Citizen Access, a Module Settings page and associated Page
Flow Configuration page display for you in the navigation panel. For information about tasks
associated with the Module Settings page, see Chapter 8: Module Settings Configuration Page.
This chapter provides details about the Page Flow Configuration page.
A page flow allows the agency to define the user experience when completing an application in
ACA. You define page order and what information or scripts relating to each page. For example,
when a user applies for a building permit online, the administrator configures which page
displays first, second, third, and so forth until all information about the application is collected
and the associated fee is paid. The applicant may provide license information during the
application process. You can associate a script to that page during the application process to
verify license validity and expiration.
Associate one page flow with at least one record type. A page flow consists of several parts:
static pages, steps, dynamic pages, and components. See Figure 64: Page Flow
Configurations. The breadcrumbs, which are created based on step configuration, display at the
top of each daily ACA page so the user can identify what step they are working on in the page
flow process. The last page of the last step is the receipt page and can be used to define the
various receipt pages relating to the module page flow. You can also customize each receipt
page in the pages area for a module in the navigation panel of Citizen Access Setup.
Independent of where the receipt pages are accessed, the customization you apply is retained
for the module.

Note:

After creating the page flow, you can modify the content on the each
page if it requires it. Locate each page in the pages section in the left
panel for the module and modify the text as described in Customizing
Text on a Web Page.

Topics


Accessing Page Flow Configuration



Understanding Page Flow Basics



Associating Record Types With a Page Flow



Working with Steps



Working with Pages in Page Flow



Associating Scripts with a Page



Working with Components



Listing of Components

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

Understanding Breadcrumbs



Configuring the Final Step

Figure 64: Page Flow Configurations

Accessing Page Flow Configuration
Each module displays a Page Flow Configuration link in the Navigation panel. Click this link to
access Page Flow configuration.
To access the Page Flow Configuration

1.

From Navigation panel, click the Module tab associated with the Module that requires Page
Flow Configuration.

2.

Click the Page Flow Configuration tab in the left panel.

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Understanding Page Flow Basics
Assign each record type exposed in ACA to a page flow process, which is the means for an
agency to provide services to users through interactive pages designed to collect user
information, pay a fee related to the task, and send a confirmation to the user. A Page Flow
comprises several parts including: static pages, steps, dynamic pages, script definitions, and
components.
Static pages are default Citizen Access pages which are pre-configured constants designated to
begin and end all page flow processes. The Disclaimer page and Record-Type Picker page are
static pages that define which page flow process the user takes. The Review, Fees, Payment,
and Confirmation are static pages which always end a page flow process. The Review page
allows a user to click an edit button associated with a section in the page flow, make updates,
and immediately return to the Review page. The Fees page only displays if the Record Type
has fees associated with it.
Steps are a grouping of one or more dynamic pages, which hold application intake form
information. Steps are for creating breadcrumbs, which indicates where the user is in the Page
Flow process. The breadcrumb displays the name and number of each step. A Page Flow must
have a minimum of 1 step and cannot exceed the maximum number of 10 steps. For more
information about steps, see Working with Steps on page 136. For more information about
breadcrumbs, see Understanding Breadcrumbs on page 153.
Dynamic pages are customizable and for user information collection and application intake form
population in Civic Platform. Each page contains at least one SmartChoice component. You can
group dynamic pages together to form multiple steps in a page flow process. You can configure
the page title. A Step must contain a minimum of one dynamic page. For more information
about pages, see Working with Pages in Page Flow on page 140.
You may have the ability to define scripting information about a dynamic page. When you
configure the dynamic page, you can select a script to run Onload event, BeforeButton event, or
AfterButton event. For more information about how to associate a script with a page in page
flow, see Associating Scripts with a Page on page 142.

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A Component is a SmartChoice component directly related with a section of an application
intake form. All the components are listed on the right panel where they are selectable for
pages. Components are unsearchable, but can shift between pages and steps at any time. For
more information about components, see Working with Components on page 146.
In a single page flow, some components can be used multiple times while the others can be
used for one time only. For a description of each component, see Table 5: Page Flow
Components on page 150. If public users apply for an application that has a component, for
example, the Applicant component, used for multiple times in the page flow, only the first
applicant is displayed in the Applicant section of the Record Detail page. All other applicants are
collapsed under the More Detail button in the Applicant section.
For the components that can be used multiple times, you can configure unique properties each
time it is used in a page flow. Every component, except the ASI and ASI Table components, can
have its own unique section instructions configured. By default, if you do not set up unique
section instructions in the page flow, the section uses the instructions that are configured
universally for the section in the  Information page. For how to change section
instructions, see Changing Text and Display with Property Values on page 161.
The breadcrumb is used to indicate to a user where he is in the page flow process. It can be
used to return to previously completed steps. For more information about breadcrumbs, see
Understanding Breadcrumbs on page 153.

Associating Record Types With a Page Flow
Associate a record type with a page flow, otherwise Citizen Access displays an error message
to users when they select it from the Record Type selector. Create a new page flow or update
an existing page flow to include one or more record types.
To associate a record type with a page flow

1.

Go to a module and click the Page Flow Configuration tab to access the modular Page Flow
configuration screens.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Page Flow configuration page.

2.

Choose one of the following options

•

Create a new page flow.

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1) Click the Create a New Page Flow button.
Citizen Access Setup displays the New Page Flow page.

2) Type a name for the Page Flow in the Page Flow Name Input field.

•

Update an existing page flow.

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1) Choose a page flow from the Page Flow drop-down list.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Page Flow Steps with a message of how many
record types are associated with the flow.

2) Click the Show Details hyperlink to view the list of record types associated with the
page flow.
3) Click the Modify Record Association button to add or remove record types
associated with the page flow or click the Hide Details hyperlink to return to the Page
Flow customization screens.

3.

Define which record types are associated with the page flow.

•

Select the record type you want to add to the page flow from the Available Record Type
window and then click Add to move it to the Selected Record Types box.

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4.

•

Select multiple record types at a time by clicking Record Types while pressing the Ctrl
key. Drag and drop the list of selected record types to the Selected Record Types box.

•

If you move a record type to the Selected Record Type box in error, click to select the
record type and then click the Remove button.

Click OK to save the page flow and associated record types.

Working with Steps
Steps are one of the most vital components of the page flow process for two primary reasons:
they hold dynamic pages with SmartChoice component information and are the key items used
to display breadcrumbs to the public user. Each step name and associated step number are
displayed in the breadcrumbs, which is used to indicate where a user is in the page flow
process. See Figure 66: Breadcrumbs. A page flow is configured to hold a maximum of ten
steps.
Select a page flow and customize by doing one of the following four options: Add a Step, Name
a Step, Move a Step, or Delete a Step. The last step in the page flow is the receipt page. You
can access the various receipt pages from this step and customize them for the module. For
more information, see Defining the Receipt Page on page 155.
Topics


Adding a Step



Naming a Step



Moving a Step



Deleting a Step

Adding a Step
Add steps to the page flow to customize the display of components during the application intake
process.
To add a step to a page flow

1.

Navigate to the page flow you want to customize.

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2.

Click the Add button and choose Add New Step from the drop-down list.
Citizen Access adds a new step with a blank page before the Final Step.

3.

Add components to the page as described in Working with Pages in Page Flow on
page 140. For more information about components, refer to Appendix B: Features
Requiring Interface Implementations on page 493.

Naming a Step
Change the name of a step at any time. This is useful when you want to customize the name of
the page description in the breadcrumbs.
To name a step

1.

Select the step by clicking the step name.

2.

Verify the Property tab is selected in the Component Settings right panel.

3.

Provide the new step name in the Step Name Value cell.

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Moving a Step
You can move steps to customize the order of page and component display.
To move a step

1.

Locate the green arrow(s) associated with the step that you want to move.
You may have to scroll the center workspace to the right for the arrows to come into view.

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2.

Click the green arrows to move the corresponding step up or down in Step sequence in the
page flow process.

Deleting a Step
Delete a step at any time. This may be useful when you want to remove components from the
page flow or include those components with a different step.
To delete a step

1.

Locate the delete icon, the red circle, associated with the step.
You may have to scroll the center workspace to the far right for it to come into view.

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2.

Click the delete icon to remove the step from the page flow.
Citizen Access Setup displays a pop-up window with the question, “Are you sure you want
to remove this step and all of its components?”

3.

Click either Yes to delete the step or No to cancel.

4.

Click the Save button.

Working with Pages in Page Flow
The page flow process contains two types of pages: Static and Dynamic. The only pages which
require administrative configuration are dynamic pages. These pages are used to collect and
populate user information into the application intake form. This is done by adding at least one
SmartChoice component to each page. Multiple pages can be grouped together to form a step
or multiple steps in a page flow. Customize the name of the page and apply components to
create a step and page flow that functions effectively for the record type. Select a step from the
page flow and choose one of the following five page options: adding, naming, moving,
associating scripts with a page, or deleting a page. The last step in the page flow is the receipt
page. You can access the various receipt pages from this step and customize them for the
module. For more information, see Defining the Receipt Page on page 155.
Topics


Adding a Page



Naming a Page



Moving a Page



Associating Scripts with a Page



Deleting a Page

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Adding a Page
Add pages to a page flow to create the presentation of component information during the user
experience of the application process.
To add a page

1.

Click to select the step to which you want to add a page.

2.

Click the Add button and choose Add New Page from the drop-down list.
Citizen Access Setup displays a new blank page on the step.

Naming a Page
Name or rename a page to clarify the presentation of information during the user experience.
To name a page

1.

Click to select the page which requires a new name or a name change.

2.

Verify the Property tab is displayed in the Component Settings right panel.

3.

Enter the new name for the page in the Page Name Value cell.

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4.

Click the Save button.

Moving a Page
Move pages within a page flow to create the desired application user experience.
To move a page

1.

Click to select the page you want to move.

2.

Drag and drop the page to reflect the correct page order within the step.

Note:

3.

You cannot move a page from one step to a different step. You must
add a page to the correct step and then drag and drop the page flow
components from one page to the other. For more information about
moving components, see Working with Components on page 146.

Click the Save button.

Associating Scripts with a Page
Citizen Access provides a way to trigger specific EMSE scripts as the user enters data and
moves from page to page in the application process. You must have the parameters defined for
what action the EMSE script performs. This is particularly effective when it comes to providing
public users with the ability to begin the creation of a record and then step away from the

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process to resume at a later time or date. When a public user starts and stops an application,
Civic Platform creates a partial record. If you define specific scripts to run in coordination with
pages, you eliminate the need to wait until an application is submitted or completed for events
to fire.
For example, a plumber adds their license information during the application process for a
plumbing permit and clicks the Continue button to move to the next page. Before the next page
loads, an EMSE script (OnLoginBefore or OnLoginAfter) is fired to verify the license validity and
expiration date at an external state government office.
Another example, a citizen enters address information on a web page in the application process
and clicks the Continue button to move to the next page. Before the next page loads, Civic
Platform runs a script behind the scenes to auto populate data on the next page to display
relevant record types.
Another example, in the application process for a barber shop license, a public user selects the
type of business (partnership, corporation, and sole proprietor) on the Applicant page, and
clicks the Continue button to move to the next page. Before the next page loads, an EMSE
script is fired to decide what the next page is based on the selected type of business. For
example, if the public user selects "partnership", the next page is the Partner List page; if he
selects "corporation", the next page is the Corporate Officer List page.
In order to define a script on a page, you must navigate to the properties section for a page in
the page flow and select an EMSE script and a corresponding time to run it. You can choose to
run the script Onload event, BeforeButton event, or AfterButton event. Onload event runs
before anything loads on a page or user sees the page. BeforeButton event runs after a button
is clicked on the page, but before the data entered or changed is saved to the database. The
AfterButton event runs after the data is saved.
You can use a script to hide a page or direct public users to a specific page in a specific step
according to the data that the users entered on a previous page. To hide a page, you can define
a script on the page and select the Onload event. To jump to a specific page based on the data
entered on a previous page, you can associate a script to the AfterButton event on the previous
page. It is optional for you to use one or both scripts in one page flow. Both scripts are
recommended to include the action of clearing the data on the hidden pages, which ensures
that public users can successfully modify the application data from the Review Information page
or modify some data on a partial application.

Note:

The step number indicates the order of a step in the page flow,
and the page number indicates the order of a page in the step. In
the script to jump to a specific page, specify the page by the step
number and the page number, instead of the step name and the
page name displayed in the Page Flow Configuration page. This
is because the step number and the page number may vary from
the step name and the page name, especially when you remove
some step or page from the page flow.

The OnloginBefore and OnLoginAfter EMSE scripts that are used to verify license information
during a page flow are bound with the universal ValidateLicense function. For more information
about EMSE scripts, please refer to the “Event Manager and Script Engine” chapter in the
Accela Civic Platform Scripting Guide. You can also refer to the Appendix A: Accela
Engineering Event Scripts on page 484. For more information about license verification, see
Chapter 18: License Verification and Online Renewal. For validation of contact information
during record creation, see Setting SSN and FEIN Contact Field Validation on page 240.

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To associate an EMSE script to a page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > Modular Tab > Page Flow Configuration.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Page Flow Configuration page.

2.

Select a page flow code from the drop-down list or create a new page flow.
For information on how to create a page flow, see Associating Record Types With a Page
Flow on page 133.
Citizen Access Setup displays the pages associated with the page flow.

3.

Select a page in the flow.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Property tab for the page in the right panel with EMSE
options.

.

4.

Use the drop-down lists to select the script you want run Onload event, BeforeButton event,
and/or AfterButton event.

5.

Click the Save button.

Deleting a Page
Administrators can delete a page at any time. This may be useful if you want to combine
information on a page, thus requiring one to be deleted.
To delete a page

1.

Click the page name to select the page which requires deletion.

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2.

Click the delete icon, or red circle, to remove the page from the step.
Citizen Access Setup displays a pop-up window with the question, “Are you sure you want
to remove this page and all of its components?”

3.

Click either Yes to remove the page or No to cancel.
If you delete the page from the step, Citizen Access returns the components to the
components list.

4.

Click the Save button.

Restricting Licensed Professional Type Options
You can restrict the types of licensed professionals that citizens can add to an application. By
limiting the list of available licensed professional types to only those that are applicable for
specific record types/page flows, administrators can simplify the application process and
prevent errors that would need to be corrected after the application is submitted. This setting
resides in the Page Flow properties, so it is applicable for each record type that uses the page
flow containing the restriction. This functionality is not available in super agency environments.
Follow the steps below to restrict the licensed professional types that citizens can choose from
when completing an application.
To restrict licensed professional types

1.

Log in to ACA Admin.

2.

In the Navigation panel, select the module you want to configure. In this example, Licenses.

3.

Click Page Flow Configuration.
The Page Flow Configuration page displays.

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4.

In the Page Flow, select the Licensed Professional component.
The Component Settings panel displays on the right side of the page.

5.

In the Component Settings panel > Property tab, click Licensed Professional Types.
The full list of licensed professional types displays.

6.

Specify which licensed professional types citizens will be able to choose from when
completing an application.

7.

Click OK.

8.

Click Save.

9.

Click Clear Cache.

Working with Components
A Component is a SmartChoice component, which relates to a section of an application intake
form in Citizen Access. A list of components display on the right panel where they can be
selectable for a dynamic page when a page flow is selected or a new page flow is created. You
can drag and drop the desired component to the page and do some settings for it in the
Properties panel. See Table 5: Page Flow Components for a complete listing of components
and Table 6: Components Setting Attributes for a full listing of setting items.

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You can select some or all components listed in the Components panel as desired. The
Applicant, Contact 1, Contact 2, and Contact 3 components are enabled to show the ASI subgroups and ASI group for the associated contact type. For information on how to associate
these four components with a contact type, see the Custom Heading in Table 6: Components
Setting Attributes on page 151. For detailed information on how to associate an ASI group to a
contact type, see the Standard Choice CONTACT TYPE in the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.
For each added ASI or ASI Table component, you can select a specific sub-group of an ASI or
ASI Table group or select an entire group, or leave it blank. The blank ASI or ASI Table
component is auto-assigned with the ASI or ASI Table group relating to the record type.
If you add the Contact List component to the page, you can limit the contact types available for
public users to choose and set the minimum and maximum number of contacts for each contact
type. See Restricting Contact Types and the Number of Contacts for Contact List Section on
page 328 for detailed information.
Modify steps and pages in your page flow by adding or deleting components on a page. You can
also move components between pages and steps at any time.

Note:

You must put APO (address, parcel, owner) component blocks
together on the same page if you want APO data to autopopulate for the public user.

Topics


Moving a Component to a Page



Deleting a Component from a Page

Moving a Component to a Page
To move a component to a page

1.

Click to select a component from the component list or from an existing page.

2.

Drag and drop the component into any page located within any step in the page flow.

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Deleting a Component from a Page
You can delete a component in either way:


Drag and drop a component from a page back into the components list in the right panel.



Right-click the component and click Remove Component from the drop-down list.

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Listing of Components
This section lists all components, including the standard components and a custom component.
See Table 5: Page Flow Components. A standard component, such as Parcel or Address, is
predefined for collecting certain type of information from public users, while the custom
component is for you to display any content that your agency wants to expose to public users.
By default the custom component is blank. You must firstly create a file that includes the content
that displays in the application intake form, copy the file to the ACA deployment directory, and
then add the file directory to the path value of the custom component. This section also lists all
the component property setting items. See Table 6: Components Setting Attributes. The table
lists the property setting items of each components has some.
For detailed information on how to customize a component, see Implementing Custom
Component on page 497.
For specifics on managing components in a page flow, see Working with Components on
page 146.
For more information about modular page flows, refer to Working with Pages in Page Flow on
page 140.
Figure 65: Page Flow Components

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The table below lists all the components and provides description for each of them, some of
which can be used multiple times in a page flow.
Table 5: Page Flow Components

Component

Can Be
Used
Multiple
Times in a
Page Flow?

Description

Additional
Information

This is for pubic users to enter information that the U.S. Census
Bureau requires in a C404 report. This report, known as the “Report of
Privately-owned Residential Building or Zoning Permits Issued”,
surveys new residential units, additions, and alterations.

Address

This is for public users to enter the address of the primary parcel
relating to the application, including a range of street and unit
numbers.

Applicant

Yes

This is for public users to enter information about the individual or
institution that is submitting the application.

ASI
(ApplicationSpecific
Information)

Yes

This is for public users to enter specific, or custom, information that
your agency requires in addition to default sections of an application.
In one page flow, you can use the ASI component multiple times, but
you cannot associate multiple ASI components with the same ASI
subgroup.

ASI Table

Yes

This displays the ASI Table section that is attached to the ASI in an
application for the record type. In one page flow, you can use the ASI
Table component multiple times, but you cannot associate multiple
ASI Table components with the same ASI Table subgroup.

Attachments

Yes

This is for public users to attach documents, such as building plans or
an insurance bond, to a permit application.

Contact1

Yes

Use this component only if the Contact List component is not in use in
the page flow to allow for more than three contacts.

Contact2

Yes

Use this component only if the Contact List component is not in use in
the page flow to allow for more than three contacts.

Contact3

Yes

Use this component only if the Contact List component is not in use in
the page flow to allow for more than three contacts.

Contact List

Yes

This component is used when you want to allow for more than three
contacts for an application.

Continuing
Education

This is for public users to enter information about ongoing professional
development that may be required for a Licensed Professional.

Custom
Component

You can use this component to display any content that your agency
wants to expose to public users. For detailed information on how
customize component, see Implementing Custom Component on
page 497.

Detailed
Information

You can drag and drop this component to a page where you want the
Record Detail data to display on the application.

Education

This is for public users to enter information about an educational
program and degree that may be required for a Licensed Professional.

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Table 5: Page Flow Components (Continued)

Component

Can Be
Used
Multiple
Times in a
Page Flow?

Examination

Licensed
Professional

Description

This is for public users to enter information about the competency
exams that may be required for Licensed Professionals to obtain or
maintain their license.
Yes

This is for public users to enter contractor, architect, engineer, or
developer (CAED) information. Usually the state provides this
information which includes license number and license type.

Licensed
Professional
List

This component is used when you want multiple Licensed
Professionals for an application.

Owner

This is for public users to enter information about the individual or
institution that own the parcel, license, or structure related to the
application.

Parcel

This is for public users to enter information about the parcel relating to
the application. The County Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN)
determines the parcel information.

Valuation
Calculator

This is for users to calculate job values for an application. A job value
is an individual financial assessment that quantifies the work
description that an application outlines.

The table below lists all component property items that you can customize for the components
in the Properties panel. You may customize the heading name and actions of many of the
components. For example, when setting up page flow components, you can require the
Licensed Professional component name to be a required field so the user must complete it
before moving on to other pages. This way, you can ensure that the your agency's reference
data populate the Licensed Professional data, other than manually input the Licensed
Professional data by setting Data Source to Reference.
Table 6: Components Setting Attributes

Setting Attribute

Meaning

Not Applicable

Indicates that a component cannot be assigned as a required component;
component data cannot be validated against your agency’s reference data.

Default Heading

This has a corresponding default value which Citizen Access administrators
cannot change.

Custom Heading

This field has a value that system administrators can modify. However,
system administrators cannot modify Applicant, Contact 1, Contact 2, and
Contact 3 components directly. For these four components, they can select a
contact type from the value drop-down list and associate a component with
it. The selected contact type displays as the section name for the associated
component to public users. The CONTACT TYPE Standard Choice Values
control these. For information on the Standard Choice CONTACT Type, refer
to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

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Table 6: Components Setting Attributes (Continued)

Setting Attribute

Meaning

Required

When the property is true, it means public users must complete the fields of
the component before moving to the next step or page when they reach that
component in the application intake form.

Data Source

This displays only for the Address, Parcel, Owner, Contact, Contact List,
Licensed Professional, and Licensed Professional List components. It
defines whether the data must be manually filled or populated with reference
data or both.
There are three data source options, Reference, Transactional, and No
Limitation.
• Reference: The Search and the Clear buttons display at the bottom of the
section in the application intake form. Public users should search the
reference data and fill the section with the search results other than
manually fill the fields in the section.
• Transactional: The Search and the Clear buttons hide from users to prevent
users from using reference data. Users must manually enter data for the
section.
• No Limitation: Public users can either search and populate reference data
to the section by using Search functionality or manually fill the section.

Note:

For the Contact, Contact List, Licensed Professional, and
Licensed Professional List components, the Search functionality
is also controlled by the settings in the People Search section in
the Global Settings page. See People Search on page 67 for
information on how to set the Search functionality.

Note:

For the Owner component, the Search functionality is also
controlled by DISPLAY_OWNER_INFORMATION in Standard
Choice ACA_CONFIGS. The Standard Choice setting selectively
overrides the Data Source property setting. When
DISPLAY_OWNER_INFORMATION is set to No but the Data
Source property is set to “Reference” or “No Limitation”, the
Owner section of the application intake form allows public users
to add an owner manually but does not display a Search button.

Contact Type
Options

This displays only for the Contact List component.
You can specify contact types available for public users to choose and set
the minimum and maximum number of contacts for each contact type. See
Listing of Components for details.

Editable

When the value is true, it means public users can edit the populated data.
However, the modified data is only for the current application’s use and does
not affect the reference data.

Group

This displays only for the ASI and ASI Table components.
All ASI or ASI Table groups, regardless of the ACA Displayable and Status
settings in Civic Platform, display as available options in the Value dropdown list. You can do either of the following:
• Select a group. You can continue to select a specific sub-group for it or, if
you want to assign the entire selected group to it, do not select any subgroup.
• Leave it blank. The component is auto-assigned with the ASI or ASI Table
group relating to the record type.

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Table 6: Components Setting Attributes (Continued)

Setting Attribute

Meaning

Subgroup

This displays only for the ASI and ASI Table components.
After you select an ASI or ASI Table group, you can continue to select one of
its sub-groups to assign it to the component, or you can leave it blank to
assign the entire group.
Note: A known issue exists. As described in the Group item, a blank ASI or
ASI Table component is auto-assigned with all the sub-groups of the ASI or
ASI Table group associated with the record type. When a page flow has
multiple ASI or ASI Table components, with some blank and some manually
assigned with sub-groups. If an auto-assigned sub-group has the same
name as a manually-assigned sub-group, the auto-assigned sub-group
cannot display, and only the manually-assigned sub-group can display.

Path

This displays only for the custom component.
You can display your own custom component to the application intake form
by doing one of the following:
• If the component file is directly stored in the .../Customize/UserControls
folder under the ACA deployment directory, fill the file name to the Path
value. For example, you enter “AgencyCustomCompent.ascx”.
• If the file is stored in a series of folders under the .../Customize/
UserControls folder, fill the sub-directory and the file name. For example.
you enter “/MyFolder/MySubfolder/AgencyCustomCompent.ascx”.
For detailed information on how to implement a custom component, refer to
Implementing Custom Component on page 497.

Understanding Breadcrumbs
At the top of each web page, a user views a breadcrumb navigation bar with the name and
number of each step. This breadcrumb is used to identify where a user is at in the page flow
process. See Figure 66: Breadcrumbs. The current step a user is working on stands out in the
toolbar. An active or completed step displays a bold step number. An inactive step displays the
Step number in gray. At any time, a user can return to a previous, or active step by clicking the
step name or number in the toolbar and the associated page(s) come into view. A user cannot
jump forward or skip steps.
The steps created in a page flow can generate breadcrumbs without special configuration. The
Review, Fees, Payment, and Confirmation static pages always end a page flow process and
display as the last steps in the breadcrumb.

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Figure 66: Breadcrumbs

You can configure the Standard Choice Value, EXPAND_BREADCRUMB_BAR of the
ACA_CONFIGS Standard Choice to control whether the bars in the breadcrumb in an
application page flow automatically collapse when users proceed to subsequent steps. If you
set the Standard Choice Value to Y or Yes, the breadcrumb bars always display in the expanded
view, as shown in Figure 67: Breadcrumb Expand View. If you set the Standard Choice Value to
N, No, or undefined, the breadcrumb bar automatically collapses, as step 1, when the current
step is three steps ahead of the step that the bar represents (Figure 68: Breadcrumb Collapse
View).
Figure 67: Breadcrumb Expand View

Figure 68: Breadcrumb Collapse View

Configuring the Final Step
Topics


Enabling Certification on the Review Page



Defining the Receipt Page

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Enabling Certification on the Review Page
The Review page in the final step provides an Enable Certification option which controls
whether a Certification section displays above the Continue Application button in the review
page during an application intake process. After you enable the option, you can click the
Configure link next to the option to customize the certification statement in the Certification
section. See Figure 70: Configurable Certification Section.
Figure 69: Configurable Review Page

Figure 70: Configurable Certification Section

If you mark the Enable Certification on the review page, when public users arrive at the review
page in an application intake form, they must agree with the statement in the Certification
section before continuing to the next step. If users click Edit in the review page to make
updates, they must re-certify his updates in the review page before continuing to the next step.

Defining the Receipt Page
The last step and last page in page flow configuration is the receipt page. Each page flow can
customize the various receipt pages relating to payment processing for the module. For
example, you can customize a renewal receipt to display different content other than a generic
receipt or a Pay Fee Due receipt. Access the various receipt pages by clicking on one of the
receipt page links in the receipt page step. Citizen Access opens the associated receipt page
for customization. For information on how to customize the content on a web page, see
Customizing Texts and Images on Web Pages on page 158.

Note:

Each module also provides a Pages area in the navigation panel of
Citizen Access. If you do not customize the receipt pages in page flow
configuration, you can access the receipt pages from the navigation
area and modify the content. See Using the Navigation Panel on
page 23. Independent of where the receipt pages are accessed, the
customizing you apply is retained for the module.

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To define the receipt page

1.

Navigate to Page Flow Configuration for a module. For more information, see Accessing
Page Flow Configuration on page 131.
Citizen Access Setup displays the page flow configuration area.

2.

Use the drop-down list to search and select an existing page flow, or click the button to
create a new one.
Citizen Access Setup displays the steps and pages relating to the page flow.

3.

Navigate to the Receipt Page in the Final Step of the page flow.

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4.

Click the link associated with the receipt page you want to customize.
Citizen Access Setup displays the associated receipt page in the center panel as its own
tab.

5.

Modify and save the content of the receipt page. For more information, see Chapter 10:
Working with Web Pages.

6.

Click the tab relating to Page Flow Configuration in the center panel to return to the page
flow configuration for the module.
Citizen Access Setup displays the page flow configuration area.

7.

Repeat steps 3 to 6 for customizing all module receipts, as needed.

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C HAPTER 10:

WORKING WITH WEB PAGES

Citizen Access provides numerous web pages associated with tasks and features available to
public users. Administrators can customize and make changes to the various web pages in text,
images, and layout at any time. This section provides instructions on how to perform basic tasks
on web pages, such as customizing text, embedding links in images, creating a form layout,
field customization, changing the module tab display, and customizing choices.
Please test for consistent text behavior across supported browsers. A known issue exists that
different browsers may potentially handle tags or other text features inconsistently. For
example, text that is bold or normal font may not be consistent between supported browsers. It
is recommended best practice for administrators to check the final web page display in different
browsers to prevent potential inconsistencies.
Topics


Customizing Texts and Images on Web Pages



Designing Form Layouts for Web Pages



Customizing Home Page Components



Working with Fields



Defining Module Tabs and Display Order



Configuring Columns on a Page



Assigning Reports to Buttons



Number of Records Displaying per Page



Applying Custom CSS Stylesheet or JavaScript File on a Page



Developing and Deploying a Custom Page



Configuring URLs and Deep Links to Citizen Access Pages

Customizing Texts and Images on Web Pages
You can customize the text on Citizen Access web pages and modify the following: language,
page headers, page instructional text, section instructional text, field names, field helper text,
check box helper text, hyperlinks in text and within images, radio button helper text, button
labels, and body text.

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Note:

When you customize the text on a web page, be aware that the
maximum character length of the fields for body text and section
instructions is 4,000, and there is no limitation to the length of the
fields for text headings and button labels.

Topics


Using the HTML Editor



Changing Text and Display with Property Values



Adding Instructional Text to a Web Page



Applying Stylesheets



Displaying Citizen Access in International Languages

Using the HTML Editor
You can modify body text and images by using the HTML Editor. Some body text may contain
pre-defined variables that are enclosed in the double-dollar signs, for example, $$DueDate$$.
You can leave the variables in the body text or remove them using the HTML Text Editor. Utilize
the toolbar to change the font, font color, or appearance of the text. You can apply a highlight,
create a hyperlink, change the content, create a bulleted or numbered list, and justify text to
display the way you want it. You can apply a stylesheet to the text using the source code button.
For more information about how to apply a stylesheet, see Applying Stylesheets on page 165.
Access the HTML editor by selecting the text or page section you want to modify. Then,
double-click in the Field Properties Body Text Value HTML Editor window. For example, to place
an image and embed a URL within the graphic you click any object, including pages, that has
the Body Text or Instructions attribute in its Properties panel and use the HTML Editor to add the
URL location of the image. Note that when embedding an image that links to another page, the
image itself is not stored within ACA.

Note:

There is a known issue that different browsers may potentially handle
tags or other text features inconsistently. For example, the HTML
Editor toolbar in Safari may be inconsistent with the HTML Editor
toolbar accessed via Internet Explorer. It is recommended best practice
for administrators to check the final Web page display in different
browsers to prevent potential inconsistencies.

To modify text, hyperlinks, and images using HTML Editor

1.

Open a web page. Click the text or within the page section you want to modify.
Citizen Access Setup displays a yellow box around the text or page section to indicate the
area for you to modify.

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2.

From the Field Properties panel, double-click the Body Text Value field to open the Editor
window.
Citizen Access Setup displays the HTML Editor pop-up window.

3.

Modify content of the web page in the HTML Editor. You can add text and images and
embed hyperlinks in them. To add an image, follow the substeps below. To set the hyperlink
for e-mail, see Defining Activation E-mails on page 98.

a. To add an image, set the image for activation by clicking the Image icon.
The URL Image window opens.
b. Specify the location of the graphic image file. The image file must be on an accessible
server.

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c. Click OK to add the image to the page.
d. Click the Hyperlink button to associate a hyperlink with the image.
The source code displays in a pop-up window.
e. Modify the HTML for the image or the link. For example, you can add a target=“_blank”
parameter to the  tag. You can add border=“0” to the  tag, or you can add an
alt=“Link Description” to the  tag.

4.

Click OK to save changes or click Cancel to exit.
Citizen Access Setup displays the changes in the center panel workspace.

Changing Text and Display with Property Values
You can customize labels and paragraph text by making modifications to Property Values in the
right panel of a web page. For example, if you want to provide supportive content for a section,
you can add text in the Section Instruction Value cell. If you want to modify the label of an item,
change the text in the Text Heading Value cell. If you want to change the color, double-click the
Font Color Value cell and choose a color from the color grid. See Applying Stylesheets on
page 165. If you want to configure the initial display of the sections on the Record Detail or
Review Information page, select the header of section, and set the Expanded property of the
section to true or false.

Note:

(1) The Standard Choice value
ENABLE_EXPAND_IN_REVIEW_PAGE in the Standard Choice
ACA_CONFIGS determines whether the sections on the Record
Review page (excluding the Record Type section)s expand or
collapse by default.
(2) The Expanded property is unavailable for the Conditions and
Conditions of Approval sections on the Record Detail page.

The Property Value settings are used on labels, button text, headers, and hyperlinks. A property
value cell may be a drop-down list, a text field, or an HTML Editor. If a property value cell
displays the HTML Editor, enter the text or image in the provided space and click OK. For more
instructions on HTML Editor, see Using the HTML Editor on page 159.

Note:

When you change the label of a Module in the hyperlink table on the
Home page, you also change the Module tab name located in the tab
tool bar at top of the web page. For more information, see Defining
Module Tabs and Display Order on page 184.

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Figure 71: Modify Text and Display Using Properties Value Cells

Note:

Modification in the Field Properties area is applied to the
selected body text.

To customize text using property value cells

1.

Navigate to a web page and click the text or the header of a section you want to modify.
Citizen Access Setup displays a yellow box around the text to define the modification area.

2.

From the Properties panel on the right side of the web page, click the Properties Value cell
you want to change.
a. Add section instruction or subsection instructions by adding content in the HTML Editor
associated with the Section Instruction Value cell.
- Use the Section Instruction Value Cell in the Section Properties panel for a section.
- Use the Section Instruction Value Cell in the Field Properties panel for a subsection.
b. If you want to apply a special property to the text, True applies the Value to the Text.
False removes the Value from the text.
c. Change the color of text by double-clicking in the Font Color Value cell to open a color
grid for selection.
d. Change the text by clicking the text heading or text label Value cell and typing in the
revised text.
e. If you selected the header of a section on the Record Detail or Review Information page,
the Properties panel displays the Expanded cell. Set the cell value to True if you want to
expand the section by default. Set the cell value to false if you want to collapse the
section by default.

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Note:
3.

The Expanded property is unavailable for the Conditions and
Conditions of Approval sections on the Record Detail page.

Click the Save button.
Citizen Access Setup displays the text in the center panel. For example, the content
entered in the Section Instructions Value cell displays below the header and above the
section fields.

Adding Instructional Text to a Web Page
You can add customized instructional text for a web page so that public users have idea of what
the web page is for and how to complete it. A web page has two instructional text areas that
display the words “Click here to edit the page instruction”, one right above the module tabs and
the other one right below the module tabs. To add instructional text, you click either of the
instructional text areas, enter content in the HTML Editor associated with the Instructions Value
cell in the Page properties area.
To add instructional text

1.

Navigate to a section on a web page.

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2.

Click the words like Click here to edit the page instruction.
Citizen Access Setup displays a light yellow box around the instruction area, and the page
properties area in the right panel.

3.

Click the Value cell associated with the web page property Instructions.
Citizen Access Setup displays the HTML editor.

4.

Enter the instructional text and click OK button.
Citizen Access Setup displays the instructional text to the institutional text area.

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Applying Stylesheets
Your agency may use stylesheets, which is a way an agency can define a structured document
so that the set of stylistic rules for color, fonts, and layout are consistent. The pre-defined rules
in your stylesheet can be applied to body text in ACA. Initial setup requires you to save the
stylesheet in the ACA root folder and modify default.master with proper reference to the file
that holds your stylesheet. Once the initial setup is complete, you can apply the class definitions
to body text using the source edit button. In the example below, the file named demo.css is the
stylesheet.
To apply a stylesheet to body text

1.

Define stylistic rules in a stylesheet and save.
For example, demo.css.

2.

Go to the root folder where ACA is installed on the IIS server.

3.

Copy and paste the stylesheet to the ACA root folder on IIS server.

4.

From the ACA root folder, open the file default.master with a text editor program.

5.

Locate the  command near the bottom of the page and paste the following line to
reference the location of your stylesheet.
/demo.css”/>

6.

Save and close.

7.

Go to Civic Platform Admin and navigate to the ACA Admin.

8.

Select a web page from the left panel.

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9.

Select the body text you want to apply the stylesheet, and click the field properties body cell
to open HTML Editor tool.

10. Click the Source Edit button.

11. Specify your class definitions in the HTML code and save.
Citizen Access Setup displays the application of the stylesheet definitions to text.

Displaying Citizen Access in International Languages
Citizen Access provides support for multiple international (I18N) languages. When you enable
multi-language support via the Agency - Add page in Civic Platform, citizens can choose their
preferred language in which to view the citizen-facing website.
An Accela Services professional must enable this feature.
To enable multi-language support

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform Classic Administration.

2.

Select Administrator Tools > Agency Profile > Agency.

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3.

Locate the agency you want to modify.
Civic Platform displays the Agency—Edit page.

4.

Scroll to Multi-language Support and select Yes.

5.

In the I18N Languages for ACA field, click Select and then choose the languages you
want your citizen site to display in.

6.

Click Save.

Designing Form Layouts for Web Pages
You can define custom layouts for forms displaying to public users with Citizen Access Form
Designer. The Form Designer displays numerous columns as a guide for aligning the fields and
elements on a form. See Figure 72: Form Designer. Administrators rearrange those displayable
fields and elements in width and placement, or change the position of the labels to the top or left
of the fields. Form Designer applies to the application intake form, the General Search and
Search by Address sections of the Record Home page, the Contact Information section of the
Enter Information page, the Look Up by Address, Look Up by Parcel Information, and Look Up
by Owner sections of the APO Search page, and the Licensee Detail page.
You can also customize field labels and grouped elements to display vertically or horizontally on
the form to create the desired look. For example, administrators can define a group of
application-specific information radio buttons to display in a vertical column or as a horizontal
row of radio buttons across the page.
The Form Designer enforces rules to maintain the integrity of spacing and standards for form
layouts. For example, the form designer provides an automatic minimum space definition to
prevent the overlap of fields or elements on a page. If you place a field or element too close to
another element or field, the form designer automatically shifts the adjusted field or element to
the nearest placement on the form based on the minimum space requirement.
This section provides the instructional text associated with the Form Designer so you can
successfully launch the design tool and perform tasks for form customization.

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Figure 72: Form Designer

Topics


Launching Form Designer



Adjusting the Placement of Fields



Adjusting Label Position



Adjusting the Size of Fields



Customizing Application-Specific Information Layouts

Launching Form Designer
Citizen Access Setup provides a Section Properties area in the right panel to allow
customization to sections on a web page. For example, you can define section labels and
configure which fields display and require data before submission. It is within the section
properties configuration area where you can locate the Rearrange Fields button to access the
Form Designer. This section provides the instructional text to help you launch the Form
Designer so you can customize the placement and sizing of fields on the form.

Note:

You must have Microsoft Silverlight installed on your computer in
order to successfully launch the Form Designer.

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To launch form designer

1.

Navigate to the web page with the form requiring customization. For example, 
Information page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the page in the center panel.

2.

Search and select the section requiring customization.
Citizen Access Setup displays the section properties area in the right panel.

3.

Click the Rearrange Fields button located in the Available Fields section of the Section
Properties panel.

Citizen Access Setup launches the Form Designer in a new window using Silverlight
technology.

Note:

You must have Silverlight installed on your system to launch
Form Designer.

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Adjusting the Placement of Fields
You can adjust the placement of displayable fields and elements by dragging and dropping
them into a new or existing form row. Select each field or element, one-at-a-time, and move
them to the desired location.
The form designer enforces an minimum space definition to prevent the overlap of fields or
elements on a page. If you place a field or element too close in proximity to another element or
field, the form designer will automatically shift the adjusted field or element to the nearest
placement on the form row based on the minimum space rule. This may result in an auto-shift of
other fields or elements to accommodate the adjusted field. For example, if you move a text
field into an existing form row and drop it in between two fields, the Form Designer will auto
adjust the spacing between the fields so at least the minimal space requirement separates each
one from the other. If the row cannot accommodate the field size in length, the Form Designer
will prevent you from dropping the field into the location until the size is adjusted. For
instructions on how to adjust the size of a field, see Using the HTML Editor on page 159.
To adjust field placement on a form

1.

Launch the Form Designer associated with the form requiring customization. For more
information, see Launching Form Designer on page 168.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Form Designer with displayable fields on the grid.

2.

Click to select the field or element you want to move.
Citizen Access activates the element and provides a visual indication of current location
and placement.

3.

Move the field or element into the desired location by doing one of the following:

•

Drag and drop the element into an existing row.

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•

Insert the field or element in a new row by dragging and dropping it into the blue line that
displays between rows to create the desired effect.

4.

Click the Save button at the top of the page to save changes.

5.

Click X at the top of the page to close the Form Designer. See Figure 72: Form Designer on
page 168.

Adjusting Label Position
You can adjust the field labels to be displayed on the top or left of the fields.
To adjust the label position

1.

Launch the Form Designer associated with the form requiring customization. For more
information, see Launching Form Designer on page 168.

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2.

Click the “Switch label position” icon in the tool bar at the top of the Form Designer.
Citizen Access Setup displays the labels to the top of the fields (if currently on the left) or to
the left of the fields (if currently on the top). Click again to switch back.

3.

Click Save to save changes.

4.

Click X at the top of the page to close the Form Designer. See Figure 72: Form Designer on
page 168.

Adjusting the Size of Fields
You can adjust the size for each field or field element so that it extends to the desired length in a
form row. Select the field requiring size customization and use the adorner for extending or
shortening the field size. The Form Designer will adjust the spacing between form fields or
elements to prevent overlap.
To adjust the size of fields

1.

Launch the Form Designer associated with the form requiring customization. For more
information, see Launching Form Designer on page 168.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Form Designer with displayable fields on the grid.

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2.

Click to select the field or element you want to re-size.
Citizen Access activates the element and provides an adorner as a visual indication that it is
ready for configuration.

3.

Drag and drop the adorner to define the location of the desired width for the field or
element.

4.

Click the Save button at the top of the page to retain changes.

5.

Click X at the top of the page to close the Form Designer. See Figure 72: Form Designer on
page 168.

Customizing Application-Specific Information Layouts
Citizen Access and Civic Platform provide you with the tools to create custom layouts for
application-specific information. This includes the ability to add and customize instructional
section text, field helper text, field watermark text, label positioning, and field label
customization. Determine the vertical or horizontal arrangement of radio buttons. You can
create a one-column or two-column layouts and group ASI information associated with page
flow configuration. For more information, see Configuring Application Specific Information on
page 302. For more information about the ASI layouts, see “Designing ASI Layouts for Citizen
Access” in chapter 17: Application Specific Information in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.

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Customizing Home Page Components
You can customize the home pages, including the Welcome Global page and the Welcome
Registered page, to hide the standard components and display custom component. Standard
components include the Welcome section and the link section. A custom component may
contain information that your agency wants to expose to public users, such as agency logo,
announcement, legal information, web URLs, and links.
To display a custom component to the home pages, you must firstly create a custom component
by implementing the ICustomizedComponent interface, copy the component file to the ACA
deployment directory, and then add the path to the home pages. See Implementing Custom
Component on page 497 for detailed information.
You can choose to hide some or all of the links in the link section. You can hide all the links by
hiding the link section in just a few clicks in Citizen Access Setup, however you must implement
the IGrantPermission interface to hide some individual links (actions). See Globally Disabling
Unwanted Actions on page 493 for detailed information on how to hide individual links.
Topics


Hiding Standard Component



Displaying Custom Component

Hiding Standard Component
You can configure to hide the Welcome section and the link section from home pages. You have
the choice to either hide some of the links or hide the link section. To hide some of the links, see
the Agency-Custom Component SDK Guide for detailed information. This section explains how
to hide the Welcome section and the link section.
To hide the Welcome section or the Link section

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > General > Home.

2.

Click to open one of the following pages:

3.

•

Welcome Global page

•

Welcome Registered page

Do one of the following:

•

To hide the Welcome section, click the Welcome section to highlight it.

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•

To hide the link section, click the blank area in the link section to highlight it.

4.

Set the Visible value to “false” in the Section Properties panel.

5.

Click Save button.

Displaying Custom Component
You can create a custom component, and display it to the Welcome Global page and the
Welcome Registered page.
As a prerequisite, you must create a custom component and copy the file to the ACA
deployment directory. See Implementing Custom Component on page 497 for detailed
information.
To display Custom Component to Home pages

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > General > Home.

2.

Click to open one of the following pages:

•

Welcome Global page

•

Welcome Registered page

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3.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the “Click here to edit customized content properties.” area.

4.

Click the “Click here to edit customized content properties.” area to highlight it.

5.

Fill the Path value by doing one of the following:

•

If the component file is directly stored in the .../Customize/UserControls folder under the
ACA deployment directory, fill the file name to the Path value. For example,
AgencyCustomCompent.ascx.

•

If the file is stored in a series of folders under the .../Customize/UserControls folder, fill
the sub-directory and the file name. For example. /MyFolder/MySubfolder/
AgencyCustomCompent.ascx.

6.

Set the Visible value to “true”.

7.

Click Save button.

Working with Fields
Citizen Access provides you with the tools to create and customize fields so your Web pages
can be designed to be intuitive for public users. This section provides you with the instructional
text associated with the tasks and configuration of fields, such as setting which fields to display,
configuring required fields, hiding field content, and customizing labels, helper text, and
watermark text. The modifications and supportive text for fields are supported in a multiple
language environment. For example, your agency can provide supportive helper text or
watermarks in Arabic.
If the fields are application-specific information fields and require a custom layout, refer to
Customizing ASI Field Label Text on page 303.

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Topics


Customizing Field Labels



Hiding Field Content



Defining Visible and Required Fields



Adding Helper Text



Adding a Watermark



Adjusting Field Size and Placement



Displaying Action Items as Icons



Adding or Removing Drop-Down List Choices

Customizing Field Labels
You can customize labels and paragraph text by modifying Property Values in the right panel of
a design web page. For example, if you want to change the label of an item, change the text in
the Text Heading Value cell. If you want to change the color, double-click the Font Color Value
cell and choose a color from the color grid. See Applying Stylesheets on page 165.
The Property Value method of customizing text is used throughout ACA for labels, button text,
headers, and hyperlinks. Select the field label text you want to modify. Then, use the drop-down
lists to choose the value you want to apply to it. True indicates applying the property value to the
text and false indicates not applying the property value to the text. If you want to customize the
labels for application-specific information fields, refer to Customizing ASI Field Label Text on
page 303.
To customize a field label

1.

Navigate to a web page and click the text you want to modify.
Citizen Access Setup displays a yellow box around the text to define the modification area.

2.

From the Properties panel on the right side of the web page, click the Field Properties Value
cell you want to change.
a. Apply a text field property using True or False. True applies the property to the field.
False does not apply the Value to the field. For example, Font Italic Value cell True and
Font-Bold value cell False would set a non-bold italic font.
b. Change color by double-clicking in the Font Color Value cell to open a color grid for
selection.
c. Change the text by clicking the Text Label Value cell and typing in the revised text.

3.

Click the Save button.

Hiding Field Content
You can specify the maximum number of lines of content of a field to be displayed on page. The
exceeding lines of content are hidden from page. Users can click the Show More link to show
the full content. This feature only applies to the template fields on the Licensee Detail page.

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To hide field content

1.

Navigate to the Licensee Detail page.

2.

Click the Licensee Detail section header.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Section Properties panel at the right side of the screen.

3.

Locate the Collapse Lines field in the Section Properties panel and enter a positive integer
into the Value text box.
By default it is set to blank (null), which means displaying full content on the page. Enter a
positive integer to display the number of lines of the field content and hide the exceeding
lines.

4.

Click the Save button.

Defining Visible and Required Fields
You can add or remove fields from sections on a web page. Select a section of a web page by
double-clicking the gray header. The section and associated fields displays in yellow
workspace. An available fields section also displays in the right panel. Mark or clear the check
boxes next to the fields you want to show or hide on the web page.

Note:

The People template fields can be displayed as the column headers to
the People lists and the People search result lists, such as Licensed
professional list and the Contact search result list. Administrators in
Civic Platform must set the template field to Display in ACA Lists, so
that the field can be displayed in the Available Fields list as the
available option. For detailed information, see section “Adding an
Attribute to a People Template” in the “People” chapter in the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

The check boxes are inactive if a field is required in order to submit the form. You cannot
disable any of these required fields. You can set additional required fields for Citizen Access
users. These required fields display in the Contact Information section of the Register Account
form, Examination form, the Education form, and the Continuing Education form, and these
sections of an application or attachment:

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

APO (Address, Parcel, Owner)



Licensed Professional



Contact



Additional Information



Detail Information



Work Location

You can also define the required fields for the Enter Work Location section of the Search
Service page.

Note:

In order for Citizen Access to function properly, certain fields must
display to public users and require data before submission. These ACA
dependent fields cannot be configured. Therefore, they display as
read-only in the Available Fields list with check boxes marked and in
gray font. See Adding Helper Text on page 180.

Figure 73: System Required Fields

To set field display and required functionality

1.

Navigate to a section of a web page.

2.

Click the section to activate it for configuration.
Citizen Access Setup activates the section and displays the Section Properties panel.

3.

Go to the Available Fields list and do the following tasks:

•

Mark the Visible check box next to the field you want to display on the form.

•

Mark the Required check box next to the fields that require data for submission.
Citizen Access Setup displays visible and required fields with red asterisks.

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4.

Click the Save button.

Adding Helper Text
You can add customized helper text for a field so that public users have instructions on how to
complete the associated field. In essence, it is a custom help topic for the field. After helper text
is defined for a field, Citizen Access displays a blue question mark with the field as a visual
indication to all users that helper text is available. To add helper text, enter content in the HTML
Editor associated with the Instructions Value Cell in the Field Properties area.
If you want to provide instructional text to support the tasks in a section of a web page, add the
content using the HTML Editor associated with the section. Refer to Changing Text and Display
with Property Values on page 161 for additional information.
If you want to provide instructional text to support the fields associated with application-specific
information or application-specific information tables, refer to Customizing Application-Specific
Information Layouts on page 173.
To add helper text

1.

Navigate to a section on a web page.

2.

Select the field that requires helper text customization.
Citizen Access Setup displays the field properties area in the right panel.

3.

Click the Value cell associated with the field property Instructions.
Citizen Access Setup displays the HTML editor.

4.

Enter the instructional helper text and click OK.

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Citizen Access Setup displays a blue question mark to indicate helper text is configured for
the field.

.
When a public user clicks the blue question mark, the instructional helper text displays.

Adding a Watermark
You can add a watermark to the white space in a text field as a way to provide an example or
brief instructions for completion. Watermark text displays in gray and disappears as soon as the
user enters information in the field. For example, watermark text in a date field can be used to
tell the user the date format for entry, such as mm/dd/yyyy. Enter watermark text in the
Watermark Text Value cell in the field properties area.

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To add watermark text in a field

1.

Navigate to a section on a web page.

2.

Select the field that requires a watermark.
Citizen Access Setup displays the field properties area in the right panel.

3.

Click the Value cell associated with the field property Watermark Text.
Citizen Access Setup activates the value cell for watermark configuration.

4.

Enter the watermark content text in the Watermark Text Value cell.

Citizen Access Setup displays fields with watermark text in gray font in the white space of
the field.

Adjusting Field Size and Placement
You may have the ability to alter the positioning and size of a field on a form. This is done using
Citizen Access Form Designer tool. For more information about Form Designer, see Designing
Form Layouts for Web Pages on page 167.

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Displaying Action Items as Icons
You can configure the Standard Choice Value, POP_ACTION_ITEM_STYLE of the Standard
Choice ACA_CONFIGS to control whether users must click a dropdown button in the Action
field to access the action items, or whether they can directly select an action item in the Action
column. If you set the Standard Choice Value to ICO, the action items directly display in the
Action column as icons, as shown in Figure 74: Action Items in Icons. If you do not define the
Standard Choice Value, the action items display in a dropdown list, as shown in Figure 75:
Action Items in Dropdown.
Figure 74: Action Items in Icons

Figure 75: Action Items in Dropdown

Adding or Removing Drop-Down List Choices
You may add, modify, or remove items from drop-down lists in ACA.
To add or remove drop-down list choices

1.

Click and select a drop-down field.

2.

Click the Field Property Choice Value cell to display the choices.

3.

Click the green plus sign to add a choice.

4.

Click the blue minus sign next to a choice to remove it.

5.

Save all changes.

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Please note that if you remove an option from a drop-down list, the associated Standard
Choice for the drop-down list is also changed.

Defining Module Tabs and Display Order
You can change the module tab text, tab display order, and view the More tab to accommodate
additional modules in a drop-down list at the top of ACA web pages. If you want to add a
module tab, you must enable the module in ACA on the Feature Settings page.
Topics


Changing Tab Display Order



Changing the Text on a Tab



Extending Modular Tab Display

Changing Tab Display Order
To do this, click the tab toolbar section to highlight it. The right panel displays the Tab Order
Properties section with a box representing each tab. The tab order from left to right is directly
related to the box order from top to bottom. Drag and drop the boxes to the new locations to the
desired tab order. See Figure 76: Changing Tab Order.

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Figure 76: Changing Tab Order

Changing the Text on a Tab
If you want to change the name of the text on a module tab, navigate to the Welcome page and
make modifications to the table. Any change to a module header in the table reflects on the
module tab.
To change the text on a tab

1.

Navigate to the Welcome Global or Welcome Registered page.

2.

Go to the module table and click a module heading to make edits.

3.

Click Save.
The associated tab displays the new text label.

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Extending Modular Tab Display
When an agency enables numerous modules for the site to a point where the real estate on the
web page cannot accommodate all the tabs across the top of the page, Citizen Access displays
one more tab on the far right side of the tab bar. See Figure 77: Extending Modular Tab Display.
When a public user clicks the more tab, any additional modules that do not fit across the page
display in a drop-down list. You can customize the order of module tabs on the top of web page.
See Changing Tab Display Order on page 184. If you select a module from the module dropdown menu, the organization of the tabs shift to make room for the new module tab in view.
Since, Citizen Access does not manipulate the size of the tabs, various modular tabs may be
moved to the more drop-down list.
Figure 77: Extending Modular Tab Display

Configuring Columns on a Page
You can customize the placement and width of columns on web pages so that you can
customize the look and display order of lists in Citizen Access Setup. This section provides the
instructional text associated with configuring columns.
Topics


Defining Column Placement



Setting Column Widths

Defining Column Placement
You can determine the display order for columns in a list by dragging and dropping a column
header in the desired location in the list. The column order from left to right is directly related to
the column header placement from top to bottom in the Section Properties area.
To arrange columns in a list

1.

Navigate to a web page with a list.
Citizen Access Setup displays the page in the center panel.

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2.

Select the section list with column headers that require re-arranging. For example, the
Education list on the Record Detail page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Section Properties panel with the column headers in
boxes.

3.

4.

Configure which column headers you want to display in the list table.

•

Mark the check box next to the column headers you want to display.

•

Clear the check box next to the column headers you want to hide.

Configure the column positioning by moving the available column headers to the desired
location in the section list.

•

Move a column header up towards the top of the available fields list to move it left in the
table.

•

Move a column header down towards the bottom of the available fields list to move it
right in the list table.

Citizen Access Setup immediately positions the column header in the section list table
located in the center panel.

Setting Column Widths
You can define the column widths on web pages containing lists. This is useful so that you can
adjust the column width to accommodate a long column header title or to allow more space for
the information that populates the column so it displays in full view to public users.
Set the column width configuration by navigating to a web page, selecting the column header,
and defining the width in the Field properties area.

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To set a column width

1.

Navigate to a web page with a column header. For example, the Record Detail page in a
module.

2.

Go to a section and expand the view to display the list format. For example, the
Attachments or Education section.

3.

Click the column header you want to modify.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Field Properties area in the right panel.

4.

Set the value for the column width in pixels.

5.

Set other column configurations in the Field Properties area as needed. This includes
modifying the label or applying a Record Type filter.

6.

Click the Save button.

Assigning Reports to Buttons
Reports associated with buttons exposed in ACA must be configured using Report Manger.
Citizen Access provides accessibility to Report Manger for modular button configuration. For
detailed instructions on how to configure Report Manager so that a report displays on an ACA
button, refer to Associating Reports with Print/View Buttons on page 464.
To assign a report to a button

1.

Click the button to which you want to assign a report.
Citizen Access surrounds the button in a yellow box and the right panel displays the button
field properties.

2.

Click the Report Field Property Value cell, Configure Reports, to open Report Manager.

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3.

Assign a report to be associated with a reporting button using Report Manager
configuration.

Number of Records Displaying per Page
When users perform a search, if there is only one matching record, Citizen Access directly
displays the details of the record. If there are multiple matching records, Citizen Access returns
the results in pages. You can configure the number of search results displayed per page.
To configure the number of search results displayed per page

1.

Open the Record Home web page or other web pages that contain search functionality.

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2.

Click the list header.
Citizen Access Setup displays a yellow box around the list header to indicate the area for
you to modify.

3.

Locate the Rows Per Page field at the top of the Section Properties panel and enter a
positive integer into the Value text box.

4.

Click the Save button in the top left corner of the screen to save the change.

Applying Custom CSS Stylesheet or JavaScript File on
a Page
You can take any of the two approaches to change the look and feel of a page in Citizen
Access:


Directly create your own Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) in ACA Admin. For more
information, see Defining Your Own CSS Style on page 76.



Create and apply custom CSS stylesheet files and JavaScript files to pages in Citizen
Access. You can apply a custom CSS stylesheet or JavaScript file to either a single page or
every page in Citizen Access.

To apply a custom CSS stylesheet or JavaScript file to a web page

1.

Add the Standard Choice Value ENABLE_CUSTOMIZATION_PER_PAGE in the Standard
Choice ACA_CONFIGS to enable the feature. You must set the value description to Yes.

2.

Get the aspx file name of the target web page.

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a. Right click on the target web page
b. Select Properties in the popup menu and get the address (URL) of the web page.
The address (URL) of the web page contains the aspx file name. For example, if the
address is http://@ACA_SERVER@:@ACA_SERVER_PORT@/Account/
welcome.aspx, the aspx file name is welcome.aspx.

3.

Change the file name of the custom CSS stylesheet or JavaScript file, so that the file name
is identical as that of the aspx file of the target web page.
For example, because the aspx file name for the welcome page is welcome.aspx, the
custom CSS stylesheet for the page shall be welcome.css, and the custom JavaScript file
shall be welcome.js.
The aspx file name for the record home page is cap\caphome.aspx (which means that the
file caphome.aspx file locates in the cap sub folder), the custom CSS stylesheet for the
page shall be caphome.css, and the custom JavaScript file shall be caphome.js.

Note:

If the Citizen Access website is internationalized, in addition to
the stylesheet or JavaScript file that can be commonly applied,
you can create custom CSS stylesheet and JavaScript files that
apply to a specific language. You need to add the language code
as the suffix for the file name. For example, besides the
welcome.css and welcome.js which can be commonly applied,
you can create welcome-ar-AE.css, welcome-en-US.css,
welcome-ar-AE.js, and welcome-en-US.js.

4.

Go to the folder where you installed Citizen Access, create a customization folder and then
an  folder in the customization folder. For example, if the customization
folder name is Customization, the  folder locates at [ACA
Application]\Customization\.

5.

If the customization folder name is Customization, you can skip this step. Otherwise, open
the web.config file under the Citizen Access website root folder, and add a
“CustomizationDirectory” key in the  section with the value being the actual
customization folder name, for example, MyCustomization.

……

……


6.

If the aspx file of the target web page locates in a sub folder, you shall further create a sub
folder of the same name in the  folder for storing the custom page. For
example, because Cap is the directory that stores the original caphome.aspx file, the folder
to store the custom page shall be [ACA Application]\Customization\\Cap.

7.

Copy the custom CSS stylesheet or JavaScript file into the customization folder.
For example, if the file path of the original caphome.aspx file is:
D:\ACAProject\aca_trunk_new\Web\Cap

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You can copy the custom file to the following location (assuming the agency name is
Test_Agency):
D:\ACAProject\aca_trunk_new\Web\Customization\Test_Agency\Cap

8.

Clear cache in ACA Admin. Remember to clear cache every time after you add or delete a
custom CSS stylesheet file or JavaScript file.

Developing and Deploying a Custom Page
You can replace any aspx page on the website with a custom page. When a user opens a page
in Citizen Access, Citizen Access checks whether there exists a custom aspx file for the page. If
there is, the custom page displays to the user. Otherwise, the original page displays.
To develop and deploy a custom page

1.

Decide which page you want to replace.

2.

Get the aspx file of the page.
You can get the aspx file of an Citizen Access page with the following steps:
a. Right click on the original page in Citizen Access.
b. Select Properties in the popup menu and get the address (URL) of the page. The URL
includes the aspx file name and also the directory for accessing the file.
For example, https://$ACA web site$/Cap/caphome.aspx. Cap is the sub folder that
stores the caphome.aspx file.
c. Get the aspx file from the corresponding web server directory.

3.

Develop a custom aspx page with the same file name. You can customize the interface of
the original aspx page in the custom page.

4.

Save the custom aspx file with the following steps.
a. Go to the folder where you installed Citizen Access, create a customization folder and
then an  folder in the customization folder. For example, if the
customization folder name is Customization, the  folder locates at [ACA
Application]\Customization\.
b. If the customization folder name is Customization, you can skip this step. Otherwise,
open the web.config file under the Citizen Access website root folder, and add a
“CustomizationDirectory” key in the  section with the value being the
actual customization folder name, for example, MyCustomization

……

……


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c. If the aspx file of the original page locates in a sub folder, you shall further create a sub
folder in the  folder for storing the custom page. The new sub folder
name shall be the same as the sub folder that contains the original page. For example,
because Cap is the sub folder that stores the original caphome.aspx file, the sub folder
to store the custom page shall be [ACA Application]\Customization\\Cap.
d. Save the custom aspx file in the newly-created folder.
For example, if the file path of the original caphome.aspx file is:
D:\ACAProject\aca_trunk_new\Web\Cap
After you create a custom file with the same name, you must store the custom file at the
following location (assuming the agency name is Test_Agency):
D:\ACAProject\aca_trunk_new\Web\Customization\Test_Agency\Cap

Configuring URLs and Deep Links to Citizen Access
Pages
Public users navigate the Citizen Access website via hyperlinks. Normally you directly enable
the hyperlink to an Citizen Access web page in ACA Admin. You can also amend the URLs of
some existing pages by adding parameters to the URLs, or configure deep links for users to
access other websites or other applications outside ACA.
Topics


Configuring URLs for Page Access



Configuring Deep Links that Enable External Access

Configuring URLs for Page Access
Citizen Access allows you to configuring the URLs to the record creation page or to the module
home page by adding supported parameters in the URLs.
Topics


Getting the System-Default URL



Adding Parameters in the URL to a Record Creation Page



Adding Parameters in the URL to a Module Home Page



Adding URLs to Appropriate Page Layouts

Getting the System-Default URL
The system-default URL for accessing a page includes the ACA site domain and the aspx file
name. For example, the URL that accesses the module home page looks like https://$ACA
web site$/Cap/
Caphome.aspx?module=Building&TabName=BUILDING&TabList=HOME.

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You can get the URL of an Citizen Access page with the following steps:

1.

Right click on the target web page.

2.

Select Properties in the popup menu and get the address (URL) of the web page.

Adding Parameters in the URL to a Record Creation Page
Use the following the syntax to include parameters in the URL for creating records in a single
agency:
Http://$ACA web site$/Cap/CapApplyDisclaimer.aspx?CAPType=$Type1$/
$Type2$/$Type3$/$Type4$/&Module=$Module$


If you want to skip the disclaimer page, use “CapEdit.aspx” to replace
“CapApplyDisclaimer.aspx” in the URL.



capType stands for the record type, and Module stands for the module name of the
specified record type



You can swap the place of the record type, CAPType=$Type1$/$Type2$/$Type3$/
$Type4$, with the module name, Module=$Module$. This means that the following
pattern is also correct.
Http://$ACA web site$/Cap/
CapApplyDisclaimer.aspx?Module=$Module$&CAPType=$Type1$/$Type2$/
$Type3$/$Type4$/

Adding Parameters in the URL to a Module Home Page
Use the following the syntax to include parameters in the URL for accessing a module home
page:
https://$ACA web site$/cap/
caphome.aspx?module=building&TabName=BUILDING&TabList=HOME&ShowMyPermi
tList=Y&SearchType=ByPermit.


ShowMyPermitList. This parameter defines whether the record home page displays the
My Permit List section. Its value can be either Y (default) or N.



QuickQuery. If you enable quickquery drop-down list in the My Permit List section, this
parameter defines the quickquery option to filter the record list in the section.



SearchType. This parameter defines the search options in the record home page. For
information on the parameter values and description, see Table 7: SearchType Parameter
in the URL Accessing the Module Home Page.

Table 7: SearchType Parameter in the URL Accessing the Module Home Page

SearchType
Value

Description

NULL

Applies the first search option as the default search option in the module home page.

None

Hides the whole search section in the module home page.

General

Applies the general search as the default search option in the module home page.

ByAddress

Applies the Search by Address as the default search option in the module home
page.

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Table 7: SearchType Parameter in the URL Accessing the Module Home Page

SearchType
Value

Description

ByLicense

Applies the Search by License as the default search option in the module home
page.

ByPermit

Applies the Search by Permit as the default search option in the module home page.

ByTradeName

Applies the Search by Trade Name as the default search option in the module home
page.

ByContact

Applies the Search by Contact as the default search option in the module home
page.

Adding URLs to Appropriate Page Layouts
You can add a system-default or customized URL as a link to the appropriate page layouts in an
Citizen Access page or outside Citizen Access. For example, add the URL to your agency’s
home page. If you do not assign the specified record type to anonymous role group for record
creation, when users click the link from outside ACA, the link directs them to the ACA login
page. Users must log in to ACA to access the record creation page.

Configuring Deep Links that Enable External Access
You can create hyperlinks to provide quick access to an Citizen Access page from other
websites or other applications outside ACA. Those hyperlinks are deep links. Citizen Access
supports deep links to the details of specific records or to specific actions (such as creating
records of a specific record type).
Topics


Configuring a Deep Link for a Regular Agency



Configuring a Website for Deep Linking in a Main Agency

Configuring a Deep Link for a Regular Agency
Citizen Access provides the generic handler urlrouting.ashx for you to configure a deep
link for a regular agency. The parameter $urlrouting.ashx?type$ enables deep links to
starting the following actions in an application: Resume an Application, Request a Trade
License, Renewal and so on.
By default, deep-linked pages show the Citizen Access header, see . When deep linking to an
Citizen Access page, you can remove the Citizen Access header by adding the parameter
“&HideHeader=true” in the deep link URL.

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Figure 78: Citizen Access Header

Table 8: Parameters in a Deep Link provides the list of parameters that you can use in a deep
link. The following is a deep link sample to the record detail page without a Citizen Access
header:
https://$ACAWebSite$/
urlrouting.ashx?type=1000&Module=$Module$&capID1=$CapID1$&capID2=$CapI
D2$&capID3=$CapID3$&agencyCode=$AgencyCode$&HideHeader=true
Table 8: Parameters in a Deep Link

Variable

Description

$ACA web site$

The ACA website domain. For example, aca-server.accela.com.

$agencyCode$

The agency code which the users belong to.

$capID$/$capID2$/
$capID3$

The capID1, capID2, and capID3, each represents a part of the record
alternate ID.

Note:
$urlrouting.ashx?type
$

The capID parameters are required in the deep links with the
action type being 1000, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009, or 1010.

This parameter defines the action that the deep link directs the users to.
• View Record Detail: urlrouting.ashx?type=1000
• Create a Record (Single record): urlrouting.ashx?type=1002
• Create a Record (Multiple records in a multiple-agency environment):
urlrouting.ashx?type=1003
• Resume an Application: urlrouting.ashx?type=1005
• Renewal: urlrouting.ashx?type=1006
• Request a Trade License: urlrouting.ashx?type=1007
• Amendment: urlrouting.ashx?type=1008
• Pay Fee Due: urlrouting.ashx?type=1009
• Pay Fee Due in Renewal: urlrouting.ashx?type=1010

Note:

The action types 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009, and 1010 do not
allow anonymous user access. A deep link with one of the action
type would validate users’ login status before directing them to
the action page.

$Module$

The module name with which the record type is associated.

$Type1$/$Type2$/
$Type3$/$Type4$

The Type1, Type2, Type3, and Type4, each represents the standard fourlevel record type of group, type, subtype, and category.
If the record type has an alias, you can replace the four levels with the alias.

$HideHeader$

This parameter controls whether to remove the Citizen Access header.

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Table 8: Parameters in a Deep Link (Continued)

Variable

Description

$culture$

This parameter specifies the language choice for the page. Depending on
the language settings in the Citizen Access website, the value in $culture$
can be ar-AE, en-AU, en-US, es-MX, and zh-TW. For example, you can
append "&culture=en-US" to the end of an existing deep link URL for
accessing an Citizen Access web page in US English:

https://$ACA Web Site$/
urlrouting.ashx?type=1006&agencyCode=TestA&capID1
=13CAP&capID2=00000&capID3=000F3&culture=en-US

Note:
$IsSkipDisclaimer$

The capID parameters are required in the deep links with the
action type being 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009, or 1010.

You can use this parameter in record creation deep links, to specify whether
the record creation page flow skips the disclaimer page. If the parameter
value is Y or Yes, the page flow skips the disclaimer page. If the value is N,
or No, or undefined, the page flow starts with displaying the disclaimer
page.
The following sample deep link URLs use the parameter
$IsSkipDisclaimer$ to skip the disclaimer page:
• Sample deep URLs for creating a single record

https://$ACA Web Site$/
urlrouting.ashx?type=1002&CAPType=Test/ACA/Type/
SingleRecord&module=Testmodule&IsSkipDisclaimer=Y
• Sample deep URL for creating multiple records in a multiple-agency
environment

http://$ACA Web Site$/
UrlRouting.ashx?Type=1003&IsSkipDisclaimer=Y

Configuring a Website for Deep Linking in a Main Agency
When the multiple-agency functionality is enabled, if you create a deep link for the main agency
in a multiple-agency environment, you must design a website outside Citizen Access to pass a
JSON object to Citizen Access via the POST method. This website enables public users to
select one service or multiple services, before they are directed to the specified page in Citizen
Access.
Here is an example JSON object. For a description of the properties in the JSON object, see
Table 9: JSON Object Properties on page 198.
{
ServiceList:
[
{Name:'Service1',Agency:'Agency1'},
{Name:'Service2',Agency:'Agency2'}
],
MasterRecordType:
'Module/Type/SubType/Category'

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}
Table 9: JSON Object Properties

JSON Object Property

Description

ServiceList

The property values are the selected services. Each service comprises
two elements:
• Name: The name of the selected service.
• Agency: The code of the agency that provides the selected service.

MasterRecordType

The property value is the placeholder record type defined in the main
agency. Module, Type, SubType, and Category in the property value
represents the standard four-level record type of group, type, subtype, and
category.
When services are selected, but the record type for the service does not
have an associated page flow, Citizen Access applies the page flow
associated with the main agency’s placeholder record type to the record
creation page.
When one service is selected and its record type has an associated page
flow, Citizen Access ignores this property value, if any, and applies the
page flow associated with the selected service’ record type.

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P ART II

M ANAGING

I MPLEMENTATION
Chapter 11: Implementation Planning
Chapter 12: Defining the Registration and Account Management Process
Chapter 13: Configuring Record Inquiry
Chapter 14: Creating Records
Chapter 15: Fees and Online Payments
Chapter 16: Managing Inspections
Chapter 17: Authorized Service
Chapter 18: License Verification and Online Renewal
Chapter 19: Certifications and Education
Chapter 20: Reporting Information
Chapter 21: Maintaining the ACA Website

200

C HAPTER 11:

IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING

Citizen Access provides modules, their associated features, and online tasks for agencies to
implement for their public users. The purpose of this guide is to provide you with information
about and configurations for those public facing options for optimal website functionality so your
agency can get up and running using ACA.
It is important to make decisions about how your agency wants to implement Citizen Access so
that you complete the right configurations in the right areas of product. This chapter provides a
comprehensive list of the required configurations for optimal performance for the following
areas of implementation: record query, registration, inspection scheduling, record creation,
authorized service, viewing and/or paying fees online, and license renewal. Each area provides
a list of configurations for each area of product and a cross-reference to the instructional text.
The statement below is a brief explanation for each area of implementation.
If your agency requires the implementation of internationalization, please refer to the
“Internationalization and Localization” appendix in the Accela Civic Platform Internationalization
Installation and Administrator Guide for information and configuration details.
Topics


Enabling HTTPS



Configuring Public User Registration and Account Management



Configuring for Record Inquiry



Configuring Records for Processing



Setting Up Fees



Configuring Inspections



Renewing and Verifying Licenses

Enabling HTTPS
Your agency may be using an IIS server which requires configuration for HTTPS (Hypertext
Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer). HTTPS is specifically for security-sensitive
communication use over the web. It provides authentication and encrypted communication,
which is particularly important for payment transactions or corporate logins. SSL certificates
authenticate the secure communication. This section provides instructions on how to configure
IIS for HTTPS and how to apply an authentic SSL Certificate for your production environment.

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Topics


Configuring IIS for HTTPS



Replacing Certificates

Configuring IIS for HTTPS
This section provides the information to download the Internet Information Services (IIS)
Resource Kit Tools from Microsoft Download Center, install it on your server, and run the Self
SSL utility to configure IIS for HTTPS. To allow the IIS server to access your site using HTTPS,
you must stop the IIS server, run the utility program to completion, and then restart the IIS
server.
To configure IIS for HTTPS

1.

Download the Internet Information Services (IIS) Resource Kit Tools.
a. Open a Web Browser and go to the Microsoft Download Center.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/
details.aspx?FamilyID=56fc92ee-a71a-4c73-b628ade629c89499&DisplayLang=en
b. Click the Download button.

2.

When the download is complete, install the IIS Resource Kit Tools on the server where
you install IIS.

3.

Stop IIS server before running the SelfSSL utility program in step 4 below.

4.

Run the SelfSSL utility program to configure IIS for HTTPS
a. Navigate to Start > All programs > IIS Resources > SelfSSL > Self SSL.
b. Run to completion.

5.

Start IIS and access your site using https://.

Replacing Certificates
As part of the configuration process, a dummy SSL certificate can be used and configured for
IIS. This type of SSL certificate works for test environments, but you must have an authentic
SSL certificate from a certificate provider like Verisign, Thawte, InstantSSL, Entrust, Baltimore,
or Geotrust for production environments. As soon as the real certificate is available, you can
replace the dummy certificate with the real one by using the IIS Manager Admin tool.
To replace certificates

1.

Open IIS Manager.

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2.

From the Web Sites folder, right-click Default Web Site and choose Properties from the
drop-down list.
IIS Manager displays the Default Web Site Properties pop-up window.

3.

Verify you are viewing the page associated with the Directory Security tab.

4.

In the Secure communications section, click the Server Certificate button.
IIS displays the Wizard for a new certificate installation.

5.

Install the new certificate by following the instructions provided by the Wizard.

Configuring Public User Registration and Account
Management
Your agency may want to require public users to register for and/or associate a license with a
public user account before accessing information in Citizen Access. This feature allows the
implementation of restrictions to information, provides a way to validate the communication
channel with public users, assists in the management task permissions, and can control
exposure to personal information. This section provides questions that help guide your thoughts
in how you want to configure registration and account management for your agency. Then, it
has a comprehensive list of configurations to help you implement registration and account
management.
Topics


Deciding How to Implement Registration and Account Management



Configuring Required Registration and Account Management Settings

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Deciding How to Implement Registration and Account
Management
Before implementing the registration and account management for your public users, review the
list of decision making design considerations to ensure you configure Citizen Access to meet
the requirements for your agency.


Do you want to allow public users to register in your Agency’s ACA website, and whether
register by an external system, or Facebook? See Understanding the Registration Process
on page 222.



Do you want agency employees to activate new public user accounts? See “Activating a
Public User Account” in the “Public Users” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.



Do you want public users to activate their own account through e-mail verification? See
Defining Activation E-mails on page 98.



Who in your agency manage public user accounts? For tasks associated with managing
accounts the “Public Users” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.



Do you want to allow public users to maintain their own contacts, and enable the public user
to timely update their contact information in their account management page? See Account
Settings on page 58.



How does your agency manage licenses relating to public user accounts? See Defining
Expired License and Insurance Settings on page 424.



Does your agency want to require agency activation for linking a license? If so, see
“Managing Associated Licenses” in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.



Do you want to allow public users to register without a professional license and have the
ability to create applications? For example, a non-licensed homeowner can apply for a
permit for an accessory structure or home repair. If so, this is the default configuration.



Do you want to allow public users to link a professional license to their account at the time
of registration? Do you want to filter the available application types based on the license
type? For example, you can allow all licensed plumbers to create only plumbing related
applications while licensed electricians can only create electrical related applications. See
Configuring the Registration Settings Page on page 224.

Configuring Required Registration and Account
Management Settings
This section provides a comprehensive list of required configuration steps to get your Citizen
Access website up and running with registration and account management. These steps
provide all configurations of the registration and account management processes, including
configuration tasks in Civic Platform and Citizen Access Setup. It is recommended best practice
to implement the registration process using this checklist together with Chapter 12: Defining the
Registration and Account Management Process on page 221.
To configure required registration settings

1.

Configure the Standard Choice LICENSED PROFESSIONAL TYPE.

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Define the LICENSED PROFESSIONAL TYPE Standard Choice and list contractor types
as the Standard Choice Values. This configuration allows registered public users to
associate a license with their account. Contractor types include: electrical, mechanical, gas,
plumbing, and/or general.
For information on configuring the Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference. See also, “Managing Professionals” in the People chapter of the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

2.

Configure the Standard Choices for contacts
The CONTACT TYPE Standard Choice determines the contact types that public users can
select when adding contact information to their accounts, and when adding contacts to their
applications.
When public users register for an account, they may only enter part of the contact
information. You can configure the INDIVIDUAL_CONTACT_MATCH_CRITERIA and
ORGANIZATION_CONTACT_MATCH_CRITERIA Standard Choices to pull the rest of
contact information from a close match contact which already exists in the Civic Platform
reference database.
For information on configuring the Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

3.

Enable Registration and Login links on the Welcome Global page
Feature Settings page check box configuration that enables the Registration and Login
links on the Welcome Global page. See Table 3: Feature Settings Configuration Check
Boxes on page 81 and Figure 37: Feature Settings Configuration Page on page 81.

4.

Define the license registration functionality
Registration Settings page configurations determine if you want to require the association
of a license with a public user account, disable Add License buttons, and disable Remove
License button. For configuration information, see Register License on page 86.

5.

Define the EMSE script for defining which license types have auto-issuance and associate
to the RegistrationSubmitAfter event. See Registration Submit After Scripting Information
on page 241.

6.

Define the EMSE scripts for contact validation based on SSN and FEIN. See Setting SSN
and FEIN Contact Field Validation on page 240.

7.

Customize the related email notifications in Civic Platform > Administration > Setup >
Communication Manager > Notification Templates.

•

Password Reset

•

Citizen User Registration

•

Deactivate Account

•

Validate Citizen User (sent to agency to activate an account)

•

Account Verification (sent to public user with an activation link)

•

Associate License to Account (Notice to Citizen Access User)

•

Associate License to Account (Internal Notice)

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Refer to the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide for complete details on customizing
notification templates.

8.

Enable account management functionality to allow public users to modify account details.
See Enabling Account Management Functionality on page 38.

9.

Define password functionality to define how ACA notifies public users of a forgotten
password. See Managing Public User Passwords on page 39.

10. Customize the web pages related to registration. See Customizing Registration and
Account Management Web Pages on page 224.

11. Define expiration settings to purge inactive accounts from your database. This configuration
includes a script and batch job configuration. See Expiration Interval Settings on page 90.

12. Manage public user accounts
A registered public user has an account to access and view information in Citizen Access.
Administrators manage the public user accounts in Civic Platform Public User portlets, by
deactivating public user account, regenerating passwords, and updating information. For
more information on how to maintain public user records and configuration details
surrounding the Public User portlet, refer to the “Public Users” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.

Configuring for Record Inquiry
You can provide the ability for public users to search for and view record information in ACA.
When you enable search functionality, all record types configured in Civic Platform are available
for query. This feature allows you to filter available record types and limit other types of
information public users view. This feature is available for all types of users so your agency
does not need to implement the registration feature for inquiry only. To successfully implement
inquiry only, you must perform configurations in Citizen Access Setup.
Topics


Deciding How to Implement Record Query



Configuring Required Settings for Record Query

Deciding How to Implement Record Query
Before the application configuration process starts, decide which modules and record types you
want available in ACA. Then determine what features and functionality you want displayed in
record searches.
You can filter result information and customize search forms throughout the various areas of the
software. You can offer a global search to allow public users to search for information
throughout the entire system from any page in Citizen Access. You can implement module
searches that target searching record types defined within the module. Optionally, you can
extend search functionality from a module to include other defined modules. The licensed
professional search functionality allows a public user to search the database for their license
information. The food facility inspection search allows public users to look up the inspection

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results of the licensed food facilities. You can place restrictions on license information so Citizen
Access only returns the licenses relating to your account. When public users perform the
Provider/Education/Licensee search, they can search for a facility that offers examinations to
support the education requirements for a new license or renewal. You can also search for
licensed professionals to view their credentials. Independent of the search public users choose
to locate information, you can filter search results and enable public users to export them in
CSV format to their computer.

Note:

For successful setup, use both this list of implementation decisions
together with the checklist of core configurations as explained in
Configuring Required Settings for Record Query on page 206.



Do you want to offer Global Search functionality? What type of information do you want to
display? See Enabling Global Search on page 243.



Do you want to filter record types with a void or hold status from searches? See Modifying
Search Pages and Filtering Data on page 262.



Do you want to enable cross-module searches? See Defining Module Search Functionality
on page 245.



Do you want to place restrictions on licensed professional searches? See Defining
Licensed Professional Searches on page 253.



Do you want to display Inspection and Workflow comments? By default, comments display
to ALL ACA USERS. See Restricting Access to View Comments on page 309.



Do you want to allow anonymous users to open documents uploaded as attachments? See
Document Attachments on page 330.



Do you want to offer Provider/Education/Licensee search functionality? See Enabling
Provider/Education/Licensee Search on page 256.



Do you want to enable the Food Facility Inspection search? See Customizing Food Facility
Inspection Search on page 259.



Do you want to enable external APO search? See Enabling External APO Search on
page 261.



Do you want to allow public users to export search result information? See Exporting
Search Results in CSV Format on page 280.

Configuring Required Settings for Record Query
This section provides a comprehensive list of required configuration steps to get your Citizen
Access website set up and run with record query. These steps provide all configurations
relevant to record search functionality, including configuration tasks in Civic Platform and
Citizen Access Setup. For example, the setup of Application Specific Information (ASI) fields,
setting up global search, defining an alias for an Application Type, and displaying workflow
comments. It is recommended best practice to implement the record search functionality by this
checklist together with Chapter 13: Configuring Record Inquiry on page 242.

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Follow the task list below to implement record search functionality on your site

1.

2.

Enable search functionality on the Feature Settings page. See Feature Setting
Configurations on page 80.

•

Enable modules for ACA. See Table 3: Feature Settings Configuration Check Boxes on
page 81.

•

Expand module tree view to enable modular search functionality. See Table 3: Feature
Settings Configuration Check Boxes on page 81.

•

Enable APO search functionality. See Table 3: Feature Settings Configuration Check
Boxes on page 81.

•

If necessary, hide registration links if your agency does not implement Registration. See
Enabling Registration and Displaying Links on page 222.

Define record types for modules. See Configuring Record Types in Civic Platform on
page 283.

•

Verify the configurations specific for ACA listed below. See Configuring Record Type
Settings on page 286.

•

Make the record type available in ACA. See Configuring Record Type Settings on
page 286.

•

Define an alias name for the record type. See Configuring Record Type Settings on
page 286.

3.

Configure global search functionality. See Enabling Global Search on page 243.

4.

Set module search definitions. See Defining Module Search Functionality on page 245.

•

Set role-based search definitions for user types. See Configuring Role-based Search
Definitions on page 251.

•

Define cross module search functionality. See Configuring Cross Module Searches on
page 247.

•

Define address search functionality. See Enabling Address Range Search Functionality
on page 249.

•

Define application status settings. See Application Status on page 112.

•

Apply filters to search results list. See Filter Record Search Results on page 111.

•

Limit who can view contacts. See Contact Information Controls on page 109.

•

Define which application information is visible on this page by following the
configurations for Record Detail Section Configuration on page 128.

5.

Configure licensed professional searches. See Defining Licensed Professional Searches
on page 253.

6.

Configure education and license credential search functionality. See Inspections on
page 105 and Enabling Provider/Education/Licensee Search on page 256.

7.

Configure food facility inspection search. See Customizing Food Facility Inspection Search
on page 259.

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8.

Configure external APO search. See Enabling External APO Search on page 261.

9.

Prepare the search forms by applying filters and customizing forms as defined in Modifying
Search Pages and Filtering Data on page 262.

10. Customize web pages related to search functionality. For customization steps, see Chapter
10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

•

Customize the following web pages located in the Home folder in Pages area of General
Settings.
- Welcome Global

•

Customize the following web pages located in the Module Home folder in the Pages
area for a module.
- Record Home
- Record Detail

11. Define inspections for a module and, if necessary, only configure permissions to view
inspections. See Inspections on page 105.

12. Optional inspections? Recommended setting, Yes.
13. Define document attachment permissions and functionality. See Document Attachments on
page 330.

14. If necessary, configure condition display in ACA. See Displaying Conditions on page 312.
15. Define the display of workflow and inspection comments. See Restricting Access to View
Comments on page 309.

16. If necessary, set up Export Search Results in CSV format feature. See Exporting Search
Results in CSV Format on page 280.

17. If necessary, configure report manager to display the optional summary report. See
Associating Reports with Print/View Buttons on page 464.

18. If you want public users to be able to view search results in a map, set Maps on page 102.

Configuring Records for Processing
Configure Citizen Access to provide public users with the ability to create a basic record online,
such as a building permit or an application for a license. Civic Platform provides a default, or
standard method for creating records. For alternative methodology to create records, see
Appendix C: Variations for Creating Records on page 519.
This section provides questions to help assess your agency’s needs for record creation. This
configuration process requires numerous settings and inter-dependencies in Civic Platform and
Citizen Access. It is recommended best practice to use the questions, the configuration
checklist, and Chapter 14: Creating Records on page 282 when setting up record creation
functionality.

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Topics


Deciding How to Implement Record Processing



Configuring Required Record Creation Settings

Deciding How to Implement Record Processing
Before implementing the ability to create records online, review the list of decision making
design considerations for implementation of record creation. This process provides a way for
public users to apply for a permit, a license, or submit a service request online. Public users can
track inspections, key contacts, and follow the process through the workflow.

Note:

For successful setup, use both this list of implementation decisions
together with the checklist of core configurations as explained in
Configuring Required Record Creation Settings on page 209.



What record types do you want to make available for an online application or issuance?
See Configuring Record Types in Civic Platform on page 283.



To define payment process/provider for fee collection, see Chapter 15: Fees and Online
Payments on page 355.
PayPal PayflowPro, Official Payments, Official Payments Cobrand+, etc. Refer to both the
“Payment Processing” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide and the
integration package Epay SDK.zip. Contact Accela Customer Support for assistance in
obtaining the integration package.



Do you want to allow document attachments to record types? See Document Attachments
on page 330.



Whether or not to provide reports for receipts and permits? See Configuring Report
Manager for Citizen Access on page 462.



How long do partially completed applications exist in the database? See Deleting Partially
Completed Applications on page 479.



Does your agency require records with child records attaching to it? See Creating a ParentChild Record on page 519.



Does your agency require amendment records (child records) or functionality for multiple
agencies? See Creating Records for Multiple Agencies on page 524 and Configuring
Amendment Record Functionality on page 558.



Do you want to enable authorized service such as fishing and hunting license sales? See
Chapter 17: Authorized Service on page 400.

Configuring Required Record Creation Settings
This section provides a comprehensive list of required configuration steps to get your Citizen
Access website set up and run with record creation. These steps provide all configurations
related to record functionality, including configuration tasks in Civic Platform and Citizen Access
Setup. For example, document attachment configurations, Application Specific Information
(ASI) field configurations, Task Specific Information (TSI) field configurations, Application
Specific (ASI) Table configuration, and Page flow configuration. It is recommended best practice

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to implement the record creation functionality by using this checklist together with Chapter 14:
Creating Records on page 282.
Follow the task list below to implement record processing on your site

1.

2.

Enable functionality on the Feature Settings page. See Feature Setting Configurations on
page 80.

•

Enable modules for ACA. See Table 3: Feature Settings Configuration Check Boxes on
page 81.

•

Expand module tree view to enable modular application functionality. See Table 3:
Feature Settings Configuration Check Boxes on page 81.

•

If necessary, enable the Obtain a Fee Estimate link for modules. See Table 3: Feature
Settings Configuration Check Boxes on page 81.

•

If necessary, enable APO search functionality. See Table 3: Feature Settings
Configuration Check Boxes on page 81.

•

If necessary, hide registration links if your agency does not implement registration. See
Enabling Registration and Displaying Links on page 222.

Define record types for modules. See Configuring Record Types in Civic Platform on
page 283.

•

Verify the configurations specific for ACA listed below are defined. See Configuring
Record Type Settings on page 286.

•

Make the record type available in ACA. See Configuring Record Type Settings on
page 286.

•

Define an alias name for the record type. See Configuring Record Type Settings on
page 286.

3.

Set the default application status in Civic Platform. See Setting the Default Status for
Application Type on page 348.

4.

Configure the ACA_CONFIGS Standard Choice with the NO_SAVEANDRESUMELATER
Standard Choices Value. The value description options are the module names that you
want to exclude from partial record functionality, such as Buildings, Licenses, Enforcement.
For information on configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

5.

Enable Fee Functionality. See Enabling Fees for Online Functionality on page 356.

•

If necessary, add the fee estimate functionality. This feature allows public users to get an
estimate of the total amount due based on application information. This feature does not
allow you to make a payment. For more information, see Enabling Fee Estimation on
page 359. Verify Function Identification (FID) Fee Estimation is enabled. The FID
controls the display of the Fee Estimation check box.

•

Enabling Fees for Invoices. Determine if the fee is auto-invoiced. Decide if you want to
assess a fee with a script or fee indicators. For more information, see Enabling Fees for
Online Functionality on page 356.

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•

Write event scripts associated with record processing. For more information, refer to
Citizen Access Events in Appendix A: Accela Engineering Event Scripts on page 484.

For information on configuring the FID, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration
Reference.

6.

Define Document Attachment Permissions and Functionality. See Document Attachments
on page 330.

•

7.

Define application document groups and types. see “Managing Documents for
Attachments” in the “Plan Review” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.

Create and display ASI Fields and Tables for functionality in Citizen Access. See Defining
ASI Fields and Tables on page 302.
See also “Managing Application-Specific Information” in the “Application Management”
chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

8.

If necessary, create expressions with the Expression Builder.
Citizen Access supports expressions for fields in the ASI, ASI Table, Contact (including
generic template fields and template table fields), Fee, and Licensed Professionals
sections. For information on configuring expressions, see the “Expression Builder” chapter
in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

9.

Configure online payment processing for the third-party payment provider. For more
information, see Online Payment Processing on page 371.
Refer to both the “Payment Processing” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide and the integration package Epay SDK.zip. Contact Accela Customer Support for
assistance in obtaining the integration package.

10. If necessary, set up maps functionality so public users can view records in a map viewer.
See Maps on page 102.

11. Create page flows for a module. See Chapter 9: Page Flow Configuration on page 130.
You can define the EMSE license validation feature with a page flow. See Validating During
the Application Intake Process on page 421.

12. Customize web pages related to record application functionality. For customization steps,
see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

•

Customize the following web pages located in the Create an Application folder in Pages
area for a module.
- Select a License
- Enter Work Location
- Record type Picker
- Building Information
- Review Information
- Pay Fees
- Receipt

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•

Customize the following web pages located in the Obtain a Fee Estimate folder in the
Pages area for a module.
Fee Estimate Summary

13. If necessary, define search functionality so public users can search and select information
when creating records. See Configuring for Record Inquiry on page 205.

Setting Up Fees
You can configure the ability for agencies to collect fees associated with a record online. This
feature enables public users to access their records and view its associated fees. Public users
can group records together in a shopping cart, and pay for the fees in the cart from their
computer. If ACA is configured to do so, public users can conveniently pay for those fees with a
credit card or Echeck. This section provides indications to help you determine how you want to
implement online fees and a consolidated list of configurations to implement functionality. For
more information on fees, refer to Setting Up Fees on page 212 and the “Fee Setup” chapter in
the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Topics


Deciding How to Implement Online Fees



Configuring Required Online Fee Settings

Deciding How to Implement Online Fees
Before implementing fees in Citizen Access, review the list of decision making design
considerations to ensure your configurations meet the requirements for your agency.

Note:

For successful setup, use both this list of implementation decisions
together with the checklist of core configurations as explained in
Configuring Required Online Fee Settings on page 213.



Do you want Citizen Access fees to be automatically calculated and assessed by fee
indicators or scripts? Refer to the “Fee Setup” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide. See also, Enabling Fees for Online Functionality on page 356.



Do you want the users to determine fees by data input, such as QTY? Refer to the “Fee
Setup” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. See also Enabling Fees
for Online Functionality on page 356.



Do you want a combination of auto-assess and user data entry? See Enabling Fees for
Online Functionality on page 356. See also “Fee Setup” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.



Define payment process/provider for fee collection.
PayPal PayflowPro, Official Payments, Official Payments Cobrand+ and so on. Refer to
both the “Payment Processing” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide
and the integration package Epay SDK.zip. Contact Accela Customer Support for
assistance in obtaining the integration package.

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

Does your agency provide a report for receipts and permits? See Chapter 20: Reporting
Information on page 461.



Does your agency want to offer shopping cart functionality? See Configuring Shopping Cart
on page 367.

Configuring Required Online Fee Settings
Online fee configurations provide public users to access their records, view the associated fees,
group records together in a shopping cart, and pay for the fees in the cart from their computer.
The implementation of online payment processing allows public users to use a credit card or a
debit card to pay for the associated fees online. This section provides implementation questions
and required configuration steps for online fee setup. The configuration of online payment
processing requires additional documentation for configuration. Refer to the integration
package Epay SDK.zip. Contact Accela Customer Support for assistance in obtaining the
integration package.
It is recommended best practice to implement the record creation functionality by using this
checklist together with Chapter 15: Fees and Online Payments on page 355 and the integration
package Epay SDK.zip. Also see the “Payment Processing” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.
Follow the task list below to implement online fee functionality on your site

1.

Define fee setup configurations, including Fee-Items, Fee-Schedules, and Payment
Periods. See the “Fee-Setup” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Verify ACA configurations for fee-items are set and enabled for ACA. See Enabling Fees for
Online Functionality on page 356.

2.

If necessary, enable Fee Estimation.
Enable Function Identification Fee Estimation. See Enabling Fee Estimation on page 359.

3.

Define Record Type configurations. Assign a fee code to the application type. See
Configuring Record Types in Civic Platform on page 283.

4.

Configure the ACA_CONFIGS Standard Choice with the NO_SAVEANDRESUMELATER
Standard Choices Value. The value description options are the module names that you
want to exclude from Partial Record functionality, such as Buildings, Licenses,
Enforcement.
For information on configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

5.

6.

Enable fees for invoices, see Enabling Fees for Online Functionality on page 356.

•

Auto-Invoice

•

Assess the fee by script or by fee indicators

Write the event scripts.
The Standard Field “Created by ACA” set to yes can be queried in your script making.

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For a list of scripts available in ACA, refer to “ACA” of the Appendix A: Accela Engineering
Event Scripts on page 484.

7.

Define ASI Fields and ASI Tables. See Configuring Application Specific Information on
page 302.
Create and make fields available to ACA. You can also configure the Expression Builder for
fields. For configuration details, refer to the “Expressions Builder” chapter in the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
For configuration details, refer to the “Managing Application Specific Information” section in
the “Application Management” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

8.

9.

Enable functionality on the Feature Settings page. See Feature Setting Configurations on
page 80.

•

Expand a module tree view to enable modular application functionality. See Table 3:
Feature Settings Configuration Check Boxes on page 81.

•

If necessary, enable the Obtain a Fee Estimate link for modules. See Table 3: Feature
Settings Configuration Check Boxes on page 81.

Customize web pages related to online fee functionality. For customization steps, see
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

•

Customize the following web pages located in the Create an Application folder in Pages
area for a module.
- Pay Fees
- Receipt

•

Customize the following web pages located in the Obtain a Fee Estimate folder in the
Pages area for a module.
- Fee Estimate Summary

10. If necessary, configure the deletion of partially completed applications to remove associated
fees. For configuration details see Deleting Partially Completed Applications on page 479.

11. Configure payment processing for the third-party payment provider.
Refer to the “Payment Processing” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide, and for back-end setup, see the integration package Epay SDK.zip. Contact Accela
Customer Support for assistance in obtaining the integration package.

Configuring Inspections
Certain modules, like building, require inspections associated with the permit. Your agency can
provide the ability for registered professionals or other registered public users, such as an
owner, to view and schedule an inspection on their permit. This section provides questions to
help you assess the inspection functionality for your ACA website. Follow the comprehensive
list of tasks for a successful implementation.

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Topics


Deciding How to Implement Inspections



Configuring Core Inspection Settings

Deciding How to Implement Inspections
Before implementing the inspection feature in Citizen Access, review the list of decision making
design considerations to ensure your configurations meet the requirements for your agency.

Note:



For successful setup, use both this list of implementation decisions
together with the checklist of core configurations as explained in
Configuring Core Inspection Settings on page 215.

Who have permission to schedule inspections?
All ACA Users (including non-registered users), Registered Users, Record Creator,
Contact, Owner and Licensed Professional



Do you want Civic Platform / Citizen Access to auto-assign inspections? Y/N



Do you want to auto-generate a new inspection upon canceling a scheduled inspection? If
yes, define event scripts.



•

InspectionCancelBefore

•

InspectionCancelAfter

Inspection calendar setup.
Does your agency want to allow public users to request or schedule inspections?
Request an inspection am/pm block
Schedule specific time slot. (For instance, 8:30-9:00)



Decision for the day-to-day considerations:
If auto-assign is not enabled, who manages the inspection requests and assignments to
inspectors?

Configuring Core Inspection Settings
To configure inspection settings for ACA, it is critical that you pre-define inspections, inspection
types, inspectors, and inspection calendars as explained in the “Inspection” and the “Calendar”
chapters in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. This section has a comprehensive
list of tasks that bring inspection functionality to public users online.
It is recommended best practice to implement the record creation functionality by using this
checklist together with Chapter 16: Managing Inspections on page 376.
Follow the task list below to implement inspection functionality on your site

1.

Pre-configure inspections, inspection types, and items in Civic Platform.
For configuration details, refer to “Establishing Inspection Types” in the “Inspections”
chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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2.

Configure the inspection calendar. See Configuring the Inspection Calendar on page 377.
For configuration details, refer to “Managing Inspection Calendars” in the “Calendars”
chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

3.

Set inspection display configurations for modules on the Module Settings page. See
Defining Inspections for a Module on page 376.

4.

Define who can schedule inspections on the Module Settings page. See Configuring
Schedule Inspections Permission on page 106.

5.

Restrict inspection scheduling to ANY public users for certain inspection type when the
record is of certain status. See Application Status on page 112.

6.

Define inspection type security. See “Adding or Editing Inspection Type Security” in the
“Security Policies” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

7.

Define inspection scheduling options. See Managing Inspection Scheduling on page 381.

8.

Set inspection confirmation settings. See Customizing Inspection Confirmation Details on
page 392.

9.

Customize web pages related to inspection functionality. For customization steps, see
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

•

Customize the following web pages located in the Inspections folder in Pages area for a
module.
- Select Inspection Type
- Inspection Date and Time
- Inspection Location and Contact
- Inspection Confirmation: Refer to step 8 for additional information.
- Inspection Cancellation
- Inspection Detail

•

Customize the Inspection section in the Record Detail page under the module Home
folder in Pages area.

10. If your agency have external inspectors such as contract inspectors or self-certified
inspectors complete inspections, enable external inspectors to upload inspection results.
See Enabling External Inspectors to Upload Inspection Results on page 395.

Renewing and Verifying Licenses
Your agency can offer online license and the renewal services. You can allow licensed
professionals to apply for license, permit, or renewals online. You can use their licenses to
define permissions to online tasks. Their license information can be validated regularly so that
only those registered public users with a valid license can perform tasks. ACA also provides
agencies with the ability to track the Education, Continuing Education, and Examination
requirements for professional or occupational licensing, streamlining the credentials process.
Education requirements for licensed professionals can be tracked by the agency, upcoming
license renewal reminders can be displayed, and Examination Providers can securely upload

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examination scores directly to the agency. This section provides design considerations for
implementing license processing and a list of required configuration settings for implementation.
Topics


Deciding How to Implement License Management



Configuring Required License Verification & Online Renewal Settings

Deciding How to Implement License Management
Before implementing license management in Citizen Access, review the list of decision making
design considerations to ensure your configurations meet the requirements for your agency.

Note:

For successful setup, utilize both this list of implementation decisions
together with the checklist of core configurations as explained in
Configuring Required License Verification & Online Renewal Settings
on page 217.



Decision: How do you want to handle the issuance of the license? Do you want the license
issued automatically when the fees are paid? Do you want someone in the agency to issue
the license? See Configuring License Renewal on page 429.



What areas of the system do you want to run license verification? See Managing License
Verification on page 415.



How do you want to manage the license expiration process? See Defining Expired License
and Insurance Settings on page 424.



Do you want to integrate license functionality with education management? See Chapter
19: Certifications and Education on page 438.

Configuring Required License Verification & Online
Renewal Settings
This section provides a list of required configurations to implement licensing, license
validations, license renewals, and education. It is recommended best practice to implement the
licensing functionality by using this checklist together with Chapter 18: License Verification and
Online Renewal on page 414 and Chapter 19: Certifications and Education on page 438. The
education component has configurations that are consolidated for full functionality in Chapter
19: Certifications and Education on page 438.
Follow the task list below to implement license verification and online renewal
functionality on your site.

1.

Enable Function Identification (FIDs) associated with license renewal and verification.

•

Enable FID 8398 Record Renewal to full access so ACA users can renew a Record.

•

Enable FID 0065 Admin Application Types to display the Enable for ACA check
boxes.

•

Enable FID 8393 Payment Processing for online payments.

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For information on configuring the FIDs, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration
Reference.

2.

Define event scripts.
For a list of event scripts in ACA, refer to “ACA” in Appendix A: Accela Engineering Event
Scripts on page 484.

3.

•

ApplicationSubmitAfter

•

PaymentReceiveAfter

•

WorkflowTaskUpdateAfter

•

Convert2RealCapAfter4Renew

Set up renewal expiration code information.
For configuration information, refer to “Establishing Renewal Information” in the “Business
License” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

4.

5.

6.

Define record types for the parent license or application in a module. See Configuring
Record Types in Civic Platform on page 283.

•

Verify the configurations specific for ACA listed below are defined. See Configuring
Record Type Settings on page 286.

•

Make the record type available in ACA. See Configuring Record Type Settings on
page 286.

•

Set the fee schedule.

•

Set the workflow.

•

Set the ASI group code.

•

Set the page flow code.

Define record types for the renewal license or application in a module. See Configuring
Record Types in Civic Platform on page 283.

•

Verify the configurations specific for ACA listed below are defined. See Configuring
Record Type Settings on page 286.

•

Make the record type available in ACA. See Configuring Record Type Settings on
page 286.

•

Enable application.

•

Set the fee Schedule.

•

Set the workflow.

•

Set the ASI group code.

•

Set the page flow code.

Create an application type for the renewal. See Configuring License Renewal on page 429.

•

Verify the configurations specific for ACA listed below are defined. See Configuring
Record Type Settings on page 286.

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1) Make the record type available in ACA. See Configuring Record Type Settings on
page 286.
2) Enable renewal.
3) Set the renewal record type defined in task step 5.
4) Set ASI group.
5) Set expiration code.
6) Set SmartChoice group.

7.

Define page flows.
a. Associate the page flow with the renewal record type created in task step 6.
b. Add the following components:
- Address
- Parcel
- Owner
- Licensed professional
- Applicant
- ASI (Application Specific Information)
- ASI Table (Application Specific Information Table)
For additional configuration details, refer to Working with Components on page 146 and
Appendix B: Features Requiring Interface Implementations on page 493.

8.

Write scripts associated with the validation of licenses.
For complete configuration details, refer to Managing License Verification on page 415.

9.

Define the content for the license, verification and license renewal e-mails. See Defining
Licensing E-mail Functionality on page 434.

10. Configure the following license verification and renewal emails in Civic Platform >
Administration > Setup > Communication Manager > Notification Templates:

•

License emails:
- Connecting an approved license to a public user
- Connecting a new license to a public user
- Removing a license from a public user
- Rejecting a license

•

Verification emails:
- Associating license to account
- Associating a license to multiple accounts

•

Renewal emails:
- License renewal (automatically issued) e-mail
- License renewal (pending)

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- License renewal (denied)
- License renewal (approved)
- License renewal new application notice
Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide for
complete details on customizing notification templates.

11. Customize license activation by EMSE. See Registering Licensed Professional Accounts
by EMSE on page 36.

12. If necessary, configure the education, continuing education, and examination functionality.
See Chapter 19: Certifications and Education on page 438.

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C HAPTER 12:

DEFINING THE REGISTRATION
AND ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
PROCESS
Citizen Access offers a registration process to collect user account information. An Citizen
Access user account is a pubic user account. A public user is any user that accesses your
agency ACA website, including licensed professionals, contractors, citizens, agency
employees, or business owners. Anonymous users are any public users who access the
website without registration for an online account or do not log in to the ACA website. This
chapter addresses how you can set up registration and the features associated with
registration. This process requires configurations in Civic Platform and Citizen Access Admin,
so it is critical that you refer to Configuring Public User Registration and Account Management
on page 202 and follow a checklist of the registration setup. This is because registration has
many dependent configurations, pre-configurations, and configurations in ACA Admin.
The registration process requires a public user to provide a valid e-mail address, a username, a
password, his/her contact information, and complete the rest of registration Web pages. As
administrator, you must customize the content on web pages. You must also customize e-mails
to support the registration process including the account activation and confirmation e-mails
between the agency and public user.
You can configure global and modular feature configurations to control the display of
information to specific types of public users. For example, you can manage who has the ability
to perform tasks, control the access to record information, define permissions to view
comments, run reports, or upload documents. Your agency can also require public users to
associate a professional license with their public user account before accessing any information
in Citizen Access.
Public users can manage their accounts in the Account Management page in your agency ACA
website. You can manage public users by the Public User portlet available in the Civic Platform
administrative area. This is particularly useful if you choose to include a verification process to
control the authorization of an online account or validation of professional licenses before
allowing access to your ACA website. For information and tasks performed in the Public User
portlet, refer to “Public Users” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. For
information about license verification, see Managing License Verification on page 415.

Note:

To set up the registration and account management process, it is
recommended best practice to refer to the implementation questions
and tasks in Configuring Public User Registration and Account
Management on page 202 in Chapter 11: Implementation Planning on
page 200.The indications help you assess the needs of the registration
process for your agency. Configuring Required Registration and
Account Management Settings provides a comprehensive
configuration list for registration, including dependent settings outside
of this registration chapter.

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Topics


Understanding the Registration Process



Enabling Registration and Displaying Links



Configuring the Registration Settings Page



Customizing Registration and Account Management Web Pages



Configuring Contact Associations



Configuring Registration E-mails



Configuring the Security Question Choices



Setting SSN and FEIN Contact Field Validation



Registration Submit After Scripting Information

Understanding the Registration Process
When public users access your agency’s ACA website for the first time, they can click a
registration link to access registration pages, completes the registration forms, and submits
their online registration for Citizen Access. In response, Citizen Access sends an e-mail
notifying to public users that they register accounts and/or their accounts need activation. As
system administrator, you must display the registration link, customize the content of
registration web pages, and then customize and configure the related registration e-mails. All
registered public user accounts are available in Civic Platform so agencies can manage and
perform additional tasks relating to public user accounts for Citizen Access.
To manage the flow of registration, you must first decide the process your agency wants to
follow. For example, decide if you want an Citizen Access user to activate their own account or
have an agency employee activate it. Then, configure the Standard Choices and customize the
activation e-mail subject together with the content to reflect this decision.

Enabling Registration and Displaying Links
Citizen Access provides configurations to enable registration and display associated hyperlinks
on your Citizen Access home page. Public users click the Registration link to register for a
public user account or the Login hyperlink to enter username and password information about
access to your agency Citizen Access website. This section provides the configuration
instructions to enable registration hyperlink functionality.
To display registration and login links on the home page

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > V360 Administration.

2.

In the Setup portlet, click the Citizen Access item and choose Citizen Access Setup from
the drop-down menu.
Civic Platform displays Citizen Access Setup pages.

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3.

Select Feature Settings from the General Settings area in the navigation panel.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Feature Setting page.

4.

Mark or clear the check box next to Registration. Mark the Registration check box to
enable the Registration feature for public users and display the Registration hyperlink on
the Home page.

5.

Mark or clear the check box for Login. Marking the Login check box exposes the Login
hyperlink located at the top right corner of the Welcome Global Web page. If you clear this
check box, public users only can search for records but cannot log in to ACA.

6.

Optional configuration:
You may mark or clear the Registration Required check box for tasks associated with
each module enabled in ACA. Marking the Registration Required check box for a modular
task forces a user to log in or register with the agency before gaining access to the
associated task functionality.

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7.

Click the Save button.
Citizen Access Setup displays the registration hyperlink and login hyperlink to public users
on the home page.

Configuring the Registration Settings Page
The Registration Settings page offers registration configurations and content customizations of
the ACA registration e-mails between the agency and the public user. For configuration
instructions on the page, including Register License, Expiration Interval Settings, Password
Settings, and CAPTCHA Settings, see Chapter 6: Registration Settings Page on page 86.

Customizing Registration and Account Management
Web Pages
Your agency must customize the content of web pages associated with registration and account
management. The customizing of all web pages occurs in Citizen Access Setup. This section
provides a list of the web pages to ensure complete setup. For instructions on how to perform
tasks associated with Web pages, including the customizing of content, font, color, and size,
refer to Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.
To customize registration web pages

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup for ACA.

2.

Go to Global Settings > Pages.

3.

Select and customize the following page in the Home folder:

•

Welcome Global

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•
4.

5.

6.

Welcome Registered

Select and customize the following pages in the Registration folder:

•

Disclaimer

•

License Lookup

•

Enter Information

•

Registration Completion

•

Registration License

•

Confirm License

•

License Search result

•

Reset Password

•

Security Question

•

Confirm Password

•

The pages in the Contact folder, including Contact Info, Select from Professionals,
Select Contact Type, and Contact Address Info. See Configuring the Contact Pages in
Registration on page 227.

Select and customize the following page in the Login Screen folder:

•

Login.

•

Security Question Verification. If you enable authentication by security question, this
page appears after users enter their user name and password during login.

•

Update Security Question and Answer. If you increase the number of compulsory
security questions in registration, when a user who already registered logs in, this page
appears for the user to update his/her security questions and answers.

•

Account Verification

•

Account Verification Expired

Select and customize the following page in the Account Management folder:

•

Account

•

Change Password. See Configuring the Password Settings on page 92.

•

Account Edit

•

The pages in the Contact folder, including New Contact, Contact Information, Select
Contact Type, and Contact Address Info. See Configuring the Contact Pages in Account
Management on page 232.

•

(For authorized service configuration only) The pages in the Clerk Information folder,
including Clerk Information, New Clerk Registered, New Clerk Registration, New Clerk
Info, Edit Clerk Info, Clerk Address, and Select Contact Type. See Customizing the
Account Management Page for Authorized Agents on page 402.

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Configuring Contact Associations
To configure how public users add their contact information during the registration and account
management, follow these steps: Preparing reference contacts in Civic Platform, switching on
or off manual contact associations, and configuring the contact information pages.
Topics


Understanding Contacts in Public User Accounts



Configuring Contacts Association



Configuring the Contact Pages in Registration



Configuring the Contact Pages in Account Management



Getting Associated Contact Information or User Login ID

Understanding Contacts in Public User Accounts
When a public user registers or adds a new contact to his/her account, if the new contact is a
close match with an existing reference contact in the agency, public users can confirm whether
to associate the reference contact with his/her account. Otherwise, Citizen Access creates a
new reference contact and associates the new reference contact with the public user account.
You can configure the close match criteria in the Standard Choices
INDIVIDUAL_CONTACT_MATCH_CRITERIA and
ORGANIZATION_CONTACT_MATCH_CRITERIA. For information on configuring the Standard
Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.


If the follow-up page prompts users to select “I confirm the displayed contact as my own
identity”, as shown in Figure 79: Contact Identity Confirmation, a reference contact in Civic
Platform is a close match to the contact information entered. The displayed are the details
of the reference contact. At confirmation, the public user account is associated with the
reference contact.

Figure 79: Contact Identity Confirmation

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Note:



When an authorized agent registers or adds a new clerk to his/
her account, if the new clerk is a close match with an existing
reference contact in the agency, the page above prompts users
to select “I confirm the displayed contact as that of my clerk”.

If public users do not see a prompt to confirm the identity as shown in Figure 79: Contact
Identity Confirmation, instead, a confirmation message “Your account has been created
successfully” displays, the contact information entered is no close match to any existing
reference contact. Citizen Access creates a new reference contact based on the contact
information entered, and associates it with the newly-created public user account.

Configuring Contacts Association
Each public user account must have approved association with at least an enabled contact to
remain enabled and active. Administrators can control whether public users can maintain their
own contact relations, or add and edit contact addresses. The Global Settings page provides
the account setting options for the functionality. For more information, see Account Settings on
page 58.

Configuring the Contact Pages in Registration
Public users click the Select from Professionals or Add New button to enter contact information
during registration. See Figure 80: Sample Enter Information Window in Registration for the
sample Contact Information section in registration. The windows that display then guide public
users through the process.
Figure 80: Sample Enter Information Window in Registration

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To customize the contact pages during registration

1.

Go to the General tab, and select the Contact folder under Registration.

2.

Customize the field label, field size, and add a watermark or instructional text functionality
of the following pages:

•

Contact Info
The Contact Info window displays after public users select a contact type for the new
contact in •Select Contact Type.

You can configure the Standard Choice Value
HIDE_CONTACT_GENERIC_TEMPLATE_FOR_CITIZEN_REGISTRATION in
ACA_CONFIGS. This value controls whether to show or hide the contact generic
template fields (including ASI fields and ASI table) that are associated with the contact
type that the public user selected.
When you configure the Contact Info page, remember to select the target contact type
first if you want to customize the field settings. The customized settings only apply to the
selected contact type. If you define the field settings without selecting any contact type,
the Contact Info window displays the default field settings.

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Note:

The contact types which are not selected in the Type Option
settings are unavailable to public users. If you customize the field
settings on a contact type which you do not select in the Type
Option settings, the field settings do not take effect.

You may customize the contact fields as desired.
- Invisible fields for confidential contact information that you do not want to disclose to
the public.
- Editable fields for the common contact information that you want public users to
timely update.
- Read-only fields for the shared, critical contact information that you prevent public
users from direct editing without prior application.
Be aware that during the registration process, there are two possible outcomes when
public users click the Save and Close button in the Contact Info window:
- If there are close matching reference contacts for the entered contact, the Contact
Information changes to read-only mode, and displays the details of the first contact
that meets the close matching criteria of the highest priority. The window also displays
a check box with the message “I confirm the displayed contact as my own identity”. If
public users mark the check box and click the Confirm button, Citizen Access saves
the close-matching contact as the contact, and returns to the Enter Information
window.
- If there is no close match, a new reference contact is created based on the entered
contact information. Citizen Access saves the entered contact, and returns to the
Enter Information window.
When public users return to the Enter Information window (see Figure 80: Sample Enter
Information Window in Registration) from the Contact Info window, the Contact
Information section displays a summary of the saved contact. Public users can click the
Edit link on the contact and then edit the contact information in the Contact Info window.

Note:

If public users click the Edit link on a contact which they added
from a close match, the Contact Info window displays the contact
information as read-only.

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•

Select from Professional
If multiple licenses have an association with the new account, the Select from
Professionals window displays when public users click Select from Professionals.

•

Select Contact Type
The Select Contact Type window displays when public users click Add New, or after they
select a licensed professional to add as the contact.

You can use the Type Options for the Type field to set applicable reference contact types
for public users. If you select only one reference contact type for the Type field, the Type
field in Select Contact Type directly displays the contact type as its value.

Note:

If public users open the Select Contact Type window in which the
Type field only has one applicable contact type, the expressions
configured to be fired upon contact type change do not work.

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•

Contact Address Info
You must configure the Standard Choice ENABLE_CONTACT_ADDRESS to enable the
Contact Addresses as part of the contact information. For information on configuring the
Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
The Contact Address Info window displays when public users click Add Additional
Contact Address, or when they edit a contact address.

3.

Configure the contact and contact address identity settings if necessary. With the identity
settings, both Civic Platform and Citizen Access forbid public users from adding duplicate
contacts and/or duplicate contact addresses. For more information on identity settings, refer
to the “Managing Contact Identity Settings” section in the “People” chapter of the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

4.

Enable the contact address validation feature if applicable to your agency.
If you want to validate certain contact addresses against external address source, configure
the Standard Choice ENABLE_CONTACT_ADDRESS_VALIDATION,
CONTACT_ADDRESS_TYPE and
EXTERNAL_CONTACT_ADDRESS_SOURCE_[SOURCE Name]. For information on
configuring the Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration
Reference.
You can customize the pop-up page that public users view when they click the Save
Address button to save a contact address that requires validation for their account.

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•

Go to the General tab, and customize the Validated Contact Address page under
Validated Address.

Public users can either select a matching address, or click the “skip” link to create a new
address instead.
The Validated field value of a contact address displays the validation status:

•

Null or empty: Civic Platform did not validate this contact address.

•

No: Civic Platform validated the contact address, but the validation failed.

•

Yes: Civic Platform validated the contact address, and the validation passed.

Note:

You can unmark the Enable Contact Address Modification option
to make sure public users do not edit validated contact
addresses.

Configuring the Contact Pages in Account Management
The Contact Information section in account management displays the list of contacts that public
users already associated with their account (Figure 81: Sample Contact Information Section in
Account Management). Public users can click the Add a Contact to add more contacts, or click
the View action link on a contact to view the contact details. The windows that display then
guide public users through the process.
Figure 81: Sample Contact Information Section in Account Management

To customize the contact pages during account management

1.

Go to the General tab, and select the Contact folder under Account Management.

2.

Customize the field label, field size, and add a watermark or instructional text functionality
of the following pages:

•

Select Contact Type
The Select Contact Type window displays when public users click Add a Contact in
account management.
When configuring the Select Contact Type window, you can use the Type Options for the
Type field to set applicable reference contact types for public users. If you select only
one reference contact type for the Type field, the Type field in Select Contact Type
directly displays the contact type as its value.

Note:

If public users open the Select Contact Type window in which the
Type field only has one applicable contact type, the expressions
configured to be fired upon contact type change do not work.

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•

New Contact
The New Contact window displays after public users select a contact type.

When public users click the Save and Close button, Citizen Access returns to the
Account Management page. When public users click the Save and Add Another button,
Citizen Access stays at the New Contact window. If there are close matching reference
contacts for the entered contact, Citizen Access directly replaces the entered contact
with the first reference contact that meets the close matching criteria of the highest
priority.

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•

Contact Information
When public users select the View action on a contact in account management, Citizen
Access navigates to the Contact Information window.

To enable public users to apply for updates of the read-only contact information, you can
associate the Amendment button with a record type filter which defines a group of
record types.
1) Click the Amendment button.
2) Select a record type filter from the Record Type Filter Value drop-down list in the
Filed Properties panel.
The Amendment button is associated with a record type filter and becomes available
to public users on the Contact Information page. They can click the Amendment
button to submit an application that the record type filters to update the read-only
information of the selected contact. The selected contact information auto-populates
in the first contact section of the Amendment intake form.
3) To disable contact amendment application, click the Amendment button, then leave
the Record Type Filter drop-down list blank. The Amendment button is unavailable
to public users on the Contact Information page.

•

Contact Address Info
If you configure the Standard Choice ENABLE_CONTACT_ADDRESS to enable the
Contact Addresses as part of the contact information, the Contact Address Info window
displays from the New Contact window or Contact Information window when public
users edit a contact address, or add a new contact address.

3.

Customize the contact fields as desired in the New Contact page and Contact Information
page:

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•

Remember to select the target contact type first if you want to customize the field
settings. The customized settings only apply to the selected contact type. If you define
the field settings without selecting any contact type, the New Contact or Contact
Information window displays the default field settings.

Note:

•

The contact types which are not selected in the Type Option
settings are unavailable to public users. If you customize the field
settings on a contact type which you do not select in the Type
Option settings, the field settings do not take effect.

Configure the availability of the fields.
- Invisible fields for confidential contact information that you do not want to disclose to
the public.
- Editable fields for the common contact information that you want public users to
timely update.
- Read-only fields for the shared, critical contact information that you prevent public
users from direct editing without prior application.

4.

Configure the contact and contact address identity settings if necessary. With the identity
settings, both Civic Platform and Citizen Access forbid public users from adding duplicate
contacts and/or duplicate contact addresses. For more information on identity settings, refer
to the “Managing Contact Identity Settings” section in the “People” chapter of the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

5.

Enable the contact address validation feature if applicable to your agency.
If you want to validate certain contact addresses against external address source, configure
the Standard Choice ENABLE_CONTACT_ADDRESS_VALIDATION,
CONTACT_ADDRESS_TYPE and
EXTERNAL_CONTACT_ADDRESS_SOURCE_[SOURCE Name]. For information on
configuring the Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration
Reference.
You can customize the pop-up page that public users view when they click the Save
Address button to save a contact address that requires validation for their account.

•

Go to the General tab, and customize the Validated Contact Address page under
Validated Address.

Public users can either select a matching address, or click the “skip” link to create a new
address instead.

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The Validated field value of a contact address displays the validation status:

•

Null or empty: Civic Platform did not validate this contact address.

•

No: Civic Platform validated the contact address, but the validation failed.

•

Yes: Civic Platform validated the contact address, and the validation passed.

Note:

You can unmark the Enable Contact Address Modification option
to make sure public users do not edit validated contact
addresses.

Getting Associated Contact Information or User Login ID
Citizen Access gets the information about the reference contacts that a public user account
relates to, and uses the information in various places:


The auto-fill field in page flows for adding contacts lists the reference contacts and licensed
professionals and owners that the user account relates to.



The following places or fields apply the contact name if there is only one reference contact
relating to the public user, or the public user login ID if there is none or more than one
reference contacts that the public user relates to:



•

“Logged in as” field in the ACA website;

•

Delegate user name and inspection requestor name;

•

UserID parameter for payment API;

•

$$UserName$$ parameter in the email configuration. The email configuration no longer
supports $$FirstName$$ or $$LastName$$ parameters.

The following places or fields always apply the public user login ID:

•

Public user information passed to EMSE functions or events;

•

“Created by”, “Uploaded by”, and “Modified by” fields in applications;

•

“Uploaded by”, and “Modified by” fields when users upload scores.

There are some changes to the following fields in the public user accounts and their associated
contacts:


These fields are no longer available: Pager, Preferred Phone, User Role.



These fields hide by default: Mobile Phone and Receive SMS Messages



The Preferred Channel field lists the options configured in the Standard Choice
CONTACT_PREFERRED CHANNEL. By upgrading to the current version, the Standard
Choice CONTACT_PREFERRED CHANNEL incorporates the previous hard-coded
Preferred Channel options. For information on configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the
Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

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Configuring Registration E-mails
All public or Licensed Professional users that register for an ACA account receive some type of
e-mail notification. Use the drop-down list to select the registration e-mail you want to
customize. Citizen Access Setup displays a description together with setting options for each email.
Complete the From and Subject fields with the designated agency e-mail address and the
subject text for the e-mail. Write and customize the body of the e-mail using the text editor.
Topics


Activation E-mails



License Notification E-mails

Activation E-mails
You should configure Citizen Access to automatically send an activation e-mail after a person
registers for a pubic user account. If you want a user to activate their own account, configure
the activation e-mail to be sent to the public user’s e-mail address submitted with registration.
The activation e-mail contains a hyperlink back to Civic Platform that confirms the registrant’s
e-mail address and activates their public user account. The registration process remains in an
inactive state until the registrant selects the hyperlink contained in the activation e-mail.
If you want the agency to manage account activation, configure the registration activation e-mail
to be sent to an agency employee and the employee can manually activate the account.
When a public user account activation finishes, Civic Platform sends a standard registration email confirming registration activation to the registrant. The system may purge those accounts
that do not get verified. Refer to Expiration Interval Settings on page 90.
To configure this feature, you must customize the content in the Account Verification e-mail,
define the URL for the hyperlink, and set the Purged Account Interval. Also, review the
associated Standard Choices listed in Table 10: Activation E-mail Related Standard Choices on
page 238. For information on configuring the Standard Choices, refer to the “Standard Choices”
chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference. If you do not choose to use this
feature, clear the Enable Auto-Activation and Stop Sending Account Verification E-mail check
box on the Registration Settings page.
To configure the activation e-mail

1.

If necessary, disable the account verification e-mail to prevent the verification e-mail
exchange, by going to General > Registration Settings, and marking the check box
Enable Auto-Activation and Stop Sending Account Verification E-mail.

2.

In Civic Platform, navigate to Administration > Setup > Communication Manager >
Notification Templates, and customize the ACA_ACTIVATION_MESSAGE notification
template.
Refer to the Notification Templates section of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide
for complete details on customizing notification templates.

3.

Set the hyperlink for activation.

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a. Select the text you want to be the hyperlink.
b. Click the hyperlink button.
c. Follow the format below to set the hyperlink:
http://@ACA_SERVER@:@ACA_SERVER_PORT@/Account/
PreAccountVerification.aspx?uuid=$$UUID$$
Replace @ACA_SERVER@ with the agency Citizen Access URL.
If the agency uses a port, replace @ACA_SERVER_PORT@ with the port used for Citizen
Access.

4.

Click the Save button.

Define the number of days Civic Platform saves inactive registrant account information. Refer to
Expiration Interval Settings on page 90. This requires you to define an EMSE script and set as a
regularly scheduled batch job.
Table 10: Activation E-mail Related Standard Choices

Standard Choice

Standard Choices Value

Description

CONTENT_TEMPLATE_LIST

ACA_EMAIL_ACCOUNT_VERIFICATION
_BY_HYPERLINK_CONTENT

E-mail content

CONTENT_TEMPLATE_LIST

ACA_EMAIL_ACCOUNT_VERIFICATION
_BY_HYPERLINK_SUBJECT

E-mail subject

ACA_EMAIL_TO_AND_FROM
_SETTING

ACA_EMAIL_ACCOUNT_VERIFICATION
_BY_HYPERLINK_MAILFROM

E-mail from address

ACA_CONFIGS

PURGED_EXPIRED_ACCOUNT_INTER
VAL

The maximum number
of days Civic Platform
holds onto inactive
accounts before
purging.

License Notification E-mails
Public users can register for an ACA account and associate a license with it. This license
number may relate to multiple public user accounts. For example, a business license could
relate to various employees: the owner, the manager, and an administrative assistant. This
provides flexibility in performing functions within ACA for the business. For example, if the
administrative assistant has a public user account with the license associated with it, he/she
can upload documents for the manager to ACA. This is assuming the agency administrator has
already granted permissions for licensed professionals to upload documents.
Civic Platform provides a way to notify the original registered public user when his license is
associated with another public user account as a means of security. You can configure the
“Associating a License to Multiple Accounts” e-mail not only notify the registrant, but also notify
either the original license registrant or all associations with the license. For example, if only the
original license registrant is notified along with the registrant, the e-mail notification may only go
to the business owner as the original license registrant and the administrative assistant when
the administrative assistant registers and associates the license with their public user account.
When the e-mail is configured to go to all associations with the license, the owner and manager

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both receive e-mail notification when the administrative assistant associates the license with
their account.
To configure the license notification e-mail

1.

Navigate to E-mail Settings.

2.

Select Associating a License to Multiple Accounts e-mail from the drop-down list.
Citizen Access Setup displays the settings for the associating a license to multiple accounts
e-mail.

3.

Select which users receive the e-mail notification from the drop-down list. Options include:

•

Initial and All Associations

•

Initial and Current Association

•

No ACA users: Do not send this e-mail.

4.

Complete the From and Subject fields with the designated agency e-mail address that
sends the e-mail and the subject text for the e-mail.

5.

Write and customize the body of the e-mail using the text editor.

6.

Click the Save button.

Configuring the Security Question Choices
When a public user registers on the website, or when an authorized agent adds a clerk, no
matter whether you enable or disable the Authentication by Security Question option (see
Enabling Authentication by Security Question on page 94), the user or agent must select one or
more security question to answer from the dropdown list of the Select a Security Question field.
To configure the security question choices

1.

Navigate to one of the following pages in ACA Admin.

•

General > Pages > Registration > Enter Information.

•

General > Pages > Clerk Information > New Clerk Registration.

The change on the security question choices in one page applies to all the pages.

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2.

Click the Select a Security Question field.
Citizen Access Setup highlights the field.

3.

From the Field Properties panel on the right side of the web page, click the Value cell at the
Select a Security Question Option property.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Options window.

4.

5.

Modify the existing choices by doing one of the following.

•

Click the Add Choice button to add more choices.

•

Directly edit the value or description of an existing choice.

•

Click the delete icon next to a choice to remove an existing choice.

Click OK to save.

Setting SSN and FEIN Contact Field Validation
Your agency can capture the SSN (Social Security Number) and FEIN (Federal Employer
Identification Number) information during the registration process for a public user account or
during record creation. This functionality is useful so public users can search for records based
on data entry for those fields and check for duplicate contacts in Civic Platform and its add-ons.
Using EMSE, Citizen Access leverages the SSN and FEIN fields to validate the current contact
against existing contacts in Civic Platform and its add-ons. Based on the results from contact
validation during page flow, Citizen Access will either automatically creates a new contact in
Civic Platform or associates the public user account and/or record with the existing contact in
the database.
The Enable FEIN Mask setting is available on the Global Settings page of Citizen Access
Setup. See FEIN Mask Settings on page 61. This section provides instructional text to configure
SSN and FEIN contact fields so you can leverage them towards data collection and data
validation.
To set SSN and FEIN contact field validation

1.

Verify the SSN and FEIN fields are visible and/or required on the Enter Information page of
registration.
a. Navigate to General > Pages > Registration > Enter Information.
b. Select the Contact Information section and mark or clear the check boxes for Visible and
Required for SSN and FEIN.

2.

Enable the FEIN Mask security setting on the Global Setting page. For more information,
see FEIN Mask Settings on page 61.

3.

Associate the RegisterSubmitAfter event with the following scripts for validation during the
registration process:

•

ACA_PUBLICUSER_Register_AssociateRefContacts. This script associates the
duplicate reference contact to the public user account. If there is not a duplicate

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reference contact, Citizen Access creates a contact according to the public user input as
a Citizen contact type.

4.

Associate ApplicationSubmitAfter Event with the following script for validation during the
record creation process:

•
5.

ACA_Cap_AssociateReferenceContacts: This script associates the reference contact
information to the public user record.

Associate the BeforeButton event in Page Flow configuration with the following script: For
more information about Page flow, see Associating Scripts with a Page on page 142.

•

ACA_PageFlow_Contacts_SSN_FEIN_Validation. This script checks Civic Platform for
a duplicate FEIN and SSN based on the public user input against the reference contact
information.

Registration Submit After Scripting Information
Your agency may want to customize which license types require agency activation. For
example, an agency may want all plumbing licenses automatically activated when the plumbing
licenses are added to a public user. If, however, the license is not a plumbing license, it follows
default behavior to require the agency to activate it.
To set up this functionality, you must define a script and bind to the RegistrationSubmitAfter
Event to auto-activate the licensed professional type. The script must have logic to determine
the license type and then use the “isContinue” and PA_EMAIL_VERIFICATION settings to
determine auto-activation. For information on how the settings affect the script, see List 4:
Registration Script Information on page 241.
List 4: Registration Script Information

PA_EMAIL_VERIFICATION

If set to N, no e-mail notification is sent and ALL of the
registered accounts are automatically activated.
If set to Y, using the RegisterSubmitAfter script, some
Licensed Professionals can be automatically activated or go
to an inactive (or pending) state based on the “isContinue.”

“isContinue”

This is the output environment variable. The value is 0 or 1.
If set to 0, the Citizen Access account is deactivated and
Civic Platform sends an “inactive” e-mail to the registered
user and an “activation required” e-mail to the agency
employee.
If set to 1, the Citizen Access account is automatically
activated and Civic Platform sends the “activation” e-mail to
the registered user.

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C HAPTER 13:

CONFIGURING RECORD INQUIRY

Information exchange is one of the most critical elements to a successful business, especially
when working with government services provided to the public. Citizen Access provides many
types of searches so that public users can search for and view record information online. Your
agency can customize search functionality so that you can control over what information you
want to share and to whom you want to share with. Search functionality is customizable so that
anonymous (non-registered) users can locate information. This means that your agency does
not need to implement the registration process. In fact, Citizen Access is configurable so that
your agency can offer a website where anonymous public users can only come to perform
inquiries and you have control over what information is returned in the results list.
This chapter provides you with configuration information and features for record inquiry so you
can filter result information and customize search forms throughout the various areas of the
software. You can offer a global search to allow public users to search for information
throughout the entire system from any page in Citizen Access. You can implement record type
searches within the module, or extend search functionality from a module to include other
defined modules. The licensed professional search functionality allows a public user to search
the database for their license information. When public users perform the Provider/Education/
Licensee search, they can search for a facility that offers examinations supporting the education
requirements for a new license or renewal, or search for a food facility to check out the
inspection results, or search for licensed professionals to view their credentials. Finally, you can
enable public users to search and apply external APO data sources.
Independent of the search public users choose to locate information, you can filter search
results and enable public users to export them in CSV format to their computer.
Preparing your site for inquiries is dependent upon multiple configurations in Civic Platform and
ACA Admin. See Chapter 11: Implementation Planning on page 200. The most vital
pre-configuration element necessary for a successful implementation of record inquiry is record
type configuration. Record types must be defined and displaying in Citizen Access. See
Chapter 9: Page Flow Configuration on page 130. In addition to the record type, you must
perform additional configurations in Civic Platform and ACA Admin so that you can offer the
additional information that the public may demand. For example, your agency may want to offer
the ability to search for approved education courses offered by an education provider so that
they can take the course and fulfill a requirement to renew a pharmaceutical license. The
approved courses and providers must be pre-configured in Civic Platform before they can be
searchable in Citizen Access.

Note:

Record replaces CAP. The term Record defines a broader range of
items or forms that users manage within Civic Platform, such as
application, case, license, permit, service request, and work order.

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Note:

To set up the record inquiry, it is recommended best practice to refer to
the implementation questions and tasks in Configuring for Record
Inquiry on page 205 in Chapter 11: Implementation Planning on
page 200. The questions help you assess the searching features you
want to make available to the public. Configuring Required Settings for
Record Query on page 206 provides a comprehensive configuration
list for record search functionality, including dependent settings outside
of this registration chapter.

Topics


Enabling Global Search



Defining Module Search Functionality



Defining Licensed Professional Searches



Configuring Contact Template Record Searches



Enabling Provider/Education/Licensee Search



Customizing Food Facility Inspection Search



Enabling External APO Search



Modifying Search Pages and Filtering Data



Exporting Search Results in CSV Format

Enabling Global Search
Administrators can configure Citizen Access to support a global search. Similar to the global
search feature in Civic Platform, this feature allows public users to enter search criteria and
search for information across modules and all records on any web page. For example, a public
user can enter at least three characters in the search window and Citizen Access returns data
elements meeting this criteria, such as records or addresses. Citizen Access retains the five
latest searches by key word in a Recent Search drop-down list, which are accessible by clicking
the drop-down arrow next to the search window. See Figure 82: Viewing Global Search Results
and Recent Searches. This feature supports the filter configurations and security permissions
defined for public users. See Configuring Cross Module Searches on page 247.

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Figure 82: Viewing Global Search Results and Recent Searches

Administrators must enable global search by marking the check box on the Global Settings
page and marking the check boxes to indicate which data elements are grouped together and
returned in a result list. Then, administrators customize the Global Search web page in the
General Pages section to control what information you want to display to public users. For
information on how to customize a web page, including how to control what fields display on a
page, refer to Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.
To enable global search functionality

1.

Navigate to the Search Settings area on the Global Settings page.

2.

Enable global search functionality by marking the Enable Global Search check box.

3.

Define which search groups are available for public user global search my marking the
associated check box(es).

4.

Click the Save button.

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5.

Navigate to the Global Search Web page in the general pages Home folder to make any
customizations. Refer to Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

Note:

6.

Citizen Access displays the Global Search page only when there
are multiple matching records. If there is only one matching
record, Citizen Access directly displays the details of the record.

Click Save.
Citizen Access returns data elements meeting public user search criteria.

Defining Module Search Functionality
Each module you enable for Citizen Access can accommodate search functionality. You must
configure what information you want to display to users and to whom. This includes configuring
search forms to display and hide field information. Follow the configurations defined in this
section to help you get the module prepared for record inquiry. See also, Chapter 11:
Implementation Planning on page 200 to support you with preparing your entire site with search
functionality.
Topics


Enabling Module and APO Searches



Configuring Cross Module Searches



Filtering Results List by Application Status



Enabling Address Range Search Functionality



Configuring Role-based Search Definitions



Defining Additional Search Criteria

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Enabling Module and APO Searches
You can enable the ability for public users to search for records and property information right
within a module and also right from the Welcome page. To display search links on the Welcome
page and enable search functionality, you must set configurations on the Feature Settings page.
You have the ability to restrict anonymous users from searching for any information. This is
done by removing the search link from the anonymous user Welcome page and forcing the user
to log in or register for an account before they can perform a search. See Configuring Required
Registration on page 83.
To enable module and APO searches

1.

Navigate to the Feature Settings page.
Feature Settings page displays a column of check boxes in a tree view.

2.

Enable the ability to look up property information.
a. Expand the General Information section and mark the Lookup Property Information
check box.
b. If necessary, expand the Lookup Property Information section and mark the Forced
Registration/Login check box to restrict anonymous users from the search.

3.

Enable module searches
a. Expand a module and mark the check box associated with search functionality. For
example, in the Building module, mark the Search Applications check box. In the
Enforcement module, mark the Search Code Enforcement Cases check box.
b. If necessary, expand the search section and mark the Forced Registration/Login check
box to restrict anonymous users from performing a module search.

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4.

Click the Save button.

Configuring Cross Module Searches
Public users can search for information in Citizen Access in a couple of different ways. They
can perform a global search on any page by entering information in the global search window or
they can perform a search on the Record Home page in a module by entering information in
one or more of the available fields. They can contain the search within the module, expand it to
other modules, and/or filter the results list to display their personal records only by marking the
associated check boxes. See Figure 83: Public User Personal Record List and Cross Module
Search Options.
A cross module search is to search across modules. For example, a public user can enter
search criteria in the building module to locate an address associated with a permit. Perhaps
the search does not return any results, so the public user expands the search to include other
modules to discover the address in question is attached to a service request, not a building
permit. When the situation occurs that Citizen Access returns numerous search results, public
users can filter the module or cross-module search results list to only display their personal
records meeting the search criteria.
Figure 83: Public User Personal Record List and Cross Module Search Options

Administrators have control over what result information displays after a module or cross
module search. This is done by enabling the cross module search feature on the Global
Settings page and then defining which modules are available on the expanded module search
on the associated module settings pages.
After configuration, public users can perform a search with Citizen Access returning data
elements across modules that meet the individual module parameter criteria. This feature
supports any defined record type filters applied to a module. For information on how to apply a
record type filter to a module, see Filtering Record Search Results on Module Settings Page on
page 262.

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To configure the module search results

1.

Navigate to the Global Settings page.

2.

Go to Search Settings > Additional Settings and mark the Enable Cross Module
Search check box.

3.

Click Save.

4.

Navigate to a Module Settings page, for example the Building Settings page.

5.

Go to the Cross-Module Search Settings area and mark the check box associated to
each module you want enabled for the cross-module search. These settings apply for this
module only and are reflected when public users perform searches on the module Record
Home page.

6.

Click Save.
Public users have the ability to perform a search across allowed modules and also to
restrict the search to their personal records by checking the applicable check boxes on the
Record Home page.

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Filtering Results List by Application Status
The Application Status section on the Modular Settings page displays a navigation tree of all
application status groups which any record types associate with in a module. See Figure 84:
Filtering Records by Application Status. Clear the check box next to the record statuses you
want to restrict public users from viewing in the search result list. Mark the check box to include
the records with the associated status for display. Citizen Access applies the record status filter
to the records for a module.

Note:

A helpful tip is to include any Status you want to restrict from view in an
Application Status group. For example, you can restrict Applications
with the Void status from view.

Figure 84: Filtering Records by Application Status

Enabling Address Range Search Functionality
Your agency can control how public users can search for addresses. You can limit address
search criteria to specific address information, or you can allow public users to enter criteria
meeting an address range. For example, an contractor may want to search for all of his building
permits in a development area, so he enters an address range search on a street.

Note:

Currently APO lookup or global search does not support this
feature.

Administrators must enable the address range search functionality on the Global Settings page.
To enable address range search functionality

1.

Navigate to the Global Settings page.

2.

Go to Search Settings > Additional Settings and mark the Enable Address Range
Search check box.

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3.

Click Save.
Public users cannot enter an address range when performing a search. For example, the
Street No. field has a range of 111-2000. Any building record matching the defined street
no. address range shows in the results list.

Defining Additional Search Criteria
You can provide an Additional Search Criteria link for Contact search forms on the Record
Home page. This allows public users to choose additional information relating to contact
template fields or application-specific information fields to find a record. This feature also allows
the public user to exclude field information from the search. To set this feature, you must mark
the Additional Search Criteria setting options for each module on the Module Setting page. See
Record Search on page 119.
To define additional search criteria

1.

Navigate to the Module Settings page.

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2.

Go to the Additional Search Criteria Settings section of the Record Search area.

3.

Mark the option to display the Additional Search Criteria link so that public users can search
for records by ASI or Contact Template information. For more information about ASI and
Contact Templates, see the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Citizen Access Setup displays the link based on the administrative setting.

Configuring Role-based Search Definitions
You can define who can search and view the records of the specified record types based on
their user role in Citizen Access. See Figure 85: Filtering Record Search Results. This feature
filters search results so that Citizen Access only returns records of record type applicable to a
public user’s role in their search results list. For example, a licensed plumber can perform a
search and see only plumbing permits. This filters the result list so the plumber does not have to
see electrical permits on the results page.
To begin, decide if you want to set the same permissions for all record types or if you want to
define permissions for each record type. Mark the For All Record Types option or the For
Each Record Type option accordingly.
Then you can determine who can search and view records of any record types or of a specific
record type. Mark the options which reflect this decision in the Filter Record Search Results
area. You can choose one or more of the available assignment options. See List 5: Role
Assignment for Record Type Options. The default setting for a record type is All ACA Users.
This makes the record type available for any public user role.

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Figure 85: Filtering Record Search Results

To configure role-based search definitions

1.

Navigate to a Module Settings page.

2.

Go to the Filter Record Search Results section.

3.

Choose one of the following:

•

For All Record Types

•

For Each Record Type

Citizen Access Setup populates the Role Assignment for Record Types table. One line
displays for All Record Type in the module Role definitions. A complete list of each Record
Type in the module displays if you want to define user role settings for individual record
types. See Figure 85: Filtering Record Search Results.

4.

Mark or clear the check boxes in the Role Assignment for Record Types table. See List 5:
Role Assignment for Record Type Options.
If you mark the Licensed Professional check box, the Configure button becomes active in
the Specific Licensed Professionals column.

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5.

If necessary, click the Configure button to define specific licensed professionals with
permissions to the record type.
Citizen Access Setup displays a pop-up window of licensed professional types and a red
flag to indicate changes.

6.

Click the OK button.

7.

Click the Save button to save the changes to the Module Settings page.

List 5: Role Assignment for Record Type Options

All ACA Users

All public users who access Citizen Access including anonymous, or nonregistered public users.

Registered Users

Public users with an Citizen Access registered account. This includes all
registered non-licensed professionals and registered licensed professionals. It
does not include anonymous users.

Record Creator

The public user associated with creating the record.

Contact

Any defined contact for the record.

Owner

The defined owner of the property relating to the record.

Licensed
Professional

Public users with a license. This includes all licensed professional types. When
you mark this check box, the Configure button becomes available in the
Specific Licensed Professional column. This allows you to filter which licensed
professionals have access to the record type.

Specific Licensed
Professional

Public users that match a specific licensed professional types. This
configuration becomes available after you mark the Licensed Professional
check box and click the Configure button. Mark the check box next to a
specific licensed professional type to grant access to the record type. Clear the
check box to restrict permissions.

Defining Licensed Professional Searches
Your agency has the option to limit the licensed professional search results to display only those
licenses associated with the current user. This is particularly useful when a public user logs in to
Citizen Access and wants to create a record for which the agency requires an associated

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license for processing. When they search and select a license, Citizen Access only returns
those licenses associated with their own account. For example, a contractor logs in to create an
electrical permit, which requires a license for processing. The contractor clicks the search
button to search and select one of his licenses to associate with the record. After entering
search criteria, Citizen Access only returns those licenses matching the search criteria and
associated with the contractor.
Mark a check box on the Global Settings page to enable functionality.
To enable licensed professional search

1.

Navigate to the Global Settings page.

2.

Go to the Search Settings area and mark the check box associated with Restrict Licensed
Professional Results to only those associated with the user.

3.

Click the Save button.

Configuring Contact Template Record Searches
You can leverage configurations in Civic Platform and Citizen Access Setup to create
customized record search forms using contact template fields. For example, you can display the
contact template field SSN to Citizen Access and use it to locate any records associated with
that social security number. You can also provide public users with the ability to enter additional
search criteria based on ASI and Contact Template field information to search for a record.
As a pre-requisite to this feature, you must establish a people (contact) template in Civic
Platform. For details about People Templates, refer to “Establishing People Templates” in the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. Set the display of contact template fields to Citizen
Access in the people template attribute configuration. Then determine and configure the setting
to display additional search criteria for each module on the Module Settings page. When field
attributes are displayable, go to the record detail page, application-intake form, and search form
to hide individual fields for customization and restriction.
You can also determine the layout of displayable contact template fields in a form by following
the tasks in Designing Form Layouts for Web Pages on page 167. Based on configurations, you
can choose to make the contact template fields editable and follow the tasks in Working with
Fields on page 176 to customize the field label, field size, and add a watermark or instructional
text functionality.

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To configure contact template searches

1.

Define people template field display in Citizen Access. For additional information about
People Templates, refer to “Establishing People Templates” in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
a. Search and select the people (contact) template and attribute requiring Citizen Access
Configuration.
b. Go to the ACA Display Configuration section of the page.

c. Mark the applicable option to set ACA Display Configuration.
Display

Mark this option if you want to display the attribute on the Record Detail,
Application-Intake form, and Contact Search form in Citizen Access.

Display (Including
License Verification)

Mark this option if you want to display the attribute information on the
Licensee Detail page when performing a License Verification search.

Hide

Mark this option if you want to restrict the attribute from public users for
online functionality.

Editable

Mark this option to set the ability to customize the label, field size,
instructional text and helper text for Citizen Access.

d. Click Submit.

2.

Verify the Additional Search Criteria link is available in contact search forms on the Record
Home page in applicable modules. For configuration information, see Defining Additional
Search Criteria on page 250.

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3.

Customize fields and layout as defined in Designing Form Layouts for Web Pages on
page 167 or Working with Fields on page 176.

4.

If applicable, verify the FEIN Mask settings and SSN Contact validation functionality is
defined in Registration. For more information, see Setting SSN and FEIN Contact Field
Validation on page 240.

Enabling Provider/Education/Licensee Search
Citizen Access is configurable to provide a specific search operation with targeted results for
verifying licenses and licensed entities. This is particularly useful if you want to allow public
users to verify the license of a contractor, doctor, food facility, or other licensed professional. For
example, a public user can search for all licensed pharmacists in San Francisco, CA. From
Citizen Access search results, a public user can select the license number to read about the
licensee details including the state license number, business License expiration date, the
license state and licensing board. Public users can also search for the licensed food facilities
and select a business name or address to show the most recent inspections on the food facility.
Food facility inspection results indicate a high score or grade when the facility complies with the

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law, or a low score or grade when the facility commits no violations. For more information on
food facility inspection, see Modifying Search Pages and Filtering Data on page 262.
To enable licensee search

1.

Navigate to the Feature Setting page.

2.

Locate the Search for a Licensee, Search for a Provider/Education, and Search for a
Food Facility items.

3.

Mark the associated check boxes to enable the search functionality.

Citizen Access provides the Search for Provider/Education, Search for Licensee and
Search for a Food Facility links on the Welcome Page table.

4.

Go to the General Pages area and locate the Provider/Education/Licensee Search folder.

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5.

Customize the multiple web pages and search forms. For example, customize the Search
for Licensee form. For instructions on how to customize a web page, see Chapter 10:
Working with Web Pages on page 158. For details on how to customize the search Forms,
follow the same instructions in Configuring Cross Module Searches on page 247.

•

When customizing the Search for Licensee form, you can select the Licensing Board
field and then configure the License Type Options for the licensing boards.

When a public user enters criteria to search for licensee in the page, Citizen Access
automatically filters the options available in the License Type field by the licensing board
that the user selected in the Licensing Board field.

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6.

Click Save to apply changes.
Citizen Access provides a Education/ Provider/ Licensee Search for public users.

Customizing Food Facility Inspection Search
Inspections for a licensed food facility are food facility inspections. Public users can search for
the food facilities and select a business name or address to show its most recent inspections
and read the inspection results. This section provides you with the configurations to implement
the food facility inspection search and to allow food facility inspections to display as search
results when they meet the search criteria. See Figure 86: Food Facility Inspection Page.
It is recommended best practice to implement the food facility inspection search using this
checklist together with the “Inspections” section of both the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide and the Accela Civic Platform User Guide.

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Figure 86: Food Facility Inspection Page

A

B

A

Grade card. Indicates the inspection result of the food facility.

B

Guide sheet items. Guide sheet items that commit major violation are listed in the Major Violation column.

To display food facility inspection search results

1.

Make sure the Search for food facility inspection link displays on the Home page. See
Enabling Provider/Education/Licensee Search on page 256.

2.

Customize the Search for Food Facility Inspection page and the Food Facility Inspection
Detail page located in the Provider/Education/Licensee Search folder. For customizing
steps, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

3.

Configure the Standard Choice FOOD_FACILITY_INSPECTION.
This Standard Choice controls the food facility search functionality in Citizen Access with
various Standard Choice Values. For information on configuring the Standard Choice, refer
to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

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4.

Create a record intended to conduct inspections on the food facility.

5.

Create a licensed professional for the food facility and associate it to the record you just
created. Pay attention to the following fields of the licensed professional.

•

Fill the State License # field with the value of Alt ID field of the record.

•

Fill License Type with one of the license types specified in Standard Choice Value
RELATED_LICENSE_TYPES as described in step 3.

For instructions on creating a licensed professional, refer to the “People” section in the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

6.

If necessary, complete the follow sub-steps to display the grade card that represents an
inspection result to the Food Facility Inspection page.
a. Create values in the Standard Choice LOGO_TYPE-CATEGORY. For example, Grade
A, Grade B, and Grade C. For information on configuring the Standard Choice, refer to
the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
It is used to upload images for each grade card displayed in the Food Facility Inspection
page.
b. Upload images.
Each result or grade value defined in the previous substep is associated with an image.
For detailed information about uploading image, see “Displaying a Logo or Grade Card”
in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
c. Associate images to inspection results. See “Editing an Inspection Result Group” in the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

7.

If necessary, configure inspection Result, Grade, and Score to display them to the Food
Facility Inspection page. See the “Inspections” section in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.

8.

If necessary, display the major violation result in the Food Facility Inspection page. See
“Editing a Guide Sheet” in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
If an inspection has guide sheet items that committed to major violation, the item names
display in the Major Violation column; if the inspection has no guide sheet items committing
to major violation, the column displays “no major violation” for this inspection.

Enabling External APO Search
Your agency can configure a method for public users to search and apply external APO
(Address, Parcel, Owner) information. A super agency or its sub agencies may want to use this
feature to maintain the minimum APO repository.

Note:

Citizen Access only supports external data sources through a web
service connection.

For information on the Standard Choices that enable external APO search, refer to Table 11:
Standard Choice Configuration for External APO Search on page 262. For information on
configuring the Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

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Table 11: Standard Choice Configuration for External APO Search

Standard Choice

Description

EXTERNAL_ADDRESS_
SOURCE

Configures this Standard Choice to access address information
from external APO sources.

EXTERNAL_OWNER_SOURCE

Configures this Standard Choice to access owner information
from external APO sources.

EXTERNAL_PARCEL_SOURCE

Configures this Standard Choice to access parcel information
from external APO sources.

REF_ADDRESS_TYPE

Configures this Standard Choice to set a list of values that public
users can look up and add to a specific address type group.

Modifying Search Pages and Filtering Data
You can customize which information is available for public users to view when performing
searches. This section describes how to configure the availability or restriction of record type
and APO information.
Topics


Filtering Record Search Results on Module Settings Page



Configuring Search Forms with APO Template Fields



Modifying the APO Look Up Section



Displaying or Hiding Fields on Search Forms



Enabling Searching Records of Disabled Record Types



Filtering Address Fields



Exposing ASI Fields on the Record Home Page



Customizing the Contact Search Form

Filtering Record Search Results on Module Settings Page
You can configure the Filter Record Search Results section on the Module Settings page. This
includes a setting of who can view records in the General Search. You chose either ALL ACA
Users, Record Creator and Licensed Professional, or Record Creator. For detailed information,
see Filter Record Search Results on page 111.

Configuring Search Forms with APO Template Fields
You can configure Civic Platform and Citizen Access Setup to create customized search forms
for records and APO (Address, Parcel, and Owner) using APO template fields. For example,
you can display the parcel template field “Property Type” in the Look Up by Parcel Information
form and then public users can use that field to locate any parcels of a specific property type.
As a pre-requisite to supporting searches by APO template field, you must create an APO
template in Civic Platform. The template fields are attributes of APO (Address, Parcel, or

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Owner) templates. All active attributes with the ACA Displayable flag set to Yes are available in
the following search forms in Citizen Access Setup:


Work Location Lookup, Parcel Information Lookup, and Owner Information Lookup sections
of the  Information page;



Search by Address section of the Record Home page; and



Look Up by Address, Look Up by Parcel Information, and Look Up by Owner sections of the
APO Search page.

When a template field is displayable, you can determine the layout of that field in a form by
following the tasks in Designing Form Layouts for Web Pages on page 167. Based on
configurations, you can add a watermark or instructional text by following the tasks in Working
with Fields on page 176.
To configure searches by APO template attribute

1.

Define the display of APO template attributes to Citizen Access.
For additional information about APO Templates, see “Managing APO Templates” in the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
a. Search and select the APO template and attribute requiring Citizen Access
Configuration.

b. If you want to display the attribute as an additional field in Citizen Access, select Yes
from the ACA Displayable field; otherwise, select No.

2.

Customize fields and layout as defined in Designing Form Layouts for Web Pages on
page 167 or Working with Fields on page 176.

Modifying the APO Look Up Section
From the APO Search page, you can determine which fields can display to the search form as
the search filters. You can decide what type of information public users can search for, Address,

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Parcel, or Owner information. For example, you can allow public users to search for Address
and Parcel information, but no Owner information. You can also configure the fields in the APO
Details pages to define which information Citizen Access returns after public users perform a
search using Address, Parcel, or Owner information.
Your agency can provide public users with the ability to look up property information by licensed
professional. Public users enter the licensed professional search criteria. After choosing a
licensed professional from the results list, Citizen Access displays any associated property
information. This allows public users to view properties in their jurisdiction that a contractor is
working on.
To enable property look up functionality, you must first enable Lookup Property Information
check box on the Feature Settings page. See Feature Setting Configurations on page 80.
To modify the APO Look Up section

1.

From ACA Admin, open the APO Search page in the General panel.

2.

Select the Look Up by Address section and double-click the Look up by Address dropdown field.
Citizen Access Setup displays the entire section in a yellow box.

3.

Click the Field Property Choice Value cell to view the available options in the search list.

4.

To define which type of information display for public users to perform search, mark the
check boxes for the desired items and clear the check boxes for the unwanted items.
Citizen Access Setup displays the selected items in the drop-down list. Public users can
select any type of information to perform the search.

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5.

To set which fields display to the search form as the search filters, select any of the APO
items from the drop-down list in the Look Up section, and mark the check boxes next to the
fields that you want to be search filters in the Available Fields window.

Note:

6.

The Available Fields window only lists APO standard fields. For
instructions on how to define the display of APO template fields on
search forms, see Modifying Search Pages and Filtering Data on
page 262.

To define which field values Citizen Access returns after public users perform a search
using Address, Parcel, or Owner information, double click one of the search result sections,
and mark the check boxes next to the fields that you want to enable in the Available Fields
window.

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Note:

7.

Citizen Access displays the APO Search Result page only when
there are multiple matching results. If there is only one matching
result, Citizen Access directly displays the details of the address,
parcel or owner record.

Click the Save button.

Displaying or Hiding Fields on Search Forms
Administrators can control which fields display on search forms in web pages. For example, you
can choose to remove all fields on the Owner Search form except for the Last Name field and
the First Name field.
Display or hide available fields on a search form by marking or clearing the associated field
check box. For more information about web page configurations, see Chapter 10: Working with
Web Pages on page 158.

Note:

You cannot display or hide APO template fields on search forms
through Citizen Access Setup. For instructions on how to define the
display of APO template fields to Citizen Access, see Modifying Search
Pages and Filtering Data on page 262.

To display or hide search fields on a search form

1.

Navigate to a module and go to the Record Home page.

2.

Go to the General Search section.

3.

Control which search forms you want available to public users.

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a. Click the General Search heading to enable it for modification.
b. Go to the Search Options in the Field Properties area.
c. Mark or clear the check box associated with each search option to display or hide the
search option from the General Search drop-down list with its associated search form.

d. Click OK to apply changes.

4.

Modify Search Forms.
a. Select each enabled search option from the General Search drop-down list to access
the associated search form. For example, click the Search by Address search option
and the Search Address form displays in the General Search area for modification.
b. Go to the Available Fields area to mark or clear the check box(es) associated with the
available fields to display or hide field information.

5.

Modify the search result list.
a. Double click one of the search result sections
b. Go to the Available Fields area to mark or clear the check box(es) associated with the
available fields to display or hide the field columns in the search result list.

Note:

6.

Click Save.

Citizen Access displays the search result list only when there are
multiple matching results. If there is only one matching result,
Citizen Access directly displays the details of matching record.

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Enabling Searching Records of Disabled Record Types
Users create records of an active (enabled) record type, and those records are searchable.
However, if the record type is later disabled for some reason, those records created previously
can be set to either searchable or not.
To set the records of disabled record type to be searchable or not

1.

Log in to Civic Platform.

2.

Navigate to Admin Tools > Application > Application Types.
Civic Platform displays the Application Type tree.

3.

Select an existing application type from the tree and click Edit button.
Civic Platform displays the Application Category - Edit page.

4.

5.

Locate the Status option. Select the Disable option if the current status is Enable.

•

To allow records of the record type to be searchable, mark the Searchable check box.

•

Otherwise, clear the Searchable check box.

Click the Save button.

Filtering Address Fields
You can define which Address fields you want to display in the Address Search and Address
Detail areas in Citizen Access. Citizen Access lists all address fields defined in the Civic
Platform database as options for you to use. Enable or disable address fields for the Address
Search and Address Detail areas for a module on the Record Home page and the 
Information page in Citizen Access Setup.
To filter address fields

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup and select a Modular tab.
Citizen Access displays modular information

2.

Configure the correct address fields to display in the Address General Search area.
a. Go to the Record Home page
b. Select Search by Address from the General Search drop-down list.

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Citizen Access displays the Search by Address fields with a yellow box around the area
to indicate that you can make modifications.
c. Navigate to the right panel and mark or clear the check boxes next to the available
address fields you want to display or hide.

d. Click the Save button.

3.

Configure the correct address fields to display in the Work Location Lookup area.
a. Go to the  Information page
Citizen Access displays the Work Location Lookup area.
b. Select the Work Location Lookup area.
Citizen Access displays the area with a yellow box around the area to indicate you can
make modifications.

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c. Navigate to the right panel and mark or clear the check boxes next to the available
address fields you want to display or hide.

d. Click the Save button.

Exposing ASI Fields on the Record Home Page
You can enable public users to search for records by associated application-specific information
(ASI). When you configure the ASI fields, a Search Additional Criteria option displays in the
search form which you can click to expand to view and search by the ASI fields associated with
the record type. Each ASI field group displays on the search form under the ASI subgroup
name. See Figure 87: Citizen Access Public User Search Form Displaying Collapsed ASI Fields
and Figure 88: Citizen Access Public User Search Form Displaying Expanded ASI Fields for an
example of the way the ASI fields display on the search page.
For example, you want the builder to be able to search for a town home building permit based
on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms planned for the project. When the builder navigates
to the Building Permits Search page, scrolls to the General Search section, and clicks the
Search Additional Criteria button, a # of Bedrooms field, a # of Bathrooms field, and other
associated application-specific information fields display. The builder enters a value in the
relevant fields and clicks the Search button. Citizen Access runs the search and lists all of the
records that match the builder’s criteria.
To enable this feature for public users, you must create the ASI group code and corresponding
subgroups and fields, apply the group code to the application type, and ensure that public user
ASI security setting for the ASI group is set to Full Access. For more information about
managing application-specific information, refer to the “Working with Application Specific
Information” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. If the user’s security
permissions for the ASI group are read-only or no access, the user cannot search with the
fields. For more information about managing ASI security permissions, see “Security Policies” in
the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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ASI fields can apply to multiple record types. It is a good idea to limit in Citizen Access the
record types that display the ASI fields. This keeps the search results to a manageable number
of records, especially if the user only enters values in a few of the search criteria fields. On the
Citizen Access Record Home page, you can filter record types, customize field property for new
exposed address fields, and customize the field properties and related labels for the ASI search
section. However, you can only change the application-specific information group, subgroup,
and field names in Civic Platform. For more information about changing field property values,
see Changing Text and Display with Property Values on page 161.
You can also filter the record types by agency code. When you set this option, the public user
must select the agency from the Agency drop-down list to access the filtered list of available
record types. By filtering the record types by agency code, you further limit the record types and
related ASI fields available for the search. For more information about sharing information
across agencies, see Sharing Information between Agencies on page 531.
Figure 87: Citizen Access Public User Search Form Displaying Collapsed ASI Fields

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Figure 88: Citizen Access Public User Search Form Displaying Expanded ASI Fields

To expose the ASI fields on the record search page

1.

Go to Civic Platform > Classic Administration.
Civic Platform Classic Administration pages display showing Admin Tools and Daily tabs.

2.

Navigate to Admin Tools > Application > Application Specific Info.
Civic Platform displays the Application-Specific Info - Search page.

3.

Create a new application-specific info group or editing an existing group code.

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For more information about creating or editing a new application-specific information group
code, refer to “Working with Application Specific Information” in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
Civic Platform displays the Application-Specific Info Group - Add or Edit page.

4.

For each ASI field you want available for the record search in Citizen Access:

•

In the Application Specific Group Info - Add page, mark the Yes radio button next to the
ACA Displayable and the ACA Searchable options.

•

In the Application Specific Group Info - Edit page, choose the Yes option from the dropdown list below the ACA Displayable and ACA Searchable option.

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•

There are several combinations of settings for the ACA Displayable and ACA
Searchable radio buttons:

Note:

The choice of Hidden for the ACA Displayable radio button is used for
expressions when the value from a field not displayed on the form is either
updated by the expression or the value is used in the expression criteria.

- If you mark the Yes radio buttons for both the ACA Displayable and ACA Searchable
options, the ASI field is available for use in the search form.
- If you mark the Yes radio button for ACA Displayable, and mark the No radio button
for ACA Searchable, the ASI field displays as read only in the search form.
- If you mark the No radio buttons for both ACA Displayable and ACA Searchable, the
ASI field does not display in the search form. It is recommended that you not use this
case. If you do not want the field to display in the search form, mark both radio
buttons as No.

5.

Click the Submit button.

6.

Navigate to Civic Platform Administration.

7.

In the Setup portlet, click the Administration item and choose ACA Admin from the
drop-down menu.
Civic Platform displays the Citizen Access Setup pop-up window.

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8.

Navigate to the Record Home page of a module, such as the Building module.
Civic Platform displays the Building Record Home worksheet in the modular tab.

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9.

If you want to expose the ASI fields to only one record type:
a. Click Search Additional Criteria.
Civic Platform displays the Field Properties in the right panel.
b. In the Record Type Filter drop-down list, choose a record type to filter together with ASI
fields. This limits the potential number of search results.
c. Click the Save button.

10. If you share information between agencies and want to further restrict the number of record
types available for the search:
a. Click the General Search drop-down list.
Civic Platform displays the Available Fields in the Field Properties right panel.

.
b. Mark the check box next to Agency.
Civic Platform displays an Agency drop-down list next to the Permit # text box in the
General Search section of the Building Record Home worksheet.

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c. Select the desired agency from the Agency drop-down list, and click the Save button.
Civic Platform displays the available record types in the Field Properties panel.

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d. Mark the check boxes next to the record types you want to associate or dissociate with
the agency search.
e. Click the Save button.

Note:

When you set this option, public user must select the agency from the
Agency drop-down list to access the filtered list of available record types.

All of the ASI field(s) display in the Citizen Access public user General Search form.

Customizing the Contact Search Form
Your agency can provide public users with the ability to search for records by contacts. Public
users enter contact name search criteria. After choosing a contact name from the results list,
Citizen Access displays the records associated with the contact name.
To enable contact search functionality, administrators must enable Records by Contacts in the
Search drop-down list and customize the contact search form. For detailed instructions on how
to customize web pages, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.
For information on how to leverage the SSN and FEIN standard contact fields during the
registration process to eliminate duplicate contacts and to create associations and privacy to
public users, see Setting SSN and FEIN Contact Field Validation on page 240 and FEIN Mask
Settings on page 61.

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To customize the contact search form

1.

Navigate to the module that you want to enable contact search functionality.

2.

Go to the General Search area on the Record Home page.

3.

Enable Search by Contact as a search option in the Feature Properties area and click OK.

4.

Click the Search by Contact option from the General Search drop-down list to access the
contact search form.

5.

Customize which fields are available on the contact search form, section headers to control
display information. See Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

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6.

Define the contact type options for the Contact Type filter. See Assigning Contact Types to
a Module on page 321 for detailed information.

7.

Click Save.

Exporting Search Results in CSV Format
Citizen Access allows the export of search results in CSV format, such as an excel file. This is
particularly useful so public users can click a “Download results” link to save a list of records on
their local computer.
The exported CSV file contains all the records that match the search criteria, not just the
records in the results list available to view. For example, if Citizen Access returns 10 pages of
results while there are 2,500 matching records, the CSV file has all the 2,500 matching records,
not just the 10 pages of returned results.
Civic Platform follows a default naming convention when exporting information that is
dependent on the date and source of the search. After the CSV file export finishes, public users
can update the file name and location.
To enable this feature, administrators must mark the Allow Export check box on the Global
Settings page.
To allow export of search results

1.

Navigate to the Global Settings page.

2.

Go to the Search Settings section and mark the Allow Public users to export Search
Results (in CSV format) check box to enable the export feature.

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3.

Click Save.
Citizen Access allows public users to export search results in CSV format.

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C HAPTER 14:

CREATING RECORDS

You can configure Citizen Access, so your agency website provides public users with the
service of creating records and paying their associated fees online. A record may include an
application, case, license, permit, service request, and work order. After enabling modules for
Citizen Access, you can define the types of records associated with the modules that you want
to allow public users to create online in Citizen Access. You can also customize hyperlinks to
provide quick access to the record creation page from other websites or other applications
outside of Citizen Access. For information on how to customize hyperlinks to the record creation
page, see Configuring URLs and Deep Links to Citizen Access Pages on page 193.
Civic Platform provides a default, or standard method for creating records. Use this chapter with
the Configuring Records for Processing on page 208 from Chapter 11: Implementation Planning
on page 200 to assist you with completing the required configurations for successful
implementation. The required configuration includes reviewing implementation considerations
and reviewing dependent configurations throughout the other areas of software. You must
complete required configuration for creating records online: creating record types, configuring
application-specific information, defining workflow, associating scripts, configuring comments,
conditions and contact types, attaching documents, setting up fees and online payment
processing methodology, and preparing the site.
If your agency has special needs, you may choose an alternative method to create records.
This decision is dependent on the available modules for your agency, whether your agency
provides services for multiple agencies, or if your agency requires the use of an amendment
record or a record with multiple child records. For configuration details to implement an
alternative process for multiple agency implementation, to incorporate amendment functionality,
or to implement parent-child record creation, refer to Appendix C: Variations for Creating
Records on page 519.

Note:

Record replaces CAP. The term Record defines a broad range of items
or forms that users manage within Civic Platform, such as application,
case, license, permit, service request, and work order.

Topics


Configuring Record Types in Civic Platform



Preparing Web Pages to Create Records



Configuring Application Specific Information



Restricting Access to View Comments



Assigning Conditions to Records



Displaying Conditions

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

Configuring Contacts



Document Attachments



Populating People Template Fields Using EMSE



Enabling Auto-fill for City and State Fields



Configuring Record Types in Classic Administration

Configuring Record Types in Civic Platform
You can add new record types to modules at any time. This section calls out the configurations
within record type administration in Civic Platform that are specific to Citizen Access. This
includes, how to define the record type alias, page flows, documents, and renewal information.
This section also provides the complete instructions for the three major configuration areas in
record type setup. For additional information about record type administration, see the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
When you create a new record type for Citizen Access, you must click the Create New Record
button for a module and complete the record type form. This form displays in a pop-up window
where you can enter basic record type information. You can access additional record type
configurations after saving the basic information.
You can view the record details by clicking on the record type name from the record type list.
Access the additional record type configurations by clicking a configuration tab from the
summary navigation panel. The Settings portlet is used to configure additional record type
features for the add-on products, like Citizen Access and Accela GIS (Silverlight version). The
Other Associations portlet is used to configure other related items to the record type, such as
fee schedule, expiration code, application-specific information groups, or workflow. You can
save and resume as you go, but you must review all three areas of configuration to ensure the
record type is of proper configuration.
After the record type configurations are complete in AA Admin, you can define additional
functionality including conditions and standard comments in other areas of the application.
Refer to “Conditions” and “Standard Comments” respectively, in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
Note: Record type administration is still available in Civic Platform Classic Administration. For
information about how to define record type configurations for Citizen Access in Civic Platform
Classic Administration, see Configuring Record Types in Classic Administration on page 344.
Topics


Basic Record Type Information



Configuring Record Type Settings



Configuring Other Associations

Basic Record Type Information
When you create a new record type, you must complete the required fields that display in the
new record type pop-up window. This basic information allows the user to save enough critical

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data elements in Civic Platform so you can access the information about additional
configuration such as defining Citizen Access Settings.
To create a new Record type

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > V360 Administration.

2.

In the Setup portlet, click the Administration item and choose AA Admin from the
drop-down menu.
Civic Platform displays the Record Type administration.

3.

Locate the module that you want to add a record type, and click the New Record Type
button in the module toolbar.

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Civic Platform displays the New Record Type form in a pop-up window.

4.

Enter information in the fields as described in List 6: New Record Type Form Fields on
page 286.

•
5.

At a minimum, you must complete the Record Type Name, Group, Type, Sub-Type, and
Category. When those are complete, you can save and resume later.

Click Save or Save and Create Another.

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List 6: New Record Type Form Fields

Category

Type the name of the new category.

Fee Schedule

Use the drop-down list to search and select a fee schedule to assign to the
record type.

Group

Use the drop-down list to select a group for the record type.

Partial ID Mask

Use the drop-down list to search and select a Partial ID Mask for identification
of records that are only partially complete at intake, records representing an
estimate, or records that are saved and resumed for later in Citizen Access.

Record Key Mask

Use the drop-down list to search and select a Record Key mask, which
identifies a record of this type in Civic Platform. You can also just use the
default value: $$yy$$CAP-00000-$$SEQ05$$ by choosing Default from the
list.

Record Type Name

Enter an alias name for the record type to display in the record list portlet. This
name replaces the four level name for the record type.

SmartChoice Group

Use the drop-down list to search and select a SmartChoice group.
SmartChoice functionality is an important part as it indicates what intake
information you want to gather for this record type.

Sub-Type

Do one of the following: choose an existing or create a new sub-type.
To create a new sub-type, enter a name in the field for it.
To choose an existing sub-type, use the drop-down list to search and select the
sub-type you want to use.

Temporary ID Mask

Use the drop-down list to search and select the mask used for the Partial ID
Mask for this record type.

Type

Do one of the following: choose an existing or create a new type.
To create a new type, enter a name in the field for it.
To choose an existing type, use the drop-down list to search and select the
type you want to use.

Workflow

Use the drop-down list to search and select a workflow process to assign to
the record type.

Configuring Record Type Settings
After defining the basic configuration for a record type, you can complete the record type
settings. These configurations include: settings for Citizen Access, Audit Frequency, and Accela
GIS (Silverlight version) Settings. For an brief overview of the Record Type Settings page, see
“Configuring Record Type Settings” in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
To configure the Settings portlet

1.

Navigate to the Record Type administration portlet in Civic Platform Administration.

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2.

Expand a module to search and select the record type you want to work with. For
instructions on how to search for a record type, see “Searching for Record Types” in the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Civic Platform displays the Record Type Summary page.

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3.

Click the Setting tab from the summary panel.
Civic Platform displays the Settings portlet.

4.

Complete the Settings section and the Settings for Citizen Access section. For additional
information, see Table 12: Record Type Settings Field Descriptions on page 289.

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•
5.

If necessary, complete the Audit Frequency section and Accela GIS (Silverlight version)
Settings fields section.

Click Save.

Table 12: Record Type Settings Field Descriptions

Section on Page

Field

Field Description

Settings for any module

Record Type Name

Enter an alias name for the record type to display
in the record list portlet. This name replaces the
four level name for the record type.

Settings for any module

Duration

Enter the number of days you estimate the record
should take to complete. For more information,
see “Setting Up an Estimated Application Due
Date” in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.

Settings for any module

Icon

Click the Browse button to search and select the
image you want associated with the record type.
For more information, see “Configuring a Display
Image Attachment” in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.

Settings for any module

IVR Number

Enter the associated IVR (Interactive Voice
Response) number for the record type. For more
information about the IVR Number, refer to the
Accela IVR Administrator Guide. or the Accela
IVR Installation Guide.

Settings for any module

Status

Select Enable or Disable.
You can choose to Disable a record type to
prevent users from creating this type of record.
The Disable option does not remove the record
type.
All application types with the Enable status are
searchable. If you disable an application type, you
can mark the Searchable check box below the
status options, to allow users to search records
with the disabled yet searchable record type.

Settings for Asset
Module

Default Production
Unit

Enter a fixed production quantity for a Work
Order.

Settings for Asset
Module

Estimated Cost Per
Production Unit

Enter a value to be used to generate the
estimated cost for each work order. The
functionality is particularly useful when Accela
Asset Management users record the estimated
cost per production unit.

Settings for Asset
Module

Unit of Production

Use the drop-down list to select the unit of
measure for Production Units for the record type
for Accela Asset Management. For example,
Each, Feet, Acres, or Miles.

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Table 12: Record Type Settings Field Descriptions (Continued)

Section on Page

Field

Field Description

Settings for Asset
Module

Value Required to
Close

Mark the check box to indicate the Production
Quantity field is required before closing a work
order in Accela Asset Management.

Settings for
Enforcement Module

Email for Hearing
Notification

Enter the e-mail address used to send e-mail
notifications for hearings.

Settings for
Enforcement Module

Enforcement Type

Enter the enforcement type in this field. For
example, Abatement.

Settings for Citizen
Access

Enable Associated
Forms

Mark this check box to display the Associated
Forms step to the record creation process. Use
the Associated Forms step to display and
manage child records for the parent record during
the parent record creation. For more information
about creating parent and child records, see
Creating a Parent-Child Record on page 519.
Marking this check box also activates the Enable
Partial Submission check box.
Enable Partial Submission: Mark this check
box to enable public users to continue the
application intake process without completing all
available associated forms.

Settings for Citizen
Access

Enable Application

This field shows only if the FID of 0075 is
enabled.
Mark the Enable Application check box to
make the Record type available in Citizen Access.
Only if the Enable Application check box is
marked, is the Record Type is available in Citizen
Access. The Record Type cannot be
automatically issued through Citizen Access, it
needs agency’s approval.
This check box also flags Civic Platform to display
the Record Type Alias in Citizen Access.
Also Enable Issuance: Mark this check box if
you want to automatically approve and issue the
record type through Citizen Access when fees are
paid in full.

Settings for Citizen
Access

Enable Fee Estimation

This field shows only if the FID of 0075 is
enabled.
Mark this check box if you want to allow users to
create a partial application that includes a
calculation of estimated fees. This fee estimation
is dependent on the Fee Schedule.

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Table 12: Record Type Settings Field Descriptions (Continued)

Section on Page

Field

Field Description

Settings for Citizen
Access

Enable Renewal

Mark the Enable Renewal check box if you
want to enable the renewal of licenses in Citizen
Access for this record type. Mark this check box
to activate the Enable Issuance check box for
this renewal, and the Renewal Record Type
drop-down list.
Administrators must define a renewal record type
relating to this renewal process.
Enable Issuance: Mark the Enable Issuance
check box for renewals if you want to provide the
service “Issuance Online”. It also provides the
ability to have the License or Permits status
change back to “Active” when a public user
completes the Renewal Application.
Choose a Renewal Record Type from the
drop-down list to designate the renewal Record
Type for the expired Record. For example,
choose a Renewal Plumber Permit for the expired
plumbing permit.

Settings for Citizen
Access

Document Code

Indicate the document code set for the types of
documents public users can upload and attach to
record types in Citizen Access.
This field is visible only if administrators set the
Function Identification (FID) numbers 0108 Admin
Document Type and 0065 Admin Application
Types to Full Access.

Settings for Citizen
Access

Page Flow Code

Use this drop-down list to associate a Page Flow
code to this record type. The page flow code you
choose is reflected within ACA Admin. You can
create and assign the default setting for this field
in ACA Admin page flow configuration.
For more information about page flows, see
Chapter 9:Page Flow Configuration. For specifics
about page flow code, see Configuring Record
Type Settings on page 286.

Settings for Citizen
Access

Set the criteria for
selecting fees between
the Contractor Value
and the Valuation
Calculator.

To set the fee valuation associated with the
record, you can choose to use the higher value or
the lower value that is calculated between the
Contractor Value and the Valuation Calculator.

Settings for Citizen
Access

Searchable in Citizen
Access

Mark the check box to indicate the records of the
selected record type can be searched in Citizen
Access.

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Table 12: Record Type Settings Field Descriptions (Continued)

Section on Page

Field

Field Description

Settings for Citizen
Access

Allow anonymous
users to create:

This option and the Force Registration/Login
setting jointly determine whether anonymous
users can create records of specific record types
in Citizen Access, or through deep links. For more
information, see Table 15: Settings on Creating
Records by Anonymous Users.

Settings for Citizen
Access

Would you like this
permit to be available
through Citizen
Access?

This field shows only if FID of 0075 is disabled.
You can either select “Yes” to make the record
type available in Citizen Access, or select “No” to
prevent the record type being available from
Citizen Access.

Audit Frequency

Audit Frequency

Enter the number of months in the Audit
Frequency column to designate the interval
between audits for the Record Type. You can
enter a number under any of the Record Type
Levels. For example, enter a “3” next to the
Building Permit Record Type Level to prevent
Building Permit Records from auditing within a
three month period.
When you edit any level of a Record Type, Civic
Platform automatically syncs the audit frequency
for all related Record Types. For example, if you
modify the audit frequency for Building to 18
months for Building/Commercial/Addition/Apt +5,
the audit frequency for Building/Commercial/
Addition/Amusement also changes to 18 months.

Configuring Other Associations
After defining the basic configuration and the settings for a record type, you can complete the
other associations of the record type. These configurations include: Address Type Group,
Application Specific Info Group, Associated Record Types, Document Code, Expiration Code,
Fee Schedule, Inspection Group, Sequences and Masks, SmartChoice Groups, Status Group,
and Workflow. Agency administrators may have defined some of these configurations in the
basic record type setup, but you can modify the configuration if you have permissions to do so.
Also, you can use this record type other associations portlet to create new codes or groups and
assign them to the record type if you have permissions to do so. For an overview of the format
for the Other Associations page, see the “Record Types” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
To configure the other associations portlet

1.

Navigate to the Record Type administration portlet.

2.

Expand a module to search and select the record type you want to configure.
Civic Platform displays the Record Type Summary page.

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3.

Click the Other Associations tab from the summary panel.
Civic Platform displays the Other Associations portlet.

4.

5.

Complete the Other Association fields as described in Table 13: Record Type Other
Associations Fields on page 294.

•

If necessary, complete the Sequences and Masks section. This section has required
fields.

•

If necessary, complete the Document Code section.

•

If necessary, complete the Expiration Code section.

•

If necessary, complete the Inspection Group section.

•

If necessary, complete the Address Type Group section.

•

If necessary, complete the Fee Schedule section. This section has a required field.

•

If necessary, complete the Workflow section. This section has a required field.

•

If necessary, complete the SmartChoice Group section. This section has a required field.

•

If necessary, complete the Application Specific Info Group section.

•

If necessary, complete the Associated Record Types section.

Click Save.

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Table 13: Record Type Other Associations Fields

Section on Page

Field

Field Descriptions

Sequences and
Masks

ID Mask

Select the mask for the application type. Users can
click the ID Mask Definition link to read the pattern and
definition of ID masks. Within the pop-up window you
can also click the Guide button to review the
recommended mask patterns and the
examples.
For instructions on creating a mask, see “Editing a
Mask” in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide. For more information on managing sequences
and using the Sequence Generator tool, see the
“Sequence Generator” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.

Sequences and
Masks

Invoice Number
Scheme

From the drop-down list, choose the invoice number
format for the record type.
You format an invoice number scheme by creating a
mask. For an example on formatting a receipt number
scheme or mask, see “Setting Up a Sequence and
Mask Definition” in the “Autonumbers” chapter in
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Users can click the Select a Invoice Number Scheme
link to read the pattern and definition of the invoice in
this drop-down list. For example, administrators may
want to number invoices for the code enforcement
department differently from invoices for the permit
department.

Sequences and
Masks

Partial ID Mask

Use the drop-down list to search and select a Partial
ID Mask for identification of those records that are only
partially complete at intake, records that represent an
estimate, or records that were saved and resumed for
later in Citizen Access. Partial ID Mask is a required
field.

Sequences and
Masks

Receipt Number
Scheme

From the drop-down list, choose the receipt number
format for the record type.
You format a receipt number scheme by creating a
mask. For instructions on formatting a receipt number
scheme, see “Editing a Mask” in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.
Users can click the Receipt Number Definition link to
read the pattern and definition of the receipt in this
drop-down list. As an example, system administrators
may want to group receipts for the building department
separately from receipts for the code enforcement
department.

Sequences and
Masks

Record Key Mask

Use the drop-down list to search and select a Record
Key mask, which identifies a record of this type in Civic
Platform. You can also just use the default value:
$$yy$$CAP-00000-$$SEQ05$$ by choosing Default
from the list. Record Key Mask is a required field.

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Table 13: Record Type Other Associations Fields (Continued)

Section on Page

Field

Field Descriptions

Sequences and
Masks

Temporary ID Mask

Use the drop-down list to search and select the mask
used for the Temporary ID Mask for this record type.
Temporary ID Mask is a required field.

Document Code

Default Document
Code
Default Document
Type

Use the drop-down menu to select an existing
document code. You can view or edit this code by
clicking the View/Edit link. If you want to create a new
Document Code, click the Create new Document Code
link.
For detailed instructions on how to create a document
code, see “Configuring Documents for Attachments” in
the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Use the Default Document Type to provide a label for
type of document, such as a graphic image or photo, a
drawing, or a Word document.

Expiration Code

Expiration Code

Use the drop-down menu to select an existing
expiration code. You can view or edit this code by
clicking the View/Edit link. If you want to create a new
Expiration Code, click the Create new Expiration Code
link.
For instructions on creating a new expiration code, see
the list “Expiration Code Fields” in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.

Inspection Group

Inspection Group

Use the drop-down menu to select an existing
Inspection code. You can view or edit this code by
clicking the View/Edit link. If you want to create a new
Inspection Group, click the Create new Inspection
Group button.
For instructions on creating a new inspection code,
see “Managing Inspection Groups” in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.

Address Type Group

Address Type Group

Use the drop-down menu to select an Address Type
Group you want to assign to the record type.
For more information, see “Managing Address Type
Groups” in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.

Status Group

Application Status
Group Code

Use the drop-down menu to select an existing
Application Status Group code. You can view or edit
this code by clicking the View/Edit link. If you want to
create a new Application Status Group, click the
Create new Status Group button.
For more information, see “Working with Application
Status Groups” in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.

Status Group

Default Record
Status

Use the drop-down menu to select the default record
status you want to assign to the record type.
For more information, see “Changing the Name or
Default Status of a General Profile” in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.

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Table 13: Record Type Other Associations Fields (Continued)

Section on Page

Field

Field Descriptions

Fee Schedule

Fee Schedule

Use the drop-down menu to select an existing Fee
Schedule. You can view or edit the Fee Schedule code
by clicking the View/Edit link. If you want to create a
new Fee Schedule, click the Create new Fee Schedule
button. Fee Schedule is a required field.
For more information about fee schedules, see
“Managing Fee Schedules” in the “Fee Setup” chapter
of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

Workflow

Workflow

Use the drop-down menu to select an existing
Workflow. You can view or edit the Workflow code by
clicking the View/Edit link. If you want to create a new
Workflow, click the Create new Workflow button.
Workflow is a required field.
For more information about workflow, see “Managing
Workflow Processes” in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.

SmartChoice Group

SmartChoice Group

Use the drop-down menu to select an existing
SmartChoice group. You can view or edit the
SmartChoice Group code by clicking the View/Edit
link. If you want to create a new SmartChoice Group,
click the Create new SmartChoice Group button.
SmartChoice Group is a required field.
For more information about SmartChoice groups, see
“Working with SmartChoice Groups” in the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

Application Specific
Info Group

Application Specific
Info Group

Use the drop-down menu to select an existing
Application Specific Info Group. You can view or edit
the Application Specific Info Group code by clicking the
View/Edit link. If you want to create a new Application
Specific Info Group, click the Create new Application
Specific Info button.
For more information about Application Specific Info
Groups, see “Application-Specific Information” in the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

Associated Record
Types

No Status
Status Group

Click the No Status link or click a status group link, you
see a popup to associate a record type.
For more information about Associated Record Types,
see “Associating Record Types” in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.
Prior to associating record types, you must mark the
Enable Cart check box and set the Payment
Transaction Settings to “Transaction per Cart” in Cart
Settings. For more information about cart settings, see
“Cart Settings” topic in the Global Settings
Configuration Page chapter.

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Preparing Web Pages to Create Records
Prepare your web pages so public users can access record type creation. Display record
creation links, customize the text of applicable web pages to support the application process for
the module. If you want to display customized field labels for ASI fields, see Customizing ASI
Field Label Text on page 303. Finally, you must ensure you have defined and assigned the page
flow. The order information shows to public users on web pages during an application-intake
process is dependent on page flow configuration.
Topics


Displaying Links to Creating Records on Welcome Page



Customizing Web Pages



Defining the Page Flow for Record Types

Displaying Links to Creating Records on Welcome Page
You can configure the Welcome pages to display links associated with the record creation
process on the Feature Settings page for each module. Expand a module and mark the
associated Create an Application check box. If your agency offers fee estimation for an
application, mark the Obtain a Fee estimate check box, also. For more information about the
Feature Settings page, see Feature Setting Configurations on page 80.
To display record links for record processing

1.

Navigate to the Feature Settings page from the navigation panel.
Citizen Access displays a column of features and modules.

2.

Expand a module and display the create record link on the Welcome page by marking the
Create an Application check box.

•

If you want to require a public user to register or login before they can create an
application, expand the tree and mark the Force Login check box for creating an
application.

3.

If your agency implements fee estimation, mark the Obtain a Fee Estimate check box to
display the link on the Welcome page.

4.

Click Save.

Customizing Web Pages
You must customize web pages to create the display your agency wants to provide to public
users during an application-intake process for a module. You can modify the text content,
display or hide sections on a page, display or hide fields, change the font, and change the font
size and color. For information about how to customize a web page, see Chapter 10: Working
with Web Pages on page 158.
For each module, you must configure the pages related to the application-intake process. Also
you must define the Record Home page and Record Detail page.

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Topics


Application-Intake Pages



Record Home Page for a Module



Record Detail Pages for a Module

Application-Intake Pages
The application-intake process displays a sequence of pages to collect application information
from a public user. Each module requires you to define the content on the web pages so users
can follow the instructions and generate a record online. You must define all the pages in the
module page folder designated to create a record. For example, the Building Module has a
folder named Apply for a Building and the Service Request has a folder named Folder Apply for
a Service Request.
To customize the application-intake pages

1.

Choose a module from the navigation panel and go to the Pages area.

2.

Expand the folder which contains the application-intake pages.

3.

Customize the pages listed below: for instructions, see Chapter 10: Working with Web
Pages on page 158.

•

Select a License

•

Enter a Work Location

•

Record Type Picker

•

Module Information. For example, Building Information

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4.

•

Review information

•

Associated Forms. The forms display when administrators set the record type to enable
associated forms.

•

Pay Fees

•

Receipt

•

Renewal Receipt

Click Save.

Record Home Page for a Module
When users select a module tab in the website, the record home page displays. There are
usually two sections in a record home page: My Permit List and General Search. See Figure 89:
Record Home Page for a Module. You can define the display of the record home page for each
module.
Figure 89: Record Home Page for a Module

To customize the record home page

1.

Navigate to the desired module.

2.

Select the Record Home page from the Module Home folder in the Pages area.

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3.

Customize the My Permit List section. Do one or more of the following:

•

Configure which column headers you want to display in the list table, and configure the
column positioning and column width. For instructions, see Chapter 10: Working with
Web Pages on page 158.

•

If necessary, enable the quickquery drop-down list to display for the section.
By default, the My Permit List section lists all the records that the current user created in
the module, and the records associated with the contacts, licensed professionals or
owners that the current user added to his/her account. With the quickquery dropdown
list, public users can select a quickquery to apply to the record list.

You must configure two settings if you want to enable the quickquery dropdown list in
the section.
- The Standard Choice Value DISPLAY_QUICK_QUERY in the Standard Choice
ACA_CONFIGS. You must set the value to Yes.
- The quickquery settings for the ACA My Permit List portlet in the Global QuickQueries
administration portlet. You must assign a quickquery to a module for the quickquery
option to display in the record home page of the module. If a module is not assigned
with any quickquery for the ACA My Permit List portlet, the My Permit List section of
the module’s record home page still hides the quickquery drop-down list.
For more information about creating a global quickquery, see “Creating a Global
QuickQuery” in the “QuickQueries” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.

4.

Customize the General Search section. For instructions, see Chapter 13: Configuring
Record Inquiry on page 242.

Record Detail Pages for a Module
You can define the display of the record detail page for each module. For example, you can
click a section title to change the heading text. You can also click a list column to edit its heading
and width. See Figure 90: Module Record Detail Page on page 301.
If your agency stores some record information in a third-party web application and defines a
URL to the record information on a record, public users can click the Click here for more

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information deep link, on the Record Detail page, to view the record information. You can
customize the label of the link on the Record Detail page through Citizen Access Setup.

Note:

Your agency defines the URL to record information at the record
level in Civic Platform. If your agency does not define the URL for
a record, public users cannot see the Click here for more
information link on the Record Detail page. For more information
about how to define the URL in Civic Platform, see “Application
Record Fields” in the Records chapter of the Accela Civic
Platform User Guide.

Figure 90: Module Record Detail Page

Defining the Page Flow for Record Types
You must define page flows for applications enabled for Citizen Access. The page flow provides
the map that controls the user experience. It displays pages in sequential steps to gather
information during the application process. See Figure 64: Page Flow Configurations on
page 131. You can define the page flow code in the Page Flow Configuration pages for a
module in Citizen Access Setup.
You can assign a record type to a page flow code in Page Flow Configuration. See Figure 91:
Assign Record Types to a Page Flow. For instructions, see Associating Record Types With a
Page Flow.

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You can also assign the page flow code in record type administration. See Configuring Record
Type Settings on page 286. For more information about page flows, see Chapter 9: Page Flow
Configuration.
Figure 91: Assign Record Types to a Page Flow

Configuring Application Specific Information
You can create application-specific information to help you gather critical information from
public users. You can customize ASI field labels just for Citizen Access. You can also create
drill-down functionality to limit the public user choices based on previous decisions in the
application. Use the expression builder to assist you with auto-populating information in
application-intake forms.
Topics


Defining ASI Fields and Tables



Customizing ASI Field Label Text



Configuring ASI Table Drill-Downs



Configuring ASI Field Drill-Downs



Configuring Expressions for ASI or ASI Table Sections

Defining ASI Fields and Tables
Citizen Access applies ASI modifications to new and existing applications regardless of the
application status according to the related configurations as defined in Civic Platform. For
information on how to ensure this feature is available to application types and partially
completed application types submitted in Citizen Access, refer to the “Working with ASI Group
Fields” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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Customizing ASI Field Label Text
You can customize ASI field label text which displays to public users on the application intake
form, Record Home page, Review Page, and Record Detail page in Citizen Access. The ability
to change ASI label text is particularly useful when you need to ask questions with the intent to
collect specific answers from a public user during the application intake process. For example,
you could change an ASI field label from “Memo” to “Please provide additional information
here:”. Or you could change “Criminal History” to “Have you or any member of your immediate
family, including spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, or siblings been convicted of a
crime?”. You can also incorporate the ASI Field drill-down feature to control the available
responses to questions based on a previous ASI field response. For information on how to
apply ASI field drill-downs, see Configuring ASI Field Drill-Downs on page 307.
To change an ASI field label, you must enter the text in the Alternative ACA Label field located
in ASI field configuration of Civic Platform. If the text for a label extends the maximum length
allowed, then you can increase the numeric Value Desc for Standard Choices Value
ASI_LABEL_WIDTH in Standard Choice ACA_CONFIGS. The numeric quantity represents the
number of characters displayed per line on an ASI field label.
To customize ASI field label text

1.

Navigate to Civic PlatformCivic PlatformCivic Platform.

2.

Configure the optional related Standard Choice ACA_CONFIGS with Standard Choice
Value ASI_LABEL_WIDTH if you want to adjust the ASI text label width to accommodate
longer text labels. The numeric Value Desc represents the number of characters displayed
per line on an ASI field label. Maximum numeric value is 900.
Standard Choice

ACA_CONFIGS

Standard Choices
Value

ASI_LABEL_WIDTH

Value Desc.

40

For information on creating the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

3.

Choose Application > Application Specific Info.
Civic Platform displays the Application Specific Info - Search page.

4.

Search and select an existing or add a new Application Specific Group containing the ASI
Subgroup and field label you want to modify. Then, select the subgroup to view the
associated ASI Fields you want to work with.

5.

Do one of the following:

•

Click Add and fill out the form to create a new ASI Field.

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1) Enter a new ASI field label to display in Citizen Access in the text box of Alternative
ACA Label.

2) Click Submit.

•

Choose an existing ASI Field and click the Add Alternative ACA Label link for an ASI
on the far right side of the page.
In the pop-up window, enter the new label in the Alternative ACA Label text box and
click Submit.
Civic Platform displays the Alternative ACA Label as a link in the ASI field list.

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6.

Click Update.
Citizen Access displays the new ASI field label to public users.

Configuring ASI Table Drill-Downs
Civic Platform offers an Application-Specific Information (ASI) Table that allows users to search
for the value of a column by using a drill-down approach. This table displays in the application
intake form or in the App Spec Info Table tab. The drill-down functionality guides the user
through a series of windows that presents unique data choices based on previously-selected
data field selections. When all of the selections complete, Civic Platform displays a drill-down
table with the value results.
For example, you can prepare a table for multiple Business license types. You set the first
option such as Agriculture and then assign subgroups such as Plants and Trees Cultivation,
and Seeds and Crops Cultivation. You create additional groups for each of the subgroups,
which narrows down the license options. After assigning the groups and subgroups, the options
display in an ASI Table in the public user view. See Figure 92: ASI Table Drill-Down User View
to view a completed ASI Table drill-down.
An example of preparing for ASI Field drill-downs for address selection. You set the first option
as Country with various countries as subgroups. Then, for each subgroup, such as the United
States, you can define states, such as New York, California, or Texas. Then, you can define
cities for a state, such as San Ramon, San Diego, and Los Angeles for California.
The agency administrator must complete some configuration to display application-specific
information (ASI) table drill-downs for the user. Besides setting Function Identifications (FIDs),
defining the ASI table group and subgroups in Civic Platform Classic Administration, creating or
editing existing shared drop-down lists, and creating or editing existing ASI table drill-down
records, the administrator must configure the page flow. For information on configuring the Civic
Platform components of this feature, including creating and editing ASI table drill-down records,
see “Managing ASI Drill-downs” in the “Form Layout Editor” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.

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Figure 92: ASI Table Drill-Down User View

To configure ASI table drill-downs in Citizen Access

1.

Ensure that the application type shows to Citizen Access.
For instructions, see “Adding an Application Type” in the License Renewal chapter of the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

2.

Set the ASI table drill-down view to ACA Only or Both.
For instructions, see “Managing ASI Drill-downs” in the Form Layout Editor chapter of the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

3.

Navigate to Civic Platform Admin> Setup > Citizen Access > Citizen Access Setup.

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4.

Open the Page Flow for the desired module.
Citizen Access displays the Page Flow Configuration page.

For instructions on establishing the page flow, see Chapter 9:Page Flow Configuration.

5.

Add the ASI Table component to the page flow.

6.

Click the Save button.

Configuring ASI Field Drill-Downs
You can create a drop-down field to enable users to search for the value of an applicationspecific information field using a drill-down approach. The drill-down approach allows users to
filter the list of value results by performing a search within the ASI drill-down result value data.
The drill-down functionality guides the user through a series of drop-down lists that limits the
selection values for subsequent fields based on previously-selected data. When all of the
selections complete, Citizen Access displays the value results to the public user. You can apply
the drill-down fields to multiple application-specific groups.
For example, your agency can create a drill-down in an application to gather address
information. The first drill-down lists the country, such as The United States, Canada, United
Arab Emirates, France, or Mexico. If the user selects United States, the next drill-down lists
States such as California, Georgia, New York, and Massachusetts. If the user selects California,
the third drill-down lists city options for California, such as Los Angeles, San Ramon, San
Diego, San Francisco, or Anaheim. For an example of a drill-down field setup for Continent,
Country, and City, see Figure 93: ASI Field Drill-Down for Continent, Country, and City.
To prepare for implementation in Citizen Access, you must configure ASI fields in Civic Platform
and configure ASI Drill-Down information in Civic Platform. In ASI field drill-down configuration,
you must create or edit an existing ASI drill-down with ASI Type as ASI Field. Then apply the
drill-down to Citizen Access by marking either the ACA Only or the Both option on the drill-down

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tab. Marking the Both option indicates you apply the drill-down to both Citizen Access and Civic
Platform. See Figure 94: Applying ASI Field Drill-Down to Citizen Access.
For ASI drill-down configuration details, refer to “Creating or Editing an ASI Field Drill-Down” in
the “Form Layout Editor” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. See also,
“Application Specific Information” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Figure 93: ASI Field Drill-Down for Continent, Country, and City

Figure 94: Applying ASI Field Drill-Down to Citizen Access

Configuring Expressions for ASI or ASI Table Sections
The Expression Builder tool in Civic Platform enables you to configure expressions for the ASI
target portlet or ASI table target portlet. You can use the expressions to set some ASI or ASI
table fields to be required or read-only, force public users to enter acceptable values, block
submission if needed, or populate a unique message based on a specific value the user
entered in a previous field.
Table 14: ASI and ASI Table Expressions provides you a summary on the fields, variables, and
actions that ASI or ASI table expressions can support. For more information on creating

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expressions for use in Citizen Access, see the “Expression Builder” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.
Table 14: ASI and ASI Table Expressions

Target
Portlet

Applicable
Scope

Supported Fields and
Variables

Applicable Action

ASI

Both Civic
Platform and
Citizen Access

• ASI form and fields
• Record detail fields
• Session variables

• onLoad
• onSubmit

ASI Table

Both Civic
Platform and
Citizen Access

• ASI fields
• ASI table form and fields
• Record detail fields
• Session variables

• onLoad
• onSubmit
• onPopulate
• (Only in Citizen Access)
onASITRowSubmit

Restricting Access to View Comments
You can restrict access to comments for inspection results and workflow tasks which applies to
comments a user can enter and Standard Comments that he can add into the Comment field. If
the content of an inspection result or a workflow task comment must be private or semi-private,
modify the comment setting access on the Inspection Detail page or on the specific Workflow
Task page. Refer to the steps in this section (below) for these two areas.
To hide all comments in an inspection results and a workflow task from all Citizen Access users,
clear the Display Comments in ACA check box. If you want to display comments, you can
display the check spelling link so public users can verify the spelling of their comment. You must
enable a Standard Choice for functionality. See the section, “Configuring the Spell Checker” in
the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
To configure the access to view inspection results comments

1.

Navigate to the Inspection portlet and select the inspection to which you need to restrict
comment access.

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2.

Click the Inspection Detail tab.
Civic Platform displays the Inspection Detail page.

3.

4.

Mark the Display Comment in ACA check box to specify what types of users can view the
comments. Choose one of the following:

•

To enable Citizen Access users to view the inspection results comments, mark this
check box.

•

To hide all comments from all Citizen Access users, clear this check box.

Mark the check boxes for Comment Display in ACA to indicate who can view inspection
comments in ACA. Your options include: All ACA Users, Record Creator, Licensed
Professional, Contact, and Owner.

Note:

The Standard Choice
DISPLAY_INSPECTION_COMMENT_IN_ACA controls the
display of all inspection comments and overrides the settings in
“Comment Display in ACA” and “Display Comment in ACA” in
every inspection. If you do not configure the Standard Choice,
comments display so all ACA registered or anonymous users
can read them by default.

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To configure the access to view workflow task comments

1.

Navigate to a module and record to which you need to restrict workflow task comment
access.

2.

Click the Workflow tab.

3.

Click a Workflow task link.
Civic Platform displays the Workflow Task Details page.

4.

5.

Mark the Display Comment in ACA check box to specify what types of users can view the
comments. Choose one of the following:

•

To specify what ACA users can view the workflow task comments, mark this check box.

•

To hide all comments from all ACA users, clear this check box, and the Comment
Display in ACA field is inactive.

Mark the check boxes to indicate who can view workflow task comments in ACA. Your
options include: All ACA Users, Record Creator, Licensed Professional, Contact, and
Owner.

Assigning Conditions to Records
You can define a script and associate it with the ApplicationSubmitAfter event, so when a public
user creates a record, the ApplicationSubmitAfter event can assign conditions to the record.

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To enable assigning conditions to records by EMSE

1.

Configure the Standard Choice ACA_CONDITION_AGENCY_USER and set the Standard
Choice Value to a valid department name.
This Standard Choice value defines a department which public users belong to.
For complete information on configuring a Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic
Platform Configuration Reference.

2.

Reference the getDeptforPublicuser.txt sample script to proceed with writing a script that
sets the department name for the public user by reading from the Standard Choice
ACA_CONDITION_AGENCY_USER.

Note:

Only Accela Services Implementation staff or system administrators
who are performing agency-wide functions should customize the event
scripts. For further information on working with scripts, refer to the
“Event Manager and Script Engine” chapter and the “Writing Scripts”
chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Scripting Guide.

3.

Continue the script-writing by adding scripts that assign conditions to records.

4.

Assign the scripts to the ApplicationSubmitAfter event which relates to Citizen Access.

Displaying Conditions
Conditions comprises into two classes: conditions of approval and general conditions. The two
classes share the same logic but are for different usages. Use conditions of approval to define
certain requirements that must be met to receive the approval for a permit. Use a general
condition to indicate a problem on the record, address, parcel, owner, contact, and licensed
professional, which may prolong the permitting process until it is met. The condition severity is
Lock, Hold, Notice, or Required. Conditions with different severity levels may have different
effects on the record. Some conditions such as Lock and Hold prevent actions on an object.
Other conditions such as Notice merely trigger a notice for users. This topic explains how to
configure both classes of conditions for Citizen Access.
First, you must configure the conditions on the Condition Detail portlet in Civic Platform to
enable the display of the conditions in Citizen Access. You just need to mark the “ACA” check
box in the Display Notice section for the condition you want. See Figure 95: Condition Display
Notice in Civic Platform on page 313. The condition is then available in the Record Detail page,
Fee Estimate page, and Receipt page of Citizen Access.

Note:

Your agency can use an EMSE script to expose various general
conditions only on the Fee Estimate page. However, the general
conditions must be standard conditions that have the “ACA Fee
Estimate Page” check box marked in the Display Notice section.
For more information, see Displaying Conditions on the Fee
Estimate Page on page 363.

Second, you may customize how the conditions appear on each web page through Citizen
Access Setup.The customization process is very similar for the Record Detail page, Fee
Estimate page, and Receipt page. The only difference is the starting page. This topic takes the
Record Detail page as an example.

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The Record Detail page displays a Condition Notice bar when a public user creates a new
record and your agency administrator pre-defined standard conditions for the type of records.
The Record Detail page also displays a Condition Notice bar when a public user views an
existing record with conditions.
Conditions, regardless of general conditions or conditions of approval, fall into condition group
and type. On the Fee Estimate page, there may be conditions related to multiple record types. If
that is the case, conditions fall into record type or record type alias, and then fall into condition
group and type. Among conditions of the same group and type, pending conditions precedes
conditions that are met, if the met conditions also show. Among conditions of the same status,
the most severe condition shows first. If the severity level is the same, the condition of the
highest priority shows first.
For more information about configuring conditions, see “Configuring Conditions” in the
“Streamlining Data Processing” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference
and see the “Condition” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Figure 95: Condition Display Notice in Civic Platform

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Figure 96: Conditions on the Record Detail Page

Topics


Displaying General Conditions



Displaying Conditions of Approval

Displaying General Conditions
The Conditions section displays the general conditions relating to the record. The conditions
display in an orderly fashion by condition group, condition type, and then by individual condition.
To customize the display of the Conditions section

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > Module tab > Record Detail page > Conditions
section.
Citizen Access displays the module Record Detail page.

2.

Do any of the following:

•

Click the section header and update its field properties such as the font, font color, and
so forth.

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•

Add or edit instructional text under the section header in the section field properties.

•

Use the HTML editor to decide which information each condition includes and how the
information appears.

For detailed information, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

Displaying Conditions of Approval
The Conditions of Approval section displays the conditions of approval that relate to the record.
The conditions display in an orderly fashion by condition group, condition type, and then by
individual condition. Public users can click the “View Those Met” or “Hide Those Met” link to
show the conditions of approval that are already met. If there are too many conditions of
approval on the Record Detail page, public users can search for conditions of approval by
entering a keyword in the search box next to the section heading. Public users can also click the
“Download results” link to export the list of conditions of approval to a comma-separated value
(CSV) file.
To display conditions of approval in Citizen Access, you must set the value of Standard Choice
CONDITIONS_OF_APPROVALS to Yes in Civic Platform and define some standard conditions
of approvals in Civic Platform as shown in Figure 95: Condition Display Notice in Civic Platform
on page 313. For more information about configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela
Civic Platform Configuration Reference. Also see the “Condition” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide, and “Working with Conditions of Approval”’ in the “Condition”
chapter of the Accela Civic Platform User Guide.

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To customize the display of the Conditions of Approval section

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > Module tab > Record Detail page > Conditions of
Approval section.
Citizen Access displays the module Record Detail page.

2.

Do any of the following:

•

Click the section header and update its field properties such as the font, font color, and
so forth.

•

Add or edit instructional text under the section header.

•

Change the label of the Hide Those Met and View Those Met links.

•

Use the HTML editor to decide which information each condition of approval includes
and how the information appears.

Note:

The Conditions of Approval section on the Record Detail page
has the following differences from that on the Fee Estimate page
and the Receipt page:

• Only the Record Detail page allows you to customize the
pending condition of approval list and the met condition of
approval list separately.

• The variables available for the Conditions of Approval section
vary depending on the web page that you are customizing.
For example, only the Record Detail page allows you to use
the $$ViewDetails$$ variable, which enables public users to
click a link to view the details of a condition of approval in a
pop-up window. You can customize the display of the pop-up
window after navigating to Citizen Access Setup > Module
tab > Conditions of Approval Detail page.

• Only the Record Detail page has an expand/collapse icon
and a search box next to the Conditions of Approval section
heading.

For detailed information, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

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Configuring Contacts
Standard Choice CONTACT TYPE defines contact types. For more information about
configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
Citizen Access provides the contact sections in the application intake form so that users can
add contact information to the application. The contact sections include Applicant, Contact 1,
Contact 2, Contact 3, and Contact List. The first four sections are single-contact sections, which
means users can only add one contact entry to each of them. The Contact List section can
contain multiple contact entries.
You can assign one contact type to each of the single-contact sections. See Assigning Contact
Type to the Single-Contact Components on page 318.
You can assign contact types to a module. You can do this either in Citizen Access Setup or in
Civic Platform. To learn how to assign contact types to a module, in Citizen Access Setup see
Assigning Contact Types to a Module on page 321, in Civic Platform see the “Adding or Editing
Contact Types” section in the “Security Policies” chapter in the Civic Platform Administration
Guide.
The assigned contact types to a module become the available contact types for the Contact List
component in the page flows. The contact types also become the options for the Contact Type
filter in the Search by Contact form under the module. You can further limit the contact types to
display in the Contact List section as the available options for public users’ choices. See
Restricting Contact Types and the Number of Contacts for Contact List Section on page 328.
You can limit who can view the contact information. See Contact Information Controls on
page 109.
An application intake form can contain either the single-contact sections, or the Contact List
section, but not both of them. To configure which sections (components) display in the
application intake form, see Working with Components on page 146. You can customize how
public users enter the contact and contact address information in each contact section. See
Specifying Data Source for Contact Components on page 319 and Customizing the Contact and
Licensed Professional Section in a Module Information Page on page 323.
It is recommended best practice to use this section with the “People” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide as well as with the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
Topics


Assigning Contact Type to the Single-Contact Components



Specifying Data Source for Contact Components



Assigning Contact Types to a Module



Customizing the Contact and Licensed Professional Section in a Module Information
Page



Restricting Contact Types and the Number of Contacts for Contact List Section

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Assigning Contact Type to the Single-Contact
Components
All the contact types defined in the Standard Choice of CONTACT TYPE are available for these
components, Applicant, Contact 1, Contact 2, and Contact 3, in the Page Flow Configuration
page. You can assign one contact type to each of the single-contact components in a page flow.
For information about configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.
To assign a contact type to a single-contact component

1.

Navigate to the desired module.

2.

Choose Page Flow Configuration in the left panel.

3.

Open the desired page flow or create a new one.
To learn how to create a new page flow, see Chapter 14: Creating Records on page 282.

4.

Drag and drop a single-contact component, Applicant, Contact 1, Contact 2, or Contact 3, to
a page where you want to display the sections (components).
To learn how to add a component to a page in a page flow, see Working with Components
on page 146.

5.

Click the component.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Property panel on the right side of the screen.

6.

Click the Custom Heading drop-down list and select a desired contact type.
By default, the first contact type is auto-assigned to the component. The contact types
shows in the alphanumeric order in the drop-down list.

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7.

Click the Save button on the upper left of the screen.

Specifying Data Source for Contact Components
You can configure whether public users can manually enter the contact information or select
from reference contacts by specifying the Data Source for a Contact section.
To specify a data source to a contact component

1.

Navigate to the desired module.

2.

Choose Page Flow Configuration in the left panel, and open the desired page flow.

3.

Click the contact component, Applicant, Contact 1, Contact 2, Contact 3, or Contact List in
the page flow.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Property panel on the right side of the screen.

4.

Click the Data Source drop-down list and select a desired Data Source.

•

No Limitation (Default Value)
On the pre-condition that the contact search feature is enabled (See Enabling Contact
Search on page 67), public users can click the Search button in the Contact section to
add contacts by selecting reference contacts. The Standard Choice
AUTO_SYNC_PEOPLE determines whether Civic Platform links or copies the contact
added to the record to its reference source. For information about configuring the
Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
With No Limitation data source, public users can manually enter the contact information
and submit the record.

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- If the entered information matches a reference contact, the Standard Choice
AUTO_SYNC_PEOPLE determines whether Civic Platform links or copies the
contact added to the record to its reference source.
- If the entered information does not match any existing reference contacts, and none
of the fields duplicate with an identifier of existing reference contacts, Civic Platform
creates a reference contact based on the entered information. If the contact type that
the public user selects is for transaction only, Civic Platform sets the reference
contact type to Individual or Organization depending on the individual or organization
flag of the contact in the application. If the flag is null, Civic Platform sets the
reference contact type to Individual.
- If the entered information does not match any existing reference contacts, but some
field duplicates with an identifier of existing reference contacts, Citizen Access
creates a transaction contact for the record.
With No Limitation data source, if AUTO_SYNC_PEOPLE is enabled for the current
module, the Also Known As section does not display in the contact section. If
AUTO_SYNC_PEOPLE is off, the Also Known As section can display in the Contact
section with the Add and Delete functions. Public users can view but cannot edit all the
existing also-known-as names of a contact, and can add, delete, or edit new alsoknown-as names.
- If a public user saves a partial application with new also-known-as names, Citizen
Access does not save the new also-known-as names if the public users define
contact manually, but saves the names if the contact comes from the reference via
the auto-fill through search function. Citizen Access checks and makes sure not to
save duplicate also-known-as names to a reference contact.
- If a public use submits an application with new also-known-as names, Citizen Access
synchronizes the new also-known-as names to the reference source of the contact.

•

Reference
On the pre-condition that the contact search feature is enabled (See Enabling Contact
Search on page 67), public users can only click the Search button in the Contact section
to add contacts by selecting reference contacts. The Standard Choice
AUTO_SYNC_PEOPLE determines whether Citizen Access links or copies the contact
added to the record to its reference source.
With Reference data source, the Also Known As section displays as read-only in the
Contact section. Public users can view all the existing also-known-as names of a
contact.

•

Transaction
Public users can only manually enter the contact information and create a transaction
contact for the record.
With this data source, the Also Known As section does not display in the Contact section
no matter whether you add the section to page flows or not.

5.

Click the Save button on the upper left of the screen to save the setting.

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Assigning Contact Types to a Module
You can assign contact types to a module either in the Contacts section in the Module
Information page or in the Search by Contact form in the Record Home page.

Note:

You can also do this in Civic Platform.
The last setting in Citizen Access Setup or Civic Platform takes effect on
both sides, assuming that you set the Value of the Standard Choice of
ENABLE_CONTACT_TYPE_FILTERING_BY_MODULE to “Yes”.
Otherwise, if you set the Standard Choice Value to “No”, the
configurations in Citizen Access Setup or Civic Platform are invalid, and
all contact types created in the Standard Choice of CONTACT TYPE are
available for all modules.
To learn how to assign contact types to a module in Civic Platform, see
the “Adding or Editing Contact Types” section in the “Security Policies”
chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide for detailed
information.
To learn how to create a Standard Choice, see the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

The assigned contact types to a module become the available contact types for the Contact List
component in the page flows. The contact types also become the options for the Contact Type
filter in the Search By Contact form on the module home page.
Topics


Assigning Contact Types to a Module from the Contacts Section



Assigning Contact Types to a Module from the Search by Contact Form

Assigning Contact Types to a Module from the Contacts
Section
To assign contact types to a module from the Contacts section

1.

Navigate to the desired module.

2.

Select the Module Information page from the Apply for a Module folder in the Pages area.

3.

Locate the Contacts section from the Module Information page.

4.

Click the Type field.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Field Properties panel on the right side of the screen.

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5.

Click the Type Options cell in the Value column.
Citizen Access Setup pops up a window with a list of available contact types.

6.

Mark the check box next to the contact types that you want to reveal to pubic users.

7.

Click the OK button in the pop-up window.

8.

Click the Save button in the upper left of the screen.

Assigning Contact Types to a Module from the Search by
Contact Form
To assign contact types to a module from the Contacts section

1.

Navigate to the desired module.

2.

Select the Record Home page from the Module Home folder in the Pages area.

3.

Locate the General Search section in the Record Home page.

4.

Select Search by Contact from drop-down list in the section header.

5.

Click the Contact Type field.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Field Properties panel on the right side of the screen.

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6.

Click the Contact Type Options cell in the Value column.
Citizen Access Setup pops up a window with a list of available contact types.

7.

Mark the check box next to the contact types that you want to reveal to pubic users.

8.

Click the OK button in the pop-up window.

9.

Click the Save button in the upper left of the screen.

Customizing the Contact and Licensed Professional
Section in a Module Information Page
After you have added a Contact component to a module page, you can customize it for
collecting the information required by your agency. You can access the page very easily through
the module pages tab. For information on customizing module pages, see Chapter 10: Working
with Web Pages on page 158.
To customize the Contact and Licensed Professional section of a module information
page

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Select a module to which you have added the Contact component (such as Building).

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3.

From the Pages section, select the module information page.
Citizen Access displays the module information page for the selected module.

4.

Scroll to the Contact section of the page, and modify the page elements as desired. For
information on customizing module pages, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on
page 158.

Note:

A contact template field can be available in the ACA Contact
Information section if you set its ACA Displayable flag to Yes,
and the security of the hosting ASI group is Full or Read.

5.

Add the contact access setting section. “What level of access would you like this contact to
have for this record?” is one of the available fields in the Contact component. If you mark
the field as visible, when public users add a contact to a record, they can configure the
access level of the contact to the record. The access permission that a record creator can
assign is limited to the access right that he/she owns.

6.

Configure the Standard Choice ENABLE_CONTACT_ADDRESS_VALIDATION,
CONTACT_ADDRESS_TYPE and
EXTERNAL_CONTACT_ADDRESS_SOURCE_[SOURCE Name] if you want to validate
certain contact addresses against external address source. For information about
configuring the Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration
Reference.
With the validation feature enabled, after public users click the Save Address button, they
can either select an matching address from the validation source, or cancel the validation
and create an address with the entered information. If you want to customize the pop-up
Matching Address List page, go to the General tab, and customize the Validated Contact
Address page under Validated Address.
When public users view a contact address in an application, the Validated field of the
address displays the validation status:

7.

•

Null or empty: Civic Platform did not validate this contact address.

•

No: Civic Platform validated the contact address, but the validation failed, or public users
did not select a valid contact address.

•

Yes: Civic Platform validated the contact address, and the validation passed.

From the Pages section, select the People folder, and customize the field label, field size,
and add a watermark or instructional text functionality of the following pages:

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•

Look Up Contact
The Look Up Contact window displays when public users click Look Up in the Contact
section.

•

Contact Info
If public users click Add New in a single contact section or click Edit to edit a saved
contact, the Contact Info window displays. Use it to add contact information.
If public users click Add New in a multiple contact section, •Select Contact Type displays
first, followed by the Contact Info window.
If public users click Select from Account or Look Up to select a contact, the Contact Info
window displays only when the selected contact does not contain all the information
required for a record contact.

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•

Select Contact Type
When public users add a contact in a multiple contact section, the Select Contact Type
window displays. Use it to select the contact type before entering the contact details.

•

Select Contact from Account
The Select Contact from Account window displays when public users click Select from
Account in the Contact section.

After public users select a contact to add as a record contact, they can further select the
contact type (only in a multiple contact section) and then select contact addresses to
associate with the record contact.

Similarly, the Select License from Account window displays when public users click
Select from Account in the Licensed Professional section.

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•

Contact Address Info
If you set the Standard Choice ENABLE_CONTACT_ADDRESS to Enabled, the Contact
Address Info window displays when public users click Add Additional Contact Address,
or when they select to edit a contact address.

Be aware that when Citizen Access checks for matching reference contacts against the
contact information in the application, the information in the contact address section is
exclusive of the search criteria. When Citizen Access links or copies an existing
reference contact to the application, it adds the newly-added contact addresses to the
reference contact while also remain in the application.

Note:

•

When public users submit an application with a reference contact
address which duplicates an existing active one in the same
reference contact, Citizen Access directly replaces the duplicate
contact address in the application with the existing reference
contact address.

Licensed Professional Info
If public users click Add New in the Licensed Professional section, the Licensed
Professional Info window displays. Use it to add licensed profession information.
If public users click Look Up to select a licensed professional, the Licensed Professional
Info window displays only when the selected licensed professional does not contain all
the information required.
If public users click Select from Account, and there is only one license associated with
their account, the Licensed Professional Info window displays when the licensed
professional does not contain all the information required.

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•

Look Up License
The Look Up License window displays when public users click Look Up in the Licensed
Professional section.

•

Select License from Account
When public users click Select from Account in the Licensed Professional section, and
there are multiple licenses associated with their account, the Select License from
Account window displays.

If the Select License from Account window displays from a multiple licensed profession
section, the license options display with check boxes, so public users can select one or
more licenses to add. If the Select License from Account window displays from a single
licensed profession section, the license options display with radio buttons, so public
users can only select one license to add.

8.

Click Save.
Citizen Access applies the settings you specified.

Restricting Contact Types and the Number of Contacts for
Contact List Section
One of the following situations provides the available contact types for the Contact List
component. You can further determine which contact types can reveal to the Contact List
section in the application intake form.


If your agency creates the ENABLE_CONTACT_TYPE_FILTERING_BY_MODULE
Standard Choice and set its Value to “No”, all the contact types created in the CONTACT
TYPE Standard choice become the available contact types for the Contact List component
for your choice.



If your agency creates the ENABLE_CONTACT_TYPE_FILTERING_BY_MODULE
Standard Choice and set its Value to “Yes”, the available contact types for the Contact List

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component are the ones administrators assigned last time for a module in either Citizen
Access Setup or Civic Platform.


If your agency disables or does not create the
ENABLE_CONTACT_TYPE_FILTERING_BY_MODULE Standard Choice, the available
contact types for the Contact List component are those last time you assigned for the
module in Citizen Access Setup.

To learn how to assign contact types for a module, in Citizen Access Setup see Assigning
Contact Types to a Module on page 321, in Civic Platform see the “Adding or Editing Contact
Types” section in the “Security Policies” chapter in the Civic Platform Administration Guide. For
information about configuring the Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.
To restrict contact types and set the maximum and minimum number of contacts for
each contact type

1.

When you add the Contact List component a page in the page flow, click the Contact List
component on the page.
To learn how to add a component to a page in a page flow, see Working with Components
on page 146.

2.

Click Contact Type Options in the Value column in the Property panel.
Citizen Access Setup pops up a window with a list of contact types.

3.

Mark the check box for the contact types that you want to reveal to public users in the
application intake form.

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4.

For each selected contact type, set the minimum and maximum number of contacts that
you allow users to add to the Contact List section for that contact type.

5.

Click the OK button on the pop up window.

6.

Click the Save button on the upper left of the screen.

Document Attachments
Citizen Access provides an Attachments section on the Record Detail page. By default, the
section displays the list of documents uploaded for a record. If you enable the people
attachment feature (see Account Settings on page 58), the section also provides the “View
People Attachments” link. Public users can click the link to view the documents of the licensed
professional that relate to the record.
You can define which documents public users can associate to an application and indicate who
can view the document type. Then, you must grant permissions or set user limitations with the
attachment functionality.
Configuration requires that you first configure the document group, then the document types in
that document group, and then associate the document group to an application type. When you
associate the document group to the application type, you can grant permissions and/or set
limitations to documents exposed in ACA.

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Administrator can restrict uploaded file size and extensions. Administrator configures the EDMS
Standard Choice to set maximum size for file uploads and the ACA_CONFIGS Standard Choice
to specify the prohibited file extensions. For information about configuring the Standard
Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
Topics


Defining Documents Types for Record Types



Defining File Size Limit and Prohibited File Type



Defining Public User Permissions for Attachments



Defining Document Deletion Permissions



Adding the Attachment Section to Page Flows

Defining Documents Types for Record Types
This function defines the types of documents ACA users can upload and attach to a record
online. Group the various document types, such as the various photo types, spreadsheets, or
word documents into a document group. Then, associate the document group code to a record
type. This feature is particularly useful so that public users can upload a graphical
representation as to a building project or provide legal documents supporting a case.
Administrators can add or remove document types to a document group, and modify the
possible types of documents that a public user can associate with a record. However, users
cannot change or modify the document group after a record is created.
To configure this feature you must enable the related Function Identification (FID) numbers
[0108 Admin Document Type and 0065], configure the document group code and document
types, and associate the document code to an application type. For more information about
document codes, see the section of “Managing Documents for Attachments” in the “Plan
Review” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. For information about
configuring the FID, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
To define ACA document types

1.

Verify the pre-requisite configurations are complete:

•
2.

Enable FID 0108 Admin Document Type and 0065 Admin Application Types to full
access for the agency.

Create document codes with document types for the records created in ACA. For detailed
instructions, see the section of “Managing Documents for Attachments” in the “Plan
Review” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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3.

Enter the Document Code in the Document Code for ACA field for an Application Type
enabled to ACA.

4.

Click the Submit button.

Defining File Size Limit and Prohibited File Type
Administrator can restrict uploaded file size and type. Administrator can specify the maximum
file size for Citizen Access by configuring the Standard Choice EDMS which defines the EDMS
server configuration information. The Standard Choice Value specifies the EDMS system name.
Administrator can set the maximum size of uploaded file for Citizen Access by adding a
parameter, ACA_EDMS_DOCUMENT_SIZE_MAX=MB (or KB), to the Value
Description field of any desired Standard Choice Value. If administrators do not define this,
Citizen Access follows the another parameter setting,
DMS_DOCUMENT_SIZE_MAX=MB (or KB), in the same Value Description field,
which is applicable to also Civic Platform and Mobile Office.
To specify the prohibited file extensions from uploading to EDMS servers, administrator must
configure the Standard Choice ACA_CONFIGS. Enter the file extensions to the Value
Description field of the Standard Choice Value ACA_EDMS_DISALLOWED_FILE_TYPES.
Semicolon separates the file extensions. There is no space between the semicolon and the
extension before or after the semicolon, for example, .html;.htm;.mhtml. If agency does not
specify file type, public users can upload all files to Citizen Access.
For more information about configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

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Defining Public User Permissions for Attachments
Civic Platform provides three ways for administrators to set permissions for public users to
upload, download, view or delete documents attached with a record, either it be a record
attachment which is directly uploaded for the record, or a people attachment which public users
upload to the licensed professional account relating to the record. Administrators must define
the security policy permissions for EDMS (Electronic Document Management System). Then,
permissions can be assigned to document types, which refine or restrict the EDMS permission
settings to ACA users. Agency employees may also define permissions for a particular
document on an application though document configurations attached to the record. The
individual document permission setting performed on the record overrides the document type
level permission setting.
For more information about setting up Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference. For more information about setting up the EDMS security policy, refer
to the “Security Policies” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
Topics


Configuring Permissions in EDMS



Configuring Permissions for a Document Type



Configuring Permissions for a Specific Document

Configuring Permissions in EDMS
Administrators must configure EDMS (Electronic Document Management System) and its
associated security policy to define permissions for the PublicUser module which is specific to
ACA and public user functionality. Set the EDMS security policy settings to the maximum level
of permissions you want to grant to a public user. After defining the EDMS security policy, you
can refine the attachment permissions to view, download, upload, and delete documents at the
document type and individual document level.
Administrators must perform Standard Choices configuration for EDMS to enable this feature.
EDMS can be implemented in various ways from agency to agency. This section of
documentation provides examples of how EDMS can be setup for Citizen Access.
For instructions on how to define permissions at the document type level, see Configuring
Permissions for a Document Type on page 335. For instructions on how to define permissions
at the individual document level, see Configuring Permissions for a Specific Document on
page 336.
To configure document functions in ACA

1.

Search and select EDMS from the Standard Choice Name item list.
Civic Platform displays the Standard Choices Item Edit page for EDMS.

2.

Configure Standard Choices Values.

•

Configure the Standard Choice Value. For example, ACCELA.
Enter the Value Desc information.
EDMS_VENDOR=ACCELA;EDMS_DOCUMENT_SIZE_MAX=512KB

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•

Configure the Standard Choice Value. For example, ADS.
Enter the Value Desc information.
EDMS_VENDOR=ADS;EDMS_DOCUMENT_SIZE_MAX=5000;ADS_SERVER_URL=
http://10.50.0.36:19080/documentservice/
index.cfm;ADS_SERVER_SECURITY_KEY=TESTDEV0012345;ADS_SERV_PROV_
CODE=ADS011;ADS_CLEARANCE_KEY=FXK9FBPBMBQVLWMR3QCO4INSGZXTK
D;ADS_SECURITY_KEY=F5SSXA6XDFF03VMNU98NCR1X3FGK34;DEFAULT=YES.

3.

Configure the Security Policy.
For detailed instructions about EDMS security policy configuration, refer to the “Security
Policies” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
a. Go to Agency Profile and select Security Policy from the drop-down list.
b. Click the EDMS Access Security hyperlink.
c. Click the link of the EDMS server name (ACCELA or ADS).
Civic Platform displays the EDMS Security window.
d. Choose the module PublicUser.

e. Mark or clear the check boxes to define the user group permissions to upload,
download, view, or delete a document in ACA.
f. Set the Authentication to None. You must configure the security policy for anonymous
users, or they receive errors.
g. Optionally, to enable licensed professionals to upload people attachments to their
accounts, and enable public users to view people attachments, choose the Agency
module, and repeat the step e and step f.

Note:

People attachments can only be uploaded to and retrieved from
the EDMS server with agency-level security policy settings.

h. Click the Save button.
If document functions are enabled for a user group, the public user views the
Attachments section for a permit. Each hyperlink displays for an attachment. The
hyperlinks include: Upload a New Attachment, Delete, and the attachment name which
opens a pop-up window to open (view) and/or save (download).

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Configuring Permissions for a Document Type
After you create a document group, you can add document types to the group. The document
types that you set up apply to both the electronic and non-electronic documents, and determine
how users categorize the documents associated with an application. You must indicate which
public users have permissions to view, upload, and delete the document type attachment
online. The public user types include: All ACA users (including anonymous users), registered
users, Licensed Professionals, Record Creator, Contact, and Owner.
Administrators can specify which licensed professionals can to upload, delete, or view the
document type by clicking the License Type button and marking the corresponding check
box(es) for specific licensed professional types in the pop-up window. These permissions apply
to any document a licensed professional adds to his licensed professional record. These
documents display in the Public Documents section as read-only when a public user searches
for the license information. If you want to restrict access to a specific document, navigate to the
document tab for the record and assign additional permission settings. For instructions on how
to restrict access to a specific document, see the “Defining ACA Permissions for a Document”
section in the “Attachments” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform User Guide.
To configure the permissions for a document type

1.

Choose Administrator Tools > Attachments > Document.

2.

Search for the document group and the document type that you want to set the permission.

3.

Click the red dot besides the document type.
Civic Platform displays the Document Type-Edit page.

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4.

Select Yes in the Set Permission for ACA field to grant permission on documents of this
document type to ACA users.

5.

In the Title Viewable in ACA, Downloadable in ACA, Uploadable in ACA, and Deletable in
ACA fields:
a. Mark the check boxes next to the users for which you want to grant permission to view
title, download, upload, or delete the documents of this document type.

Note:

Users without permission in “Title Viewable in ACA” cannot
download or delete the document, even if the downloadable and
deletable permissions are granted.

b. If you want to specify the licensed professional types allowed to upload, delete, or view
the document type in ACA, click the Licensed Professional button and indicate the
specific licensed professional types in the pop-up window. Then click the Select button.

6.

Click the Submit button.

Configuring Permissions for a Specific Document
Civic Platform provides a way for users to manage which documents associated with an
application are available for public users to view or delete in Citizen Access. This feature offers
a way to define permissions at the individual document level. An agency has control to restrict
public users from viewing the document or removing it from the application based on the
agency decision of the sensitivity or importance of it.
To assign permissions, click the Assign button in the Documents portlet, and mark or clear the
associated check box(es) for the public users that have access or restricted access. For
example, a picture or signed legal document can be uploaded as supportive evidence to a case.
A graphic may be submitted to show the area for a building expansion. An agency can set

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permissions to allow all ACA users to view the graphic of the area for a building expansion,
however may restrict the picture or legal document for a case from access to ACA entirely.
To define ACA permissions for a document

1.

Select a Record and click the Document secondary tab.
Civic Platform displays the document portlet.

2.

Select a document.

3.

Click the Assign button.
Civic Platform displays a portlet with viewable permissions for ACA.

4.

Complete these fields:

.

Set Title Viewable
Permission

Click the Yes radio button and then select the public users for which you
want the attached document name to be viewable in Citizen Access.
Click the No radio button to inherit permissions on the document type of
the attached document from Civic Platform.

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Set Downloadable
Permission

Click the Yes radio button and select the public users for which you want
the attached document to be downloadable in Citizen Access.
Click the No radio button to inherit permissions on the document type of
the attached document from Civic Platform.

Set Deletable
Permission

Click the Yes radio button and then select the public users for which you
want the attached document to be deletable in Citizen Access.
Click No radio button to inherit permissions on the document type of the
attached document from Civic Platform.

Note:

5.

Those users without this permission cannot download or delete
the document, even though the downloadable and deletable
permissions (described below) are granted.
If you set a permission to Yes and do not select any public user
groups, you prevent all public users from possessing the
permission to the documents. For example, if you set the Set
Title Viewable Permission to Yes and do not check any of the
check boxes, you prevent all public users from accessing a
document even though they may be allowed to access a
document based on role-based permissions for the document
type.

Click Submit button.

Defining Document Deletion Permissions
Administrators can configure permissions to control the ability to delete a document from a
record based on record status. For example, an administrator can allow public users to delete
any record that is in an open, or holding status, however, remove the ability to delete a
document in a void or closed status. Therefore, when a record is in a status for which a public
user has permissions to delete a document, the delete button is available. When the record is in
a status for which public users do not have permissions to delete a document, the delete button
hides.
To define document deletion parameters, administrators must enable the ability to delete a
document or document types in EDMS. See Defining Public User Permissions for Attachments
on page 333. Then, administrators combine the Document Delete button with record types and
associate it with the available Application Status. You can configure which record types the
Create Document Delete link displays to public users on an application on the Combine Button
with Record Type setting on the Module Settings page. For more information, see Combine
Button with Record Type on page 116.
To configure the document delete button

1.

As a pre-requisite, administrators must define documents or document types available to
public users in ACA via EDMS configurations. See Configuring Permissions in EDMS on
page 333.

2.

Navigate to the Module Settings page for a Module.

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3.

Go to the Combine Button with Record Type area and choose Create Document Delete
from the drop-down list.
ACA Admin displays Available Record Types, Selected Record Types, and Application
Status.

4.

Associate record types to the delete button.
a. Add Record Types by selecting one from the Available Record Types list and clicking the
Add button.
b. Remove Record Types by selecting one from the Selected Record Types list and
clicking the Remove button.
ACA Admin displays the Selected Record Types in alphabetical order.

5.

Define permissions for when a public user can delete a document based on application
status.
a. Choose a record type from the Selected Record Types list.
ACA Admin displays the available Application Status associated with the record type.
b. Mark the check box(es) associated with the application status that you want to enable
permissions to delete a document. Clear the check box(es) with the application status
that you want to restrict permissions to delete a document.
ACA Admin displays a red mark next to record types with modifications to permissions.

c. Click OK.

Adding the Attachment Section to Page Flows
System administrators can configure Citizen Access so that public users can attach documents
or files to an application intake form. See the Attachment section in Figure 97: Attachment
Section In Page Flow. For example, a film producer who needs various permits to film a movie
a city can submit documentation supporting the type of filming they do, graphics of which streets
or buildings they need access to, and documents with the dates and duration of the project.
This feature is supported with multiple agency administration, which means that parent
agencies and child agencies can apply the Attachment component to the page flow for their

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application intake processes. Associated agencies will have access to view attachments with
the application.
System administrators must define the EDMS (Electronic Document Management System)
security policy and configure document type permission settings to control who can view,
download, upload, or delete attachments. When an attachment relates to a partial application in
Citizen Access, the application server (av.biz) saves it. When the partial application is converted
to a completed application, all associated documents are uploaded to the EDMS server. As a
result, a system delay may occur when trying to view attachments in the Attachment List on the
Record Detail page during the conversion process. Delays can be as long as 60 minutes. This
feature supports the Standard EDMS server, but does not support ADS (Accela Document
Service).
Configurations for adding the attachment section with the application intake form takes place in
the Page Flow Configuration area for each module in Citizen Access Setup. If your agency
requires it, administrators must update scripts associated with this feature. Sample scripts are
available through Accela Services to ensure proper functionality for your agency.
This feature requires additional configurations in Civic Platform in order for successful
implementation. System administrators must pre-define document groups with acceptable
document types for your agency. Then, administrators must assign the document group code to
the document code for ACA for each application type enabled for Citizen Access. For more
information about documentation configurations in Civic Platform, see “Establishing Document
Groups” in the “Plan Review” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Figure 97: Attachment Section In Page Flow

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To add attachment section to the page flow

1.

Navigate to Module Settings > Page Flow Configuration.

2.

Add the Attachment Component to one or more page flows for a module.

3.

If necessary, customize your attachment heading.
a. Click the Attachment component heading and go to the Component Settings area.
b. Enter the new heading in the Custom Heading Value cell.

4.

Go to the Attachment section on the Module Information page for customizing.

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a. If applicable, customize column headings.
b. Set the Description field to be visible/invisible or required/not required in the field
properties area.

.

5.

Update the applicable sample scripts for your agency with an Accela Implementation
specialist.

Note:

Trained administrators must rewrite sample scripts in collaboration with
an Accela Implementation specialist or Services Representative.
Improperly written scripts can seriously damage your system by
incorrectly altering or deleting data for many records. For information
on writing scripts and using the Event Manager and Script Engine, see
the “Event Manager and Script Engine” chapter and the “Writing
Scripts” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Scripting Guide.

•

If the payment provider is Etisalat payment, please update OnlinePaymentPost event
with a script to copy the attachment from a partial application to a submitted application.
Modify the sample script: FinishOnlinePayment4TransferDoc.

•

If the attachment is for the auto-renew process, please update PaymentReceiveAfter
event with a script to copy an attachment from a child application to the parent
application. Modify the sample script: PaymentReceiveAfter4RenewTransferDoc.

•

If the attachment is for the manual renew, please update WorkflowTaskUpdateAfter
event with a script to copy the attachment from a child application to the parent
application. Modify the sample script:
WorkflowTaskUpdateAfter4Renew4TransferDoc4AbuDhabi.

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6.

Verify the permissions to upload, download, delete, and view attachments are accurate for
the various public user roles. Define permissions in the EDMS Security policy, document
and document type permission configurations. For more information about permissions,
refer to Defining Public User Permissions for Attachments on page 333.

Populating People Template Fields Using EMSE
You can configure a licensed professional people template to allow public users to select
options from a drop-down list populated from configurations between Civic Platform and an
external web service, then published to the people template field. This is accomplished through
EMSE (Event Manager and Script Engine) and available in the application intake process
where people template fields are available, such as a contractor section.
This feature is particularly useful for agencies that require the most current information about
State or County requirements in the drop-down list. For example, in Salt Lake County, every
electrical contractor must have a signing supervisor associated with the electrical license
application. When this feature is enabled, an electrical contractor can apply for an electrical
license in the city of Sugarhouse and select the most current supervisor names in Salt Lake
County. Civic Platform calls the Salt Lake County web service using an EMSE script to gather
the supervisor name data, then pre-loads this data in a Supervisor field in the licensed
professional form for contractor selection online.
For more information, see “Populating Licensed Professional Template Fields Using EMSE” in
the “People” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

Enabling Auto-fill for City and State Fields
This feature allows administrators to enable or disable the auto-fill function for the City and
State fields. For example, when the City or State auto-fill is disabled, Citizen Access displays
blank information in the fields so public users can enter their own City and State information.
When the City and State auto-fill feature is enabled, information extracted from the agency
profile automatically populates the City and State information. Administrators can enable autofill of the State field and disable the City information about public user data entry. The auto-fill
feature is disabled by default for both fields.
Administrators can enable or disable the auto-fill of City and State fields individually in the field
property area for each address form.

Note:

This feature also applies to general areas of Citizen Access, such as
entering registration information, performing an APO, provider,
education, or licensee search, and entering information about the
shopping cart.

To enable auto-fill for city and state fields

1.

Navigate to the module that you want to apply the auto-fill functionality.

2.

Go to a web page with address information. For example, the Enter Work Location page.

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3.

Click to select the City or State field to apply auto-fill.
Citizen Access displays the Field Property Area for the field.

4.

5.

In the Enable Auto-fill value cell, set the auto-fill functionality for the field.

•

To enable auto-fill, choose true.

•

To disable auto-fill, choose false.

Click the Save button.

Configuring Record Types in Classic Administration
An application type is a central component for creating a successful ACA site. It is the main
source used to gather application information, dictate Page Flow, and organize the processes
surrounding inspections, fees, and workflow.
This section provides ACA specific configurations that take place on the Application Category
Edit page in Civic Platform. See Figure 98: Application Category/Type Page.

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Figure 98: Application Category/Type Page

Topics


Enabling Applications



Managing the Alias Field for Record Types



Setting the Default Status for Application Type

Enabling Applications
You must determine which modules and application types, such as the building residential
permits from Building Module, you want to make available to public users. It is at the application

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type level you enable the record type to ACA and define if you want a user to be able to autoissue the record after an application is complete. You also configure the renewal details at the
application type level if you want public users to renew records online. For details on setting an
FID, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
To enable an application type for ACA

1.

Log in to Civic Platform.

2.

Verify that the appropriate FIDs are enabled for the feature.
a. Enable FID 0065 Admin Application Types to display the Enable for ACA check
boxes.
b. Enable FID 8398 Cap Renewal to enable ACA users to renew a record.
c. Disable FID 0075 to hide Velocity Hall fields.

3.

Navigate to Admin Tools > Application > Application Type.
Civic Platform displays the Application Type tree.

4.

Select an existing Application Type from the tree and click Edit.
Civic Platform displays the Application-Edit page

5.

Go to the Enable for ACA? section of the Application-Edit page. Mark the applicable check
boxes as described below.
a. Mark the Enable Application check box to expose the application type and its
associated alias to ACA.
b. Mark the check box for Also Enable Issuance (next to Enable Application), if you want
to issue the license record to the user when the fees are paid via ACA.

.

Managing the Alias Field for Record Types
An alias helps to make the names of records easier to understand. For example, your agency
may name professional journeyman electrician licenses LICPRO1111 or a permit for utility work
might be PWU23-98. These names might be useful internally, but they do not clearly identify the
purpose of the license or permit for a person who does not use Civic Platform regularly.
There are two parts to creating an alias. You must expose the alias field, which is an indication
to Civic Platform that you want to use the alias instead of the internal name for the application or
license. Then, within the application type, you define the alias.

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In order for this feature to function properly, you must configure the related Standard Choice
and disable the applicable Function Identification (FID) numbers as described in this section.
Topics


Exposing the Alias Field for Record Types



Enabling Application Type Alias

Exposing the Alias Field for Record Types
When an application type is enabled for Citizen Access, you can also apply an alias, or custom
name, to it. This feature requires Standard Choices configuration. For detailed information on
Standard Choice setup, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
To expose the alias field to Record types

1.

Navigate to Admin Tools > Application > Standard Choices.

2.

Configure the Standard Choice: ENABLE_CAP_TYPE_ALIAS.

3.

Set the Standard Choice Values: Yes displays the Alias field in the Application Type-Edit
Screen.

Enabling Application Type Alias
You can define a custom name for an application type that displays for public users. You must
first determine which application types you want to make available to public users. If you want to
have online permits, you must make the permit module available to Citizen Access. Then, you
enable the application type for ACA and define the custom name.
For agencies upgrading from an older version to a higher version of Civic Platform, it is possible
that VelocityHall application type alias fields may display on the Application Category -Edit
page. If this occurs, you must disable and enable the associated Function Identification (FID)
numbers to display the Application Type Alias field for this feature on the Application Type page
in Civic Platform.
To give an application type an alias

1.

Navigate to Admin Tools > User Groups.

2.

Verify that the appropriate FIDs are enabled or disabled for the feature.
a. Disable FID 0075 Admin License Types to hide the Velocity Hall fields.
b. Enable FID 0065 Admin Application Types.

3.

Navigate to Admin Tools > Application > Application Type.
Civic Platform displays the Application Type tree.

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4.

Select an existing Application Type from the tree and click Edit.
Civic Platform displays the Application-Edit page.

5.

Mark the Enable for ACA? - Enable Application check box.

6.

Enter the alias, or custom, name for the application in the Application Type Alias field.

7.

Complete or update any other fields as needed.

8.

Click the Save button.

Setting the Default Status for Application Type
Administrator needs to define a default status for records when it is submitted to the system via
Citizen Access. This setting is configurable for each application type. For example, when an
application is received via ACA, it may have the status of ‘Pending’ which may limit or restrict
the ability for the user to schedule inspections, but provide access to view the application. When
the status changes to ‘Approved’, then users have ability to schedule an inspection.
To set the default status for an application type

1.

Log in to Civic Platform.

2.

Navigate to Admin Tools > Application > Application Type.
Civic Platform displays the Application Type pop-up window.

3.

Select the application type from the tree and click the Edit button.
Civic Platform displays the Application Category Edit page.

4.

Verify the application type is enabled for ACA. If it is not, mark the Enable for ACA? check
box to enable it.

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5.

Select the appropriate status group code from the Application Status Group Code
drop-down list.
Civic Platform displays the Application Type Default Status Field.

6.

Select the appropriate default permit status from the Default Record Status drop-down list.

7.

Click the Save button.

Enabling Citizens to Edit Records
Agency staff can request updates to records that were submitted with erroneous or missing
information. Citizens have the ability to edit those records in Citizen Access, when an
administrator enables the functionality, as described below.
Proceed as follows to enable this functionality

1.

Enable full access to FID 8507-Edit Record in ACA - 7.3.3.5.0.

2.

Configure the application type for which you want citizens to have edit permissions.

3.

Customize the email notifications that display when a user clicks Request Update on a
record in Civic Platform, and when a citizen completes the required updates.

Topics


Enabling FID 8507



Configuring the Application Type



Customizing the Notification Templates



Requesting an Update to a Record

Enabling FID 8507
1.

Log in to Civic Platform Classic Admin.

2.

Go to Admin Tools > User Profile > User Group.

3.

Select the user group for which you want to enable the FID.

4.

Select the module and click Submit.

5.

Locate the FID and select Full Access.

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6.

Click Save.

Configuring the Application Type
1.

Log in to Civic Platform Classic Administration.

2.

Go to Admin Tools > Application > Application Type.

3.

Navigate to the application type for which you want citizens to have edit permissions.

4.

Click Edit.
Civic Platform displays the Application Category—Edit window.

5.

Select the Application Status Group Code that contains the Default CAP Status you want to
configure.

6.

Select the Default CAP Status. When the record is in this status, it will become editable
according to your configuration in the next step.

7.

In the Post Submission Updates in ACA area, click Configure.
Civic Platform displays the Post Submission Update in ACA window.

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8.

Choose the Record Type Status and ACA Editable Components. For applications that have
the record type status you specify, citizens will be able to edit the components you specify.

Note:
9.

Attachments and condition documents are not configurable here,
as they are editable by default and cannot be changed.

Click Submit.

Customizing the Notification Templates
1.

Log in to Civic Platform.

2.

Navigate to V360 Admin > Communication Manager > Notification Templates.

3.

Search for the notification template you want to customize. The new notification templates
you must customize to fully implement this feature are:

•

UPDATE INFORMATION BY CITIZEN ON RECORD NOTIFICATION
Use this notification template to email a citizen requesting an update to a record.
You can include a deep link to the record or you can instruct the citizen to locate the
record that needs to be updated in the record list in Citizen Access. The record that
requires an update displays with an Edit link the citizen can click to edit the record. For
instructions on creating deep links, see Configuring a Deep Link for a Regular Agency.
This notification is triggered when an agency user opens a record, clicks the Record tab,
then clicks Menu > Request Update.

•

RECEIVED UPDATE ON RECORD NOTIFICATION
Use this notification template to notify agency staff when the citizen completes the
updates to the record.

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You can configure the EMSE event ApplicationSubmitBefore to send this notification
template when a citizen clicks Submit Updated Information on a record in Citizen
Access.

4.

Click Help for complete instructions and a list of variables you can use to customize the
content of these notification templates.

5.

Modify the General Details, Email Content, and SMS Content tabs as appropriate.

6.

Click Save.

Requesting an Update to a Record
After a citizen submits an application in Citizen Access, if the application is missing information
or needs to be updated, you can request an update to the record, as follows:

1.

Log in to Civic Platform.

2.

Navigate to a record that is missing information or needs to be updated.

3.

On the Record tab, choose Menu > Request Update.

Note:

The Request Update button only displays when FID 8507 is
enabled, and when the record type status matches your
configuration in Admin Tools > Application > Application Type,
described above.

Civic Platform displays the Request Update window.

4.

Include any additional comments to send to the citizen.

5.

Click Send Request.

6.

The citizen receives an email notification with a deep link to the record or instructions on
how to access the record, based on how you customize the notification template. See
Customizing the Notification Templates on page 351.
The citizen can click Edit on the record to begin editing it, provided they are the record
creator. Only the record creator can edit the record.

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7.

The citizen can only edit the components of the record that you specified as editable in
Configuring the Application Type.
Notes:

•

Attachments and condition documents are always editable, regardless of this
configuration.

•

This feature does not support Save and Resume Later.

•

Any associated Address, Parcel, Owner information changes if the citizen updates that
information.

When the citizen finishes updating the required information, they can click Submit Updated
Information.

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This triggers the EMSE event ApplicationSubmitBefore.You can configure this event to
send the notification template RECEIVED UPDATE ON RECORD NOTIFICATION to the
agency user and to create an activity that displays on the Activity tab of a record. Refer to
the Accela Civic Platform Scripting Guide for more information on EMSE functionality.

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C HAPTER 15:

FEES AND ONLINE PAYMENTS

Agencies can use Citizen Access to collect fees that relate to records online. This feature
enables public users to access their records, view the associated fees, group records together
in a shopping cart, and pay for the fees in the cart from their computer. The implementation of
online payment processing allows public users to use a credit card or a debit card to pay for the
associated fees online. To set up online payment processing, contact Accela Customer Support
or your Accela Implementation Services specialist.
You can also use fees and online payments to provide fee estimations on applications or
licenses through partial applications. Fee estimation is useful when public users want to inform
themselves of the estimated costs relating to a business license or a building permit.
In the case that your agency wants to offer estimations, but do not want online payment
functionality, you can remove pay links from web pages so that during the application process,
public users avoid the payment pages. Together, the fees and online payment functionality
provides a way to become an online government merchant. The people whom you serve can
easily manage their permits and business licenses and pay for the fees to your agency from
home or office.

Note:

To set up fees and online payments, it is recommended best practice to
refer to the implementation questions and tasks in Setting Up Fees on
page 212 in Chapter 11: Implementation Planning on page 200. The
questions help you assess the searching features you want to make
available to the public. See the section, “Configuring Required Online
Fee Settings” for a comprehensive configuration list for fees and online
payment functionality, including dependent settings outside of this
Fees chapter. See also the “Fee Setup” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide. As to back-end setup and sample scripts
for online payment transactions, see the integration package EPay
SDK.zip. Contact Accela Customer Support for assistance in obtaining
the integration package.

When public users pay for record fees online, the payment processing service fees vary
depending on what module the records come from and what payment gateway your agency is
using. You can assign one service fee structure for each module by configuring the
PAYMENT_GROUP Standard Choice in Civic Platform. This Standard Choice provides the
flexibility to use one service fee structure for one module and to use another service fee
structure for another module. For information on configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the
Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

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Note:

Currently only the OPC CoBrand Plus payment gateway supports
different service fee structures for different modules. For other
payment gateways, they only support one service fee structure for all
modules; the configuration on the PAYMENT_GROUP Standard
Choice does not work for them.

Topics


Enabling Fees for Online Functionality



Defining the Default Qty with Fee Indicators



Enabling Fee Estimation



Customizing Fee Pages



Enabling Payment Methods



Removing the Pay Fees Link



Configuring Shopping Cart



Online Payment Processing



Trust Accounts



Assigning Service Fee Structures to Modules

Enabling Fees for Online Functionality
Public users can pay for fees online when a fee-item is attached to an invoice and displayed to
them in ACA. Fee items require specific configurations targeted for display and functionality in
ACA. This section provides you with those specific configurations. You can also set functionality
so fees are automatically invoiced with online applications by setting the fee item to
automatically invoice in Civic Platform. This is important because when a fee is automatically
invoiced, it removes the step in Civic Platform that is required to manually attach the fee to an
invoice. Some agencies like to implement auto-invoice and assess of fees using scripts or fee
indicators. For more information on this type of fee setup, contact your Accela implementation
specialist, a system administrator who has received training from an Accela implementation
specialist, or a product manager. Improperly written scripts can seriously damage your system
by incorrectly altering or deleting data for many records.
For additional information on writing and implementing scripts, see the “Writing Scripts” chapter
and the “Event Manager and Script Engine” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Scripting
Guide.
To automatically invoice a fee item

1.

Go to Civic Platform and click the Admin Tools tab.

2.

Choose Fees > Fee Items.

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3.

Search and select the fee item that you want to auto invoice.
Civic Platform displays the Fee Item Edit page.

4.

5.

Indicate your auto invoice option.

•

Mark the Y option next to Auto Invoiced if you want to auto-invoice your fees in ACA.

•

Mark the N option next to Auto Invoiced if you do not want to auto-invoice fees in ACA.

Indicate how you want the fee to display on the Fee Estimate page and Fees page online.

•

Mark the Y option for Display in ACA if you want to display the fee item, and then make
the quantity field editable for public users.

•

Mark the N option for Display in ACA if you do not want to display the fee item in ACA.

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•
6.

7.

Mark the read-only option for Display in ACA if you want the Quantity field set for readonly to public users.

Indicate if you require public users’ input in the quantity field. This field becomes active
when you set the Display in ACA field to Y or Read-only.

•

Mark the Y option to require a numeric value larger than zero in the quantity field.

•

Mark the N option to remove restrictions on data input in the quantity field.

Click the Save button.
Citizen Access reflects the fee-item configuration settings on the Fees page or the Fee
Estimation page online to public users. The example below displays read-only fees.

Defining the Default Qty with Fee Indicators
You can configure Citizen Access to populate the quantity field on the Pay Fees page through a
Fee Indicator setting on the Fee Item. See Figure 99: Qty Field on Pay Fees Page. This setting
functions by finding an ASI with the matching Fee Indicator Value and replaces the quantity field
with the ASI value independent of the Auto Assess settings. This functionality is useful so that
administrators can set the quantity on the pay fee page independent of EMSE or expressions
configurations. To learn how to set up a fee item with fee indicators, refer to “Understanding Fee
Item Fields” and “Creating Fees with Fee Calculation and ASI Data” in the “Fee Setup” chapter
of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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Figure 99: Qty Field on Pay Fees Page

Enabling Fee Estimation
You can offer a way for public users to get a fee estimate online. This is useful so that a builder
can plan for the costs associated with a building permit, or a licensed professional can budget
their costs for license renewal. This section provides the configurations to get fee estimation up
and running in ACA. It also provides the tasks in ACA Admin that prepare web pages for online
functionality, such as access to fee estimation from the home page and the content displayed
on the fee estimate page.
Topics


Configuring Fee Estimation



Displaying the Fee Estimate Link on Home Page



Displaying Conditions on the Fee Estimate Page

Configuring Fee Estimation
Your agency can provide Fee Estimation to display a calculated estimate of fees associated
with record types online, which is useful when public users want to know the cost relating to a
license, a license renewal, or a permit before submitting an application.
To provide this functionality, you must verify Function Identification (FID) Fee Estimation is
enabled. If necessary, activate related FIDs. Then, mark the Fee Estimation check box for the
Application Type. After enabling fee estimation and configuring the required fee item and
required fee schedule for ACA, fees display with submitted applications and also with partially
completed application as an estimate.

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Citizen Access displays estimated fees for an application type based on the assigned fee
schedule and fee item setup. See Enabling Fees for Online Functionality on page 356. For
more information about enabling fee estimation, defining fee-items, configuring fee schedules,
and setting up payment periods, refer to the “Fee Setup” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
Civic Platform saves partially completed application information when public users get an
estimate and do not complete the application process. You can purge the partially completed
applications and partial fee estimates associated with them from your system. See Deleting
Partially Completed Applications on page 479.
To enable fee estimation on an application type

1.

Log in to Civic Platform and verify FID 0244 Fee Estimation is enabled and then disable FID
0075 Admin License Types to hide Velocity Hall information.

•

If necessary, enable related Functional Identification (FID) 0242 Required for Fee
Calculation, 8325 Save Work in Progress of CAP, and 8326 Fee Estimate.

For information on configuring the FIDs, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration
Reference.

2.

Navigate to Admin Tools > Application > Application Type.
Civic Platform displays the Application Type tree.

3.

Select an existing Application Type from the tree and click Edit.
Civic Platform displays the Application-Edit page.

4.

Locate the Enable for ACA? section.

•

Mark the Enable Fee Estimation check box for the application type.

5.

Ensure you have assigned a fee schedule to the application types and configured the fee
items for ACA display. See Enabling Fees for Online Functionality on page 356. See also,
the “Fee Item Fields” list in the “Fee Setup” chapter of Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.

6.

Click the Save button.

7.

If necessary, define the required fields for fee calculation information in application-specific
information groups:
a. Define any fields you want to require user information about fee calculations. For
instructions, see “Working with ASI Groups and Subgroups” in the “Working with

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Application Specific Information” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.
b. In the Specific Information group, choose Yes in the Required field.
c. In the Specific Information group, choose Yes in the Req for Fee Calc field.

8.

If necessary, define the required fields for fee calculation information in application-specific
information tables:
a. Set up the table for which you want to make information required for fee calculations.
For instructions, see the section “Working with ASI Tables” in the “Working with
Application Specific Information” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.
b. For each column of the Application Specific Information table that you want to require,
choose Yes in the Required field.
c. For each column of the Application Specific Information table that you want to require for
fee calculation, choose Yes in the Req for Fee Calc field.

9.

If necessary, define the required fields for fee calculation information in workflow tasks:
a. Set up the workflow task-specific subgroup whose fields you want to make required for
fee calculations. For instructions, see “Managing Task-Specific Information” section in
the “Workflow” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
b. For each field of the workflow task that you want to require, choose Yes in the Required
field.
c. For each field of the workflow task that you want to require for fee calculation, choose
Yes in the Req for Fee Calc field.

10. Save your changes.

Displaying the Fee Estimate Link on Home Page
You can display a link on the Welcome home pages where public users can easily access fee
estimation for a module. See Figure 100: Obtain a Fee Estimate Link. To display links, you must
mark the Obtain a Fee Estimate check box for one or more modules on the Feature Settings
page.

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Figure 100: Obtain a Fee Estimate Link

To display the links associated with fees

1.

Navigate to the Feature Settings page.
Citizen Access Setup displays a column of features and modules in a tree display.

2.

Expand a module and mark the Obtain a Fee Estimate check box.

ACA displays the Obtain a Fee Estimate link on the Welcome pages.

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Displaying Conditions on the Fee Estimate Page
You can configure various conditions to appear only on the Fee Estimate page, instead of the
Record Detail page and Receipt page. To achieve this goal, you must complete two major
steps. First, you must configure conditions in Civic Platform. Then, you must enable a script in
Citizen Access Setup. If necessary, you may define the appearance of the conditions on the
Fee Estimate page, see Displaying Conditions on page 312.
When a public user creates a record by the Obtain a Fee Estimate link, the standard conditions
with the “ACA Fee Estimate Page” check box marked in the Display Notice section of Civic
Platform are automatically applied to the new record by EMSE script. The conditions appear in
an orderly fashion by record type or record type alias (if the record is created for multiple
services), condition group, condition type, and then by individual condition.
To display conditions only on the Fee Estimate page

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform Admin.

2.

In the Setup portlet, click the Conditions item and choose Conditions from the drop-down
menu.

3.

Search for the conditions you want to expose only on the Fee Estimate page.

Note:

4.

Make sure you have established at least one or more condition
groups, condition types, and conditions in Civic Platform.
However, you do not need to associate the condition to the type
of records that public users create. For detailed information, see
the “Conditions” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.

Mark the check box for ACA Fee Estimate Page to display the condition only on the Fee
Estimate page.

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Note:

5.

If you mark the ACA check box, the condition appears on the
respective Record Detail page, Fee Estimate page, and Receipt
page of Citizen Access.

You need to apply the EMSE to the condition. In the Setup portlet, navigate to
Administration > ACA Admin.
Civic Platform displays the ACA Admin Configuration page in a pop-up window.

6.

Go to the Global Settings page and scroll to the EMSE Scripts section.

7.

Select the FEEESTIMATEAFTER4ACASCRIPT script from the drop-down list.

8.

Click the Save button.

Customizing Fee Pages
After enabling fee functionality in ACA, you must prepare your site by customizing the fee pages
to display agency defined supportive text to public users. The customization of all web pages
occurs in Citizen Access Setup. This section provides a list of the web pages associated with
fee functionality to ensure complete setup. For instructions on how to perform tasks associated
with web pages, including the customization of content, font, color, and size, refer to Chapter
10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.
To customize fee pages

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup for ACA.

2.

Choose a module from the navigation panel and go to the Pages area.

3.

Select and customize the following pages in the module-defined Apply folder. These pages
are also accessible in page flow configuration for a module. See Defining the Receipt Page
on page 155.

•

Pay Fees and Review Information

Note:

You can configure CREATE_APPLICATION_MODEL of the
Standard Choice ACA_ CONFIGS to control whether public
users access the fee list from the Pay Fees page or the Review
Information page. For details about the Standard Choice, refer to
the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

•

Receipt

•

Renewal Receipt

•

Pay Fee Due Receipt

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4.

Select and customize the following pages in the Obtain a Fee Estimate folder.

•

Fee Estimate Summary

5.

If necessary, customize the pages associated with Shopping Cart. See Configuring
Shopping Cart on page 367.

6.

Define receipts in Report Manager to print. Also, associate the receipt with a button. See
Associating Reports with Print/View Buttons on page 464.

Enabling Payment Methods
You can enable the payment methods, such as Credit Card, Trust Account, and Bank Account,
at the agency level for all record fees transactions across modules in Citizen Access. You can
also enable the payment methods specifically for one module. The module-level control of
payment method overrides the agency-level control. If a module does not have its own payment
method enabled, it defaults to the enabled agency-level payment methods.
Here is an example, assuming that an agency has three modules: Building, Licenses, and Code
Enforcement. At the agency level, agency administrators enable Credit Card, Trust Account,
and Bank Account. In the Building module, Credit is the only payment method for Building
record fee transactions. In the Licenses and Code Enforcement modules, agency
administrators do not enable specific payment method. Based upon this assumption, Building
record fees are payable only by credit card; while the transactions from the other two modules
can choose to use any of the agency-level payment methods.
When making payment for records from different modules, public users can only make payment
with the common payment methods of the involving modules. Taking the example above, credit
card which is the common method among the three modules is the only payment method for the
records from the three modules. If there is only one applicable payment method, Citizen Access
directly requests the user to enter the details for the payment method. If there are multiple
applicable payment methods, users must first select the desired payment method, and then
enter the payment details.
After enabling required payment methods, you can configure the Standard Choice
ONLINE_PAYMENT_MAX_AMOUNT to specify the maximum payment amount per transaction
for each payment method at the agency level or at the module level. For information on
configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

Note:

If Citizen Access integrates an online payment adapter for
payments, and credit card is the only payment method, public
users can skip the Payment Options section and go directly to
third-party payment page. If there are more than one payment
method, public users must first select a payment method in the
Payment Options section.

Topics


Enabling Agency-Level Payment Methods



Enabling Module-Level Payment Methods

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Enabling Agency-Level Payment Methods
This section provides the information to enable the payment methods at the agency level.
To enable agency-level payment methods

1.

Navigate to the Citizen Accela Setup.

2.

Go to General > Pages > Shopping Cart folder > Pay Fee page.

3.

Click the text in the Payment Method section.

4.

From the Properties panel on the right side of the web page, click the Value cell to display
the payment methods for choices.

5.

Mark or clear the check box ahead of the payment methods to select or deselect them.

6.

Click the Save button in the upper left corner of the screen to save the change.

Enabling Module-Level Payment Methods
This section provides the information to enable the payment methods for a specific module.
To enable module-level payment methods

1.

Navigate to the Citizen Accela Setup.

2.

Go to module > Pages > module-defined Apply folder > Pay Fee page.

3.

Click the text in the Payment Method section.

4.

From the Properties panel on the right side of the web page, click the Value cell to display
the payment methods for choices.

5.

Mark or clear the check box ahead of the payment methods to select or deselect them.

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6.

Click the Save button at the upper left corner of the screen to save the change.

Removing the Pay Fees Link
Citizen Access provides a way to remove the display of a Pay Fees link from the fees section on
the Record Detail page and the Pay Fees Due link from the Status column on the Record List
page for each module. The setting is necessary when an agency does not implement online
payment processing. A public user cannot go into the pay fees page during the application
process because the agency does not offer a way to pay monies due over the Internet.
To set up this feature, administrators must disable online payment processing in Citizen Access
Setup. When administrators clear the check box for online payment processing, Civic Platform
automatically sets the related Standard Choice ACA_CONFIGS with the Standard Choice Value
REMOVE_PAY_FEE set to Yes.
To remove the pay link

1.

Navigate to the Module Settings page.

2.

Go to the Fees section and clear the Display Pay Fee Link check box to hide the link from
view. For a visual representation of this configuration, see Figure 50: Display Pay Fee Link
Setting on page 108.
Citizen Access removes the Pay Fees link from the fees section on the Record Detail page
and the Status column on the Record List page. Civic Platform sets the Standard Choice
Value REMOVE_PAY_FEE with the Value Desc. set to Yes.

Link Removed

Configuring Shopping Cart
Your agency can provide a shopping cart feature to allow public users to group records or group
other items in one location and pay for all items at the conclusion of the session. See Figure
101: Shopping Cart Details.
With the shopping cart functionality, public users can add and manage multiple record
transactions. At check-out, the public user receive a message to choose their payment method
for the entire transaction, such as credit card, check, or trust account. Should the public user
choose to end their session prior to checkout, the items remain in the shopping cart for future
sessions. To remove the items from the shopping cart, public users must manually delete, pay
for the items fully. Also the shopping cart remove the items when they exceed the number of
days allowed in the expiration settings.
Multiple agencies support this feature. When used in conjunction with a super agency serving
multiple agencies, the shopping cart allows multiple transactions across multiple agencies to be
added to and managed within the shopping cart. When the public user chooses to check out,
he/she sees a message for choosing one appropriate payment method (credit card/check/trust

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account) for the entire transaction. Agency split the transaction and each agency's merchant
account processes the associated amount.
To set up the shopping cart, administrators must configure the related Standard Choice
ACA_PAGE_PICKER, define Cart Settings on the Global Settings page. Also administrators
must assign the URL to the Shopping Cart button on the Select Items to Pay page, customize
the related shopping cart web pages, and set component configurations in Page Flow. For
information on how to configure a Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.
Figure 101: Shopping Cart Details

To set up the shopping cart

1.

Configure the related Standard Choice.
a. Navigate to Civic Platform and click the Admin Tools tab.
b. Choose Agency Profile > Standard Choices.
Civic Platform displays the Standard Choices Browse page.
c. Configure ACA_PAGE_PICKER Standard Choice so you can pick a URL address from a
drop-down list on the Fee Estimate page in Citizen Access Setup.

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2.

Standard Choices Value

Order Number. For example 1 or 2 to indicate order in the list.

Value Desc

Page Name and URL.

Define Cart Settings on the Global Settings page.

a. Enable Cart
Mark the check box to enable shopping cart functionality.
b. Payment Transaction Settings
Use the drop-down menu to select the payment transaction settings which identifies
receipt generation. Choose one of the following:
Transaction Per
Shopping Cart

Default setting which generates one receipt number for the entire
shopping cart. You can choose this option if your agency supports
online payments or API payments (application programming
interface).
When your agency implements multiple agency functionality and you
choose this default setting, then a receipt for each agency is
generated per shopping cart. ACA can only support API payments
(application programming interface) in this environment.

Transaction Per
Record Type

Generates a receipt number for each record type in the shopping cart.

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c. Set expiration days for selected items. Enter a number to define the number of days
items can remain in the shopping cart selected area. When the expiration day arrives,
ACA removes the record from the selected items area.
d. Set expiration days for saved items. Enter a number to define the number of days items
can remain in the shopping cart saved area. When the expiration day arrives, ACA
removes the record from the Saved Items area.

3.

Define the URL for the Continue Shopping button on the Select Items to Pay page.

a. Navigate to the General Pages area.
b. Click the Select Items to Pay page.
c. Click the Continue Shopping button to activate customization.
d. Choose one of the available URL options from the URL Value drop-down list.
e. Click Save.

4.

Customize the content of shopping cart web pages. For more information on how to
customize a web page, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

•

Select Items to Pay page

•

Pay Fee page

•

Receipt page

5.

Save changes.

6.

If necessary, configure Page Flow components. You can define the ability to edit the related
component section on the application-intake form and on the review page.

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a. Choose a Module tab and navigate to the Page Flow Configuration page.
b. Create a new or choose an existing page flow.
c. Click a component on a page to activate Component Settings in the right panel.
d. Click the Property tab and choose an option from the Editable drop-down value cell.
You can choose true or false. True allows editing the section on the application-intake
form and on the review page. False configures a read-only section on the applicationintake form and on the review page. The default value is true.
e. Click Save.

Online Payment Processing
If you want to allow public users to pay for fees online through Citizen Access, you must set up
online payment processing. It is recommended best practice to integrate with the Accelaprovided PayPal Payflow Pro4.3 Epayments Adapter using a merchant account for a bank that
PayPal supports.
To set up online payment processing, refer to the “Payment Processing” chapter in the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide, and for the back-end setup and sample scripts, see the
integration package EPay SDK.zip. Contact Accela Customer Support for assistance in
obtaining this package. If you use the Epayments3 Adapter, see Defining Account Type
Payment Options for Epayments3 Adapter on page 371 for instructions on how to customize the
account type payment options.

Defining Account Type Payment Options for Epayments3
Adapter
If your agency is using the Epayments Adapter3 for online payments, you can configure a
Standard Choice in Civic Platform so you can define the options that display on the Check
Payment user page. For example, you can define a business checking or a regular savings
account. Refer to the “Payment Processing” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator

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Guide for configuration details surrounding this Standard Choice. For the back-end functionality
of online transactions, contact the Accela Customer Resource Center for the integration
package EPay SDK.zip.

Trust Accounts
The Trust Account feature allows you to establish and maintain trust account information,
perform trust account transactions, and print trust account reports. There are administrative
setup tasks in both Civic Platform and in Citizen Access. This section provides the references to
supporting documentation in Civic Platform for those required setup tasks, and it specifies the
Citizen Access administrative tasks.
You use Civic Platform to associate an address, parcel, professional, or contact with a trust
account. For example, administrators can create and associate addresses and parcels to public
users by navigating to Civic Platform and clicking the Admin portlet > System Tools > Public
User link > and choosing either the Address or Parcel tab. You also use Civic Platform to set up
the permissions for public users by navigating to the Trust Account tab, and clicking the Public
User Permission. For details about the tasks, see the “Maintaining Trust Accounts” section in
the “Trust Account” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
You must also activate the trust account in Citizen Access by enabling Function Identifications
and setting up Standard Choices. For the configuration tasks, see the “Trust Account” chapter of
the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
In addition to setting up the trust account functionality in Civic Platform, there are specific setup
steps (see descriptions below) to complete in Citizen Access.
In ACA, administrators configure the trust account permissions for public users, so the public
users can access the Account Management and review the Trust Account Information section
to make payment to the parent record using trust account monies that relates to the licensed
professional, contact, address, and parcel. You can also set up a print button so they can print a
receipt of deposited trust monies. Go to the Trust Account pages in ACA Setup, click the Trust
Account web pages and select the Detail, Deposit, or Receipt pages. To illustrate the Trust
Account pages in ACA Setup, see Figure 102: Trust Account Detail Page and Deposit Button
Label.
When a public user makes the payment for a record, if the available payment method is Trust
Account, and there is only one trust account for the payment, Citizen Access automatically
processes the payment using the trust account. If there are multiple applicable trust accounts,
the user must select one for the payment.
Registered public user may access trust account detailed information through the Account
Management > Trust Account Information page, or by creating a record and clicking the Record
Detail link to review the Trust Account Information section.

Setting Up Trust Account Details for Deposit Button
The Deposit button allows public users to access the payment method page so they can deposit
money into their trust account through a bank account or a credit card.

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The public user can access the deposit function in both the Home page through the Trust
Account Details section, and on the Building page in the Transaction Account Information
section. Public users can click the Deposit link to open the Payment Method page.
To define the label for the deposit button, click the Detail page. Refer to Figure 102: Trust
Account Detail Page and Deposit Button Label. Select the Deposit button and in the Field
Properties define the value for the Button Label.
Figure 102: Trust Account Detail Page and Deposit Button Label

Setting Up Print/View Button for Trust Account Receipt
To set up the Print/View button for a trust account receipt

1.

Create and set up the report services.
To integrate Civic Platform with a report service, refer to the “Report Manager” chapter in
the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

2.

Add the report using the Report Manager portlet in Civic Platform.
To add a report, see the “Adding a Report” section in the “Report Manager” chapter of
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

3.

In ACA Setup, click the Trust Account web pages and select the Receipt page.
Citizen Access displays the Receipt page in the center work area.

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4.

Select the Print/View button to access the field properties.
The Field Properties for the Print/View Receipt button displays.

5.

Click the Configure Report value for the Report name field.
The Report Admin pop-up window displays.

6.

Add the report that was created in step 1. Complete the fields, referring to the “Report
Detail” list under the “Adding a Report” section in the “Report Manager” chapter of Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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Assigning Service Fee Structures to Modules
You can assign a service fee structure for each module by configuring the PAYMENT_GROUP
Standard Choice in Civic Platform. For complete information on configuring a Standard Choice,
refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
This feature provides the flexibility to use one service fee structure for one module and to use
another service fee structure for another module. For example, it is possible to use a fixed
service fee for all license applications and to calculate the service fee based on the percentage
of the total of applicable fees for building permit applications.
If you assign the modules to the same fee structure, public users can pay for the records of the
modules together in the shopping cart as single transaction. If you assign the modules to
different fee structures, public users can only pay for the records that are from the same module
at a time.

Note:

Currently only the OPC CoBrandPlus payment gateway supports
different service fee structures for different modules. For other
payment gateways, they only support one service fee structure for all
modules; the configuration on the PAYMENT_GROUP does not work
for them.

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C HAPTER 16:

MANAGING INSPECTIONS

An application process for a building permit or service request require inspection to continue
through to the end of a workflow. Your agency can provide the ability for registered
professionals or other registered public users, such as an owner, to view and schedule an
inspection on their permit online. There are many considerations, such as who can schedule an
inspection and what inspection times display to the public. These considerations are all
addressed in this chapter.
To set up this functionality, it is critical that you pre-define inspections, inspection types,
inspectors, and inspection calendars as explained in the “Inspections” chapter in the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide. Also see the Configuring Calendars and Inspection
Calendars chapters in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. Then, you can perform
the inspection features as described in this chapter. As many items are pre-defined, such as
inspection types, it is important to use this chapter with Chapter 11: Implementation Planning on
page 200. together. Both chapters provide you with a checklist of configurations to ensure you
define all dependent configurations, all additional pre-configurations, and all ACA Admin
configurations. For a successful implementation of inspections in Citizen Access, refer to
Configuring Records for Processing on page 208.
Topics


Defining Inspections for a Module



Configuring the Inspection Calendar



Managing Inspection Scheduling



Customizing Inspection Confirmation Details



Creating a Deep Link on the Inspection Detail Page



Enabling External Inspectors to Upload Inspection Results

Defining Inspections for a Module
Together, the Record Detail Section Configuration, Inspection, and Application Status areas of
the Module Settings configuration page allow you to set ACA display settings for inspection
configurations defined in Civic Platform.


The role assignment in the Record Detail Section Configuration area can be useful if you
want to completely disable some user roles from scheduling inspections for a module. For
example, you can choose to provide inspection information for record creators in the
Permits module and Licensing module, but not for the Enforcement module. For more
information on configuring this area, see Record Detail Section Configuration on page 128.

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

The Inspection area allows you to define permissions for which public user can schedule an
inspection, set availability of inspection information about public users, enable or disable a
default inspection contact, define the display of the optional inspections on the Record
Detail page, and enable multiple inspection scheduling. For more information on configuring
this area, see Inspections on page 105.



The Application Status area allows you to restrict the inspection scheduling to ANY public
users for certain inspection type when the record is of certain status. For more information
on configuring this area, see Inspection Scheduling Control by Application Status on
page 114.

Configuring the Inspection Calendar
Your agency can provide an inspection calendar for the public users with permissions to
schedule, reschedule or cancel inspections in ACA.
To set up calendars for ACA, you must complete calendar configurations in the calendar portlets
of Civic Platform administrative site and enable the calendar for ACA on the calendar details
page. See Figure 104: Enable Inspection Calendar for ACA on page 378. Refer to “Configuring
Citizen Access Inspection Calendars” in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
After configuring the inspection calendar in Civic Platform, you define which users can schedule
inspections in ACA Admin. So you do not define calendar permissions for public users on the
calendar Permissions tab in Civic Platform. For information about how to define which users
can schedule an inspection in ACA, refer to Configuring Schedule Inspections Permission on
page 106.
After defining who can schedule inspections online, you define how your agency manages
inspection scheduling time parameters. For example, you can provide calendar dates and
calendar times to public users for inspection scheduling, you can also restrict inspection
scheduling so that public users choose one scheduling option, such as same day or next
business day scheduling. For information on how to define public user inspection scheduling
options, see Setting Up Inspection Calendar Parameters on page 383.
Finally, you must define how public users view inspection types and schedule inspections
online. See List 7: Schedule Inspection Calendar Options on page 379. These options are
controlled by the values selected from the Schedule Inspection in ACA drop-down list (Civic
Platform Administration> Setup > Calendar portlet > Inspection Types tab > Schedule
Inspection in ACA). Choose a value from this drop-down list for each inspection type you want
public users to access from the ACA Inspections page. Figure 105: Civic Platform Inspection
Calendar Configuration on page 379 displays the Inspection Types tab. For more information
about these four options and configuration settings that support them, see Managing Inspection
Scheduling on page 381.
For complete configuration information about inspection calendars, please refer to the section
“Configuring Citizen Access Inspection Calendars” in the “Inspection Calendars” chapter of the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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Figure 103: Inspection Calendar in ACA

Figure 104: Enable Inspection Calendar for ACA

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List 7: Schedule Inspection Calendar Options

None

When you select this value, public users can view the corresponding
inspection type on the Inspections page, but they cannot request, schedule, or
cancel the inspection.

Request Only Pending

When you select this value from the drop-down list, public users can request
an inspection, but they cannot schedule it. After public users request
inspections, Citizen Access notifies the appropriate agency user and Citizen
Access schedules the requested inspection. For instructions on scheduling
inspection in Civic Platform, see the “Inspections” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform User Guide. Figure 106: Citizen Access Request Only - Pending
Scheduling on page 380 displays the Pending Scheduling page.

Request Same Day
Next Day

When you select this value from the drop-down list, you limit public user
inspection scheduling options to three: Same Day, Next Business Day, and
Next Available Day. Based on your selection, public users can request
inspections for the same day, next business day, or next available day. After
public users request inspections, Citizen Access notifies the appropriate
agency user and Citizen Access schedules the requested inspection.
The inspection cut-off time you set in the Calendar Administration portlet also
displays on the Request Same Day Next Day Scheduling page. For example, if
you set the cut-off time as 3:00 pm and a public user schedules an inspection
at 4:00 pm and marks the Same Day option, Citizen Access schedules the
inspection for the first appropriate inspection slot on the next business day.
Figure 107: Citizen Access Request Same Day Next Day Scheduling on
page 381 displays the Request Same Day Next Day Scheduling page.
When public users schedule inspection types that you set up for autoassignment using the Request Same Day Next Day option, they cannot
reschedule or cancel the inspections. After public users schedule inspection
types that you set up for manual inspection scheduling using the Request
Same Day Next Day option, they cannot reschedule or cancel the inspections.

Schedule Using
Calendar

When you select this value from the drop-down list, public users can select the
calendar date and calendar time on which to schedule an inspection. Figure
105: Civic Platform Inspection Calendar Configuration on page 379 displays
the Schedule Using Calendar option. (It also shows the Request only pending, and Request same day next day settings.)

Figure 105: Civic Platform Inspection Calendar Configuration

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Figure 106: Citizen Access Request Only - Pending Scheduling

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Figure 107: Citizen Access Request Same Day Next Day Scheduling

Managing Inspection Scheduling
Civic Platform provides a variety of scheduling options for inspections. For example, your
agency may want to set up automatic inspection scheduling based on the next available
inspector and next available date. If you want to provide a way for customers to schedule or
reschedule their own inspections and your agency uses Citizen Access, then administrators
configure ACA to allow public users to schedule inspections or multiple inspections. Your
agency has the ability to manage when a public user can schedule any inspection for a given

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day based on pre-defined inspection scheduling parameters. If your agency wants to oversee
the public user inspection scheduling, then administrators configure the ability for public users
to request an inspection only. When the public user requests an inspection, it is flagged with a
pending status until the agency sets or confirms the requested inspection time. This section
provides the available ways that your agency can manage inspection scheduling.
Topics


Customizing Inspection Schedule Link Label



Setting Up Inspection Calendar Parameters



Setting Up Automatic Inspection Scheduling



Providing Multiple Inspection Scheduling



Requesting and Pending Inspections

Customizing Inspection Schedule Link Label
Public users most often schedule inspections from an inspections list. You can configure ACA
so public users can log in and click a scheduling link right from the Welcome page to go to their
inspections list. To display the links, you must enable the links for each module on the Feature
Settings page and then indicate if registration is required to do the task. Optionally, you can
customize the link names with a new link label.
To display the inspection scheduling links

1.

Verify inspections are enabled for the module. See Defining Inspections for a Module on
page 376.

2.

Modify the text of the schedule inspection links on the Home page.
a. Go to the General Pages area and open the Home folder.
b. Click the Welcome pages to modify the schedule inspection links.

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c. Click the name of the link you want to modify and change the text in the Value cell for
the Button Label.

3.

Click Save.

Setting Up Inspection Calendar Parameters
Civic Platform calendar administration and Civic Platform inspection type configuration provides
a way to define parameters for when public users can schedule, reschedule, or cancel an
inspection.
Topics


Defining Inspection Schedule Parameters



Defining Reschedule and Cancel Parameters

Defining Inspection Schedule Parameters
Your agency has the ability to control how and when public users can schedule inspections.
After you set up your inspection calendar, you can define public user settings. This section
provides the field information and instructions for defining public user inspection scheduling
parameters.
To define inspection schedule parameters

1.

Click the Admin primary tab.

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2.

In the Setup portlet, click the Calendar item and choose Calendar from the drop-down
menu.
Civic Platform displays the Calendar administration portlet.

3.

From the tree view, create a new or select an existing calendar you want to work with.

4.

Complete the fields associated with inspection scheduling for public users. Refer to List 8:
Public User Inspection Schedule Parameter Fields on page 384.

5.

Click Submit.

List 8: Public User Inspection Schedule Parameter Fields

Enable for ACA

Mark the check box to enable inspection schedule parameter settings
for public users.

Hide Inspection Times in
ACA

Mark the check box to display calendar dates only. The inspection times
for the calendar dates hide from the public user’s view.

Schedule Cut-off Time
AM/PM

Use the drop-down menus to indicate the cut-off time for inspection
scheduling for a day.
For example, if the cut-off time is 11:00 AM and the agency
administrator sets up next day inspection scheduling, then when a
public user wants to schedule an inspection for the day at noon, they
can only schedule an inspection on the next available day because the
hour passed the cut-off time for the same day.

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List 8: Public User Inspection Schedule Parameter Fields (Continued)

Schedule # of Days Out

This field is used to control the availability of the inspection calendar to
public users. It prevents public users from scheduling inspections too far
out in advance on a calendar. Enter a number to define how many future
days out from the current date for which public users can schedule an
inspection. If a user does not provide a numeric quantity in this field,
there is no limit to the date availability on the calendar.

Schedule after Cut-off

Use the drop-down list to define when public users can schedule an
inspection after the cut-off time for a day has passed. For example,
when public users set this field to next available day with a cut-off time
as 11AM, then anytime after 11AM a public user can schedule for the
next available day.

Defining Reschedule and Cancel Parameters
You can configure inspection type reschedule and cancel parameters to determine when public
users can reschedule or cancel inspections in Citizen Access. When public users schedule an
inspection, inspection type parameters restrict when public users can reschedule or cancel the
inspection. The functionality prevents public users from rescheduling or canceling an inspection
right before its scheduled start time and ensures that inspection calendars are stable and
consistent.
For example, you might set a reschedule restriction for a Code Enforcement inspection at 5:00
PM one day prior to the inspection date. So public users can only reschedule a Code
Enforcement inspection up until 5:00 PM the day before Citizen Access schedules and
conducts the inspection.
When you set inspection type reschedule and cancel parameters, you must also set the Citizen
Access inspection type display. You can configure inspection type display in the Calendar
Administration portlets.
In the Calendar Administration portlets, you must first associate inspection types with an
inspection calendar. After you associate inspection types with an inspection calendar, you can
determine how each inspection type displays in ACA using the Cancel Inspection in ACA,
Reschedule Inspection in ACA, and Schedule Inspection in ACA drop-down lists.
Select a value of Yes for the Reschedule Inspection in ACA and Cancel Inspection in ACA dropdown lists if you want to give public users the option to reschedule or cancel inspections. Select
a value of No for the Reschedule Inspection in ACA and Cancel Inspection in ACA drop-down
lists if you do not want public users to have the option of rescheduling or cancelling inspections
in ACA.
When the reschedule and cancel features are enabled, public users can only reschedule and
cancel inspections based on the parameters you set for each inspection type.
For complete configuration information about Inspection calendars, please refer to the
“Configuring Citizen Access Inspection Calendars” section in the “Inspection Calendars”
chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
To set inspection type reschedule and cancel parameters

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform and click the Admin Tools tab.

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2.

Choose Inspection > Inspection.
Civic Platform displays the Inspection - Search page.

3.

4.

Complete the fields below or click the Submit button to search all inspection group codes
and inspection group names:
Inspection Group
Code

Enter the code of the inspection group that contains the inspection types for
which you want to set inspection reschedule and cancel restrictions.

Inspection Group
Name

Enter the name of the inspection group that contains the inspection types
for which you want to set inspection reschedule and cancel restrictions.

Click the Submit button.
Civic Platform displays the search results on the Inspection-Browse page.

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5.

Click the red dot in the column next to the inspection group code that contains the
inspection types for which you want to set inspection scheduling restrictions.
Civic Platform displays the Inspection - Edit page.

6.

Mark an option and set time and set date values for the Cancel Restriction and Reschedule
Restriction fields.

7.

Click the Update button.
Civic Platform updates the inspection type.

Setting Up Automatic Inspection Scheduling
You can set up inspections so Citizen Access assigns and schedules inspectors automatically.
Each inspector has an inspector profile that contains inspectors' daily inspection units, district
location, identified disciplines, and availability. This profile is used against the conditions
identified for the inspection to assign the appropriate inspector. These conditions check the
daily inspection units for highest work efficiency, match the inspectors’ districts with the parcel
address from the application, match one of the inspector’s disciplines with the inspection
disciplines, and then check the inspection date against the inspector’s calendar for availability.
Before automatic inspection scheduling can work, you must set up the inspector profile, identify
inspection conditions, and enable the auto assign inspections feature.

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You must consider the four factors for automatic inspection scheduling: geographic district,
inspector discipline, calendar availability, and workload availability. In order for automatic
inspection assignments to be effective, administrators must set up each of the four areas, which
includes the configuration of Functional Identification (FID) numbers, Standard Choices, and
data. If the inspection or the Record has a hold or has a lock condition notice, the auto-assign
feature will not function for that item until the condition has been lifted.

Providing Multiple Inspection Scheduling
Your agency can provide public users with the ability to request/schedule multiple or repeat
inspections online. When a public user logs into their ACA account, he can navigate to the
inspections area and schedule their inspections. If there is only one available inspection type,
Citizen Access directly require the user to schedule the inspection for the inspection type. If
there are multiple inspection types, the user can pick one inspection type and schedule the
inspection for the type. See Figure 108: Multiple Inspection Scheduling on page 388.
Multiple inspection scheduling is useful when a licensed professional requires numerous
inspections for a project. For example, a large project may require numerous concrete
inspections for multiple concrete pours or multiple electrical inspections in a town home new
development area. To implement this feature, administrators must change the No default setting
for the ACA Multi-Inspection Schedule field for an inspection type to Yes. Then, administrators
must allow multiple inspection scheduling for a module. You can set it up in Citizen Access
Setup on the Module Settings page.
This section provides instructions on how to configure the multiple inspections feature. For
complete inspection configuration information, see also the “Inspection Calendars” chapter in
the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
For administrative reference, when administrators change the multiple inspection scheduling
option in Citizen Access Setup, Civic Platform automatically changes the corresponding
Standard Choices Value Desc. for Standard Choices Values
MULTIPLE_INSPECTIONS_ENABLED for Standard Choice ACA_CONFIGS.
Figure 108: Multiple Inspection Scheduling

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To configure multiple inspection scheduling

1.

Define which inspection types are enabled for ACA multiple inspections. This configuration
is in Civic Platform. For more information, refer to the “Establishing Inspection Types”
section in the “Inspections” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

2.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > Module Settings.

3.

Locate the Inspections section and mark the applicable option to allow for multiple
inspection scheduling.

4.

•

Yes allows multiple inspection scheduling.

•

No restricts inspection scheduling.

•

The default setting for this option is No.

Click Save.

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Requesting and Pending Inspections
Civic Platform provides the ability to manage inspection scheduling for public users.
Administrators can configure the request and pending feature so public users can only request
an inspection online. After public users' request is submitted through ACA, the inspection is
held at a pending status until the agency approves the inspection appointment using the
inspection calendar. See Figure 109: Requesting an Inspection on page 391. Upon approval,
Civic Platform uses EMSE to send an e-mail notification of the inspection appointment to the
public user.
For example, a builder on a town home development project schedules a plumbing and
electrical inspection for the clubhouse. After logging in to the ACA account, the public user goes
to their inspections list and clicks the Request link for the applicable inspections for their
applications. Public users provide their desired date and time for inspections with any additional
comments to the inspector. Civic Platform saves the inspection request information with a
pending status until agency approval. The agency employee approves the appointment and an
e-mail notification is sent to the public user.
Administrators can view which inspections from ACA are in the pending status at any time by
filtering the inspection calendar to show Requested Pending Inspections or Pending Inspection
List by ACA. Administrators can also see those inspections already approved by the agency by
filtering the inspection calendar to show Result Pending Inspection List.
Administrators must do the following tasks to implement the request and pending feature in
ACA. First, administrators must have pre-defined inspection types and must set the scheduling
parameters in Civic Platform. Then, administrators must navigate to the inspection type tab in
the inspection calendar and choose the Request Only - Pending option from the Schedule
Inspection in ACA drop-down list for applicable inspection types. This configuration changes the
Schedule link to a Request link for the applicable inspection type in the public user’s inspection
list. Then, administrators must navigate to the Content Customize portlet to define the e-mails
associated with the request and pending feature. Finally, administrators can navigate to a
Module in Citizen Access Setup and customize the content or labels associated with the
modular inspection scheduling web page. For additional information on setting up calendars
and inspection type configurations, refer to the “Inspections” and the “Configuring Calendars”
chapters in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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Figure 109: Requesting an Inspection

To configure request only and pending inspections

1.

As a pre-requisite, verify you define each inspection type and inspection schedule
parameter information correctly. For information on how to configure inspection types, refer
to the “Establishing Inspection Types” section in the “Inspections” chapter of the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

2.

Configure Request Only-Pending scheduling option for inspection types in the inspection
calendar.
a. Click the Admin primary tab.
b. In the Setup portlet, click the Agency Profile link and choose Inspection Calendar from
the drop-down list.
Civic Platform displays the inspection calendar details.
c. Click the Inspection Type tab.
d. Choose the Request Only - Pending option from the Schedule Inspection in ACA
drop-down list for those inspections to which you want to apply the request only feature.
e. Click Save.

3.

Customize related e-mails.
a. Click the Admin primary tab.
b. In the Setup portlet, click the Agency Profile link and choose Content Customize from
the drop-down list.
Civic Platform displays the Content Customize portlet.

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c. Configure the e-mail sent to the public user after requesting an inspection online.
ACA_EMAIL_INSPECTION_STATUS_CHANGE_CONTENT
ACA_EMAIL_INSPECTION_STATUS_CHANGE_SUBJECT
d. Configure the e-mail sent to the public user after the agency approves the inspection
appointment in Civic Platform.
AA_EMAIL_INSPECTION_STATUS_CHANGE_CONTENT
AA_EMAIL_INSPECTION_STATUS_CHANGE_SUBJECT

4.

Customize the labels and text on the Schedule an Inspection web page for each module.
a. Navigate to Citizen Access Setup and click a Module tab.
b. Go to the Pages area in the navigation panel and choose the Schedule an Inspection
page for the module.
c. Citizen Access Setup displays the Schedule and Inspection Web page in the center
panel.
d. Modify text or labels and click Save.

Customizing Inspection Confirmation Details
After public users schedule inspections, an inspection confirmation page displays the inspection
details. Inspection details include the permit number for which the inspection is scheduled, and
include the inspection date and time, and inspection reschedule and cancel policies.
You can customize the information that displays on the Inspection Confirmation page.
Customize page details to ensure that public users receive accurate inspection confirmations.
To customize inspection confirmation details

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup and select a modular tab.

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2.

Click the Inspection Confirmation link.
Citizen Access displays the Inspection Confirmation page.

3.

Click the page area you want to modify.
Citizen Access displays the page details in the Field Properties box.

4.

Modify page details in the Fields Properties box, including the default label, the text
headings, and the font style. For detailed instructions on customizing web pages, see
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.
Citizen Access updates the Inspection Confirmation page details.

Creating a Deep Link on the Inspection Detail Page
Agencies that store some inspection information in a third-party web application can configure a
deep link on the Inspection Detail page to help public users seamlessly navigate from Citizen
Access to the third-party web application.

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To create a deep link on the Inspection Detail page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup and select a modular tab.

2.

Click the Inspection Detail web page under the Inspection folder.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Inspection Detail web page for the selected module.

3.

Click the area that contains inspection name variables.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Field Properties area.

4.

Click the Body Text Value field to open the HTML Editor window.

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You can add a text and embed a hyperlink in it. For more information about the HTML
Editor, see Using the HTML Editor on page 159.

Enabling External Inspectors to Upload Inspection
Results
Contract inspectors or self-certified inspectors are not agency employees but they can log in to
Citizen Access to do the following through the Upload Inspection Results page (see Figure 110:
Upload Inspection Results Page for User on page 396):


View inspections assigned to their Civic Platform user accounts, and view inspections on
records associated with their licensed professional records. Citizen Access groups the
inspections by status: the New Inspections section lists all pending and scheduled
inspections, and the Resulted Inspections section lists all completed inspections.



Download the list of new inspections into a CSV file from the New Inspections section.



Enter inspection results in the CSV file and upload the CSV file to Citizen Access. Citizen
Access accepts the uploaded file only when it meets the following requirements. Otherwise,
Citizen Access prompts an error message.

•

The file only contains the pending or scheduled inspections assigned to the inspector
through the inspector’s Civic Platform user account or the inspector’s licensed
professional record.

•

The file name contains the correct extension .csv.

•

The file content is in the format that your agency has defined.

•

The file contains all required columns.



Attach documents or images to a completed inspection from the Resulted Inspections
section.



View the log of the inspections for which Citizen Access fails to update the results based on
the inspection result CSV file.

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Figure 110: Upload Inspection Results Page for User

To enable external inspectors to upload inspection results

1.

Configure Standard Choice INSPECTION_RESULT_CSV_FORMAT to define the format of
the inspection result CSV file.
For more information about the Standard Choice, see the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

2.

Mark the Upload Inspection Results check box on the Feature Setting page to display the
Upload Inspection Results link on the Welcome Registered page.
For more information, see Feature Setting Configurations on page 80.

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3.

Configure Inspection Result Setting on the Global Settings page to decide whether it is
necessary to review the inspection result CSV file from an external inspector before the
inspection results get updated (Optional).
For more information, see Inspection Result Setting on page 75.

4.

Customize the label of the Upload Inspection Results link on the Welcome Registered
page (Optional).

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5.

Customize the Upload Inspection Results general web page located in the Provider/
Education/Licensee Search folder.
For more information about the customization, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages
on page 158.
Upon login to Citizen Access, external inspectors access the Upload Inspection Results
page by default. If they navigate to the other pages, they can click the Upload Inspection

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Results link on the Welcome Registered page to return to the Upload Inspection Results
page.

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C HAPTER 17:

AUTHORIZED SERVICE

Citizen Access supports authorized license sales such as fishing and hunting license sales. You
can create authorized agents in Civic Platform. Authorized agents can then create authorized
agent clerks in Citizen Access. Both authorized agents and authorized agent clerks can conduct
authorized service sales in Citizen Access.
This chapter provides you with configuration information so you can complete the
implementation of authorized service throughout the various areas of Civic Platform and ACA
Admin.
Topics


Updating the Web.config File



Configuring Authorized Service Settings



Customizing the Account Management Page for Authorized Agents



Configuring the Authorized Service Sale Pages



Enabling License Tag Printing



Configuring Authorized Service in Civic Platform

Updating the Web.config File
The authorized service requires you to add the following line into the  section of
the web.config file in your Citizen Access installation directory.


Configuring Authorized Service Settings
You must configure the related Standard Choices to define the service type that the agency can
authorize to its agents. For each service type, you can define which record types Citizen Access
provides for authorized agents and agent clerks to sell the licenses.
To configure authorized service settings

1.

Configure the related Standard Choices.

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Standard Choice
AUTHORIZED_
SERVICE

This Standard Choice defines the authorized service types that
the agency can support, and the printers that authorized agents
or authorized agent clerks can use for printing license tags in
authorized service.

Standard Choice
This Standard Choice defines the possible reasons for
REPRINT_REASONS authorized agents or clerks to select when they attempt to reprint
a license tag in Citizen Access.

For complete information on configuring Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic
Platform Configuration Reference.

2.

Create record types in Civic Platform applicable for the authorized agents and authorized
agent clerks to select in the authorized service. Currently Citizen Access only supports
authorized service for fishing and hunting licenses. You can create a few record types for
use in fishing and hunting license sales.
Consider the following points when you design a record type for license sales:

•

The associated fee schedule must cover all fee items applicable to the record type. The
fee items can be a package price for the base license plus separate license prices and
quota prices.

•

The SmartChoice of the record type must enable one or more transactional contact
types. You can design a contact template for the transaction contact types and a
reference contact type (for example, a “hunter” reference contact type) for collecting the
additional personal information in a specific authorized service sale.

3.

Define a filter that includes the record types that you create for fishing and license sales.
For information on creating a record type filter, see Record Type Filters on page 120.

4.

Specify a record type filter for the authorized service.
a. Navigate to the Citizen Access Setup.
b. Go to General > Settings > Authorized Service Settings page.
Citizen Access displays the Authorized Service Settings page.

Note:

To make sure the Authorized Service Settings page properly
displays the Module Name and Record Type Filter drop-down
lists, please disable the Compatibility View feature in Internet
Explorer.

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c. Select the module that the record type filter belongs, and then select the record type
filter.
d. Click OK to save the changes.

Customizing the Account Management Page for
Authorized Agents
The Account Manage page is the first page that an authorized agent sees after logging in to the
Citizen Access (see Figure 111: Account Management Page for the Authorized Agent).
Figure 111: Account Management Page for the Authorized Agent

Authorized agents can perform the following two tasks in the page:


Click the “Locate Customer” link on the top of the page to start the landing page of
authorized service sales. For more information, see Configuring the Authorized Service
Sale Pages on page 408.



Manage their accounts, and add and manage their authorized agent clerks.

You can customize the content of the web pages for account management by authorized
agents.
To customize the account management pages for authorized agents and clerks

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup for Citizen Access.

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2.

Go to Global Settings > Pages.

3.

Select and customize the following pages in the Account Management folder:

•

Account
This page contains two new sections, the Account Type section, and the Clerks section.
- The Account Type section displays the account type of the login user.

- The Clerks section displays for the account management page of authorized agents
only. This section provides the Add a Clerk button for adding clerk accounts, and the
Action column, with the Activate or Deactivate link, for the agent to activate or
deactivate a clerk account.

•

New Clerk Registration
This page displays after an authorized agent clicks the Add a Clerk button in the
Account Management page. There are two main sections, the Login Information section
and the Contact Information section.

- The Login Information section requires authorized agents to enter the basic login
information about the new clerk.
- The Contact Information section provides the summary contact information of the
clerk if the authorized agent already entered the information. Otherwise, the agent
can click Add New to add the contact information.

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•

New Clerk Registered
This page is read-only and provides a summary of the clerk account information that the
authorized agent just entered.

•

Clerk Information
After an authorized agent clicks the link in the User Name column in the Clerks section
of the Account Management page, this page displays and allows authorized agents to
edit an existing clerk account.
Like the New Clerk Registration page, the Clerk Information page contains two main
sections, the Login Information section and the Contact Information section. The
sections display existing information about the selected clerk. Authorized agents can
make changes to the information and then save.
The Contact Information section contains current contact information, in which some
fields may be read-only to authorized agents, but are still subject to change. You can
enable the Amendment button in the section by associating a record type filter with the
button. If authorized agents click the Amendment button, they can choose an
amendment record type to apply for amending the contact.

•

Select Contact Type
When authorized agents click Add New to add contact information about a clerk, the
Select Contact Type displays. Use it to select the contact type before entering the
contact details.

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•

Clerk Address Info
The Clerk Address Info window displays when authorized agents click Add Additional
Contact Address, or when they edit a contact address.

•

New Clerk Info
After authorized agents select a contact type for a new clerk in the Select Contact Type
window, the New Clerk Info window. Use it to add the clerk contact information.

Be aware that there are two possible outcomes when authorized agents click the Save
and Close button in the New Clerk Info window:
- If there are close matching reference contacts for the entered clerk, the New Clerk
Info window changes to read-only mode, and displays the details of the first contact
that meets the close matching criteria of the highest priority. The window also displays
a check box with the message “I confirm the displayed contact as that of my clerk”. If
authorized agents mark the check box and click the Confirm button, Citizen Access
saves the close-matching contact as the clerk, and returns to the Clerk Management
window.

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- If there is no close match, a new reference contact is created based on the entered
contact information. Citizen Access saves the entered contact, and returns to the
Clerk Management window.
When you configure the New Clerk Info page, remember to select the target contact type
first if you want to customize the field settings. The customized settings only apply to the
selected contact type. If you define the field settings without selecting any contact type,
the Contact Info window displays the default field settings.

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•

Edit Clerk Info
If the summary of a contact already displays in the Contact Information section of the
Clerk Information or New Clerk Registration window, authorized agents can click the Edit
link to edit the contact information. The Edit Clerk Info window displays.

Note:

If you click the Edit link on a clerk which you added from a close
match, the Edit Clerk Info window displays the contact
information as read-only.

You can require authorized agents to add more details in this window in addition to what
they already provided on the New Clerk Info window.

When you configure the Edit Clerk Info page, remember to select the target contact type
first if you want to customize the field settings. The customized settings only apply to the
selected contact type. If you define the field settings without selecting any contact type,
the Contact Info window displays the default field settings.

4.

Click Save to save your changes.

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Configuring the Authorized Service Sale Pages
Authorized agents and authorized agent clerks perform the following three tasks to process
authorized service sales orders from customers.


Step 1: Locate Customer.



Step 2: Enter or Verify Customer Information



Step 3: Conduct License Sale

You can configure the pages that display in the steps. Because Citizen Access currently only
supports fishing and hunting license sales, you can only configure the pages for the fishing and
hunting license sales.
Topics


Configuring the Landing Page



Configuring the Customer Details Page



Configuring the License Sale Page Flow

Configuring the Landing Page
When an authorized agent clicks the “Locate Customer” link in the account management page,
or when an authorized agent clerk logs in, the landing page displays for them to check the
existence of the customer in the database. Authorized agents can enter the customer
information to start a search.
To configure the landing page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup for Citizen Access.

2.

Go to Global Settings > Pages.

3.

Select and customize the Landing Page under Fishing & Hunting License Sales in the
Authorized Services folder.

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The landing page allows authorized agents or authorized agent clerks to either search for a
customer, or click the “Enter New Customer Information” link to create a new customer. The
customer search page only supports standard contact fields, and does not support people
template and generic template fields.
Note that you can configure contact identifier fields in Civic Platform to forbid the agent or
clerk from creating customers that conflict with existing contacts. If the customer information
entered matches the identity of an existing customer, when the agent or the clerk clicks the
“Enter New Customer Information”, the customer information page directly loads the
information about the existing customer. If the customer information entered does not
contain any identifier field value, Citizen Access prompts the agent or clerk to enter an
identifier field first.

4.

Note:

If an authorized agent or clerk locates a customer which already
exists as a reference contact, even if the reference contact has a
condition on it, the agent or clerk can still proceed with the
authorized service sales.

Note:

The landing page of authorized service sales only supports
standard contact fields, and does not support people template
and generic template fields.

Click Save.

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Configuring the Customer Details Page
Authorized agents and clerks can enter or confirm the customer information in the Customer
Details page. The page contains the detailed contact information about the customer, and the
licenses that the customer has already purchased.
To configure the customer details page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup for Citizen Access, and go to Global Settings > Pages.

2.

Select and customize the Customer Details page under Fishing & Hunting License Sales in
the Authorized Services folder.

There are two sections in the page, the Customer Details section and the Associated
Licenses section, under which is the Proceed to New License Sales button.

•

The Customer Details section shows the contact information, including the contact
template fields and contact address information, about the customer. You can perform
the following configurations for the section:
- Set the entire Customer Details section to be editable or read-only.
- Set applicable reference contact types for customers in the Type Options of the Type
field.
- Add or remove standard contact fields for the target contact type.
- Set the display and required property of the fields.
- Control whether the contact template fields are visible to authorized agents and clerks
by configuring ASI security settings in Civic Platform.

•

The Associated Licenses section lists all the licenses that the customer has purchased.

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- You can enable an “Amendment” link in the Action column of a license with the
existing Amendment Record feature. For information about the feature, see
Configuring Amendment Record Functionality on page 558.

•

Note:

Because the record type filter that you select for the Create
Amendment button in the Record Details page takes precedence
over the filter that you configure in Module Settings, you must not
select any filter in Record Details.

Note:

You can write scripts to populate the contact information in the
current license into the amendment record. Remember to assign
the scripts to the Onload Event property at the desired page in
the target amendment page flow.

The Proceed to New License Sale button leads users proceed to the license sale page.
For more information, see Configuring the License Sale Page Flow on page 411.

3.

Select and customize the Contact Address Info page under Fishing & Hunting License
Sales in the Authorized Services folder. The Contact Address Info window displays when
authorized agents or clerks click Add Additional Contact Address, or when they edit a
contact address, in the Customer Details page.

4.

Click Save.

Configuring the License Sale Page Flow
If authorized agents or clerks click the Proceed to New License Sale button in the Customer
Details page, they enter the license sale page flow. You must first configure the record types
and record type filter for the authorized service, and then associate the record type filter to the
license sale page flow in the Authorized Service Settings page (see Configuring Authorized
Service Settings on page 400).
Be aware of the following points when you design the page flow:


There is no disclaimer page in the license sale page flow.



The page flow should include the contact types that you defined for the license sale record
type.



If you want the authorized agent or clerk to complete the customer information entry before
starting the page flow for the record type, select the “Reference Only” data source for the
contact section in the page flow. If you want to enable the authorized agent or clerk to
update the customer information in the page flow for the record type, select the “No
Limitation” data source for the contact section in the page flow.



Unique with the license sale process, the auto-fill feature in the Applicant section enables
authorized agents or clerks to auto fill the customer information entered in the Customer
Details page.



Citizen Access can skip the first contact page in the page flow if the following criteria are all
met:

•

The agent or clerk starts the license sales page flow by clicking the Proceed to New
License Sale button.

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Note:

If an agent or clerk clicks the Amend link to amend an existing
license, Citizen Access does not skip the first contact page in the
page flow, so that the agent or clerk has the ability to update the
customer information in the contact page if needed. Because
Citizen Access does not save changes in the Customer Details
page when agents or clerks click the Amend link, it is advised not
to make changes directly in the Customer Details page in the
amendment scenario.

•

The Customer Detail page is editable.

•

The first contact page only contains one component: single contact component.

•

The contact information in the Customer Detail page can pass the data validation
required by the contact component in the page flow.
- If the contact component in the page flow requires a primary contact address, Citizen
Access sets the first active contact address in the Customer Detail page to primary.

Although Citizen Access skips the afore-mentioned contact page in the page flow, the
review page and the completed record still contain the contact section, in which the contact
information of the first contact is populated from the customer information in the Customer
Detail page.
For more information on page flow configuration, see Chapter 9: Page Flow Configuration on
page 130.

Enabling License Tag Printing
To enable an authorized agent and his clerks to print license tags for customers, you must
perform the following configurations:


Mark the Enable Client-side Printing option for the authorized agent account. For
information about authorized agent account settings, including the Enable Client-side
Printing setting, refer to the “Public Users” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.



Configure the tag report in Report Manager. For information on configuring the tag report,
see Configuring a Tag Report on page 413.

When an agent or clerk who has client-side printing permission clicks the Print Tag button in an
authorized service sale, the license tag report displays in a new window in Citizen Access.

Configuring Authorized Service in Civic Platform
Topics


Managing Authorized Agents



Configuring a Tag Report



Configuring Trust Accounts

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Managing Authorized Agents
There are three public user types: Citizen, Authorized Agent, and Authorized Agent Clerk. You
can create authorized agents in the public user portlet in Civic Platform. After you create an
authorized agent account, remember to enable and activate it. You can enable and activate
authorized agent accounts in the Registered Agencies tab of the public user portlet, the same
way as you enable and activate citizen user accounts.
For more information about managing authorized agents, see the “Public Users” chapter in the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

Configuring a Tag Report
Authorized agents or authorized agent clerks print license tags for their customers when
completing an authorized service sale in Citizen Access.
You can configure the tag report in Report Manager with the following settings.


Select the “Local Datamax-O’Neil E-Class Mark III Printer” option for the “Send to Printer”
property. This option enables authorized agents and authorized agent clerks to print to their
local printer. Citizen Access recommends Datamax-O’Neil E-Class Mark III Printer models
for quality license tag printing.



Select any available format as the output format. Currently the tag report only supports the
PDF format.



Set the “Reprint Limit on ACA” property of the report to forbid or limit the reprints of the tag
report by the authorized agent or clerk in Citizen Access.



Associate the tag report with the Print Tag button (portlet name: Button - ACA Print Tag) in
the receipt page that displays in the page flow for authorized service records.
You can associate the tag report with another print button. Note that with any other print
button, authorized agents or clerks cannot print the tag report to their local Datamax printer,
and the “Reprint Limit on ACA” setting does not work.

For more information on configuring the report, see Chapter 20: Reporting Information on
page 461.

Configuring Trust Accounts
In Civic Platform, you can associate one and only one trust account with an authorized agent.
After you approve an authorized agent to use a trust account, when the agent or a clerk created
by the agent conducts an authorized service sale, Citizen Access automatically deducts the due
fees from the trust account. The authorized agent or the clerks are unaware of the trust account
in use during the process. In Civic Platform, the trust account logs all the payments collected by
the agent and the clerks created by the agent.
For more information on trust accounts, see the “Trust Accounts” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.

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C HAPTER 18:

LICENSE VERIFICATION AND
ONLINE RENEWAL
A license is a document, plate, or tag issued as proof of legal permission to work in a profession
or own something. Many professional fields, such as engineering, medicine, and education,
require that individuals obtain a specific level of education to become a licensed practitioner of
the trade. In addition, a number of these occupations require that licensed professionals pursue
regular continuing education to maintain their certification. For example, to perform work, an
electrician needs an electrical license, a refrigerator repair man might need a mechanical
license, a pharmacist must have a license to dispense medications with an additional
requirement of continuing education to keep the license current, a business owner must have
an operating license, and everyone who drives needs a drivers license.
To keep licenses current, licensed professionals can renew licenses through the agency and
online through Citizen Access. Some licenses may require education, continuing education or a
passing score on an exam. For more information on how to integrate education with the
licensing process, see Chapter 19: Certifications and Education on page 438. Citizen Access
validates license information regularly so that only those registered public users with a valid
license can perform tasks. This chapter provides all of those areas in Citizen Access where you
can run validation scripts.
Because education is a pre-requisite for all renewals, you can configure the online renewal
process independent of the education module. This chapter explains the online renewal
process and verification tasks.

Note:

To set up the license verification, the online renewal, and the education
functionality, the best practice is to refer to the implementation
questions and tasks in Renewing and Verifying Licenses on page 216
in Chapter 11: Implementation Planning on page 200 The questions
help you assess the record type features you want to make available to
the public. Configuring Required License Verification & Online
Renewal Settings provides a comprehensive configuration list for
record processing functionality, including dependent settings outside of
this Creating Records chapter.

Topics


Managing License Verification



Defining Expired License and Insurance Settings



Configuring License Renewal



Defining Licensing E-mail Functionality

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Managing License Verification
Civic Platform provides the ability to validate license, insurance, or other information against
data at an external database by using a web service. For example, you can configure an EMSE
script to validate the user license number and the expiration date against the license information
stored at the state government office during the application process. You can also configure
scripts to run the validation script in accordance to an event in the software, such as clicking the
login button. When validations fail, an error message displays to the public user. See Figure
112: OnLoginBefore Failed Validation Error Message on page 417 and Figure 113: Error
Message during Record Creation on page 420.
Citizen Access can capture license information in multiple areas within Citizen Access. So, you
must configure the EMSE scripts to run in various places throughout Citizen Access for a
complete and thorough implementation. The content of the EMSE scripts vary depending on
which area of Citizen Access you are writing; however, each EMSE script contains the universal
ValidateLicense script. The ValidateLicense script provides the code to call the external web
service and exchange the packaged information about validation.
This section provides you with configurations for a complete implementation of this feature. It
includes a complete listing the various areas of Citizen Access that incorporate licenses and
provides the key components for validation setup in each area. Key components include EMSE
templates, events, parameters, and the ValidateLicense script requirements to ensure proper
functionality.
Begin configuration of this feature by writing the universal ValidateLicense script. Ensure you
collect the web service information that you need to effectively communicate with the external
database. This may include the parameters for license number or for expiration date from Civic
Platform and the external data source.
For complete instructions on EMSE Events and Scripts, see the “Event Manager and Script
Engine” chapter and the “Writing Scripts” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Scripting Guide.
Topics


Configuring the License Script to Call the Web Service



Configuring OnLogin EMSE Scripts for Validation



Validating a License During the Registration Process



Validating a License when Creating a Record



Validating During the Application Intake Process



Verifying Licenses in Account Management



Verifying Licenses during Login Process

Configuring the License Script to Call the Web Service
The ValidateLicense script contains the definitions to call the web service and exchange data in
packets. Ensure you collect the web service information that you need to effectively
communicate with the external database before writing the universal ValidateLicense script.
This may include the parameters for license number or for expiration date from Civic Platform
and the external data source. Each EMSE script that is used throughout Citizen Access to verify
license information must contain this ValidateLicense script or the validation simply does not

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work. Write, customize, and apply the following function for EMSE scripts associated with
license validation. Follow the script template as described below.
Script template of function ValidateLicense (licenseNumber, licenseType)
{
var client=aa.httpClient;
var url="https://www4.cbs.state.or.us/ex/fred/permits/simplecall.cfc";
client.addParameter("method","lic_ok");
client.addParameter("returnformat","json");
client.addParameter("p_lic_num",licenseType);
var resultString=String(client.post(url).getOutput());
//Convert to jsonObject
var result=eval("("+resultString+")");
}

Configuring OnLogin EMSE Scripts for Validation
Civic Platform provides the ability to set parameters for EMSE events configured to run at
Citizen Access public user login. The two EMSE events are OnLoginBefore and OnLoginAfter.
The Onlogin script feature requires the configuration of a script that defines the process as well
as the text for the error message. The Onlogin scripts most often include the firing of the
universal ValidateLicense script. This universal ValidateLicense script calls a web service to
validate license information against data that an external database stores. For example, the
ValidateLicense script might use a web service to call the state License board verifying the
license number and the expiration date. If the state license board indicates the license is
inactive, the script updates the license status in Civic Platform. For information about the
ValidateLicense script, see Configuring the License Script to Call the Web Service on page 415.
The time that the script is executed defines the two OnLogin script names. The clicking of the
Login button triggers the OnLoginBefore script. Civic Platform runs the EMSE script before the
username validation and password validation. The OnLoginAfter script runs after Civic Platform
successfully runs the OnLoginBefore and user name/password validations. Both scripts use the
AgencyCode, Language, and Username input parameters and the ReturnCode,
ReturnMessage, ReturntoLogin output parameters. Implement these scripts for your agency by
configuring the applicable EMSE result actions described below.
For the OnLoginBefore script, if the EMSE script validation fails and the status code (inactive
status) in the EMSE requires to stop the login process, a message displays on the current page
and the login process stops. Civic Platform updates the license status to inactive in Civic
Platform. See Figure 112: OnLoginBefore Failed Validation Error Message on page 417.
For both the OnLoginBefore or OnLoginAfter scripts, if the EMSE script validation fails and the
status code in the EMSE does not require the login process to stop, Civic Platform displays a
message to the public user on next page after the successful login. Civic Platform updates the
status of the license to inactive in the Civic Platform database.

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For both the OnLoginBefore or OnLoginAfter scripts, if the EMSE script validates successfully,
then the user moves to next page without any error message display.
You may want to associate the OnLoginBefore or OnLoginAfter script to a page in the
application intake process. This is particularly useful when a new applicant adds a license.
Associate one of these scripts with a page during the intake process so license information is
validated and the applicant can continue with the application. You associate an EMSE script to
a page in the page flow configuration area of a module in Citizen Access Setup. For more
information about how to configure scripts to a page in page flow, see Associating Scripts with a
Page on page 142.

Caution: Only experienced programmers or system administrators should use
this feature. Improperly written scripts can adversely affect your
system. The improperly written scripts may incorrectly alter or delete
data for many records. Make sure you write custom scripts carefully
and test them before you implement them.

For information on writing scripts and using the Event Manager and Script Engine tool, see the
“Event Manager and Script Engine” chapter and the “Writing Scripts” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform Scripting Guide.
Figure 112: OnLoginBefore Failed Validation Error Message

To access EMSE scripts

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > Admin Tools > Event Manager > Scripts.
Civic Platform displays the Scripts Search page.

2.

Enter the search criteria and click the Submit button.
Civic Platform returns any applicable results.

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3.

If Civic Platform does not define the OnLoginBefore or OnLoginAfter scripts, click the Add
button to write the new script(s).
Civic Platform displays the Add New Script page.

4.

Complete the following fields:
Script Code

Enter the code or abbreviation that identifies the script.

Script Title

Enter the name or title of the script.

Script Initializer

If the script requires an initializer, enter it here. The initializer may be
necessary to start certain scripts as well as contain certain input
parameters.

Script Content/Text

Enter the script text here. You can also copy and past a pre-written script
into this text area. For a template of an example OnLogin EMSE script,
refer to the script template below the table.
Include the applicable input parameters in the script: AgencyCode,
Language, and Username.
Include the applicable output parameters in the script: ReturnCode,
ReturnMessage, and ReturntoLogin.
The two valid values are Y and N. If the value is Y, Citizen Access redirects
the user back to the login page. If the value is N, then Citizen Access
redirects the user to the page they requested.

For information on writing scripts and using the Event Manager and Script Engine tool, see
the “Event Manager and Script Engine” chapter and the “Writing Scripts” chapter in the
Accela Civic Platform Scripting Guide.

5.

Click the Add button.

Script template of EMSE OnLogin:
var username = aa.env.getValue("Username");
var publicUserModel =
aa.publicUser.getPublicUserByUserId(username).getOutput();
var userSeqNum= publicUserModel.getUserSeqNum();
var contractorLicenseList =
aa.contractorLicense.getContrLicListByUserSeqNBR(userSeqNum).getOutput
();
if (contractorLicenseList != "" && contractorLicenseList != null)
{
for (var i=0; i< contractorLicenseList.size(); i++)
{
var LModel = contractorLicenseList.get(i);
var licenseNbr= LModel.getLicense().getStateLicense();
var licenseType= LModel.getLicense().getLicenseType();

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// validate the license (Invoke WS to validate the license)
var isValid = ValidateLicense(licenseNbr, licenseType);
if (!isValid)
{
//sync the status in AA DB
aa.licenseScript.updateLicenseStatusByTypeAndbr(licenseType,
licenseNbr, "I");
var returnCode = "-1";
var returnMessage = "Your license (" + licenseNbr + ") is invalid.";
aa.env.setValue("ReturnCode", returnCode);
aa.env.setValue("ReturnMessage", returnMessage);
break;
}
}
}

Validating a License During the Registration Process
During the registration process, a public user may add a license to their new user account. Run
the EMSE script to validate the license information. If the validation fails, display the prompt
message returned from the EMSE script at the top of the license list. In order for this EMSE to
function properly, you must write and bind the ValidateLicense function to
AddLicenseValidation4ACA. For an example script, refer to the template below.
To configure a validation EMSE to run during account registration

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > Admin Tools > Event Manager > Scripts

2.

Write and bind the EMSE script to the AddLicenseValidation4ACA Event. See the script
example below.

Registration Process EMSE Validation Template
var LModel = aa.env.getValue("LicenseModel");
// validate the license (Invoke WS to validate the license)
var licenseNbr = LModel.getStateLicense();
var licenseType = LModel.getLicenseType();
var isValid = ValidateLicense(licenseNbr, licenseType);
// return the result of the validation.

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if (!isValid)
{
var returnCode = "-1";
var returnMessage = "The license you have selected is expired or
otherwise not available. Select another license.";
aa.env.setValue("ReturnCode", returnCode);
aa.env.setValue("ReturnMessage", returnMessage);
}

Validating a License when Creating a Record
Often the public user needs to select their license before the record type selection process
when creating a record. The selected license may be validated during this process by EMSE. If
validation fails, the prompt message returned from EMSE displays on the top of the current
page. See Figure 113: Error Message during Record Creation on page 420. Implement license
validation by defining the ValidateLicense script and associate it to the
SelectLicenseValidation4ACA Event. For an example script, refer to the template located in the
instructions provided below.
Figure 113: Error Message during Record Creation

To configure a validation EMSE to run during account registration

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > Admin Tools > Event Manager > Scripts

2.

Write and bind the EMSE script to the SelectLicenseValidation4ACA event. See the script
example below.

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Record Creation ValidateLicense Script Template
var LModel = aa.env.getValue("LicenseModel");
// validate the license (Invoke WS to validate the license)
var licenseNbr = LModel.getStateLicense();
var licenseType = LModel.getLicenseType();
var isValid = ValidateLicense(licenseNbr, licenseType);
// return the result of the validation.
if (!isValid)
{
var returnCode = "-1";
var returnMessage = "The license you have selected is expired or
otherwise not available. Select another license.";
aa.env.setValue("ReturnCode", returnCode);
aa.env.setValue("ReturnMessage", returnMessage);
}

Validating During the Application Intake Process
During the application process, the public user may input Licensed Professional information in
the applicable Licensed Professional area of the application intake form. Any license
information provided can be validated by EMSE. Implement this EMSE script by binding the
validation script with the Page Flow BeforeEvent or AfterEvent. If validation fails, the error
message displays on the related page. For information on associating a script to a page in Page
Flow, refer to Associating Scripts with a Page on page 142. For an example script, refer to the
template provided in the instructions below.
To configure a validation EMSE to run during account registration

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > Admin Tools > Event Manager > Scripts

2.

Write an EMSE script to bind the ValidateLicense function to the Page Flow BeforeEvent.
See the script example below. For more information about Page Flow Events, refer to
Associating Scripts with a Page on page 142.

Application-Intake Page Flow ValidateLicense Script Template
var capModel = aa.env.getValue("CapModel");
var LPModel = capModel.getLicenseProfessionalModel();
// validate the license (Invoke WS to validate the license)
var licenseNbr = LPModel.getLicenseNbr();
var licenseType = LPModel.getLicenseType();
var isValid = ValidateLicense(licenseNbr, licenseType);

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// return the result of the validation.
if (!isValid)
{
var returnCode = "-1";
var returnMessage = "The license you have selected or inputted is
expired or otherwise not available. Select or input another license.";
aa.env.setValue("ReturnCode", returnCode);
aa.env.setValue("ReturnMessage", returnMessage);
}

Verifying Licenses in Account Management
A public user may add a license to their existing account information at any time. The license
information can be validated by EMSE during this process. If license validation fails, the prompt
message returned from EMSE script displays on the current page at the top of the license list.
In order for this EMSE to function properly, you must write and bind the ValidateLIcense function
to AddLicenseValidation4ACA Event. For an example script, refer to the template located in the
instructions provided below.
To configure a validation EMSE to run during account registration

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > Admin Tools > Event Manager > Scripts

2.

Write and bind the EMSE script to the AddLicenseValidation4ACA Event. See the script
example below.

Account Management Validate License Script Template
var LModel = aa.env.getValue("LicenseModel");
// validate the license (Invoke WS to validate the license)
var licenseNbr = LModel.getStateLicense();
var licenseType = LModel.getLicenseType();
var isValid = ValidateLicense(licenseNbr, licenseType);
// return the result of the validation.
if (!isValid)
{
var returnCode = "-1";
var returnMessage = "The license you have selected is expired or
otherwise not available. Select another license.";
aa.env.setValue("ReturnCode", returnCode);
aa.env.setValue("ReturnMessage", returnMessage);

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}

Verifying Licenses during Login Process
Anytime a Citizen logs into Citizen Access, Civic Platform can validate a license relating to the
user login information. You can do the verification by binding the ValidationLicense function in
an EMSE script with the OnLoginAfter Event. For more information about Login EMSE scripts,
refer to Configuring OnLogin EMSE Scripts for Validation on page 416.
To configure a validation EMSE to run during account registration

1.

Navigate to Classic Administration > Admin Tools > Event Manager > Scripts.

2.

Write and bind a script to event OnLoginEventAfter4ACA. See the script template below.

OnloginEventAfter4ACA Script Template
var username = aa.env.getValue("Username");
var publicUserModel =
aa.publicUser.getPublicUserByUserId(username).getOutput();
var userSeqNum= publicUserModel.getUserSeqNum();
var contractorLicenseList =
aa.contractorLicense.getContrLicListByUserSeqNBR(userSeqNum).getOutput
();
if (contractorLicenseList != "" && contractorLicenseList != null)
{
for (var i=0; i< contractorLicenseList.size(); i++)
{
var LModel = contractorLicenseList.get(i);
var licenseNbr= LModel.getLicense().getStateLicense();
var licenseType= LModel.getLicense().getLicenseType();
// validate the license (Invoke WS to validate the license)
var isValid = ValidateLicense(licenseNbr, licenseType);
if (!isValid)
{
//sync the status in AA DB
aa.licenseScript.updateLicenseStatusByTypeAndNbr(licenseType,
licenseNbr, "I");
var returnCode = "-1";

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var returnMessage = "Your license (" + licenseNbr + ") is invalid.";
aa.env.setValue("ReturnCode", returnCode);
aa.env.setValue("ReturnMessage", returnMessage);
break;
}
}
}

Defining Expired License and Insurance Settings
Your agency has the ability to set permissions to application types based on license or
insurance status. This feature extends to Citizen Access so you can limit the availability of
certain application types online to applicants. When you define permissions to application types
based on a license or insurance status, you enable only the individuals or companies with a
current license and proper insurance coverage access to view certain information or to proceed
through an application.
Your agency can provide a service to remind stakeholders to keep the licenses current or
maintain proper insurance coverage by enabling online notifications in Citizen Access or
sending e-mail reminders to individuals or companies requiring license or requiring insurance
renewal through Civic Platform.
Topics


Defining Record Type, License Type & Insurance Expiration



Configuring Online Expired License and Insurance Notifications



Disabling Renewals for Expired Licenses

Defining Record Type, License Type & Insurance
Expiration
You can configure Civic Platform to verify the status of a license type against a record type so
that administrators can control both restrictions and permissions to information or to an
application. This is particularly useful when a licensed professional has a license, business
license, or insurance coverage that is expired. For example, in the State of New York, all
general improvement contractors and home improvement contractors require a home
improvement professional license (HIC) and proper insurance coverage at all times. Insurance
includes Liability, Worker’s Compensation, and Disability. Agencies in the State of New York
must define a relationship between the building permits and the insurance type status and
license type status so that only contractors with a current license and proper insurance
coverage have access to building permits.
To define the record type and insurance/license type expiration relationship, you must set the
related Function Identification (FID) 0320 License Verification to full access. This FID enables
the functionality to set permissions and assign expired license types to application types in Civic
Platform. Then, you must go to the license verification maintenance portlet and define the

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insurance/license type relationships with record types. See Figure 114: License Verification
Maintenance Portlet on page 425. For detailed information on how to define the record type and
license type expiration relationship, see “Managing Expired Licenses and Insurance Coverage
Verification” in the “License Certifications and Education” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
Finally, you can configure how Civic Platform handles expired license notification. For
information on how to configure online notifications, see Configuring Online Expired License
and Insurance Notifications on page 425. For information on how to configure e-mail
notifications through Civic Platform, see “Configuring Expired License Notifications” in the
“License Certifications and Education” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide.
Figure 114: License Verification Maintenance Portlet

Configuring Online Expired License and Insurance
Notifications
You can manage the license notification process by pre-defining which record types require
licensed professional restrictions and configuring the related Standard Choices to enable online
notifications. If you want to send e-mail notifications, then you must set up a batch job that
scans Civic Platform for those expired licenses or insurance. Based on the results of the scan,
Civic Platform send notifications to the stakeholder associated with the expired license or
insurance by e-mail.
To manage online notifications for expired license and insurance

1.

As a pre-requisite, verify you set the Function Identification (FID) 0320 License Verification
to full access. This FID allows a user to set permissions and assign expired license types to
application types in Civic Platform.

2.

Create relationships between record types and license types as instructed in Defining
Record Type, License Type & Insurance Expiration on page 424 or in “Managing Expired
Licenses and Insurance Coverage Verification” in the “License Certifications and
Education” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

3.

Define online notifications for expired licenses, business licenses and insurance. Configure
ENABLE_EXPIRED_LICENSE Standard Choice with related Standard Choices Values to
control expired license and insurance functionality as described below:

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a. Configure Standard Choices Values ENABLE_EXPIRED to enable or disable expired
license functionality. Yes enables the functionality. No disables it.
Standard Choice

ENABLE_EXPIRED_LICENSE

Standard Choices Value

ENABLE_EXPIRED

Value Desc

“Yes” or “No”

b. Configure ENABLE_EXPIRED_LICENSE Standard Choice with related Standard
Choices Values ENABLE_NOTIFY_LICENSE_EXPIRED_AT LOGIN to enable the
ability to notify licensed professionals of their expired license after logging in. Yes
enables expired license online notifications. No disables them.
Standard Choices Value

ENABLE_NOTIFY_LICENSE_EXPIRED_AT_LOGIN

Value Desc

“Yes” or “No”

c. Configure ENABLE_EXPIRED_LICENSE Standard Choice with related Standard
Choices Values ENABLE_NOTIFY_BUSINESS_LICENSE_EXPIRED_AT_LOGIN to
enable the ability to notify licensed professionals of their expired business license after
logging in. Yes enables expired business license online notifications. No disables them.
Standard Choices Value

ENABLE_NOTIFY_BUSINESS_LICENSE_EXPIRED_AT_LOGIN

Value Desc

“Yes” or “No”

d. Configure ENABLE_EXPIRED_LICENSE Standard Choice with related Standard
Choices Values ENABLE_NOTIFY_INSURANCE_EXPIRED_AT_LOGIN to enable the
ability to notify licensed professionals of their expired business license after logging in.
Yes enables expired business license online notifications. No disables them.
Standard Choices Value

ENABLE_NOTIFY_INSURANCE_EXPIRED_AT_LOGIN

Value Desc

“Yes” or “No”

For information on configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

4.

If you want to enable e-mail notifications, you must customize the content of the e-mail
notification EMAIL_NOTICE_LICENSE_EXPIRED. For information on how to customize
the content of e-mails, see the “Customizing Message Content” section in the “Display
Settings” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

•

5.

You can configure the related Standard Choices BATCH_JOB_SERVICE_CATEGORY
and create a batch job for e-mail notifications for expired licenses or insurance and send
out notifications in a group. For information on how to create a batch job, see the “Batch
Engine” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

If necessary, make modification to the display of the license expiration, insurance
expiration, or business license expiration column on each Module Information page and
Module License Search form. For details on how to display or hide fields or columns, see
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

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Disabling Renewals for Expired Licenses
The release of Citizen Access 8.0 removes the renewal option from expired license records in
Citizen Access. This enables agencies to enforce non-renewal for expired records.

As of 8.0, when a record's renewal status changes to
Expired the renewal option no longer displays on the
record and it is not available for renewal in Citizen Access.
Agencies that use batch scripts to change license record
statuses (About to Expire, Expired, and Delinquent) must
modify these scripts to accommodate any grace and/or
penalty periods before record statuses change to Expired.
Topics


Creating a Batch Job to Automate License Renewal Statuses



Modifying the Script for License Renewal Status Updates

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Creating a Batch Job to Automate License Renewal Statuses
An agency administrator or an Accela Services team member can create an EMSE script and a
batch job (via Civic Platform Admin > System Tools > Batch Engine) to automate the process of
changing license renewal statuses from Active to About to Expire, Expired, Delinquent or
Inactive. These scripted status changes are described below.


Active
There are two possible scenarios for changing a license to an Active status:



•

The license can be automatically renewed in Citizen Access after the citizen pays
applicable renewal fees. The license status updates to Active.

•

Automatic renewal is not implemented and an agency user must review and approve
each renewal record in Civic Platform by completing a workflow. When the workflow is
set to a specific status, an EMSE script triggers and sets the license status to Active.

About to Expire
The script runs according to the batch job parameters. It compares the expiration dates of
all license records in your Accela implementation with the current date. If a license is due to
expire in N number of days (configurable according to agency needs), the script
automatically sets the license's status to About to Expire. When a license has an About to
Expire status, the citizen can apply to renew the license in Citizen Access.



Expired
The batch job continues to run, comparing license expiration dates with the current date. If
the current date is beyond the expiration date, the script sets the license status to Expired.
NOTE: Once a license's renewal status changes to Expired the renewal option no longer
displays on the record and it is not available for renewal in Citizen Access.

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

Delinquent (penalty phase)
When a license expires and the citizen does not renew it, after a certain time period
(configurable by the agency), the script changes the license status to Delinquent. You can
configure multiple delinquency periods, during which additional fees for renewing a license
accrue.



Inactive
After a certain period of non-renewal (configurable by the agency), the script changes the
license status to Inactive.

Modifying the Script for License Renewal Status Updates
As of 8.0, when a license status changes to Expired, the renewal option no longer displays on
the record and it is not available for renewal in Citizen Access.
Because of this change, you may need to modify the script used for changing license renewal
statuses to accommodate any grace and/or penalty periods before record statuses change to
Expired.
Follow the steps below to modify the script used for automatically changing the license statuses
in your Accela implementation from Active to About to Expire, Expired, or Delinquent.
To modify the license renewal status script

1.

Access the Civic Platform Classic Admin Script portlet (Classic Admin > Events > Scripts).

2.

Locate the script you want to modify.

3.

Using the sample diagram above as a guide, specify any grace and/or penalty periods you
want to use for license renewal status updates.
Refer to the Accela Civic Platform Scripting Guide for full details about modifying scripts.

Configuring License Renewal
Civic Platform offers solutions to renew licenses at the agency. If your agency implements
Citizen Access, public user can renew licenses online. In either case, a license renewal can be
initiated, all fees associated with that renewal can be paid, and the transaction completed for a
license owner. This entire process can occur within the agency, online, or a combination of both.
For example, a public user can start his business license renewal process by completing an
application online. Then, he may come into the agency to provide supporting documents, pay
the fees, and complete the transaction. Conversely, a customer can come into the agency to
start the renewal process. Then, return home or to his business office to upload supporting
documentation, attach it with their application, pay the fees online, and complete the
transaction. Many times licenses require continuing education or a passing score on an exam to
keep a license current. The Education, Continuing Education, and Examination components
can also be implemented with the license renewal process to ensure all requirements are met
before license issuance.
After configuring your agency to support license renewal, users can access an existing license
and begin the renewal process. You can finish the configuration in the renewal portlet. Users
access this portlet by clicking the Renewal tab relating to the parent license record. When the
license status supports a need for renewal, such as expired, about to expire, or delinquent, a

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Renewal button is available in the Renewal portlet. Users click that button to open an
application intake form, beginning the renewal process as a child record to the parent license
record. For more information on this process, refer to the “Licensing” chapter in the Accela Civic
Platform User Guide.
License renewal requires numerous configurations for implementation. If your agency
implements Education, Continuing Education, Examination, and extended functionality through
Citizen Access, these components require additional configurations.
For basic implementation in Civic Platform, administrators must enable Functional Identification
(FID) 8398 CAP Renewal and define the EMSE scripts to enable this feature. For information
on writing scripts and using the Event Manager and Script Engine tool, see the “Event Manager
and Script Engine” chapter and the “Writing Scripts” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Scripting Guide.

Note:

If any of the events relates to more than one script, contact your Accela
Services Implementation Specialist or the Accela Customer Response
Center for technical assistance.

To setup renewal functionality, administrators must define the renewal record type, expiration
code, and the workflow associated with the renewal process. Administrators must do the setup
for each parent record type requiring renewals. For example, an electrical license must have the
initial electrical license type defined. This is the parent record type. The electrical license
renewal must also have a record type defined. It operates as a child record to the parent record
throughout the renewal process. For complete information on how to set up record types, see
"Record Types" chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. Some licenses
require a specified amount of hours of additional classroom training or a passing score on an
exam before the issuance of a license renewal. For information on how to set up the renewal
process with Continuing Education and Examination, refer to Chapter 19: Certifications and
Education on page 438.
If your agency implements Citizen Access, administrators must set specific Fee Item settings
for ACA Input Required, Auto Assess, and Auto Invoiced. Administrators must set up online
payment processing to receive payments over the internet. Administrators must customize the
associated Web pages. Lastly, depending on the agency implementation, you may need to
approve a license relating to a public user through the Public User portlet in Civic Platform. For
information on fees for Citizen Access, refer to Chapter 15: Fees and Online Payments on
page 355. For information on license approval in the Public User portlet, refer to Approving or
Rejecting a License on page 432.
To configure license renewal

1.

Log in to Civic Platform and click the Admin Tools tab.

2.

Select a user group and enable the related Functional Identification number FID 8398 CAP
Renewal.
For details on enabling an FID, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

3.

Define events. If any of these events relates to more than one script, contact your Accela
Services Implementation Specialist or the Accela Customer Response Center for technical
assistance.

•

ApplicationSubmitAfter

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•

PaymentReceiveAfter

•

WorkflowTaskUpdateAfter

•

Convert2RealCapAfter4Renew

4.

Create an expiration code for the renewal process. This expiration code is assigned to the
renewal record type. For additional instructions about expiration codes and about renewal
processes, refer to the “Business License” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.

5.

Define the record types for the parent license records and the child renewal records. For
instructions on how to set up Record Type information, refer to the "Record Types" chapter
in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. See also, Configuring Record Type
Settings on page 286.
Verify the record type has the following list of supporting record type configurations defined
and assigned:

•

Enable for ACA

•

Renewal check box marked

•

Renewal Record Type defined and assigned

•

Fee Schedule with Fee Items configured for ACA display. See Enabling Fees for Online
Functionality on page 356.

•

Expiration Code

•

Workflow for Renewal

•

SmartChoice Group

•

ASI Group Code

•

Document Code, if applicable.

6.

If your agency implements continuing education and examination, refer to Chapter 19:
Certifications and Education on page 438 for setup.

7.

Customize the Renewal Receipt page. See Customizing License Web Pages on page 431.

8.

Customize the related e-mails. See Defining License Renewal E-mails on page 436.

Customizing License Web Pages
You must customize the Renewal Receipt page with the content you want to display to public
users. This page displays after paying for fees relating to the renewal. See Figure 115: Renewal
Receipt Page on page 432. You can also use Report Manager to create a receipt report and
assign it to the Print button on the page. For instructions, see Associating Reports with Print/
View Buttons on page 464. Refer to Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158 for
instructions on how to customize text and define the font, font color, and font size.

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Figure 115: Renewal Receipt Page

To customize the Renewal Receipt page

1.

Choose a module from the navigation panel.

2.

Go to the Pages area and expand the module specific folder for applying for a record. For
example, Apply for a Permit folder in the Building module.

3.

Click the Renewal Receipt page from the list.
Citizen Access Setup displays the page in the center panel.

4.

Customize the page. For instructions, refer to Associating Reports with Print/View Buttons
on page 464 and Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

5.

Click Save.

Approving or Rejecting a License
A licensed professional can add or renew license information relating to his account in Citizen
Access. When a licensed professional submits a new license or a renewal online, an e-mail is
sent to the agency indicating a license requires approval. After reviewing the license
information, the agency can approve or reject the license.
This feature requires you to customize the content of the renewal and new license notification
templates in Civic Platform, by navigating to Civic Platform Administration > Setup >
Communication Manager > Notification Templates. Refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide for complete details on customizing notification templates.

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For more information about customizing the content of the e-mails, see Chapter 7: Configuring
Notification E-mails on page 98.
When administrators configure the e-mails, the agency can receive e-mail notification that a
license requires approval. Follow the instructions below to approve or reject a license for an
account.
To approve or reject a license

1.

Navigate to Admin > Setup > System Tools > PublicUser.
Civic Platform displays the public user portlet.

2.

Choose the Account which requires the license approval.

3.

Click the License tab.
Civic Platform displays a list of licenses that are pending, approved or rejected for the
account.

4.

Choose one of the following two options:

•

Approve a license.
1) Mark the check box(es) next to the license(s) that require approval.
2) Click the Approve button.

•

Reject a license.
1) Mark the check box(es) next to the license(s) that do not meet license requirements.
2) Click the Reject button.

Civic Platform sends a confirmation e-mail to the account.

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Defining Licensing E-mail Functionality
Citizen Access offers a way for agencies to communicate with public users by e-mail for
licensing features. This section provides the e-mails relating to the licensing process including
the addition to an account, removal from an account, license rejection, license approval,
validation, and renewals.
Administrators must configure and customize the content and subject of e-mails by navigating
to Civic Platform > Administration > Setup > Communication Manager > Notification
Templates. Refer to the Communication Manager online help and the “Communication
Manager” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide for complete details on
customizing notification templates.
This section provides you with the e-mails available for customizing and the related Standard
Choices. Find the e-mail you want to customize by searching in the licensing, validation, or
license renewals e-mail configuration sections.
If necessary, go to the Content Customize portlet in Civic Platform and choose the e-mail to
customized based on the Standard Choice name. See the “Customizing Message Content”
section in the “Display Settings” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Topics


Configuring Licensing E-mails



Configuring Validation E-mails



Defining License Renewal E-mails

Configuring Licensing E-mails
Civic Platform sends the e-mails relating to licensing e-mails when an action is performed on a
public user account. Administrators define all of the e-mails in Content Customize
administration portlet of Civic Platform, and all the e-mails share the same subject Standard
Choice for customizing, EMAIL_ACA_CONNECT_LICENSE_SUBJECT. Refer to the list below
to learn more about the e-mails you want to customize for your agency. See the “Customizing
Message Content” section in the “Display Settings” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide. For information on configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela
Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
Topics


Connecting an Approved License to a Public User



Connecting a New License to a Public User



Removing a License from a Public User



Rejecting a License

Connecting an Approved License to a Public User
EMAIL_ACA_CONNECT_LICENSE_APPROVE_USER

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This e-mail is sent when an agency employee clicks the approve button. Navigate to the public
user portlet, public user account, license tab in Civic Platform to access the e-mail. See
Approving or Rejecting a License on page 432.

Connecting a New License to a Public User
EMAIL_ACA_CONNECT_LICENSE_CONNECT_USER
This e-mail is sent when an agency employee adds a license to a public user account through
the public user portlet in Civic Platform or a public user connects a license to their account in
ACA.

Removing a License from a Public User
EMAIL_ACA_CONNECT_LICENSE_DISCONNECT_USER
This e-mail is sent to notify the public user when an agency employee removes a license from
their public user account through the public user portlet in Civic Platform or when they remove it
from their account in Citizen Access.

Rejecting a License
EMAIL_ACA_CONNECT_LICENSE_REJECT_USER
This e-mail is sent when an agency employee clicks the reject button. To access the email of
rejecting a license, navigate to the public user portlet, public user account, license tab in Civic
Platform. See Approving or Rejecting a License on page 432.

Configuring Validation E-mails
These e-mails relate to the license validation process, specifically when a license is added to
one or multiple accounts.
Customize the appropriate e-mail notification template in Civic Platform, by navigating to Civic
PLATFORM > Administration > Setup > Communication Manager > Notification
Templates. Refer to the Communication Manager online help and the “Communication
Manager” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide for complete details on
customizing notification templates.
For more information see Defining License Notification E-mails on page 100.
Topics


Associating License to Account



Associating a License to Multiple Accounts

Associating License to Account
From: - ACA_EMAIL_TO_AND_FROM_SETTING/
ADD_NEW_LICENSE_NOTICE_CITIZEN_MAILFROM
To: - $$userID$$
Cc: - N/A

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This e-mail is sent to the agency to let them know that a license requires approval. It is sent
after the public user or the agency employee associates a license to their account.

Associating a License to Multiple Accounts
This e-mail is sent when public users associate a license to their account when the license also
relates to another public user account. For example, a business owner may have the license
associated to his account and also to the administrative assistant public user account.
From: ACA_EMAIL_TO_AND_FROM_SETTING/
ASSOCIATING_LICENSE_TO_MULTIPLE_ACCOUNTS_MAILFROM
To: Initial and all association - E-mail is sent to all users associated to License number
Initial and current association - E-mail is sent to current user who adds the license and the first
Citizen Access user to add the license.
No ACA Users: Do not send this e-mail - Standard e-mail rules apply.

Defining License Renewal E-mails
You must configure the related license renewal e-mails. Customize the appropriate e-mail
notification template in Civic Platform, by navigating to Civic Platform > Administration >
Setup > Communication Manager > Notification Templates. Refer to the Communication
Manager online help and the “Communication Manager” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide for complete details on customizing notification templates.
These e-mails indicate communications between the public user and the agency when the
agency receives an application, awaiting approval, declined, approved, and automatically
issued.
Topics


License Renewal (Automatically Issued) E-mail



License Renewal (Pending)



License Renewal (Denied)



License Renewal (Approved)



License Renewal (New Application Notice)

License Renewal (Automatically Issued) E-mail
From: - ACA_EMAIL_TO_AND_FROM_SETTING/
RENEW_LICENSE_AUTO_ISSUANCE_MAILFROM
To: - $$userID$$
Cc: - N/A
This e-mail is sent when a public user completes the application process for the license
renewal. This only happens when you configure the license renewal record type for automatic
issuance.

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License Renewal (Pending)
From: - ACA_EMAIL_TO_AND_FROM_SETTING/
RENEW_LICENSE_NO_AUTO_ISSUANCE_PENDING_MAILFROM
To: - $$userID$$
Cc: - N/A
This e-mail is sent when a public user completes the application process for the license renewal
and is awaiting for approval by an employee at the agency. This only happens when you
configure the license renewal record type for manual issuance (disable automatic issuance).

License Renewal (Denied)
From: - ACA_EMAIL_TO_AND_FROM_SETTING/
RENEW_LICENSE_NO_AUTO_ISSUANCE_DENIED_MAILFROM
To: - $$userID$$
Cc: - N/A
This e-mail is sent when a public user completes the application process for the license renewal
and is an employee at the agency rejected the license renewal by clicking the rejected button.
This only happens when you configure the license renewal record type for manual issuance
(disable automatic issuance).

License Renewal (Approved)
From: - ACA_EMAIL_TO_AND_FROM_SETTING/
RENEW_LICENSE_NO_AUTO_ISSUANCE_APPROVED_MAILFROM
To: - $$userID$$
Cc: - N/A
This e-mail is sent when a public user completes the application process for the license renewal
and an employee at the agency approves the license renewal by clicking the Approved button.
This only happens when you configure the license renewal record type for manual issuance
(disable automatic issuance).

License Renewal (New Application Notice)
From: - ACA_EMAIL_TO_AND_FROM_SETTING/
RENEW_LICENSE_NEW_APPLICATION_NOTICE_AGENCY_MAILFROM
To: - ACA_EMAIL_TO_AND_FROM_SETTING/
RENEW_LICENSE_NEW_APPLICATION_NOTICE_AGENCY_MAILTO
Cc: - N/A
This e-mail is sent when a public user submits a license renewal application. This e-mail is sent
from the agency to notify the public user that the agency receives the application.

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C HAPTER 19:

CERTIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION

A license is a document, plate, or tag issued as proof of legal permission to work in a profession
or own something. Many professional fields, such as engineering, medicine, and education,
require that individuals obtain a specific level of education to become licensed practitioners of
the trade. In addition, a number of these occupations require that licensed professionals pursue
regular continuing education to maintain their certification. Acceptable scores on certification
level exams are for demonstrate competence usage.
For example, to perform work, an electrician needs an electrical license, a refrigerator repair
man might need a mechanical license, a pharmacist must have a license to dispense
medications with an additional requirement of continuing education to keep the license current,
a business owner must have an operating license, and everyone who drives needs a drivers
license.
Citizen Access provides agencies with the ability to track the education, continuing education,
and examination requirements for professional or occupational licensing, streamlining the
credentialing process. Public users can schedule or reschedule an exam session. A scheduled
exam session can be canceled. The agency can track education requirements for licensed
professionals, display upcoming license renewal reminders, and examination providers can
securely update the exam scores by uploading exam score file to the agency through Citizen
Access.
Topics


Configuring the Search for Provider/Education



Configuring Education



Configuring Continuing Education



Configuring Examinations

Configuring the Search for Provider/Education
When activated, the Search for Provider/Education displays in a table on both the Citizen
Access public user and registered user home pages, as shown in Figure 116: Search for
Provider/Education option on home page.

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19: Certifications and Education

Figure 116: Search for Provider/Education option on home page

When the Search for Provider/Education option is enabled, public and/or registered users can
look up provider information from your agency’s website, and export the search results in
Comma-Separated Value (CSV) format from the Provider or Education Detail page.
Topics


Activating the Search for Provider/Education Option



Customizing the Search Results Detail Pages

Activating the Search for Provider/Education Option
Configure the Search for Provider/Education option on the Feature Settings page in the Citizen
Access General Settings area. This page defines the features you want to display to users who
visit your website.
For more information on configuring Feature Settings, see Chapter 5: Feature Settings Page on
page 80.
To configure the Search for Provider/Education option

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

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2.

From the General Settings area, select Feature Settings.
Citizen Access displays the Feature Settings page.

3.

Expand the General Information item to display the list of options.

4.

Mark the check box to display the Search for Provider/Education.

5.

Optionally, mark the check box to Force Registration/Login. Be aware that if you mark this
option, the Search for Provider/Education only appears on the Registered Public User
home page, and not on the Non-Registered and Anonymous Public User home page. This
option and the “Allow anonymous users to create:” setting jointly determine whether
anonymous users can create records of specific record types in Citizen Access, or through
deep links. For detailed settings on creating records by anonymous users, see Table 15:
Settings on Creating Records by Anonymous Users on page 441.

6.

Click Save.

7.

From the General Pages area, scroll down to locate the Provider/Education/Licensee
Search pages, and select Search for Provider/Education.
Citizen Access displays the Search for Provider/Education configuration page.

8.

Make any necessary changes to this page.

9.

Click Save.

For information on activating search pages in Citizen Access, see Chapter 5: Feature Settings
Page on page 80. See also, Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158 and Chapter
13: Configuring Record Inquiry on page 242.

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Table 15: Settings on Creating Records by Anonymous Users
Setting of Allow
anonymous
user to create

Setting of
Force
Registration/
Login

How the Settings Work Together

Yes

Selected

Yes

Not Selected

Anonymous users can directly
create the record.

No

Any (Selected or
Not Selected)

Anonymous users must log in
before creating the record.

Null

Selected

Anonymous users must log in before viewing the record type and creating
the record.

Null

Not Selected

Anonymous users can directly view the record type and create the record.

Creating Records through Deep
Links

Creating Records in Citizen
Access
Anonymous users must log in
before viewing the record type and
creating the record.
Anonymous users can directly view
the record type and create the
record.
Anonymous users cannot view the
record type in the record type list.

Customizing the Search Results Detail Pages
You can customize the search results details that display to public users. After a public user
enters the criteria for a provider search, Citizen Access returns a list of providers meeting that
criteria with a list of education, continuing education and examination offerings they provide.
Similarly, results of education, continuing education, or examination searches display all
offerings that meet the specific search criteria, together with a listing of those providers who
offer them. This information displays on the Education Detail, Continuing Education Detail, or
Examination Detail page corresponding to your search.
On the Examination Detail page, privileged public users can continue to search for exam
sessions available for a specific examination and can view the exam session information.
You must customize each of these pages to display the education, continuing education, and
examination content. For information on how to customize the content of a web page, see
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.
To customize the search results detail pages

1.

Log in to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

From the General Pages area, scroll down to locate the Provider/Education/Licensee
Search folder, under which you select the desired detail pages:

•

Provider Detail

•

Education Detail

•

Continuing Education Detail

•

Examination Detail

•

Provider Examination Detail

Citizen Access displays the Provider Detail configuration page.

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3.

Customize the content of the page as desired, and click Save.

4.

Repeat step 2 and step 3 for each detail page you want to customize. For more information
on modifying pages in Citizen Access, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on
page 158.

Configuring Education
Citizen Access provides the functionality to add the Education detail section to track education
information about licensees in page flow. Citizen Access also supports searching for and
manually entering education and provider records.
Configuring the education functionality for use in Citizen Access is a multi-step process:


Create the necessary education provider records. For information on creating provider
records and associating them with education offerings, refer to the “License Certifications
and Education” chapter in the Civic Platform Administration Guide.



Configure the Standard Choices and FIDs required for this feature and create the
necessary Education records. For information on creating Education records, refer to the
“License Certifications and Education” chapter in the Civic Platform Administration Guide.



Add the Education component to individual pages, and then customize the information
pages for each module to meet your agency’s requirements for gathering education
information.

After the configuration of the education feature, public and registered users can search for an
education or provider, view it on the Review and Record Detail pages, and export the search
results in Comma-Separated Value (CSV) format.
Additionally, registered users can use the search results to add or edit their education
information on the application intake form.
Topics


Adding Education to the Record Detail Page



Adding the Education Component to a Page Flow



Customizing the Education Section of a Module Information Page



EMSE Scripting for Education Workflow

Adding Education to the Record Detail Page
You must define the display setting for education for each module enabled for Citizen Access on
the Module Settings page. When you mark the display option, the Education section displays to
public users on the Record Detail Page. This option also controls the display of the Education
section on the license verification page when you click a license from the 'Search for Licenses'
Search.
To add Education to the record detail page

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

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2.

Select a module (such as Building).

3.

From the General Settings area, select Module Settings.

4.

From the Record Detail Section Configuration area, determine which user type has
access to view Education and mark the applicable user roles to grant access. For more
information, see Record Detail Section Configuration on page 128.

Citizen Access displays the education section on the record detail page.

Adding the Education Component to a Page Flow
Adding the Education component to a module’s page flow, such as for an application intake
form, allows registered users to enter education details when completing an application.
To add the Education section to a page flow

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Select a module (such as Building).

3.

From the Page Flow Configuration section, select Page Flow Configuration.
Citizen Access displays the Page Flow Configuration page for the selected module.

4.

Select an existing page flow (such as an application intake or new permit form) from the
drop down list; or click Create a new Page Flow, as desired.
Civic Platform displays the Page Flow layout pages.

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5.

From the Component Settings panel at right, drag the Education component to the desired
location in the page flow.

6.

With the component added to the page flow and selected, click the Property tab and modify
the component properties as necessary.

7.

Click Save.
Citizen Access saves the page flow, and display it to users who navigate to that page on
your agency’s Citizen Access website.

For additional information about working with page flows, refer to Chapter 9: Page Flow
Configuration on page 130.

Customizing the Education Section of a Module
Information Page
After you have added the education component to a module page, you may want to customize it
to meet your agency’s data capture needs. You can define a generic form layout for the
Education section that applies to all education subjects, or define a unique form layout for a
specific subject. The Education form may contain a set of template fields, if your agency
administrator defined it in the Standard Choice or in the Education administration portlet. For
information on templates, see the Standard Choice DEFAULT_TEMPLATE in the Accela Civic
Platform Configuration Reference and “Creating an Education Record” in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide. For information on customizing module pages, see Chapter 10:
Working with Web Pages on page 158.
To customize the Education section of a module information page

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Select a module to which you have added the Education component (such as Licenses).

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3.

From the Pages section, select the module information page.
Citizen Access displays the module information page for the selected module.

4.

Scroll to the Education section of the page.

•

To customize a generic form layout for Education, choose "-select-" from the drop-down
list next to the section title.

•

To customize a unique form layout for a specific subject, choose an option from the
drop-down list. For instance, Dance.

5.

Modify the page elements as desired. For information on customizing module pages, see
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

6.

Click Save.
Citizen Access applies the settings you specified.

EMSE Scripting for Education Workflow
There are three EMSE scripts that the Accela services implementation staff can reference when
building scripts for education. The scripts allow you to trigger the license renewal process.
The available EMSE scripts are:

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

ApplicationSubmitAfter



PaymentReceiveAfter



WorkflowTaskUpdateAfter



EducationUpdateAfter

.

Caution: Trained administrators must rewrite scripts in collaboration with an
Accela Implementation specialist. Improperly written scripts can
seriously damage your system by incorrectly altering or deleting data
for many records

Note:

For information on writing scripts and using the Event Manager and
Script Engine tool, see the “Writing Scripts” chapter and the “Event
Manager and Script Engine” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Scripting Guide.

Configuring Continuing Education
Citizen Access provides the functionality to add the Continuing Education section so that
Citizen Access can track appropriate fields for Continuing Education experience and history.
Configuring the continuing education functionality for use in Citizen Access is a multi-step
process:


Create the necessary continuing education provider records. For information on creating
provider records and associating them with continuing education offerings, refer to the
“License Certifications and Education” chapter in the Civic Platform Administration Guide.



Configure the Standard Choices and FIDs required for this feature and create the
necessary education records. For information on creating continuing education records,
refer to the “License Certifications and Education” chapter in the Civic Platform
Administration Guide.



Add the Continuing Education component to individual pages, and then customize the
information pages for each module, to meet your agency’s requirements for gathering
continuing education information.

After the configuration of the continuing education feature, registered users can add or edit their
continuing education information on the application intake form, or view it on the Review and
Record Detail pages.
Registered user can search for a continuing education or provider, and use this information to
populate the application intake form. Registered users can also export the search results in
Comma-Separated Value (CSV) format.
Topics


Adding Continuing Education to the Record Detail Page



Adding the Continuing Education Component to a Page Flow



Customizing Continuing Education Section of Information Page



EMSE Scripting for Continuing Education Workflow

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Adding Continuing Education to the Record Detail Page
When you mark the display option, the Continuing Education section displays to users on the
Record Detail Page. This option also controls the display of the Continuing Education section
on the license verification page when you click a license from the Search for Licenses search.
To add Continuing Education to the record detail page

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Select a module (such as Building)

3.

From the General Settings area, select Module Settings.

4.

From the Record Detail Section Configuration area, determine which user type has
access to view continuing education and mark the applicable user roles to grant access.
For more information, see Record Detail Section Configuration on page 128.

ACA displays the Continuing Education section on the record detail page.

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Adding the Continuing Education Component to a Page
Flow
Adding the Continuing Education component to a module’s page flow, such as for an application
intake form, allows registered users to enter continuing education details when completing an
application.
To add the Continuing Education section to a page flow

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Select a module (such as Building).

3.

From the Page Flow Configuration section, select Page Flow Configuration.
Citizen Access displays the Page Flow Configuration page for the selected module.

4.

Select an existing page flow (such as an application intake or new permit form) from the
drop down list; or click Create a new Page Flow, as desired.
Civic Platform displays the page flow layout pages.

5.

From the Component Settings panel at right, drag the Continuing Education component
to the desired location in the page flow.

6.

With the component added to the page flow and selected, click the Property tab and modify
the component properties as necessary.

7.

Click Save.
Citizen Access saves the page flow, and display it to users who navigate to that page on
your agency’s Citizen Access website.

For additional information about working with page flows, refer to Chapter 9: Page Flow
Configuration on page 130.

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Customizing Continuing Education Section of Information
Page
After you have added the Continuing Education component to a module information page, you
may want to customize it to meet your agency’s data capture needs. You can define a generic
form layout for the Continuing Education section that applies to all continuing education
subjects or degrees, or define a unique form layout for a specific subject or a specific degree.
The Continuing Education form may contain a set of template fields, if your agency
administrator defined it in the Standard Choice or in the Continuing Education administration
portlet. For information on templates, see the Standard Choice DEFAULT_TEMPLATE in the
Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference and “Creating a Continuing Education Record”
in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. For information on customizing module pages,
see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.
To customize the Continuing Education section of a module information page

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Select a module to which you have added the Continuing Education component (such as
Licenses).

3.

From the Pages section, select the module information page.
Citizen Access displays the module information page for the selected module.

4.

Scroll to the Continuing Education section of the page.

•

To customize a generic form layout for Continuing Education, choose "-select-" from the
drop-down list next to the section title.

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•

To define a unique form layout for a specific subject or a specific degree, choose an
option from the drop-down list. For instance, MBA1.

5.

Modify the page elements as desired. For information on customizing module pages, see
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

6.

Click Save.
Citizen Access applies the changes.

EMSE Scripting for Continuing Education Workflow
Civic Platform uses workflow tasks to track the successful completion of continuing education
requirements so that the professional license renewal process can proceed to the next task.
The workflow process assigned to the record type is defined upon the creation of the record
type. For more information on configuring continuing education for workflow, see “License
Certifications and Education” in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. For more
information on workflow, refer to the “Workflow” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
An EMSE script is a prerequisite for triggering the workflow status task. There are three events
that the Accela services implementation staff can reference when building scripts for continuing
education. The events allow you to trigger the license renewal process.
The available events are:
ApplicationSubmitAfter
PaymentReceiveAfter
WorkflowTaskUpdateAfter.

Caution: Trained administrators must rewrite scripts in collaboration with an
Accela Implementation specialist. Improperly written scripts can
seriously damage your system by incorrectly altering or deleting data
for many records

Note:

For information on writing scripts and using the Event Manager and
Script Engine tool, see the “Writing Scripts” chapter and the “Event
Manager and Script Engine” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Scripting Guide.

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Configuring Examinations
Citizen Access (ACA) provides the functionality to add the Examination detail section to track
examination information about licensees.
Configuring the examination functionality for use in Citizen Access is a multi-step process:


Create the necessary examination provider records. For information on creating provider
records and associating them with examination offerings, refer to the “License Certifications
and Education” chapter in the Civic Platform Administration Guide.



Configure the Standard Choices and FIDs required for this feature and create the
necessary examination records. For information on creating examination records, refer to
the “License Certifications and Education” chapter in the Civic Platform Administration
Guide.



Configure the Standard Choice EXAM_CSV_FORMAT required to allow an examination
provider to upload score files. For information on configuring the Standard Choice, refer to
the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.



Add the Examination component and then customize the information pages for each
module, to meet your agency’s requirements for gathering Examination information.



Enable the auto-update examination functionality as necessary. see Examination Setting on
page 74.



Customize the pages associated with examination. For instructions, see Chapter 10:
Working with Web Pages on page 158. From the module Pages area, scroll down to locate
the Examination folder, under which, you select the desired pages:

•

Select Examination

•

Examination Time and Location

•

Examination Confirmation (Internal)

•

Examination Confirmation (External Online)

•

Examination Confirmation (External On Site)

•

Schedule Successful

•

Examination Detail

•

Cancellation Examination Reason

•

Reschedule Examination Reason

After the configuration of the examination feature, registered users can add or edit their
examination information in the application intake form. After creating an examination
application, public users can schedule exam session on the Record Detail page, where they
can also reschedule or cancel an scheduled exam session.
Registered users can search for provider and examination information, and use that information
to populate the Examination section of the application intake form. Registered users can also
export the search results in Comma-Separated Value (CSV) format.
Providers can batch update the exam scores by uploading the exam score file to Civic Platform
through Citizen Access. The exam scores file must contain the columns and be in the format
specified in the Standard Choice EXAM_CSV_FORMAT. Enabling the auto-update examination
functionality in the Global Settings page is the prerequisite for batch updating exam scores. For

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detailed information on how to enable the auto-update examination functionality, see
Examination Setting on page 74.
It is recommended best practice to implement the examination feature using this section
together with the “Managing Examination” section in the “License Certifications and Education”
chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Topics


Adding Examinations to the Record Detail Page



Adding the Examination Component to a Page Flow



Customizing Examination Section of Information Page



EMSE Scripting for Examination Workflow



Configuring Examination for CSV Score Upload

Adding Examinations to the Record Detail Page
When you select the display option, the Examination section displays to users on the Record
Detail Page. This option also controls the display of the Examination section on the license
verification page when you click a license from the “Search for Licenses” search.
To add Examination to the record detail page

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Select a module (such as Building)

3.

From the General Settings area, select Module Settings.

4.

From the Record Detail Section Configuration area, determine which user type has
access to view examination and mark the applicable user roles to grant access. For more
information, see Record Detail Section Configuration on page 128.

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ACA displays the examination section on the record detail page.

Adding the Examination Component to a Page Flow
Adding the Examination component to a module’s page flow, such as for an application intake
form, allows registered users to enter examination details when completing an application.
To add the Examination section to a page flow

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Select a module (such as Building).

3.

From the Page Flow Configuration section, select Page Flow Configuration.
Citizen Access displays the Page Flow Configuration page for the selected module.

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4.

Select an existing page flow (such as an application intake or new permit form) from the
drop down list; or click Create a new Page Flow, as desired.
Civic Platform displays the Page Flow layout pages.

5.

From the Component Settings panel at right, drag the Examination component to the
desired location in the page flow.

6.

With the Component added to the Page Flow and selected, click the Property tab and
modify the component properties as necessary.

7.

Click Save.
Citizen Access saves the page flow, and displays it to users who navigate to that page on
your agency’s Citizen Access website.

For additional information about working with page flows, refer to Chapter 9: Page Flow
Configuration on page 130.

Customizing Examination Section of Information Page
After you have added the Examination component to a module page, you may want to
customize it to meet your agency’s data capture needs. You can define a generic form layout for
the Examination section that applies to all the subjects, or define a unique form layout for a
specific examination subject. The Examination form may contain a set of template fields, if your
agency administrator defined it in the Standard Choice or in the Examination administrator
portlet. For information on templates, see the Standard Choice DEFAULT_TEMPLATE in the
Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference and “Creating an Examination Subject” in the
Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. For information on customizing module pages, see
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.
To customize the Examination section of a module information page

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Select a module to which you have added the Examination component (such as Licenses).

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3.

From the Pages section, select the module information page.
Citizen Access displays the module Information page for the selected module.

4.

Scroll to the Examination section of the page.

•

To customize a generic form layout for Examination, choose "-select-" from the dropdown list next to the section title.

•

To define a unique form layout for a specific examination subject, choose an option from
the drop-down list. For instance, Chinese1.

5.

Modify the page elements as desired. For information on customizing module pages, see
Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

6.

Click Save.
Citizen Access applies the settings you specified.

EMSE Scripting for Examination Workflow
Civic Platform uses workflow tasks to track the successful completion of examination
requirements so that the professional license application or the renewal process can proceed to

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the next task. The workflow process assigned to the record type is defined upon the creation of
the record type. For more information on configuring continuing education for workflow, see
“License Certifications and Education” in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. For
more information on workflow, refer to the “Workflow” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
EMSE scripts are prerequisites for triggering the workflow status task. You can also write
scripts. So Civic Platform can use the scripts to send e-mail confirmation notification to the
examinees or any parties concerned after certain actions relating to examination is performed.
There are eight events that the Accela services implementation staff can reference when
building scripts for examination. Use the events to trigger the license renewal process or to
send e-mail confirmation notification. Agency administrators must configure the e-mail
templates in Civic Platform and refer to the template names in the scripts so that the e-mails
include a corresponding template when Civic Platform fires an event. For detailed information
on how to configure e-mail templates, see the “Notification Templates” chapter in the Accela
Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
The events are:
ApplicationSubmitAfter
PaymentReceiveAfter
DocumentUploadAfter
ExminationupdateAfter
ExaminationBatchUpdateByCSVAfter
ExaminationRosterUpdateAfter
ExminationSiteUpdateAfter
WorkflowTaskUpdateAfter

Caution: Trained administrators must rewrite scripts in collaboration with an
Accela Implementation specialist. Improperly written scripts can
seriously damage your system by incorrectly altering or deleting data
for many records.

Note:

For information on writing scripts and using the Event Manager and
Script Engine tool, see the “Writing Scripts” chapter and the “Event
Manager and Script Engine” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Scripting Guide.

Configuring Examination for CSV Score Upload
Before you can create an examination record, you must configure the Standard Choice
EXAM_CSV_FORMAT. The values you define for this Standard Choice determines the
parameters required to create a CSV file that can be used to upload examination scores from
associated examination providers.
In addition, you must also enable the CSV upload functionality within Citizen Access, and
customize the necessary e-mail templates for use in verifying the scores received. See
Examination Setting on page 74 to learn how to enable the auto-update examination

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functionality. See the “Notification Templates” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator
Guide to learn how to configure e-mail templates.
Topics


Defining the Examination Score CSV Upload File Parameters



Enable CSV Score Upload



Customize Confirmation E-mail Notification Templates

Defining the Examination Score CSV Upload File Parameters
The license certification examination function allows your agency to receive exam scores
directly from the testing provider, record those scores, and apply them to the requirements for
licensed professionals seeking to obtain or renew their professional licenses.
The values defined for the EXAM_CSV_FORMAT Standard Choice determine the column titles
required in the CSV upload file that examination providers use to upload test scores into Civic
Platform. You must communicate these parameters to the examination providers to ensure the
test scores are properly uploaded and applied for each licensed professional record. For
information on creating a Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration
Reference.
To define the Examination Score CSV upload file parameters

1.

Log in to Civic Platform and navigate to the Civic Platform portlet.

2.

Click the Admin Tools tab.

3.

Choose Agency Profile > Standard Choices.
Civic Platform displays the Standard Choices search page.

4.

Configure the Standard Choice EXAM_CSV_FORMAT as described below. For information
on creating a Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

•

The default values are predefined to correspond to the Column Title labels to be used
when creating the CSV Examination Upload file, as listed in Table 16: Values for
Standard Choice EXAM_CSV_FORMAT on page 458. You may modify these values as
required.

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Table 16: Values for Standard Choice EXAM_CSV_FORMAT

Standard Choice
Value

CSV File Column Title

Description

AGENCY

COLUMN=Agency

Agency column name - is customizable. The
column value is the code of the agency that a
record belongs to.

Note:

Education providers can upload exam
scores for the applications that
belong to a sub-agency from the main
agency’s Citizen Access site.
Administrators must configure this
Standard Choice value so the agency
code column in a score CSV file can
correctly show the name for the
agency that each application belongs
to. If the Standard Choice value is not
enabled or configured properly, the
agency code column always displays
the name of the main agency.
You can only add this Standard
Choice value for the main agency in a
multiple-agency administration.

ALTID

COLUMN = Alt(ernate) ID

Record ID column name - is customizable.

DATE

COLUMN = Date
TYPE = Date
FORMAT = MM/dd/yyyy)

Date column name, column type, and format
definition.
Column name is customizable.

EXAM_NAME

COLUMN = Exam name

Exam name column name - is customizable.

GRADING_STYLE

COLUMN =Grading Style
TYPE=Enum
FORMAT = none|passfail|
score|percentage

Grading Style column name; column type and
format definition.
Grading Style column name is customizable.
Enumerate TYPE element is customizable.

PROVIDER_NAME

COLUMN = Provider name

Provider name column name - is customizable.

PROVIDER_NBR

COLUMN = Provider
number

Provider number column name - is
customizable.

SCORE

COLUMN = Score

Score column name - is customizable.

PASSING_SCORE

COLUMN=Passing Score

Passing score column name - is customizable.

Note:

5.

Use caution when modifying these values. If your agency has
previously provided examination providers with the column title
information necessary for creating the CSV Examination Upload files,
Civic Platform notifies the agency administrators if any changes are
made so that they can make the corresponding modifications to their
CSV files. Civic Platform cannot interpret uploaded CSV files that do
not use the column title labels as defined in this Standard Choice.

Ensure that the Status option is set to Enable.

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6.

Click Update.
Civic Platform updates any changes and enables the CSV Examination Upload
functionality.

Enable CSV Score Upload
When the upload scores functionality is enabled, examination providers can upload the CSV file
of scores directly from your agency’s Citizen Access website.
To enable CSV score upload

1.

Login to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

From the General Settings area, select Feature Settings.
Citizen Access displays the Feature Settings page.

3.

Expand the General Information item to display the list of options.

4.

Mark the check box to display the Upload Scores.

5.

Click the Save button.

Customize Confirmation E-mail Notification Templates
When a provider uploads examination scores, Citizen Access automatically sends a
confirmation e-mail to both the agency and the provider to confirm receipt of the scores. You
can customize the templates for each of these e-mails, as required.
To customize confirmation e-mail notification templates

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > Administration > Setup > Communication Manager >
Notification Templates.

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2.

Select the e-mail template you want to customize. The templates provided for use with
examinations are Scores Update (to Agency) and Scores Update (to Provider).

3.

Modify the template as required.

4.

Click Save.

5.

For detailed information on how to configure e-mail templates, see the “Notification
Templates” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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C HAPTER 20:

REPORTING INFORMATION

Citizen Access provides a way for public users to access reports from any web page online.
Administrators configure which reports are available to public users globally, modularly, and on
individual ACA web pages. Administrators define which reports are available in a report list
which is accessible through the report link or on a report button. See Figure 117:Public User
View of Reports Link on page 464, Figure 118: Print/View Buttons on the Record Detail Page on
page 466, Figure 119: Print/View Buttons on the Receipt Page on page 466, and Figure 120:
Print/View Requirement Button on the Fee Estimate Page on page 467. For example,
administrators can configure the Permit report to display globally for all modules on the Report
List located on the Home page, the Administrative Citation report to display in the Reports list
on web pages in the Enforcement module, and the Corrections Notice report to display only in
the Report list on the Record Detail page in the Enforcement module.
Administrators must create reports specific of Citizen Access and add them to Report Manager.
This is a pre-requisite for report setup for Citizen Access. For assistance on how to create a
report, contact your Accela implementation specialist.
When reports are available in Report Manager, administrators expose the report to ACA
through Report Manager configuration tasks. Before launching reports to ACA, administrators
must define viewable permissions for the various user groups using the website. You can assign
permissions within applicable areas of Citizen Access through Citizen Access Setup.

Note:

Permissions to view reports defined for public users in ACA Admin
override any permission settings in Civic Platform.

When reporting launches in ACA, it provides administrators and public users with similar
reporting functionality offered in Civic PLATFORM. This includes: RTF and URL reporting,
support for parameter and variable configurations, support for user defined parameter reporting,
and support to display reports for multiple records in a single window or multiple windows. For a
list of parameters available for ACA reporting, see List 11: ACA Parameter Types on page 469.
If parameters are unavailable, ACA displays the parameter page to manually gather parameter
information at the time a public user runs the report.
Limitations to ACA reporting functionality include: the inability to support the 'Default Format'
output form (it poses a security risk), the inability to support manual-fill e-mail address
functionality, the inability to support CLIENT_EXE report, and inability to save to EDMS and/or
the display of empty values when Civic Platform cannot get variable information from the
session.
Civic Platform provides your agency with internal reports about your ACA website, such as a
Web Usage Statistics Summary Report. Any user with administrative rights can upload these
reports for Accela Report Writer, Crystal, and MS SQL Server.

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Topics


Configuring Report Manager for Citizen Access



Setting Report Viewable Permissions



Sending Reports to Public Users by E-mail



Configuring Multiple Agency Functionality



Viewing Available Internal Reports

Configuring Report Manager for Citizen Access
This section provides information on how administrators configure Report Manager for reporting
functionality in Citizen Access. This includes how to add a report to Report Manager, how to
expose reports to the report list in ACA, how to assign reports to the Print/View buttons for each
module, and how to configure parameters for reports.
When assigning reports to the report list in ACA, administrators can filter which reports are
available to public users globally, modularly, and on individual ACA web pages. You can do the
assignment by defining viewable permissions for each report. After completing the Report
Manager configurations tasks, see Setting Report Viewable Permissions on page 470 to define
viewable permissions in Citizen Access Setup.
Topics


Adding a Report to Report Manager



Associating Reports to the Report Link



Associating Reports with Print/View Buttons



Configuring Parameters for Reports in ACA

Adding a Report to Report Manager
This section provides an overview of how the Report Manager configuration tasks expose
reports to Citizen Access. In this scenario, the Permit Receipt Report is used for reference in
describing how to do this. For detailed instructions on how to use Report Manager, refer to the
“Report Manager” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
To set up permit reports in Citizen Access

1.

Verify all pre-requisite tasks are complete. This includes pre-defining reports and setting up
a report service for ACA. For instructions, see the “Setting Up Report Services” section in
the “Report Manager” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide or contact
your Accela Implementation Specialist.

2.

In Report Manager, navigate to the Menu button and select New Report to create a report
for Citizen Access, such as the Permit Receipt report.

3.

Complete the Report Detail field information as described in List 9: ACA Report Detail Field
on page 463 and click Submit.

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List 9: ACA Report Detail Field

Category

Use the drop-down list to select the appropriate category for the report. This
category is used to organize and display the report for the user in the Reports
portlet or from form and list portlets.

Default Printer

Do NOT send to a printer.

Description

Enter a description of the report.

EDMS

Not applicable for ACA permit reports.

EDMS Object

Not applicable for ACA permit reports.

Include on Report
Portlet

Not applicable for ACA permit reports.

Name

Enter the name that displays for the report.

Output Format

Choose PDF.

Report Link

Choose the link for this report. If you use the picker to choose the link for this
report from the list. You must submit the report before this link is available. To
choose the link, mark the option and click the Select button.

Report Service

Use the drop-down list to select the report service you created in step one for
the report.

Save to EDMS

Do NOT save to EDMS.

Send to Printer

Do NOT send the ACA report to the printer.

Associating Reports to the Report Link
After adding reports to Report Manager, administrators define which reports are available to
public users in ACA. You can do it by assigning reports to the report list. See Figure 117: Public
User View of Reports Link on page 464. Administrators can filter the available reports on this
link by defining viewable permissions for the various public users at a global, modular, and
individual web page level.
To expose reports to the reports list for ACA, administrators assign reports to the portlet “Link:
ACA Reports List” in Report Manager. The Report List link displays in ACA to public users when
an administrator assigns at least one report to the report link portlet in Report Manager.
Administrators can also use Report Manager to specify criteria for an ACA report in the Portlet
Settings area. You can do it by clicking the Create Criteria link and completing the criteria fields
for the report. For example, you can use the Record Detail fields in the Field Name drop-down
list to define criteria for a report. When the defined criteria are met on a page, the report is
available in ACA. If the defined criteria are not met on a web page, the report does not display in
ACA. For more information about portlet settings in Report Manager, refer to the “Report
Manager” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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Figure 117: Public User View of Reports Link

To associate a report to the report link:

1.

Click the Admin primary tab.

2.

In the Setup portlet, click Report and choose Report Manager from the drop-down menu.
Civic Platform displays the Report Manager portlet.

3.

Select a report from the menu.
Civic Platform populates the report details.

4.

Click the Portlets tab and expose the report to ACA.
a. Choose Link: ACA Reports List in the Portlet Name drop-down list.
b. If necessary, click the Create Criteria link to specify any special criteria for the report.
For more information about creating criteria or report field definitions, use Report
Manager administrator portlet. To use this portlet, refer to the “Report Manager” chapter
in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

5.

Click Submit.

Associating Reports with Print/View Buttons
Citizen Access provides public users with buttons to print reports or view reports associated
with an application, such a detailed receipt or a summary. You can allocate a report to each
button for each record type for each module by assigning the report to the button and defining
report criteria definitions on the Portlet tab in Report Manager. For example, your agency may

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want the electrical permit report and a building permit report available on a Print/View button for
a public user within the Building module. Administrators configure Civic Platform to display the
right report for the applicable record type by defining the report criteria. Therefore, the electrical
permit report has defined criteria for it to display on the Print/View button for an electrical permit
and the building permit report displays for the building permit.
Administrators can also assign reports to display by record type in a specific language for the
module through criteria definitions on the Portlet tab in Report Manager. This is particularly
useful if your agency provides multi-lingual services. For information on configuring language
preferences for reports in Citizen Access, see the Civic Platform Internationalization Installation
and Administrator Guide.
To set up this feature, administrators must define which report relates to each button. Available
buttons include: Print/View Record, Print/View Receipt, Print/View Requirement and Print/
View Summary. Administrators must also define report criteria so that when a public user clicks
a button, the right report displays. Public users view these buttons on the Record Detail page,
Receipt page, or Fee Estimate page for each module in Citizen Access. See Figure 118: Print/
View Buttons on the Record Detail Page on page 466, Figure 119: Print/View Buttons on the
Receipt Page on page 466, and Figure 120: Print/View Requirement Button on the Fee
Estimate Page on page 467. If your agency is part of a network of agencies who work together
to provide services to an area, refer to Configuring Multiple Agency Functionality on page 473
for instructions on how to set up Citizen Access to accommodate multiple agencies.
Civic Platform provides administrators with the ability to assign reports to the Print/View buttons.
These reports have set parameters automatically passed to Civic Platform, see Table 17: Predefined Report Parameter Details on page 469. Administrators can add additional parameters
to a report on the parameter tab in Report Manager configuration.

Note:

Additional parameters assigned in the Parameter tab area are
passed to these specific reports after the pre-defined parameters
pass to the report. See Configuring Parameters for Reports in
ACA on page 468 for more information.

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Figure 118: Print/View Buttons on the Record Detail Page

Figure 119: Print/View Buttons on the Receipt Page

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Figure 120: Print/View Requirement Button on the Fee Estimate Page

To configure the Print/View report buttons

1.

Navigate to Report Manager in Civic Platform.
Civic Platform displays the Report Manager navigation tree and the detail screen.

2.

Select the report you want to assign to a button. If the report does not exist in the tree, add
it to Report Manager. See Adding a Report to Report Manager on page 462.
Civic Platform displays the report details.

3.

Click the Permissions tab and make the report available to the module public user group
for the module Print/View Report button. For example, “BuildingPublicUser”.

4.

Click the Portlets secondary tab.
Civic Platform displays the selected report’s portlet page listing each portlet assignment.

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5.

Click the New button to assign the report to a new portlet.
Civic Platform displays the portlet detail page.

6.

Complete the portlet field information as described in List 10: Report Manager Portlet Fields
on page 468.

7.

Click the Submit button.
Civic Platform returns to the Report Manager Portlet list portlet.

8.

Scroll to the right and click the Create Criteria link for report criteria customization, such as
Record Type or language definitions.

9.

Click Submit.

List 10: Report Manager Portlet Fields

Description

Enter a brief description for the report.

Display

Use the drop-down list to select the display. Single Window or Multiple
Window.

Module

Use the drop-down list to select the Module name.

Portlet Name

Use the drop-down list to assign the report to the associated portlet, menu or
button.

Configuring Parameters for Reports in ACA
Citizen Access supports all parameters including: parameter types, session variables, and
custom variables. If a configured parameter is available in the ACA form, it is sent to the report
automatically. Standard reports, such as the Permit Receipt Report, have pre-defined
parameters together with the report. Refer to Table 17: Pre-defined Report Parameter Details
on page 469 for special configuration information about parameters for the Permit Summary
Report, Permit Receipt Report and the Record Report. You can define any additional
parameters for these reports on the Parameter tab in Report Manager and pass the parameters
after the pre-defined parameters are sent to the report. Parameters do not display in the URL
string. Administrators do not need to use all parameters in your report. For example, in single

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agency implementation, the agencyid is always the same. In this case, the agencyid is not
mandatory for reports outside of the Standard reports. Citizen Access does not support
duplicate parameters including duplicate parameter names.
Table 17: Pre-defined Report Parameter Details

Report Name

Parameter Configurations

Permit Report

Set the agencyid parameter with NO in visibility field.
Set the capid parameter with NO in the visibility field.

Permit Summary
Report

Set the agencyid parameter with NO in visibility field.
Set the capid parameter with NO in the visibility field.

Permit Receipt
Report

Set the agencyid parameter with NO in visibility field.
Set the capid parameter with NO in the visibility field.
Set the receiptnbr parameter with NO in the visibility field.

This section provides administrators with available parameters and available variables for ACA
reports. Refer to List 11: ACA Parameter Types on page 469 for a list of parameter types
available in the Type drop-down list in the Parameters portlet in Report Manager. After
administrators select the Session Variable from the Parameter Type drop-down list, the Default
Value field displays with a drop-down list of available session variables. Refer to Table 18: ACA
Session Variable Table on page 469 for the session variables options. For more information
about parameters, refer to the section, “Setting Up a Report” in the “Report Manager” chapter in
the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
List 11: ACA Parameter Types

Record Type
Date
Number
Session Variable
String
Variable
Table 18: ACA Session Variable Table

Variable

Description

$$altID$$

Retrieves the ALTID.

$$recordID1$$

Retrieves the first 5 characters of the Record ID from a the specified portlet.
For example, RecordID= 01BLD-00000-00018.

$$recordID2$$

Retrieves the second 5 characters of the Record ID from the specified portlet.
For example, RecordID= 01BLD-00000-00018.

$$recordID3$$

Retrieves the last 5 characters of the CA ID from the specified portlet. For
example, RecordID= 01BLD-00000-00018.

$$collectionID$$

Retrieves the Collection ID from the specified portlet.

$$firstName$$

Retrieves the user’s first name.

$$language$

Retrieves the preferred language.

$$lastName$$

Retrieves the user’s last name.

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Table 18: ACA Session Variable Table (Continued)

Variable

Description

$$middleName$$

Retrieves the user’s middle name.

$$module$$

Retrieves the Module.

$$parcelID$$

Retrieves the associated ParcelID

$$publicUserID$$

Retrieves the Public User’s ID.

$$servProvCode$$

Retrieves the ID for the agency. This is used to filter reports to include records
only for the specified agency. This is a required parameter for many reports
and agencies that share data.

$$stateLicNum$$

Retrieves the State License Number

$$today$$

Retrieves today’s date. The workstation systemdate determines this date. You
can use this variable parameter in calculations to specify a date range.
For example, enter $Today$ - 7 to query for all records over the last week.

$$userID$$

Retrieves the ID of the logged-in user.

$$userFullName$$

Retrieves the user’s full name.

Setting Report Viewable Permissions
After a report is enabled for use in Citizen Access, administrators define permissions about who
can view the documents available on the report link. This section provides instructions on how
to define permissions to view reports associated with the report link on the Home page, the
report link within a module, and the report link within specific web pages. This section also
provides instructions on how to allow anonymous users to view reports.
Topics


Defining Permissions for the Home Page Report List



Defining Module Permissions for the Report List



Filtering Reports on a Web Page



Defining Permissions for Anonymous Users

Defining Permissions for the Home Page Report List
Administrators have control of who can see reports on the report list at login by defining which
type of user has permissions to view available reports assigned to the ACA report list from the
Home page. The Global Settings page provides a Report Display Controls area where
administrators set permissions for the user types. The various user types include: All ACA
Users, Anonymous Users, Registered User, Licensed Professional, Authorized Agent, and
Authorized Agent Clerk.
To define the home page report list

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup.

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2.

Click the Global Settings tab under the General Settings section of the navigation area.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Global Settings page.

3.

Go to the Report Display Controls area.

4.

Mark the associated check box for each type of user with permissions to view the related
report on the Home page.

5.

Click OK.

Defining Module Permissions for the Report List
After reports are available to ACA, administrators can define which type of user can view
reports within each module. User type options include: All ACA Users, Anonymous Users,
Registered User, Licensed Professional, Authorized Agent, and Authorized Agent Clerk. For
example, you may want the Permit Receipt report viewable to the licensed professional and
registered user, but not to an anonymous user. Administrators define report permissions for a
module on each Module Settings page in ACA Admin.
To define which user types can view reports in a module

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Click the Module Settings tab for a Module in the navigation area.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Module Settings page.

3.

Go to the Report Display Controls area.

4.

Mark the associated check box(es) for the users allowed to view the report in a module.

5.

Click OK.

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Filtering Reports on a Web Page
When reports are available on the Reports link in ACA, administrators can filter which reports
display on web pages. For example, you may want to have the Permit Receipt Report only
available on the Review web page. Administrators configure which reports are available on a
web page in Field Properties area of the ACA Admin. Administrators right-click the Report link
and filter which reports are available by marking the associated check box next to each report
you want to display.
To filter which reports display on a web page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup.

2.

Go to a module web page or general web page for which you want to filter available reports.

3.

Click the Reports link.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Report link with a yellow box around it.

4.

Go to the Field Properties area and mark the check box(es) next to the report(s) you want
available on this web page.

5.

Click OK.

Defining Permissions for Anonymous Users
Your agency needs to decide to extend or limit report functionality to the various public user
groups accessing ACA, including anonymous users. Each Module Settings page has a Report
Display Controls section dedicated to assign permissions for report access. Mark the check
boxes to indicate which users have access to the reports.
To define report functionality for anonymous users

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup

2.

Go to the Display Check box in Record List for Anonymous Users section on the
Global Settings page.

3.

Mark the Display Check box to indicate if you want anonymous users to have permissions
to run reports for multiple records from the search results list.

4.

Go to the Report Display Controls area on the Global Settings page

5.

Mark or clear the check boxes in the Anonymous Users column to indicate which reports
are available for anonymous users.

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6.

Click OK, then click Save.

Sending Reports to Public Users by E-mail
You can send reports by e-mail to public users. For more information about setting up reports to
send e-mail, refer to the steps in the section, “Adding a Report” in the “Report Manager” chapter
in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

Configuring Multiple Agency Functionality
Citizen Access supports multiple agency functionality and reporting. When a public user selects
a record, the record information populates in ACA, including any associated reports or fees. For
example, a building project may have fees associated at the State, County, and City level. Each
agency can create a record receipt report for the fees they charge. The super agency may
provide a receipt to include all fees across all sub-agencies in one report.
Administrators must assign reports to the Print/View buttons and report links in ACA. Each subagency including the super agency has their own corresponding buttons. Therefore, each
agency at their agency level must assign reports to Report Manager and assign them to buttons
or links so ACA can pull those configurations and display the applicable reports to public users
online. This section of documentation provides instructions on how to configure reporting
functionality for multiple agencies.
To configure multi-agency reporting

1.

Verify the pre-requisite tasks of creating reports, such as the Record Receipt Report, for all
agencies are complete. For information on how to create a report, see the “Setting Up
Report Services” section in the “Report Manager” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide, or contact your Accela implementation specialist.

2.

The delegate user or agency user logs in to each agency and navigates to Report Manager.

3.

Assign reports to the applicable report link or applicable report button in the portlet dropdown list for each agency. For more information, see Associating Reports with Print/View
Buttons on page 464.

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4.

If applicable, define criteria for language or record types for each report.

5.

Click Submit.

6.

Customize the Record Detail and/or Receipt pages in Citizen Access Setup. For more
information, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

Viewing Available Internal Reports
Citizen Access features standard permit reports that require some configuration so that they
can accommodate your agency’s custom settings.
This section contains an example and description of these reports:


07SSP-00141, Transaction Report Permit List



07SSP-00142, Transaction Statistic Month Year Summary



07SSP-00143, Web Usage Statistics Month Day Summary



07SSP-00144, Web Usage Statistics Month Year Summary



07SSP-00145, Inspection Schedule Report



07SSP-00146, Inspection Schedule Report (Previous 30 days)

07SSP-00141, Transaction Report Permit List
The Transaction Report Permit List provides details about all permit transactions for an agency
during a specified month.

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07SSP-00142, Transaction Statistic Month Year Summary
The Transaction Statistic Month Year Summary provides historical transaction activity for permit
types.

07SSP-00143, Web Usage Statistics Month Day Summary
The Web Usage Statistics Month Day Summary provides the agency with daily Citizen Access
web traffic information about a specified month.

07SSP-00144, Web Usage Statistics Month Year Summary
The Web Usage Statistics Month Year Summary provides monthly Citizen Access web traffic
information about a specified year.

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07SSP-00145, Inspection Schedule Report
The 145-Inspection Schedule Report provides an inspection schedule information about the
next 30 days.

07SSP-00146, Inspection Schedule Report (Previous 30 days)
The 146-Inspection Schedule Report provides inspection schedule information about the
previous 30 days.

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477

478

C HAPTER 21:

MAINTAINING THE ACA WEBSITE

While numerous users are constantly adding information to your database, you can configure
features to help eliminate unnecessary information. You can define an expiration interval, which
is the number of days public users must activate their registered account. When the public user
accounts pass the expiration interval, Civic Platform purges the account. You can also purge
partially completed applications and their associated fees from your system. Partially completed
applications are records that public users have completed, but not submitted to the agency. This
is common when public users are seeking for a fee estimate regarding an application.
Topics


Defining Expiration Interval Settings



Deleting Partially Completed Applications

Defining Expiration Interval Settings
This setting relates to the number of days Civic Platform saves inactive registrant information
before purging. If the account verification setting is enabled, a registration account remains
inactive until the registrant activates their account by selecting the hyperlink associated with
their account verification e-mail they received after registration. Refer to Defining Activation Emails on page 98. The expiration interval setting defines how many days allocated to the
registrant to select their hyperlink before their registrant information is expired and purged.
This feature functions by defining an EMSE (Event Manager and Script Engine) script that
purges the inactive accounts and runs as a regularly scheduled batch job. The script references
the number of days in this setting. The instructions below provide an example script. For more
information about EMSE scripts and batch jobs, refer to the “Event Manager and Script Engine”
chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Scripting Guide.
This setting relates to the Standard Choice Value PURGED_EXPIRED_ACCOUNT_INTERVAL
in the Standard Choice ACA_CONFIGS. For information on configuring the Standard Choices,
refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.
To configure the expiration interval

1.

Navigate to General Settings > Registration > Expiration Interval Settings.

2.

Enter the interval in number of days.

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Deleting Partially Completed Applications
Partial applications are those applications that users save without submitting or save and
resume later. This section explains how to set up Civic Platform to remove all partially
completed applications from Civic Platform. These configuration steps do not affect completed
applications.
This setup requires setting a Standard Choice and creating a script. The script is then set up as
a batch job. The batch job removes partially completed applications from Civic Platform on a
regular schedule that you define. By purging the partial applications, it frees up disk space and
it makes it more efficient for users to locate completed applications. Upon deleting partial
applications from Civic Platform, the applications cannot be retrieved.
Use this scenario to further understand how the Standard Choice and batch job scheduling
handle removing partial applications from Civic Platform.
To remove partial applications that are older than 30 days, set the Value of the Standard Choice
PARTIALLY_COMPLETED_CAP_PURGE_DAYS to 30. This is the number of days that
partially completed applications remain in Civic Platform before Civic Platform removes them. If
today is April 1, 2008, and the Value is 30 days, then all partial applications created on March
31, 2008 (which is day number 1 in counting) through March 2 remain in Civic Platform. Civic
Platform removes partial applications created on March 1 and earlier. Civic Platform removes
the partial applications when the scheduled batch job runs. Setting the batch job to execute the
script on a daily basis removes all partial applications that were created on day 31 (March 1, in
this case) and earlier.
To delete partially completed applications, there are three major steps:


Step 1: Add the Standard Choice



Step 2: Test the Script



Step 3: Schedule the Batch Job to Run the Script

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Step 1: Add the Standard Choice
As system administrator, you must define which partial application data you want to purge from
Civic Platform. To do this, you must configure the related Standard Choice and write a script.
To define partial application information you want to purge

1.

Go to Civic Platform.

2.

Navigate to Admin Tools > Application > Standard Choices.

3.

Configure the Standard Choice PARTIALLY_COMPLETED_CAP_PURGE_DAYS and set
the Standard Choices Value to the number of days Civic Platform stores partially completed
applications.
This value specifies how many days partially completed applications remain in Civic
Platform before they are removed from Civic Platform. Using the example above, if today is
April 1, 2008, and the value is 30 days, then all partial applications created on March 31,
2008 (which is day number 1 in counting) through March 2 remain in Civic Platform. And
Civic Platform removes those partial applications created on March 1 and earlier.
For information on creating a Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

Step 2: Test the Script
Verify the script is working properly before defining it as a batch job.
To test the script

1.

Go to Administrator Tools > Event Manager > Scripts.
Scripts - Search page displays.

2.

Click the Submit button.
Scripts - Script List page displays.

3.

In the Script Code field, locate CLEAREXPIREDINCOMPLETECAP.

4.

Click the red dot next to the Script Code for CLEAREXPIREDINCOMPLETECAP.
Scripts - Script Detail page displays.

5.

Under the Script Text area, click the Script Test button.
The Script Test page displays.
Review the warning message that states improperly written scripts may incorrectly alter
data for many records.

6.

Under the Script Text area, click the Submit button.
A pop-up window with test messages displays whether the script is successful or has
errors.

7.

Click the Close button on the pop-up window.
The Script Output field displays passed or error messages.

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8.

If necessary, make any corrections to the script and click the Submit button to retest.
If you have changes you must save them to the original script. To do this, return to
Administrator Tools > Events > Scripts and locate the
CLEAREXPIREDINCOMPLETECAP script and make the updates to the Script Text and
click the Save button.

9.

Complete the next section of Step 3: Schedule the Batch Job to Run the Script.

Step 3: Schedule the Batch Job to Run the Script
After the script has passed testing, you can create a batch job. When the batch job is created,
you can schedule the script to run as a regularly scheduled event in Civic Platform.
To schedule a batch job to run the script

1.

Navigate to Setup portlet > System Tools > Batch Engine.
Civic Platform displays the Batch Jobs portlet.

2.

Click the New button.
Civic Platform displays the New Batch Job portlet.

3.

Complete the following required fields:
Name

Enter a name to help you identify the batch job.

Description

Enter a description or comment to further clarify any aspects about the
batch job.

Job Server

Select the server for running the batch job.

Job Type

Select job type “Script” from this drop-down menu.

Script Code

Use the drop-down list and locate the existing script
CLEAREXPIREDINCOMPLETECAP. This is the script that you just
created and now need to run when executing this batch job.

Status

If you want to let users run this batch job, mark Enable; otherwise, mark
Disable.

4.

Click the Submit button to save the batch job.

5.

Select the Job Schedule tab.

6.

Schedule the batch job and specify how often you want to execute the script. Complete
these fields.
Frequency

Use the drop-down list and choose the interval of the batch job: Once,
Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.

Schedule Status

Specify if it is Scheduled, Not Scheduled, or Execute.

Start Date

Use the Date button to search for the date when the batch job begins.

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Start Time

Enter the time when the batch job should begin and specify AM or PM with
the drop-down list.

Time Out (seconds)

Enter the number of seconds a batch job attempts to run before timing out.

To further explain how the Standard Choice setting and the batch job schedule work
together, consider the Standard Choice is set to 90 days and this batch job Interval is set to
Daily. These settings mean that partially completed applications remain in Civic Platform for
90 days, and the batch job removes all partial applications that were created on day 91and
earlier, on a daily basis.

7.

Click the Save button to submit this batch job to Civic Platform.

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P ART III

A PPENDICES

Appendix A: Accela Engineering Event Scripts
Appendix B: Features Requiring Interface Implementations
Appendix C: Variations for Creating Records
Appendix D: LDAP Authentication and SSO
Appendix E: Mobile Citizen Access
Appendix F: Legislative Management

484

A PPENDIX A:

ACCELA ENGINEERING EVENT
SCRIPTS
Several features in Civic Platform include event scripts in JavaScript. The Accela Engineering
department creates the event scripts and adds them within Civic Platform. These Engineering
event scripts, listed in this appendix, require the Accela Services Implementation staff to
customize them so they can function for your agency.
The Accela Services Implementation team maintains their own list of commonly used scripts,
and also handle requests to create scripts. Accela Services Implementation staff can modify or
create event scripts to provide unique functionality for an agency.

Note:

Only Accela Services Implementation staff or IT agency
administrators who are performing agency-wide functions should
customize the event scripts. For further information on working
with scripts, refer to Chapter 18, “Event Manager and Script
Engine.” For instructions on writing a script, see Chapter 19,
“Writing Scripts.” Both of these chapters are in the Accela Civic
Platform Administrator Guide.

From Civic Platform 6.7.0 and upwards, Civic Platform Classic Administration provides all of the
event scripts that the Accela Engineering department created. To locate the list of event scripts,
follow the directions indicated in Accessing Event Scripts on page 484 in this Appendix.
This appendix lists all the available event scripts in Citizen Access.
Topics


Accessing Event Scripts



Citizen Access Events

Accessing Event Scripts
To access the event scripts, log in to Civic Platform Classic Administration. Click the Admin
Tools tab, and locate Scripts under the Events menu item. Alternately, scroll to Event Manager

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A: Accela Engineering Event Scripts

and click the Scripts link. For an illustration on accessing scripts, refer to Figure 121: Accessing
Scripts on page 485.

Note:

Only experienced programmers or agency administrators should
use this feature. Improperly written scripts can adversely affect
your system, and can incorrectly alter or delete data for many
records. Make sure you write custom scripts carefully and test
them before you implement them. For further instructions on
writing scripts, see the Accela Civic Platform Scripting Guide.

Figure 121: Accessing Scripts

To modify the script

1.

Go to Civic Platform Classic Administration > Admin Tools tab

2.

Under the Events menu, click the Scripts link.
Civic Platform displays the Scripts -Search page.

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3.

Enter the first few characters of the script in the Script Code or Script Title fields. Event
scripts typically share the same Code and Title names. You can enter the characters in
uppercase or lowercase.
Civic Platform displays the Scripts - List page.

4.

Click the red dot next to the script you want to modify. For instructions on writing and testing
scripts, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Scripting Guide.

Citizen Access Events
This section provides the event scripts related to Citizen Access.


Accela Asset Management (AAM)



Address Type



ASI



APO



Condition



Education



Fees



Inspection



Internationalization



License



Payment



Portlet



Public User



Records



Reports

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

Sets



Sets of Sets



Time Accounting



Trust Account



Valuation Calculator Versioning



Workflow

Registration and Login
You can use the following event scripts during registration and login:
OnLoginBefore
OnLoginAfter
RegistrationSubmitAfter
RegistrationSubmitBefore

Accela Asset Management (AAM)
You can use the following event scripts for Accela asset management:
AssetSubmitBefore
AssetSubmitAfter
AssetUpdateBefore
AssetUpdateAfter
ConditionAssessmentSubmitBefore
ConditionAssessmentSubmitAfter
ConditionAssessmentUpdateBefore
ConditionAssessmentUpdateAfter
PartTransactionSubmitBefore
PartTransactionSubmitAfter
PartTransactionUpdateBefore
PartTransactionUpdateAfter

Address Type
You can use the following event scripts with address types:
GetAddressWithTypeByCAPId
GetAddressWithTypeByPK

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RemoveAddressWithType

ASI
You can use the following event scripts for application-specific information groups and
subgroups:
AddReferenceASIItemsToCAP
CopyASIItemsFromCAPToCAP
RemoveSubgroupsFromCAP [08ACC-03640]

APO
You can use the following event scripts for address, parcel, owner data (APO):
Add_RemoveCapOwners
GetOwnersByParcel

Condition
You can use the following event scripts for conditions:
ApplicationSubmitAfter4ConditionGroup
PartialCapConditionEmseTest

Education
You can use the following event scripts for education:
ApplicationSubmitAfter
ContinuingEducationUpdateAfter
ExaminationUpdateAfter
ExaminationUpdateBefore
EducationUpdateAfter

Fees
You can use the following event scripts for fees:
FeeEstimateAfter4ACAScript
FeeScript. You can call the EMSE method editFeeNotes in FeeScript model, and also use
method editFeeNotes to edit fee notes on any single fee item.

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Inspection
You can use the following event scripts for inspections:
GetInspectorsWorkload
UpdateInspectionForSuperVisor
UpdateInspectionMilestone
InspectionScheduleAfter
InspectionScheduleBefore

Internationalization
You can use the following event scripts for the internationalization feature:
ApplicationStatusUpdateBefore [08ACC-05789]
CheckTradeNameDuplicate [08ACC-05789]
CloneCapCondition
CopyCapConditionFromSTDCondition
DisplayLocalizedMessageText
CopyCapInfoFromTradeNameToTradeLicense [08ACC-03673]

License
You can use the following event scripts for license records:
ApplicationSubmitAfter4Renew
PaymentReceiveAfter4Renew
WorkflowTaskUpdateAfter4Renew
You can use the following event scripts for license renewal:
ApplicationSubmitAfter
PaymentReceiveAfter
WorkflowTaskUpdateAfter
Convert2RealCapAfter4Renew

Payment
You can use the following event scripts for payments:
PaymentReceiveAfter

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VoidPaymentBefore: The event triggers immediately before the void information is committed to
the database. The event passes all relevant void parameters to the script. The script can cancel
the payment and return custom result codes.
VoidPaymentAfter: The event triggers after Citizen Access posts the void information to the
database. The event passes all relevant void parameters to the script.
PaymentReceiveAfter4RenewTransferDoc
FinishOnlinePayment4TransferDoc

Portlet
You can use the following event scripts for portlets:
getRefASISubgroups
getCAPASISubgroup
addRefASISubgroupsToCAP
removeASISubgroupsFromCAP
copyASISubgroups
getScreenListBySPEAR

Public User
You can use the following event scripts for public users:
PublicUserEmseTest

Records
You can use the following event scripts for general records:
ApplicationSubmitAfter
ApplicationSubmitBefore
CreateCAPForDetailDesc
GetCapByType
UpdateCAPForDetailDesc
PartialCapConditionEmseTest
LPAssociatedCapTest(InAStep)
LPAssociatedCapTest2(StepByStep)
clearExpiredIncompleteCAP. You can use the script to clear incomplete applications (CAPs)
from Civic Platform. For more information, see “Deleting Partially Completed Applications” in
the “Maintaining Fees” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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Reports
You can use the following event scripts for reports:
SendReportInEmail-1
SendReportInEmail-2

Sets
The event scripts related to Set Parameters are:
GetAddressSetParameters
GetLicProfessionalSetParameters
AuditSetDetailUserExecuteAfter

Sets of Sets
The event script related to Sets of Sets is:
PaymentReceiveAfter

Time Accounting
The event scripts related to Time Accounting are:
GetTimeLog
LockTimeAccounting
TimeAccountingAddAfter
TimeAccountingAddBefore
TimeAccountingDeleteAfter
TimeAccountingDeleteBefore
TimeAccountingUpdateAfter
TimeAccountingUpdateBefore
V360InspectionResultSubmitBefore
WorkflowTaskUpdBefore

Trust Account
The event scripts related to Trust Account are:
EMSEPayFromTrustAccount

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Valuation Calculator Versioning
The event scripts related to Valuation Calculator Versioning are:
ValuationCalculator_EMSE_Test.txt

Workflow
The event scripts related to Workflow are:
WorkflowEMSEEnhancements
WorkflowTaskUpdateAfter4Renew4TransferDoc4AbuDhabi

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A PPENDIX B:

FEATURES REQUIRING
INTERFACE IMPLEMENTATIONS
Several features in Citizen Access include implementing interfaces. This appendix explains
some of these features and provides implementation examples for them. The features require
the Accela Services Implementation staff or IT agency administrators to provide the
programming based on your agency’s need so that the feature works for your agency.
This appendix does not list all features that require interface implementations in Access Citizen
Access. The stand-alone files documents and SDK packages include those big features, such
as EPayment and XAPO that require relatively complex configurations.
Topics


Globally Disabling Unwanted Actions



Implementing Custom Component

Globally Disabling Unwanted Actions
You can globally disable unwanted actions listed in Table 19: Actions That Can Be Globally
Disabled by implementing the interface IGrantPermission. All the links and buttons that relate to
the action are removed or disabled throughout Citizen Access. The feature is useful when your
agency does not want certain action available for public users in Citizen Access. For example, if
your agency does not implement online payment processing, you disable the Fee Payment
action globally so that the citizens cannot go into the pay fees page during the application
process because your agency does not offer a way to pay money due over the internet.
This action control works on a global level, which means when you disable an action, all the
links and buttons specific for the action, regardless of in which module, page, or section, are
hidden or disabled across Citizen Access. You can prevent some or all public users from
performing the disabled action. For permission control on user groups in certain modules for
certain objects, refer to the corresponding sections in this guide. For example, you can refer to
Record Type Filters on page 120 to learn how to define who have the permission to create
record and of which record type they can create record, and refer to Document Attachments on
page 330 to learn how to define record types and define public user permissions for
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The table below lists the actions that you can disable globally.
Table 19: Actions That Can Be Globally Disabled

Action

Description

Create Record

It is for public users to create permits or licenses.

Renew Record

It is for licensed professionals to renew their licenses to keep the
licenses current.

Obtain Fee Estimate

It is for fee estimation. Public users employ it to display a calculated
estimate of fees relating to record type online.

Fee Payment (including
Check Out, Pay Fee, Pay
Fee Due)

It is for public users to pay fees for the fee items associated with a
business license or a building permit. When you disable the Fee
Payment action, the Check Out button and the Pay Fee and Pay Fee
Due links are disabled or removed.

Schedule Inspection
(including Request,
Reschedule, Cancel
Inspection)

It is for public users to schedule inspection for the record. When you
disable the Schedule Inspection action, you also disable the
Reschedule Inspection and Cancel Inspection actions.

Attach Document

It is for public users to upload document to record.

Copy Record

It is for public users to clone an existing record to create a new record
of the same record type.

Create Amendment

It is for public users to create amendment record in the ACA flow
process. An amendment record is a child record of the parent record
and inherits some information from the parent record for processing.

Topics


Interface and Class



Steps of Implementing IGrantPermission Interface



Example of Implementing IGrantPermission Interface

Interface and Class
The following lists interface and class that you use to disable unwanted actions.
IGrantPermisison: Interface that you must implement to disable the unwanted actions.
UserContext: Class that provides the current login user information. It contains the following
properties.


LoginName: login name that the registered user uses to access ACA.



CallerID: Login user’s ID assigned when registered.



FirstName: The first name of the login user.



MiddleName: The middle name of the login user.



LastName: The last name of the login user.
The personal information above are useful when you prevent only certain users from
performing certain actions.

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

Permission: IDictionary: It is used to set the disabled actions. Define
the FunctionItem as Enumeration type.

The following diagram illustrates the relation between the interface and the class.
Figure 122: Disabling Action Programing Interface Class Diagram

Steps of Implementing IGrantPermission Interface
To implement the IGrantPermission interface

1.

Create a project and add the Accela.ACA.CustomizedAPI.dll file from the bin folder under
the ACA deployment directory to the project as reference.

2.

Declare a class that implements the IGrantPermission interface.

3.

Define unwanted actions by setting UserContext.Permission inside the GrantPermission
method in the class.

4.

Compile the program to generate one or more dll files.

5.

Copy the dll files to the \Customize\DLL folder and the \bin folder under the ACA
deployment directory.

6.

Add the following configuration node to the CustomizedMapping.config file under the
\Customize\Mapping folder under the ACA deployment directory by following the syntax
below.

namespace: namespace under which you create the class, and plus the class name.
assembly: name of the .dll file that contains the class that implement the interface
IGrantPermission.

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Example of Implementing IGrantPermission Interface
Below is an example of how to globally disable unwanted action by implementing
IGrantPermission.
Intention:
Disable the Schedule Inspection action when anonymous users navigate in Citizen Access.
Assumption:
Citizen Access sits in \\aa-server\aca-product.
Use .NET Framework to develop the program.
Steps of implementation:

1.

Create a project with .NET Framework.

2.

Locate the Accela.ACA.CustomizedAPI.dll file from the \\aa-server\acaproduct\bin folder, and add it to the project as reference.

3.

Declare a class “CustomizedPermission” to implement the IGrantPermission interface.
Below is the sample code:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Accela.ACA.CustomizeAPI;
namespace CustomizeTest.Web
{
public class CustomizedPermission:IGrantPermission
{
public void GrantPermission()
{
if
(String.IsNullOrEmpty(BaseCustomizeComponent.UserContext.LoginName)
{
Dictionary permissions = new
Dictionary();
permissions.Add(FunctionItem.ScheduleInspection,
false);
BaseCustomizeComponent.UserContext.Permissions =
permissions;
}
}
}
}

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4.

Compile the class and generate a dll file DisableActionSample.dll.

5.

Copy the DisableActionSample.dll file in to the \\aa-server\acaproduct\Customize\DLL folder and to the \\aa-server\aca-product\bin folder.

6.

Add the following configuration node to the CustomizedMapping.config file located in
\\aa-server\aca-product\Customize\Mapping folder.


Implementing Custom Component
You can create a custom component to contain your agency’s own information displaying to
public users specially, by implementing the interface ICustomizedComponent. For example, you
customize a component to include your agency logo, announcements, legal information, and
web links.
Custom components can be nested. A custom component can contain another custom
component as its sub-component, which in turn can contain sub-sub-component. The custom
component displays in the application intake form and the home pages, including the Welcome
Global page and the Welcome Registered page. Custom components require configurations in
Access Citizen Setup to load the custom contents to the web pages when public users access
these pages. For an example on how to create a custom component and get your Citizen
Access website running with the content, see Example of Implementing
ICustomizedComponent Interface on page 500.
When you implement the interface ICustomizedComponent to create a custom component, you
can reference to the DLL file, ComponentService.dll, and call the APIs exposed by the DLL to
get data from the Citizen Access database. For the complete list of APIs, see Table 20: APIs
Exposed by ComponentService.dll on page 512. For an example on how to create a custom
component which gets data from the Citizen Access database, see Example of Creating a
Custom Component That Implements APIs on page 505.
To implement custom component on your ACA site

1.

Create a component file by implementing interface ICustomizedComponent. See Steps of
Implementing ICustomizedComponent Interface on page 499, or refer to the examples:
Example of Implementing ICustomizedComponent Interface on page 500, and Example of
Creating a Custom Component That Implements APIs on page 505.

2.

Complete configuration in Citizen Access Setup.

•

To display the custom component on the home pages, customize the Welcome Global
page and the Welcome Registered page. See Customizing Home Page Components on
page 174.

•

To display the custom component in the application intake form, customize Customize
the page flow. See Working with Components on page 146 and Listing of Components
on page 149.

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Topics


Interface and Classes



Steps of Implementing ICustomizedComponent Interface



Example of Implementing ICustomizedComponent Interface



Example of Creating a Custom Component That Implements APIs

Interface and Classes
The following lists interface and class that you use to create custom components.
ICustomizedComponent: interface that you must implement to create custom components. It
contains the following property and methods:


Children: List: The property is used to collect sub-components.



Show(): Execute customized business logic while showing contents.



SaveBefore(): Execute customized business logic before saving. For example, do
validation.



Save(): Execute customized business logic while saving data.



SaveAfter(): Execute customized business logic after saving.



SaveAndResumeBefore(): Execute customized business logic before saving the partial
application. This is for application intake form use only.



SaveAndResume(): Execute customized business logic while saving the partial application.
This is for application intake form use only.



SaveAndResumeAfter(): Execute customized business logic after saving the partial
application. This is for application intake form use only.

Citizen Access provides a number of APIs in the ComponentService.dll file for data integration
with the custom component. For the complete list of APIs, see Table 20: APIs Exposed by
ComponentService.dll on page 512. For an example on how to create a custom component
which gets data from the Citizen Access database, see Example of Creating a Custom
Component That Implements APIs on page 505.
ResultMessage: Class that contains two properties. The returned parameters of the methods
listed above must be of this type that both ACA and the class you are going to create for
implementing the IcustomizedComponent interface can recognize.


IsSuccess: The invoked method returns a value, either “true” or “false”, for this property.



Message: If the IsSuccess is equal to “false”, an error message shows on ACA pages, and
meanwhile stop submitting.

UserContext: Class that provides the current login user information. It contains the following
properties.


LoginName: login name that the registered user uses to access ACA.



CallerID: Login user’s ID assigned when registered.



FirstName: The first name of the login user.



MiddleName: The middle name of the login user.

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

LastName: The last name of the login user.
The personal information above are useful when you prevent only certain users from
performing certain actions.



Permission: IDictionary: Best practice is that you do not set the
permission to this property, instead, you set the permission by implementing
IGrantPermission interface if necessary, and obtain the customized permission with this
property. Define the FunctionItem as enumeration type.

BaseCustomizedComponent: The base class that must be inherited by creating a new class
to add new custom component.


User:UserContext: Property that is of UserContext type.

The following diagram illustrates the relation between the interface and the classes.

Steps of Implementing ICustomizedComponent Interface
To implement the ICustomizedComponent interface

1.

Create a project and add the Accela.ACA.CustomizedAPI.dll file from the bin folder under
the ACA deployment directory to the project as reference.

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2.

Declare a class that inherits the BaseCustomizedComponent Class that implements the
ICustomizedCompoent interface.

3.

Create your own content, such as agency logo, announcement, legal information for the
component in the ascx file.

4.

Compile the program to generate one or more dll files.

5.

Copy the dll files to the \Customize\DLL folder under the ACA deployment directory and
\bin folder.

6.

Copy the ascx file from the project to the \Customize\UserControls folder under the
ACA deployment directory.

7.

Add the ascx file name and the path to the web pages.

•

If to display the custom component on the home pages, customize the Welcome Global
page and the Welcome Registered page. See Customizing Home Page Components on
page 174.

•

If to display the custom component in the application intake form, customize Customize
the page flow. See Working with Components on page 146 and Listing of Components
on page 149.

Example of Implementing ICustomizedComponent
Interface
Below is an example of how to implement a custom component by implementing
ICustomizedComponent interface.
Intention:
Create a custom component and add it to both the Welcome Global page and the Welcome
Registered page. The custom component contains a logo image, a paragraph of text, and a
Schedule Inspection link. The Schedule Inspection action is globally disabled when anonymous
users navigate in Citizen Access, see Example of Implementing IGrantPermission Interface on
page 496.
Assumption:
Citizen Access sits on \\aa-server\aca-product.
Use .NET Framework to develop the program.
Prerequisite:
Assuming that the Schedule Inspection action - globally disabled for anonymous users - is
implemented. See the programming in Example of Implementing IGrantPermission Interface on
page 496.
Steps of implementation:

1.

Create a project with .NET Framework.

2.

Locate the Accela.ACA.CustomizedAPI.dll file from the \\aa-server\acaproduct\bin folder, and add it to the project as reference.

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3.

Declare a class “CustomizedComponent” to inherits the BaseCustomizedComponent Class
that implements the ICustomizedCompoent interface.
Below is the sample code:
using Accela.ACA.CustomizeAPI;
namespace CustomizeTest.Web
{
public class CustomizedComponent:BaseCustomizeComponent
{
protected override voic (OnLoad)(System.EventArgs e)
{
//The Schedule Inspection action - globally disabled for
anonymous users - is implemented by implementing IGrantPermission
interface.
if (UserContext.Permision != null &
UserContext.Permissions.ContainsKey(FunctionItem.ScheduleInspection
) && UserContext.Permisisons[FunctionItem.ScheduleInspection]==
false)
{
lnkScheduleInspection.Visible = false;
}
base.Onload(e);
}
}
}

4.

Globally disable the Schedule Inspection action when anonymous users navigate Citizen
Access. See Example of Implementing IGrantPermission Interface on page 496 for detailed
information.

5.

Add information to the CustomizedComponent.ascx file.
<%@ Control Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true"
Inherits="CustomizeTest.Web.CustomizedComponent" %>






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Welcome to the new Citizen
Portal



We are pleased to offer our citizens, businesses, and
visitors access to government services online,
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.










6.

Compile the class and generate a dll file CustomizedComponentSample.dll.

7.

Copy the CustomizedComponentSample.dll file in to the \\aa-server\acaproduct\Customize\DLL folder and the \\aa-server\aca-product\bin folder.

8.

Copy the CustomizedComponent.ascx file in to the \\aa-server\acaproduct\Customize\UserControls folder.

9.

Configure the Welcome Global page and the Welcome Registered page to upload the
component content on to the pages.
a. Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > General > Page.
b. open the Welcome Global page and the Welcome Registered page.
c. Scroll down to the bottom of the Welcome Global page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the “Click here to edit customized content properties”
area.

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d. Click the “Click here to edit customized content properties” area to highlight it.
e. Fill the Path value with “CustomizedComponent.ascx”.
f. Set the Visible value to “true”.
g. Click Save button.

10. After configuration, the custom component applies to Citizen Access.
•

On the Citizen Access Login (Welcome Global) page, the custom component, without
the Schedule an Inspection link, displayed at the bottom of the page. Beware that all the

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Schedule links in the Link section above the custom component hide also, because
Schedule Inspection action only available for login users.

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•

Log in to the Welcome Registered page. The custom component displayed at the
bottom of the Login page. All the Schedule Inspection links resume displaying in the Link
Section.

Example of Creating a Custom Component That
Implements APIs
When you implement the interface ICustomizedComponent to create a custom component, you
can reference to the new DLL file, ComponentService.dll, and call the APIs exposed by the DLL
to get data from the Citizen Access database. For the complete list of APIs, see Table 20: APIs
Exposed by ComponentService.dll on page 512.

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Below is an example of how to create a custom component “Dashboard” and add it to the
Welcome Global page on the Citizen Access website. The Dashboard component implements
the CapService.GetMyRecords API to get the record list of the current user and display the fees
and fines information extracted from the records.
To create a custom component with ComponentService.dll

1.

Create a new project in Visual C# and name the project as “Dashboard”.

2.

Locate the required DLL files, ComponentService.dll and CustomizeAPI.dll, from the bin
folder under the ACA deployment directory, and add them to the project as reference.

3.

Create a web user control, and name it as “Dashboard.ascx”.

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4.

Declare a class “DashBoard” to inherit the BaseCustomizeComponent class in the
Accela.ACA.CustomizeAPI namespace.

5.

Implement the desired functions using the exposed APIs. For the complete list of APIs
exposed for use, see Table 20: APIs Exposed by ComponentService.dll on page 512.
The following steps use jQuery to implement the function of the dashboard.
a. Create a “Handle” directory file in the dashboard project.
b. Create a handler file, for example, “Asynchronous.ashx” under the “Handle” directory.

c. Locate the ProcessRequest method in Asynchronous.ashx.
d. Call the APIs in the ProcessRequest method for accessing the data in Citizen Access,
for example, the data of paying fines and paying fees. Do the following.

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1) Create a DataProvider class for calling the CapService.GetMyRecords API to
get the records list of the current user.

2) Load DataProvider in Dashboard.ascx.cs, and pass the records list to
Session["DashBordData"].

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3) Add the code for getting the PayFines and PayFee data in Asynchronous.ashx.cs.
Use the DataUtil class to filter the data.

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4) Add a ready() method in the HTML file of Dashboard.ascx.

5) Compile the project and generate a DLL file dashboard.dll.
6) Copy the generated dashboard.dll to \Web\Bin.

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7) Copy Dashboard.ascx and Asynchronous.ashx and other related resource files to
\Web\Customize\UserControls.

6.

Configure the Welcome Global page and the Welcome Registered page to upload the
component content on to the pages.
a. Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > General > Page.
b. open the Welcome Global page and the Welcome Registered page.
c. Scroll down to the bottom of the Welcome Global page.
Citizen Access Setup displays the “Click here to edit customized content properties”
area.
d. Click the “Click here to edit customized content properties” area to highlight it.
e. Fill the Path value with “Dashboard.ascx”.

f. Set the Visible value to “true”.
g. Click Save button.

7.

Log in to Citizen Access with a user account to check whether the custom component
applies to the Welcome Global page.
The customized component area in the Welcome Global page displays the dashboard
which provides the Pay Fee and Pay Fines data.

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Table 20: APIs Exposed by ComponentService.dll

API Class/API Name

Description and Example

CapService/
GetMyRecords

This API gets the records that belong to the specified module.
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
moduleName / string / Required / Specify module
Returned Type:
List
Example API Call:

CapService capService = new CapService(context);
List myCapList =
capService.GetMyRecords(moduleName);
CapService/
GetCapByAltID

This API gets the record information per the specified record Alt ID.
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
capAltID / string / Required / Specify AltID
sAgencyCode / string / Required / Specify AgencyCode
Returned Type:
CapWrapperModel
Example API Call:

CapService capService = new CapService(context);
CapWrapperModel capModel = capService.GetCapByAltID("13ACC000000254F","SACCO");
LabelService/
GetLabelTextByKey

This API gets the value of the specified label key.
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
labelKey / string / Required / LabelKey
Returned Type:
string
Example API Call:

LabelService labelService = new LabelService(context);
return labelService.GetLabelTextByKey(key);

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Table 20: APIs Exposed by ComponentService.dll (Continued)

API Class/API Name

Description and Example

FeeService/
This API gets the total fee amount in the specified record.
GetTotalBalanceAmo
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
unt
agencyCode / string /Required / AgencyCode
id1 / string / Required / CapId1
id2 / string / Required / CapId2
id3 / string / Required / CapId3
Returned Type:
double
Example API Call:

FeeService feeService = new FeeService(context);
return feeService.GetTotalBalanceAmount("SACCO","13ACC",
"00000", "0254F");
I18NService/
This API gets the language used in the current website.
GetUserPreferredCul
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
ture
Null
Returned Type:
string
Example API Call:

I18NService i18nService = new I18NService(context);
return i18nService.GetUserPreferredCulture();
LicenseProfessional This API gets the licensed professional information of the specified record.
Service/
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
GetLicenseProfessio
agencyCode / string /Required / AgencyCode
nalList
id1 / string / Required / CapId1
id2 / string / Required / CapId2
id3 / string / Required / CapId3
Returned Type:
List
Example API Call:

LicenseProfessionalService licenseProfessionalService = new
LicenseProfessionalService(context);
return
LicenseProfessionalService.GetLicenseProfessionalList("SACCO"
,"13ACC", "00000", "0254F");

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Table 20: APIs Exposed by ComponentService.dll (Continued)

API Class/API Name

Description and Example

LogService/Debug

This API writes the debug log to the server.
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
tag / string / Required / Action trigger
message / object / Required / Log content
Returned Type:
void
Example API Call:

LogService logService = new LogService(userContext);
logService.Debug("Dashboard", message);
LogService/Error

This API writes the error log to the server.
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
tag / string / Required / Action trigger
message / object / Required / Log content
Returned Type:
void
Example API Call:

LogService logService = new LogService(userContext);
logService.Error("Dashboard", message);
LogService/Info

This API writes the info log to the server.
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
tag / string / Required / Action trigger
message / object / Required / Log content
Returned Type:
void
Example API Call:

LogService logService = new LogService(userContext);
logService.Info("Dashboard", message);
LogService/Fatal

This API writes the fatal log to the server.
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
tag / string / Required / Action trigger
message / object / Required / Log content
Returned Type:
void
Example API Call:

LogService logService = new LogService(userContext);
logService.Fatal("Dashboard", message);

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Table 20: APIs Exposed by ComponentService.dll (Continued)

API Class/API Name

Description and Example

WorkflowService/
GetWorkflowTasks

This API gets the task names in the specified record.
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
paddingCaps / List / Required / To-be-searched Cap set
Returned Type:
string[]
Example API Call:

var workflowService = new WorkflowService(context);
string[] workFlowTasks =
workflowService.GetWorkflowTasks(paddingCaps);
WorkflowService/
This API concatenates specified strings.
ConcatStringWithSpl
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
itChar
args / IEnumerable /Required/ To-be-assembled data set
splitChar / string / Required / Field separator
Returned Type:
string
Example API Call:
eg:
If args[0] = "a",args[1]="b",args[2]="c", the result is "a b c";
If args[0] = "",args[1]="b",args[2]="c", the result is "b c";
ASITDrillDownServic This API gets the ASI table information with the specified table key in the records that belong
e/
to the specified module.
GetASITUITableFrom Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
CurSession
sTableKey / string / Required / Table Key
sModuleName / string / Required / Module Name
Returned Type:
ASITWrapperModel
Example API Call:

ASITWrapperModel asitWrapperModel =
ASITDrillDownService.GetASITUITableFromCurSession("sTableKey"
,"sModuleName");

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Table 20: APIs Exposed by ComponentService.dll (Continued)

API Class/API Name

Description and Example

ASITDrillDownServic This API gets the first-level drilldown information in the specified ASI table group and
e/
subgroup of the specified agency.
GetFirstDrillDownLis
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
tOfASIT
sAgencyCode / string / Required / AgencyCode
sASITGroupName / string / Required / GroupName
sASITSubGroupName / string / Required / SubGroupName
Returned Type:
DrillDownSeriesWrapperModel
Example API Call:

ASITDrillDownService asitDrillDownServicel = new
ASITDrillDownService(userContext)
DrillDownSeriesWrapperModel aSWS =
asitDrillDownServicel.GetFirstDrillDownListOfASIT(agencyCode,
parentGroupName, subGroupName);
ASITDrillDownServic This API gets the next-level drilldown information in the specified ASI table group and
e/
subgroup of the specified agency.
GetNextDrillDownLis
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
tOfASIT
sAgencyCode / string / Required /Agency Code
selectedIdsOfLastDrillDown /string[] / Required / To-be-got column
sSeriesId /string / Required /Specify series
Returned Type:
DrillDownSeriesWrapperModel
Example API Call:

ASITDrillDownService asitDrillDownServicel = new
ASITDrillDownService(userContext)
DrillDownSeriesWrapperModel aSWS =
asitDrillDownServicel.GetNextDrillDownListOfASIT(agencyCode,
(string[])columnIDPathList.ToArray(typeof(string)),
seriesId);

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B: Features Requiring Interface Implementations

Table 20: APIs Exposed by ComponentService.dll (Continued)

API Class/API Name

Description and Example

ASITDrillDownServic This API searches for drilldown information according to the specified criteria.
e/
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
SearchDrillDownIte
sAgencyCode /string / Required / Agency Code
m
sASITGroupName /string / Required / ASIT Group Name
sASITSubGroupName / string / Required / ASIT Sub Group Name
sSearchValue /string / Required / Search Content
Returned Type:
List
Example API Call:

ASITDrillDownService asitDrillDownServicel = new
ASITDrillDownService(userContext)
List lst = asitDrillDownServicel
.SearchDrillDownItem("SACCO","GroupName","SubGroupName","Sear
ch Content");
ASITDrillDownServic This API updates the specified ASI table drilldown item.
e/
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
UpdateSelectedDrill
finalColumnNames / Dictionary / Required /
Down
selectIdList / List / Required /
sGroupName / string / Required /
sSubGroupName / string / Required /
asitUIKey /string[] / Required /
Returned Type:
bool. true: success; false: failed
Example API Call:

ASITDrillDownService asitDrillDownServicel = new
ASITDrillDownService(userContext)
bool result = asitDrillDownServicel
.UpdateSelectedDrillDown("finalColumnNames","selectIdList","s
GroupName","sSubGroupName","asitUIKey");

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Table 20: APIs Exposed by ComponentService.dll (Continued)

API Class/API Name

Description and Example

ASITDrillDownServic If an ASI table has several sub tables, when users add a row into a sub table with drill down,
e/
this API builds the script to be called at users’ click of the Finish button, for refreshing the
BuildSuccessfullyAd correct sub table in the ASI table.
dASITRowScript
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
Null
Returned Type:
StringBuilder
Example API Call:

ASITDrillDownService asitDrillDownServicel = new
ASITDrillDownService(userContext)
StringBuilder sb = asitDrillDownServicel
.BuildSuccessfullyAddASITRowScript();
ASITDrillDownServic
e/
GetASIT_POSTEVEN
T_SYNCUICOPYDAT
A

This API gets the constant ASIT_POSTEVENT_SYNCUICOPYDATA from Citizen Access.
Parameter (Name / Type / Required or Optional / Description):
dataType / UIDataType / Required / Data Type
dataKey / string[] / Required / Data Key
Returned Type:
UITable[]
Example API Call:

ASITDrillDownService asitDrillDownServicel = new
ASITDrillDownService(userContext)
UITable[] arrUI = asitDrillDownServicel
.GetASIT_POSTEVENT_SYNCUICOPYDATA("dataType","dataKey")

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A PPENDIX C:

VARIATIONS FOR CREATING
RECORDS
This appendix explains the different methods to process record creation. The creation of
records is one of the basic functions governing how your agency does business with your
customers. Citizen Access provides a default method for creating records. You can modify the
default record creation process to accommodate the demands of agencies to create records
that have child records, agencies that implement processes for multiple agencies, or agencies
that create amendment records. Citizen Access also provides the copy record functionality for
public users to create new record by copying an existing record. You can use the default record
creation process to create records without child records, you can also modify the process to
allow users to create child records during parent record creation. You can clone an existing
record to create a new record.
This appendix explains how to modify a default record creation process to be a parent-child
record creation process, how to copy an existing record to create a new record. This appendix
also provides an overview of the multiple agency record creation process and the creation of an
amendment record.
Topics


Creating a Parent-Child Record



Copying an Existing Record



Creating Records for Multiple Agencies



Configuring Amendment Record Functionality

Creating a Parent-Child Record
You can modify a default record creation process, which does not involve child records, to be a
parent-child record creation process. The parent-child record creation process requires public
users to create at least one child record during parent record creation. Child records work as
part of the application contents to the parent record.
The parent-child record creation is useful if users want to complete a task which comprises
several sub-tasks, for example, a clinic applies for a permit to throw away their medical wastes,
such as blood or surgical specimens. In this example, the parent record is the application to
throw away the medical wastes, while the child records are the specific contents of the medical
wastes to be thrown away, such as blood and surgical specimens.
In the parent-child record creation process, public users can select child record types from the
ASI Table section. When users move to the Associated Form step, EMSE scripts automatically
generate child records and display them in the Associated Form step.

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Note:

Public users must pay for the parent and child records together in the
Shopping Cart in Citizen Access and there is only one receipt for the
payment. If users pay for any of the records through Civic Platform,
they must pay for the remaining records through Civic Platform.

To set up the parent-child record creation process, in addition to completing the configurations
described in Chapter 14: Creating Records on page 282, you must also complete several other
configurations as described below.
To implement creation of parent-child records

1.

Complete all the configurations described in Chapter 14: Creating Records on page 282.

2.

Make sure you mark the Enable Associated Forms option in the record type setting in
Civic Platform. See Configuring Record Type Settings on page 286.
In the Associated Forms step, users must complete creation of all child records before
moving forward to the next step, Pay Fees.
Citizen Access adds the Associated Forms step to the parent application creation process
to display the child records.

3.

Add the following value and value description to the Standard Choice ACA_CONFIGS. For
more information on configuring the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.
Standard Choice
Value

ASSOCIATED_FORMS_ASIT_RELATIONSHIP_FIELD

Value Desc

RelationshipID
The Value Desc is used in the ASI table in the next step.

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4.

Create an ASI table and configure it as described in the following substeps.
a. Create a column and enter the Column Name to match the Value Desc of the Standard
Choice Value you just created. Set the Type to Text and set the ACA Displayable to
Hidden.
The column is used to store the child record IDs that are hidden from users when users
move to the Associated Forms step in the parent record creation process.

b. Create another column. Set the Type to Drop-down List. Add the desired existing record
types to the drop-down list, or import the record types from other existing shared dropdown lists.

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Citizen Access displays the ASI Table section during the record creation process. Users
click the Add Rows button and select the child record types on the pop-up window.

c. Associate the ASI table to the parent record type.
For more information on ASI tables, see “Working with ASI Tables” section in the
“Working with Application Specific Information” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform
Administrator Guide.
d. Add the component of ASI table to the page flow of the parent record type to display the
ASI Table section in the record creation process.
For information on how to add a component to a page flow, see Working with
Components on page 146.

5.

Define an EMSE script.
You must define a script and associate it to the ApplicationSubmitAfter event to autogenerate the child records based on the selected child record types as users move to the
Associated Forms step in the parent record creation process. For information on writing
scripts, see the “Event and Script Setup” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Scripting
Guide.

6.

Enable Shopping Cart in the Global Settings page in the ACA Administration site.
For more information about shopping cart, see Cart Settings on page 69.
a. Mark the Enable Cart option.
b. Set the Payment Transaction Settings to the Transaction per Cart mode.

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Citizen Access lists all the fees of the parent record or the child records in the Pay Fees

page.

Copying an Existing Record
Public users can clone an existing (parent) record to create a new record of the same record
type on pages, such as the Record Detail page, the Receipt page, the record list, and the record
search list. When public users clone a record, they specify the source record content they want
to use to populate the new record. See Figure 123: Copying Record. The selected source
content is populated in the corresponding sections of the application intake form. After selecting
the desired source content, public users must go through the record creation process to modify
the populated information as needed, fill any blank fields, and complete the new record
creation.

Note:

Public users may find that some of the source content options are
disabled. That is because the page flow associated with the record
type does not contain those components, consequently the application
intake form does not contain those sections, and public users do not
have the chance to select them. For detailed information about adding
components to a page flow, see Working with Components on
page 146.

For Citizen Access that supports multi-agency services, when public users copy a record for a
sub-agency, if the sub-agency does not have any page flow associated with the record type,
public users create the cloned record with the main agency’s page flow that is used for creating
the parent record. If sub-agency has its own page flow associated with the record type, public

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users create the cloned record based on the sub-agency’s page flow. To learn how to associate
a page flow with a record, see Associating Record Types With a Page Flow on page 133. For
more information about ACA serving multiple agencies, see Creating Records for Multiple
Agencies.
Figure 123: Copying Record

Follow the task list below to implement the Copy Record functionality


Enable Copy Record functionality. See Copy Record Settings on page 108.



Customize the web page, Copy Record, in the Apply for a Permit folder. For instructions on
configuring a web page, see Chapter 10: Working with Web Pages on page 158.

Creating Records for Multiple Agencies
This section explains the details of record creation when multiple agencies offer services to
public users through ACA. When Civic Platform is in a multi-agency configuration, your agency
requires the implementation of ACA. This appendix provides the basic conceptual flow for the
process to create a record, the configurations for setup, and the impact of configurations on the
user interface. This special way to create records is particularly useful if a main agency (State)
wants to establish themselves as a hub for sub-agency (County or City) information where their
customers can have access to view or perform tasks associated with any of the sub-agency
levels. This allows public users to manage records from the multiple agencies from a single
login. For example, a business owner’s building permit can be accessible with one ACA login

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where services associated with the city, county, and state are tracked and applied to their
application. The services may include maintenance with waterlines or structural upgrades.
To set up the record creation process, your must perform multiple configurations within Civic
Platform and Citizen Access. Follow the steps in Configurations for Record Creation and the
Impact on the User Interface on page 528 for a complete list of configurations.
You must perform all configurations in this appendix for a successful record creation process.
The configurations enable agencies to share information in a common database and allow
public users access to records from multiple agencies in one location.
Topics


Understanding the Process for Creating a Record



Configurations for Record Creation and the Impact on the User Interface



Sharing Information between Agencies



Enabling Associated Forms for a Main Agency



Delegate User Administrator



Multiple Agency Service Management



Associating a Logo with an Agency

Understanding the Process for Creating a Record
When a public user creates a record involving multiple-agencies in ACA, they move through a
series of processes before completion. These next few paragraphs explain the steps that the
public user takes during record creation and the Civic Platform responses. Refer to Figure 124:
Diagram of the Process of Creating Records for a diagram. This methodology is required for
record creation involving multiple agencies services from a single ACA site. This process can,
however, be implemented with an individual agency unaffiliated with other locations.

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Figure 124: Diagram of the Process of Creating Records

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Citizen Access provides the public user with an interface to create a record online. A public user
goes to the agency website and logs in to ACA to access the ACA Home Page. There are two
hyperlinks for users to start the record creation process:


“Create an Application” hyperlink
When clicked, this hyperlink directs users to select a work location which an address search
across multiple agencies can obtain. When the address is selected, Civic Platform fires an
EMSE (Event Manager and Script Engine) script to filter the available services based on the
address type and license type. The Select Services section lists all the service options by
agencies. The public user can select one or more available services from the list. See
Figure 125: Service Options available by Work Location.

Figure 125: Service Options available by Work Location



“Create an Application by Selecting Services” hyperlink
When clicked, this hyperlink directs users to select one or more services across multiple
agencies. See Figure 126: Service Options available by Agencies. The Select Services
section lists all the service options by agencies, which include all the services that do not

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relate to any license types, and the services (if any) that are associated with the license
type(s) of the public user.
Figure 126: Service Options available by Agencies

If users select multiple services, or select a service whose record type does not relate to any
page flow, users must select a record type before starting the application creation process.
The public user follows the page flow to complete and confirms the application for submission.
At this point the public user may continue on to view the estimation of fees for the records. See
Figure 129: Agency Logo View on the Fee Detail page in Citizen Access.
Civic Platform is configurable to validate any license information through EMSE at this point.
After validation, the public user makes a full or partial payment. The issuance and confirmation
of payment displays. Once a sub-agency record is paid in full, it is disassociated from the main
placeholder record type. When all records are paid in full, the main placeholder record type is
removed and each sub-agency record stands alone at the associated sub-agency level ending
the record creation process.
A public user views all of the records that are associated with him across multiple agencies in
the My Record list. He can also search records across multiple agencies. The search results
also displays all associated records across multiple agencies.

Configurations for Record Creation and the Impact on the
User Interface
The configurations required to implement the creation of records offered for multiple agencies
and their services include features associated with multi-agency services, sub-agency record
types, and reports. Each of these features may require Standard Choice and/or Functional
Identification (FID) configurations. The most critical element of the process is the main record
type which works as a place holder for sub-agency records and resides at the main agency
level. The place holder record type does not require ASI (application-specific information),
workflow, or fee setup because it merely functions as a storage place. You must configure a

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page flow for the place holder record type. You must also configure the record type filter in
Citizen Access so that this main record type is the only available record type available to public
users. This forces the public user to initially select the place holder record type so the record
types for the sub-agency services can be associated with it moving the group of records
together through the record creation process. The instructions below provide the configurations
for the record creation feature and their impact on the user interface.
To configure the ability to create records

1.

Configure any delegate users to have the ability to manage multiple agencies and their
services. Enable this feature for public users so that they have access to multiple agency
services when creating a record online. For complete configuration information, refer to
Delegate User Administrator on page 534.

2.

Configure the ability for multiple agencies to share information in a common database. This
is particularly useful when you search for addresses across multiple agencies when
selecting a work location. For complete configuration information, refer to Sharing
Information between Agencies on page 531.

3.

Enter the official website URL on the Global Settings page. For complete configuration
information, refer to Official Website on page 56 in the Chapter 4: Global Settings
Configuration Page on page 56.

4.

Configure the multi-service functionality for multiple agencies. This includes the
configuration for the items listed below:
a. Configure a record type at the main agency level. This record type does not require
Application Specific Information (ASI), workflow, or fee setup.
b. Configure any record types at the sub-agency level.
c. Configure ASI groups for sub-agency services. For example, ASI group plumbing
services with sub-group water heater. For more examples, refer to Table 25: Services
Example Configurations on page 548.

Note:

You must define the ASI sub-group at both the parent and sub-agency
level and make sure they match. At the parent level the ASI sub-group
information must exist in the database but it does not need to relate to
a record type.

d. Set up the multi-agency services and associate them to record types, licensed
professionals, addresses. You may also configure the service locks. For basic
configuration information refer to Multiple Agency Service Management on page 545.
e. Associate any logos with an agency. See Figure 129: Agency Logo View on the Fee
Detail page in Citizen Access. For complete configuration information, refer to
Associating a Logo with an Agency on page 556.

5.

Configure the record creation task on the Citizen Access home page.

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a. For multiple agencies, mark the “Create an Application” modular task, or an equivalent
task such as “Apply for a Permit” in the Feature Settings page of the agency
administration site.
b. For the main agency, mark the “Create an Application by Selecting Services” modular
task in the Feature Settings page of the agency administration site.
For configuration information, see Configuring Required Registration on page 83. For
viewing the pages after users select the task, see Figure 125: Service Options available by
Work Location on page 527 and Figure 126: Service Options available by Agencies on
page 528.

6.

Receipt and permit summary configurations.
a. Configure the receipt and permit summary in Report Manager. You must define receipts
for each sub-agency and main agency. You must also define an overall multi-agency
receipt that includes all sub-agency information at the main agency level. You can refer
to Setting Report Viewable Permissions on page 470.
b. Associate the receipts and the permit summary to buttons in Citizen Access. For
complete configuration information, see Associating Reports with Print/View Buttons on
page 464.

7.

Configure the page-flow for the main agency placeholder record type. For complete
configuration information, see Chapter 9: Page Flow Configuration on page 130.

8.

Configure the record type filter to exclude all records but the main agency placeholder
record type. For complete configuration information, refer to Record Type Filters on
page 120.

9.

According to your agency’s requirement, enable or disable the associated forms for a main
agency. For complete configuration information, see Enabling Associated Forms for a Main
Agency on page 533.

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Sharing Information between Agencies
Civic Platform provides a way for multiple agencies to share address, parcel, owner, licensed
professional, and contact information. Consolidating APO, licensed professional, and contact
information allows users to perform searches or update information across agencies. It also
limits duplicate information in various agency databases. For complete information about how to
consolidate licensed professionals, see Synchronizing Licensed Professional Data between
Agencies on page 554.
Topics


Sharing Addresses, Parcels, and Owners (APO)



Sharing Contacts

Sharing Addresses, Parcels, and Owners (APO)
This feature is required for the implementation of creating records for multiple agencies. During
the record creation process, a public user searches and selects a work location based on
addresses available in the common database.
For example, two agencies in Oregon, Sandy and Portland, want to share their data with an
administrator and the public user group from the State of Oregon. Each city grants user access
to their agency data through both FID configuration and delegate user setup to allows users to
search addresses across these agencies. Depending on the users’ privileges and settings, they
can view and edit the other agencies data. The user and agency that created the APO record is
preserved. For more information about granting user access to a common database, refer to
Delegate User Administrator on page 534.
The sharing APO information feature requires Standard Choices configuration. You must set the
APO_CHECK_DUPLICATE Standard Choice to control the agency data filter and the
MULTI_SERVICE_SETTINGS Standard Choice to control the ability to delegate users to work
across agencies.
For complete information on how to set up Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.
To enable the sharing of APO information across agencies

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > Admin Tools > Agency Profile > Standard Choices.

2.

Configure the Standard Choice APO_CHECK_DUPLICATE as described below:

3.

Type

Select the System Switch option.

Standard Choice
Value

Y or N. Set the configuration for Yes if you want to expand search
functionality by checking the address against additional fields for
duplicate information. Set the value to No to use existing search
logic.

Configure the Standard Choice MULTI_SERVICE_SETTINGS as described below:

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Type

Select the System Switch option.

Standard Choice
Value

IS_SUPER_AGENCY

Value Desc

Yes or No.

Sharing Contacts
In a multiple-agency environment, you can share contacts across agencies. When a public user
adds or updates a contact from the main agency or the sub-agency, Citizen Access can
synchronize contact information across all agencies in the multiple-agency environment. The
shared contact information includes basic contact information, contact template data, contact
addresses, contact aliases, and contact association with public users.
Contact templates relate to contact types. If agencies have associated different contact
templates for the same contact type, Citizen Access synchronizes only the template fields with
the same field labels between the agencies. For example, Main Agency, Sub-Agency 1, and
Sub-Agency 2 have defined the template fields for the contact type “Applicant” as shown in the
Table 21: Example Contact Templates on page 532. When Main Agency adds an applicant, the
applicant’s information including the template fields is available in both sub-agencies. However,
Sub-Agency 2 does not display the applicant’s ethnicity. Similarly, when Sub-Agency 2 adds an
applicant, the applicant is available in both Main Agency and Sub-Agency 1 but those two
agencies do not have the applicant’s ethnicity information.
Table 21: Example Contact Templates

Main Agency

Sub-Agency 1

Sub-Agency 2

Gender

Gender

Gender

Language

Language

Language

Ethnicity

Ethnicity

The sharing contacts feature requires Standard Choices configuration. Each agency must
configure the Standard Choice CONTACT_ACROSS_AGENCIES in the same way. For
complete information on how to set up a Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.
To enable the sharing of contacts across agencies

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > Admin Tools > Agency Profile > Standard Choices.

2.

Configure the Standard Choice CONTACT_ACROSS_AGENCIES for the main agency and
each of the sub-agencies as follows:
Type

Select the System Switch option.

Standard Choice
Value

Enter the agency codes of the agencies between which you want
to share contacts. Super administrator defines the agency codes
during agency creation. To find correct agency codes, see
“Maintaining Agencies” in the Agencies and Functions chapter of
the Civic Platform On-Premise Administrator Supplement.

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Enabling Associated Forms for a Main Agency
The multiple-agency environment supports the associated forms functionality. This allows a
public user to complete multiple applications at a time.
When the public user selects multiple services to create applications in the main agency, Citizen
Access uses the main agency’s placeholder record type as a parent record type to collect
common information and Citizen Access uses the selected services’ record types as child
record types to collect service-specific information. The common information is later copied into
each child record. To enable associated forms functionality, follow the instructions in this
section.
When the public user selects a single service to create applications in the main agency, the
associated forms functionality works in the same way as that in a regular agency. Citizen
Access uses the service’s record type as a parent record type and requires the user to specify
the child record types in the ASI Table section. For complete configuration information about
enabling the associated forms functionality in a regular agency, see Creating a Parent-Child
Record on page 519.
The Associated Forms step lists all the child record types during application intake process.
Depending on the record type settings on the parent record type, the public user can open and
complete all or some of the child records before moving forward to the next step. If necessary,
the user can remove any of the child records from the Associated Forms list.
To enable the associated forms functionality for a main agency

1.

Make sure you associate each of the parent record types and child record types to a page
flow. For complete configuration information, see Chapter 9: Page Flow Configuration on
page 130.

2.

Make sure you mark the Enable Associated Forms option for the parent record type in the
record type setting in Civic Platform. See Configuring Record Type Settings on page 286.

Citizen Access adds the Associated Forms step to the parent application creation process
to display the child records.

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3.

If necessary, mark or clear the Enable Partial Submission option for the parent record
type in the record type setting. This option is nested under the Enable Associated Forms
option.
If you mark the Enable Partial Submission option, Citizen Access allows public users to
move forward to the next step without completing creation of all child records. For example,
the Continue to Payment button in the screenshot for step 2 becomes accessible.
If your clear the Enable Partial Submission option, Citizen Access requires public users to
open and complete each child record before moving forward to the next step.

Delegate User Administrator
Civic Platform allows users to perform operations in multiple agencies using one user account.
A user granted access to multiple agencies can log in to Civic Platform and easily switch
between agencies to perform tasks or view information. This feature is implemented in ACA for
creating records for multiple agencies. This provides a way for a public user to have access to
search information and view information shared across agencies. Public users can also request
services from multiple agencies with one public user account. For instructions on how to create
a delegate user specific to the public user group for ACA creating records, see Creating a
Delegate Account for a Public User Group on page 541.
Any external user granted access to information at a sub-agency is controlled by the subagency administrator in two ways: one way is Agency FID configuration, the other way is user
account permissions assigned to the delegate user.
To create a delegate user account, an agency must define, grant permissions, and enable
access to an external agency user. This is done by creating a regular agency user account that
is specifically designated for the user outside of your agency. Your agency creates a user
account, grants permissions, then establishes a relationship between your agency User ID to
the User ID from the external agency using the delegate user administrator. If your agency User
ID and external agency User ID does not create the delegate user relationship between each
other, the delegate, or external agency user, has no access to your agency database. It also
requires your agency and the external agency to share information in a common database. This
is used when you search and select the delegate User ID from the external agency to establish
the link between your agency and the external agency. To review how your agency and the

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external agency can share information, see Sharing Information between Agencies on
page 531.
For example, the State of Oregon may have associations with Marion County, the city of
Portland, and the city of Sandy. Oregon is the parent agency. Marion County, Portland, and
Sandy are sub-agencies. Betty Greenwood, a user at Oregon, needs access to Marion County
and Portland, but not to Sandy. Marion County and Portland each create a regular user account
and grant user access at their discretion. After Marion County and Portland create the user
account, they designate this user account for the delegate user, Betty Greenwood from Oregon.
Oregon must share Betty’s User ID with both Marion County and Portland. The administrators
link her User ID with the designated user account in the delegate user portlets. When Marion
County and Portland establish this relationship, Betty can switch between the different agency
locations. She has access to Oregon, Marion County, and Portland after logging into Civic
Platform, but does not have access to Sandy. Marion County and Portland can change Betty’s
access at any time. The delegate user history portlet displays any changes to Betty’s delegate
user account.
Civic Platform and Citizen Access support this feature. It requires Standard Choices
configuration for setup. The parent and sub-agencies must also share information in a database
for complete functionality. Refer to Sharing Information between Agencies on page 531. If your
agency uses ACA, please refer to Creating a Delegate Account for a Public User Group on
page 541. This section provides details on how to set up the Public User group as a delegate
user for ACA.
For information about how to configure a regular user account, refer to the “Adding a User”
section in the “User Profile” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
Topics


Configuring Delegate User Administrator



Creating a Delegate User



Creating a Delegate Account for a Public User Group



Enabling Delegate User Agency Access



Searching and Editing Delegate User Information



Viewing Delegate User History



Toggling between Agency Locations

Configuring Delegate User Administrator
Expose the delegate user portlets and enable the ability for delegate users to switch between
the main parent agency and sub-agencies through Functional Identification (FID) configuration.
This section provides FID configuration details for Civic Platform. An important configuration
consideration is that administrators must set up these FID configurations for each agency. It is
possible that the settings for the FIDs associated with delegate user administrator may differ
from agency to agency. Please pay special attention to the access specifications and the effects
on a delegate user in Table 22: FID 0286 Delegate User Management on page 537 and Table
23: FID 8403 Multi-Agency Switch on page 539. For example, Sandy may have FID 0286 set to
Read-Only and Oregon may have 0286 set to Full-Access which provides delegate users full
access to information at Oregon, but restrict them to only viewing information in Sandy.

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To configure the delegate user administrator

1.

Navigate to Civic Platform > User Profile > Groups.
Civic Platform displays the User Group-Search page.

2.

Search and Select the User Group to which you want to apply the delegate user feature.

3.

Configure the Functional Identification (FID) number 0286 Delegate User Management
and FID 8403 Multi-Agency Switch. For information on configuring the FIDs, refer to the
Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

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a. FID 0286 Delegate User Management is used to control the access of Delegate User
Administrator portlets.
Full-Access

When this FID is set to Full-Access, user can create/update/view/
delete/search delegate user relationships in the Delegate User
portlet. User can also search/view Delegate User relationship
history in the Delegate User History portlet.

Read-Only

When this FID is set to Read-Only, User can view/search Delegate
User relationships in the Delegate User portlet and Delegate User
History. User cannot create/update/delete Delegate User
relationships.

No-Access

When this FID is set to No-Access, user has no privilege to access
the Delegate User Portlet.

Table 22: FID 0286 Delegate User Management

FID Setting

Parent Agency
Administrator

Delegate User
Administrator from
Parent Agency

Sub-Agency
Administrator

Full Access set at
both the Parent
and Sub-agencies

User has full-access. Users
can create, update, view,
delete, and search delegate
user relationships in the
Delegate User portlet. Users
can also search and view
Delegate User relationship
history in the Delegate User
History portlet.

User has full-access
at both agencies.
Users can create,
update, view, delete,
and search delegate
user relationships in
the Delegate User
portlet. Users can also
search and view
Delegate User
relationship history in
the Delegate User
History portlet.

User has full-access.
Users can create,
update, view, delete,
and search delegate
user relationships in
the Delegate User
portlet. Users can also
search and view
Delegate User
relationship history in
the Delegate User
History portlet.

Full Access set at
Parent Agency and
Read Only set at
Sub-agency.

User has full-access. They
can create, update, view,
delete, and search delegate
user relationships in the
Delegate User portlet. They
can also search and view
Delegate User relationship
history in the Delegate User
History portlet.

User has full access
permissions at the
Parent Agency and
Read-only
permissions at the
Sub-agency.

Read Only
Permissions: User can
view and search
Delegate User
relationships in the
Delegate User portlet
and Delegate User
History. They cannot
create, update, or
delete Delegate User
relationships.

Full Access set at
Parent Agency and
No Access set at
the Sub-agency.

User has full-access. They
can create, update, view,
delete, and search delegate
user relationships in the
Delegate User portlet. They
can also search and view
Delegate User relationship
history in the Delegate User
History portlet.

Full Access at parent
agency. No access at
Sub-agency.

No Access.

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Table 22: FID 0286 Delegate User Management (Continued)

FID Setting

Parent Agency
Administrator

Delegate User
Administrator from
Parent Agency

Sub-Agency
Administrator

Read Only set at
Parent Agency.
Full Access to Subagency.

Read Only Permissions:
User can view and search
Delegate User relationships
in the Delegate User portlet
and Delegate User History.
They cannot create, update,
or delete Delegate User
relationships.

Read Only
permissions at Parent
Agency. Full Access
Sub-agency

User has full-access.
They can create,
update, view, delete,
and search delegate
user relationships in
the Delegate User
portlet. They can also
search and view
Delegate User
relationship history in
the Delegate User
History portlet.

No Access at
Parent Agency.
Read Only Access
at Sub-agency.

No Access.

No Access at Parent
Agency. Read Only
Access at Subagency.

Read Only
Permissions: User can
view and search
Delegate User
relationships in the
Delegate User portlet
and Delegate User
History. They cannot
create, update, or
delete Delegate User
relationships.

b. FID 8403 Multi-Agency Switch is used to control the privilege of toggling between
multiple Agencies. The functionality differs a little between Civic Platform and Civic
Platform. The descriptions below provide these differences:

Note:

Civic Platform can enable the ability to toggle between agencies by two
different FIDs. The Multi-Agency switch controlled by FID 8403 offers
more functionality and overrides FID 8098 when administrators have
both set to Full-Access.

- Civic Platform Agency Switch Functionality:
Full-Access: When FID 8403 is set to Full-Access and the user is defined as a
Delegate User, an agency drop-down list displays in Civic Platform. The user can
toggle between agencies by selecting an agency from this drop-down list. For a
graphical representation of this list, refer to Toggling between Agency Locations on
page 544. The agency drop-down list only displays to users that have a delegate user
account.
When FID 8403 is set to Read-Only and No-Access: Users do not have privileges to
switch between agencies. The Agency drop-down list does not display to users even
if they are defined as a Delegate User.
- Civic Platform Classic Administration Agency Switch Functionality:

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Full-Access: A Delegate User views an agency drop-down list in the upper area of
Civic Platform. The user toggles between agencies by selecting an agency from the
drop-down list. See Toggling between Agency Locations on page 544. If the user is
not defined as a Delegate User, the older existing FID 8098 Agency Switch business
logic is implemented.
Read-Only and No-Access: The new Multi-Agency Switch is not available. The user
can only use the older existing switch logic using FID 8098 Agency Switch if it is
enabled.
Table 23: FID 8403 Multi-Agency Switch

FID Setting

Regular Parent
Agency User

Delegate User from Parent Agency

Regular Subagency User

Full Access set at
both the Parent and
Sub-agencies

The user does
not view the new
Agency Switch
drop-down list.
They must be
assigned to a
delegate user
account at
another agency.

The new “Agency Switch” drop-down
list is available at the top of the parent
agency page. User toggles between
agencies to which they have access.
They can perform regular user
functions based on the delegate user
permissions on the User ID at the subagency.

Not Applicable.
No Parent
Agency
Access.

Full Access set at
Parent Agency and
Read Only set at the
Sub-agency

The user does
not view the new
Agency Switch
drop-down list.
They must be
assigned to a
delegate user
account at
another agency.

The new “Agency Switch” drop-down
list is available at the top of the parent
agency page. User toggles between
agencies to which they have access.
They can only view information to
which they have permissions set on
the delegate User ID at the subagency.

Not Applicable.
No Parent
Agency
Access.

Full Access set at
Parent Agency and
No Access set at the
Sub-agency

The user does
not view the new
Agency Switch
drop-down list.
They must be
assigned to a
delegate user
account at
another agency.

The new “Agency Switch” drop-down
list is available at the top of the parent
agency page. The drop-down list
populate the agencies to which they
have access.
They do not have access to this subagency. Civic Platform eliminates the
sub-agency from the list of available
agencies in the drop-down list.

Not Applicable.
No Parent
Agency
Access.

Read Only or NoAccess set at Parent
Agency

Not Applicable

The new “Agency Switch” functionality
is not available.

Not Applicable.
No Parent
Agency
Access.

Creating a Delegate User
A delegate user is a regular agency user account that is specifically designated for a user
located outside of your agency. You create a delegate user to assist with the management of
multi-agency information. Creating a delegate user account requires two main steps. First, you
must create a user account for the external agency user at your agency. Then you must link that

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user account with the User ID from the external agency to create the delegate user account in
the Delegate User portlets.
When the delegate user account is established, the external user has access to both the main
agency and sub-agency. The delegate user account can only relate to one external agency
user.
If your agency implements Citizen Access, you must create a delegate user account with the
public user group. This allows public users to access information and/or request services from
multiple agencies after logging in. Please refer to Creating a Delegate Account for a Public User
Group on page 541 for detailed configuration steps.
This feature requires Functional Identification (FID) setup. Refer to Configuring Delegate User
Administrator on page 535 for configuration details.
To create a new delegate user

1.

Create a user account and grant permissions at your agency designated for an external
agency user.
a. Navigate to Civic Platform > Admin Tools > User Profile > User.
b. Click the Add button and complete the user fields. Refer to “Adding a User” in the “User
Profile” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
c. In the User Group/Privilege section, mark the check box next to each module that you
want the user to be able to access.
d. Assign which user group the external user belongs to for each module.
e. Click the Save button.

2.

Define the Delegate user account. This account links the agency account with the external
agency user account.
a. Navigate to Admin > Setup portlet > System Tools > Delegate User
Civic Platform displays the Delegate User portlets.
b. Click the New button.
Civic Platform displays the New Delegate User portlet.
c. Complete the fields as described in Table 24: Delegate User Fields on page 540.
d. Click the Save button.

Table 24: Delegate User Fields

Field

Description

Allow Delegate User
Login

Mark the option to allow the delegate user to log in to your agency.

Delegate User ID

This is the delegate user’s User ID created at your agency. Click the
picker icon to search and select the User ID.
Refer to step 1 in the “Creating a Delegate User” section.

Parent Agency

Use the drop-down list to select the delegate user’s primary agency
location.

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Table 24: Delegate User Fields (Continued)

Field

Description

Parent User ID

Enter the delegate user’s User ID at his primary agency. Click the picker
icon to search and select this information.

Status

Use the drop-down list to select the user’s status. Select Enable to
activate or Disable to deactivate the delegate user account.

Creating a Delegate Account for a Public User Group
A public user can view multi-agency information, or view request services from various
agencies from one user login. This is done by creating a public user delegate user account. This
process requires you to setup a regular user account at the agency level. You do not need to set
permissions as they do not apply in ACA. After the regular user account is created, you link the
user account with a public user group at an agency using the delegate user portlets.
This feature requires Standard Choices configuration for implementation, refer to Configuring
Delegate User Administrator on page 535.
To create a public user delegate user account

1.

Create a user account at your agency designated for the public user group. You do not
need to assign permissions.
a. Navigate to Civic Platform > Admin Tools > User Profile > User.
b. Click the Add button and complete the user fields. Refer to the “Adding a User” section
in the “User Profile” chapter of the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide. You do not
need to assign this user any permissions.
c. Click the Save button.

2.

Define the Delegate user account. This account links the agency user account with the
public user group.
a. Navigate to Admin > Setup portlet > System Tools > Delegate User
Civic Platform displays the Delegate User portlets.
b. Click the New button.
Civic Platform displays the New Delegate User portlet.

c. Complete the Delegate User fields as described below:

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Allow Delegate User
Login

Mark the check box to allow public user access to multi-agency
information.

Delegate User ID

Use the picker icon to select the agency user account created for
the public user group. Refer to step 1 in the Viewing Delegate User
History section.

Parent Agency

Use the drop-down list to select the agency to which you want public
users to have the multi-agency access.

Parent User ID

Click the picker icon to search and select PUBLICUSER.

Status

Use the drop-down list to select the delegate user status. Select
Enable to activate or Disable to deactivate the delegate user
account.

d. Click the Save button.

Enabling Delegate User Agency Access
Your agency can allow a delegate user from another agency to access your data in Civic
Platform for viewing or performing tasks. The delegate user can perform tasks or view
information in your agency only when the delegate user relationship is established. Enable or
disable delegate user access to your agency at any time. For information on how to setup a new
delegate user, see Creating a Delegate User on page 539.
To enable a delegate user

1.

Navigate to Admin > Setup Portlet > System Tools > Delegate User.
Civic Platform displays the Delegate User portlets.

2.

Search and select a delegate user. If the delegate user account is not established, refer to
Creating a Delegate User on page 539.
Civic Platform displays the Delegate User detail portlet.

3.

Mark the option to allow the delegate user access to your system at login.

4.

Click the Save button.

Searching and Editing Delegate User Information
You can search for and edit delegate user information at any time. You may want to do this to
inactivate a delegate user. Any changes to delegate user information are stored and accessible
for viewing in the Delegate User History portlet. Refer to Viewing Delegate User History on
page 543.
If you want to change permissions for the delegate user, you must make those changes to the
user account profile you established at your agency for the external user. For example, you may
want to change a user’s access from full access to view only. This limits a delegate user from
making changes. See Creating a Delegate User on page 539 or refer to the “Editing a User”
section in the “User Profile” chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.

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To search and edit delegate user information

1.

Navigate to Admin > Setup portlet > System Tools > Delegate User.
Civic Platform displays the Delegate User portlets.

2.

Click the Search button.
Civic Platform displays the delegate user search portlet.

3.

Enter search criteria in one or more of the delegate user fields, then click Submit. Refer to
Table 24: Delegate User Fields on page 540.
Civic Platform returns a list of delegate users that meet the search criteria.

4.

Select the delegate user to which you want to modify information.
Civic Platform displays the delegate user detail in the Delegate User detail portlet.

5.

Make modifications. Refer to Table 24: Delegate User Fields on page 540 for details
regarding each delegate user field.

6.

Click Submit.

Viewing Delegate User History
The delegate user history portlet provides a running history of the delegate user account. It
indicates an operation name and corresponding date. For example, it shows the date when the
delegate user account was created or when an account was deactivated and then reinstated.
This portlet does not display changes to user permissions nor changes to tasks the delegate
user performed. Search and select historical information using the delegate user search
feature.
To view delegate user history

1.

Navigate to Admin > Setup portlet > System Tools > Delegate User.
Civic Platform displays the Delegate User list portlet.

2.

Select the delegate user to which you want to view history. If the delegate user does not
exist anymore, click the Search History button and enter your search criteria.
Civic Platform displays the delegate user details in the delegate user secondary detail
portlet.

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3.

If the delegate user exists, click the Delegate User History tab to view history.
Civic Platform displays a list of delegate user history to view.

4.

Select the historical event you want to view. If necessary you may search for a specific
event.
a. Click the Search button.
Civic Platform displays the Delegate User History Search portlet.

b. Enter your search criteria. Refer to Table 24: Delegate User Fields on page 540.
Civic Platform returns a list of applicable results.

Toggling between Agency Locations
Civic Platform provides a way for a multi-agency user to switch from one agency to another.
After a user logs into their primary agency, Civic Platform displays a drop-down list in the upper
areas of the page. This list is populated with the sub-agencies to which they are granted
delegate user access.
To switch between agency locations

1.

Do one of the following:

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•

To switch between agencies in Civic Platform, use the drop-down list in the upper area
of your page.

•

To switch between agencies in Civic Platform, use the drop-down list in the upper area
of your page.

Multiple Agency Service Management
Civic Platform provides the ability to manage services that multiple agencies offer by for public
users. A public user can request services for records offered from multiple agency locations
using one ACA login. For example, the public user can request a water pipe repair with
Maricopa County and a sewer repair with Portland city after logging into ACA. The one login
provides access to all services to which they have permissions.
Manage the services offered by associating it with a record type. You can also associate the
service with a licensed professional type. For example, a licensed commercial contractor may
have access to request plumbing or water service repairs. You can also associate an address
type with a service. For example, 123 Main Street is a commercial building and has access to
roof repair, water, and plumbing services offered by the State, county, and city. For more
examples of service configurations, refer to Table 25: Services Example Configurations on
page 548.

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Use the Service Lock Condition feature to filter the offered services. This provides the option to
exclude services to a particular address or licensed professional.
Administrators for the super agency can use the Service Group feature on the Cross-Agency
Settings page to group services across agencies or within an agency, and sort service groups
and services.
In order for complete feature functionality, you must consider these configurations. The multiagency services feature applies to ACA; therefore the public user group must have an
associated delegate user account to allow users to view the services offered from multiple
agencies. See Creating a Delegate Account for a Public User Group on page 541. If you want to
provide public users the ability to request services from multiple agencies, you must configure
Civic Platform to create records that accommodate multi-agency functionality. This requires
matching service configuration as ASI subgroups at the parent and sub-agency level. Refer to
Configuring Application Specific Information on page 302. You must configure all agencies
providing services to share information. Refer to Sharing Information between Agencies on
page 531.
Topics


Configuring Multiple Agency Services



Adding a New Service



Searching and Editing a Service



Associating License Types with a Service



Associating an Address Type with a Service



Incorporating the Service Lock Condition



Synchronizing Licensed Professional Data between Agencies



Grouping Services for Super Agency

Configuring Multiple Agency Services
In order for your agency to use the multiple agency services management feature, you must
configure the related Functional Identification number, Standard Choices, and EMSE script.
Set Functional Identification (FID) number 0292 Admin-Service to enable the multi-agency
services management functionality.
Configure the Standard Choices Values for the MULTI_SERVICE_SETTINGS Standard Choice
to define the main agency, the service lock condition filter, and to indicate which services are
attached to each agency.
For information on configuring the FIDs and Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic
Platform Configuration Reference.
To configure the ability to manage services offered by multiple agencies

1.

Enable FID 0292 Admin-Service to turn on the Multi-Services feature.

2.

Navigate to Civic Platform > Agency Profile > Standard Choices.
Civic Platform displays the Standard Choices-Search page.

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3.

4.

Configure the MULTI_SERVICE_SETTINGS Standard Choice. This Standard Choice is
used to define multi-agency functionality. The multi-agency services feature requires the
configuration of three Standard Choices Values.
ALLOW_SERVICE_L
OCK_SEVERITY

Value Desc. Yes or No. Yes enables the ability to lock services by
condition.

IS_SUPER_AGENCY

Value Desc. Yes or No. The main agency, also known as super
agency, must set this item to Yes, sub-agencies should set it to No.
ACA system uses this value to determine if the current agency is a
super agency.

AGENCY_LOGO_TY
PE

Value Desc. LOGO_TYPE_CATEGORY. This logo type is used in
ACA to indicate which agency and associated agency logo that the
service is attached to. This standard choice must match the
Standard Choices Value in the LOGO_TYPE_CATEGORY Standard
Choice. Refer to Associating a Logo with an Agency on page 556.

Set agency priority definitions in the Agency Priority EMSE script. This script determines
which agency has priority over other agencies should multiple agencies offer the same
service.

Adding a New Service
This feature is useful for offering services from multiple agencies to your public users through
ACA. You can add any service offered by your agency or a service from an agency to which you
share information. See Sharing Information between Agencies on page 531. Each service
relates to a record type and a licensed professional or address type. For example, see Table 25:
Services Example Configurations on page 548. These configurations determine which services
users can view in ACA. A pre-configured EMSE (Event Manager and Script Engine) script
determines which agency is used in case multiple agencies offer the same service.
The public user group or agency user must have a delegate user account to view services.
Refer to Delegate User Administrator on page 534 for configuration information.
To learn more about associating a licensed professional type or address type, see Associating
License Types with a Service on page 550 and Associating an Address Type with a Service on
page 551.
To add a new service

1.

Navigate to Admin > Setup portlet > Agency Profile > Service.
Civic Platform displays the Service administration list portlet.

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2.

Click the New button.
Civic Platform displays the New Service portlet.

3.

Complete the fields as described in List 12: Service Field Descriptions on page 548.

4.

Click the Save button.

5.

Associate a Licensed professional as described in Associating License Types with a
Service on page 550.

6.

Associate an address type as described in Associating an Address Type with a Service on
page 551.

7.

Click the Save button.

List 12: Service Field Descriptions

ASI Group

This field is read-only. This field is automatically populated based on
the selected Record Type.

ASI Sub Group

Use the drop-down list to select the ASI sub group, or leave it
empty. The ASI sub group sets the scope of the service to a specific
portion of the record type. If the ASI sub group is not specified, the
service scope is identical with that of the record type.

Record Type

Click the picker icon to select the record type you want to associate
with this service.

Service

Enter the name of the service.

Table 25: Services Example Configurations

Agency

Service
Name

Record
Type

ASI
Group

ASI Sub
Group

Associated
Licensed
Professional

Associated
Address Type
Group

Oregon

Water
Heating

Plumbing

Plumbing
_services

WaterHeat
er_Info

Contractor

Address Type
Group 1

Oregon

New
Drain

Plumbing

Plumbing
_services

NewDrain_
Info

Architect

Address Type
Group 1 and
Address Type
Group 2

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Table 25: Services Example Configurations (Continued)

Agency

Service
Name

Record
Type

ASI
Group

ASI Sub
Group

Associated
Licensed
Professional

Associated
Address Type
Group

Eugene

Re-roof

Structural

Structural
_services

Reroof_info

Contractor

Address Type
Group 1

Portland

Fishing

Fishing

Fishing_
_services

Fishing_inf
o

Address Type
Group 2

Searching and Editing a Service
Search for an existing service and make any updates as needed. For example, you might
change the record types associated with the service.
To search and edit a service

1.

Navigate to Admin > Setup portlet > Agency Profile > Service.
Civic Platform displays the Service administration list portlet.

2.

Click the Search button.
Civic Platform displays the Service Search portlet.

3.

Enter your search criteria.
Civic Platform displays a list of services that meet your criteria.

4.

Select the service you want to work with.

5.

Make your modifications. Refer to List 12: Service Field Descriptions on page 548.

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6.

Click the Save button.

Associating License Types with a Service
You can associate a license type with a service. This provides a way for a user to view or to
request services that apply with their license type after logging in. For examples, refer to Table
26: Example Multiple Agency Services and License Type Associations on page 551.

Note:

There may be users or services that do not relate to any license
type. Users who do not relate to any license can only view the
services that do not relate to any license types.

You can use this feature with EMSE scripts for license validation. When a customer updates
licensed professional information in Civic Platform, an external database can verify the license
by using a dynamic web service. This also applies to a licensed professional registered with a
public user account for ACA. Validation of license information can occur at the time of login. For
information about license validation, refer to License Verification Page Configuration on
page 127.
To associate a license type with a service

1.

Navigate to Admin > Setup portlet > Agency Profile > Service.
Civic Platform displays the Service Administration list portlet.

2.

Search and select the service you want to work with.
Civic Platform displays the service details in the secondary detail portlet.

3.

Click the License Type tab.
Civic Platform displays the License Type list portlet.

4.

Click the Look Up button.
Civic Platform displays the License Type portlet.

5.

Enter the Licensed Type Name and Description.

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6.

Click the Submit button.
Civic Platform returns you to the License Type list portlet.

7.

Mark the check box next to the license type you want associated with the service.

8.

Click the Select button.

Table 26: Example Multiple Agency Services and License Type Associations

Agency

Service Name

License Type

Oregon

Water Heating

Contractor

Oregon

Water Heating

Architect

Eugene

New Drain

Contractor

Eugene

New Drain

Architect

Portland

Re-roof

Contractor

Portland

Re-roof

Architect

Associating an Address Type with a Service
You can associate an address type with a service. This provides a way for a user to view or to
request services that apply to their address after logging in. For examples, refer to Table 27:
Example Services and Address Type Associations on page 552.
To associate an address type with a service

1.

Navigate to Admin > Setup portlet > Agency Profile > Service
Civic Platform displays the Service Administration list portlet.

2.

Search and select the service you want to work with.
Civic Platform displays the service details in the secondary detail portlet.

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3.

Click the Address Type tab.
Civic Platform displays the Address Type list portlet.

4.

Click the Look Up button.
Civic Platform displays the Address Type list portlet.

5.

Enter the Address Type Name and Description you want associated with the service.

6.

Click the Submit button.
Civic Platform returns you to the Address Type list portlet.

7.

Mark the check box next to the address type you want associated with the service.

8.

Click the Select button.

Table 27: Example Services and Address Type Associations

Agency

Service Name

Address Type Group

Eugene

Water Heating

Eugene

Eugene

New Drain

Oregon

Portland

Re-roof

Oregon

Incorporating the Service Lock Condition
You can choose to limit one or more services to a particular licensed professional or address.
The Service Lock Condition feature is particularly useful if you want an address or licensed
professional locked out of services that a particular agency offers, but may still offer services
from other agencies.
When the Standard Choices Value ALLOW_SERVICE_LOCK_SEVERITY is enabled for the
Standard Choice MULTI_SERVICE_SETTINGS, Civic Platform provides a Service Lock option
in the Severity drop-down list in the conditions portlets for licensed professionals and
addresses. Select the Service from the Condition Name drop-down list to lock out that service
from the licensed professional or address. If you only want to lock out one service, create a
Lock condition and associate it with a service name. Create as many conditions to limit the
available services for the licensed Professional or address.

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Topics


Adding a Service Lock Condition to a Licensed Professional



Adding a Service Lock Condition to an Address

Adding a Service Lock Condition to a Licensed Professional
Your agency can filter available services for a licensed professional using the Conditions portlet.
Provide a service lock on all services for the licensed professional or create a condition to lock
out one particular service.
To add a service lock to a licensed professional

1.

Navigate to Licensed Professional.
Civic Platform displays the Licensed Professional list portlet.

2.

Select the licensed professional to which you want to associate a service lock condition.
Civic Platform displays the Licensed Professional details in the secondary detail portlet.

3.

Click the Conditions tab.
Civic Platform displays the Licensed Professional Conditions portlet.

4.

Go to the Severity field and select Service Lock from the drop-down list.

5.

Go to the Condition Name field and select the service to which you want to associate the
service lock from the drop-down list.

6.

Click the Submit button.

Adding a Service Lock Condition to an Address
Your agency can filter available services for an address using the Conditions portlet. Provide a
service lock on all services for the address or create a condition to lock out one particular
service.
To add a service lock condition to an address

1.

Navigate to Address.
Civic Platform displays the Address list portlet.

2.

Search and select the address to which you want to associate a service lock condition.
Civic Platform displays the address details in the secondary detail portlet.

3.

Click the Conditions secondary tab.
Civic Platform displays the Address Conditions portlet.

4.

Go to the Severity field and select Service Lock from the drop-down list.

5.

Go to the Condition Name field and select the service to which you want to associate the
service lock from the drop-down list.

6.

Click the Submit button.

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Synchronizing Licensed Professional Data between Agencies
Maintain the accuracy of licensed professional information by running a regularly scheduled
batch job to synchronize licensed professional data from parent agency to sub-agency. The
administrator from the parent agency is responsible for setting up the batch job for data
synchronization. When the batch job runs and Civic Platform recognizes that the sub-agency
does not have the licensed professional in the database, the licensed professional is created at
the sub-agency with same license state, state license number, license type as the one at the
parent agency.
For detailed information about batch jobs, refer to “Running a Batch Job” in “Batch Processing”
chapter in the Accela Civic Platform Administrator Guide.
To synchronize licensed professional data between agencies

1.

Navigate to Admin > System Tools > Batch Engine.
Civic Platform displays the Batch Engine portlet.

2.

Click the New button.

3.

Complete the Job detail fields as described below.
Job Name

Provide a name for the new job.

Job Type

Choose System from the drop-down list.

Service Category

Select License Sync from the drop-down list.

4.

Click the Save button.

5.

Schedule the Job.
a. Click the Job Schedule tab.
Civic Platform displays the Job Schedule portlet.
b. Complete the fields as described below:
c. Click the Save button.
Schedule Status

Select Active from the drop-down list.

Frequency

Select Daily from the drop-down list.

Start Time

Enter the time that you want the job to execute. This time should be
a time at which the server is free.

Grouping Services for Super Agency
Multiple agencies can provide various services, but only administrators of the super agency can
set up service groups (see the Figure 127:Service Group Setup on Cross-Agency Settings
Page in ACA Admin) on the Cross-Agency Settings page to group related services within an
agency or across agencies. For example, administrators can group “Food Service
Establishment” from agency A and “Mobile Food Vendor” from agency B into a new “Food”

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service group. Or an administrator can group “Barber Shop” from agency A with “Business
License,” also from agency A, into a new Health and Safety service group.
One service can be included in multiple service groups. If administrators do not define some
services into any specific service group, Citizen Access classifies these undefined services into
a service group called Other, which displays at the bottom of the list of service groups.
When public users access the Select Services page in Citizen Access for the super agency, a
list of service groups that they can select from appear. They can either select a specific service
group to view the services within that group, or they can search for a service by entering service
key words.
Figure 127: Service Group Setup on Cross-Agency Settings Page in ACA Admin

Figure 128: Service Groups on the Select Services Page for Super Agency

To group services for super agency

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > General Settings > Cross-Agency Settings.
Citizen Access Setup displays the Cross-Agency Settings page.

2.

Click the Create New Service Group button or select a service group from the --Select a
service group--drop down list.
Citizen Access Setup displays the available service list.

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3.

Enter a service group name such as Food in the Service Group Name field.

4.

Designate an order in the Order field for the service group.

5.

To add or remove services:

•

Select the desired services in the Available Service list on the left and click the Add
button.
Optionally, drag a desired service from the Available Service list and drop it into the
Selected Service list.
Citizen Access Setup adds the selected services into the service group.

•

Select the services in the Selected Service list on the right and click the Remove button
to remove the undesired services from the service group.
Optionally, drag an undesired service in the Selected Service list on the right and drop it
into the Available Service list.
Citizen Access Setup removes the selected services from the service group.

6.

7.

To confirm or cancel your choice.

•

To confirm your choice, click the OK button.

•

To cancel your choice, click the Cancel button.

To delete an existing service group, select a service group and click the Delete button.

Associating a Logo with an Agency
Civic Platform offers a way to give the agency branding so that users can easily recognize the
source of information. This is done by associating an image or logo with an ASI subgroup in the
Logo portlet of Civic Platform. For example, if your agency relates to other agencies, you can
create an ASI subgroup representing each agency and associate the city, county, or state logo
with it. This is particularly useful if your agency implements Citizen Access for multi-service
administration. During the record creation process, the public user views fees allocated to an
application from the state and city which they live. An image displays next to the agency name
as an indicator of which fees relate to the state and which fees relate to the city as shown on
Figure 129: Agency Logo View on the Fee Detail page in Citizen Access. The Agency logos
appear on the Fee page, ASI Subgroup, and Payment page in ACA.
To configure this feature properly, you must configure the related Standard Choices and upload
an image in the administrative Logo portlet. The Standard Choice turns on the logo feature and
the Logo portlet allows you to browse and upload the image you want associated with each
agency.

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Figure 129: Agency Logo View on the Fee Detail page in Citizen Access

To associate a logo with an Agency

1.

Configure the Standard Choices MULTI_SERVICE_SETTINGS and
LOGO_TYPE_CATEGORY. The configuration is to define the agency logo type (ASI
Subgroup) used in ACA to retrieve the agency logo. For detailed information about
Standard Choices, refer to the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

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2.

Navigate to Civic Platform > Admin > Setup menu > Agency Profile > Logo.
Civic Platform displays the administrative Logo portlets.

3.

Choose one of the following options:

•

Click the New button to create a new Agency Logo association.

•

Click the name of an existing agency from the Logo list.

4.

Complete or update the Logo fields as described in List 13: Logo Field Descriptions on
page 558.

5.

Click the Save button.

List 13: Logo Field Descriptions

Agency

Use the drop-down list to select the Agency name. This is a required
field.

Description

Provide a brief description of the graphic used as the Agency Logo.

File Name

Click the Browse button to search and select the image you want
associated with the Agency.

Logo Type

Use the drop-down list to select the ASI Subgroup Name.

Logo URL

Provide the image URL in this field when the image you want to use
as the Logo is saved on the Web.

Configuring Amendment Record Functionality
Administrators can configure the ability for public users to create an amendment record in the
ACA flow process. An amendment record is a child record of the original parent record and
inherits some information from the parent record for processing. This type of record creation is

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useful when a public user wants to renew a license. The public user license information is taken
through the renewal process by the child record without affecting the original parent record in
any way. When a public user wants to apply for a new commercial license, the public user
accesses his current licenses, and click the “Create Amendment” button. With the Create
Amendment option, Civic Platform automatically populates the personal, business contact, and
other information from the parent record on the amendment license application intake form. The
amendment record relates to the original record through the renewal process. When users pay
for the associated fees and issue the license is, the new expiration date for the license applies
to the original parent record.
In order for this feature to function properly, administrators must perform two configurations.
They must define the Combine Button with Record Type section on the Modular Setting page in
the Citizen Access Setup. This determines records of what type and at what status can offer the
Create Amendment button option. Then, in the Record Type Filter section, an administrator
creates or edits a record type filter to include the record types that are available as amendment
record types. You can associate a record type filter with the Create Amendment button for all
the records in a module that have the Create Amendment button on their Record Detail pages.
You can also associate a filter with the Create Amendment button for the records that are of a
specified record type and at a specified status. The first setting takes precedence over the
second setting. If you want the second setting to take effect, you must not associate any filter to
the Create Amendment button in the first setting. If the administrator does not associate any
record type filter with the Create Amendment button, the button does not display to public users
on the Record Detail page.
For complete configuration details for the Record Type Filter and Combine Button with record
type, refer to Combine Button with Record Type on page 116.
Topics


Displaying the Create Amendment Button on Record Detail Page



Creating a Record Type Filter



Associating a Record Type Filter to the Create Amendment Button



Checking Out Amendment Functionality in Daily Site

Displaying the Create Amendment Button on Record
Detail Page
To display the Create Amendment button on Record Detail page

1.

Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > Module Settings page.
Citizen Access displays the Module Settings page.

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2.

From the Combine Button with Record Type drop-down list, select Create Amendment
Button.
Citizen Access displays a list of record types available and a list of record types previously
selected to display the Create Amendment button.

3.

Select the record types and record statuses to display the Create Amendment button.
These records are the parent records.
a. Add records to or remove records from the Selected Record Types list:
To add a record to the Selected Record Types list, highlight the desired record type in
the Available Record Types list, click the Add button.
To remove a record from the Selected Record Types list, highlight the desired record in
the Selected Record Types list, and click the Remove button.
b. Select the record status from the Application Status list:
Citizen Access Setup displays a red flag next to the record type name as an indication to
you that the status options are modified.

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1) Highlight the desired record type in the Selected Record Types list.
Citizen Access Setup displays the available statuses in the Application Status list.
2) Mark the check boxes for the desired statues.
c. Click the OK button.

Creating a Record Type Filter
To create a record type filter
For detailed information on how to create a record type filter, see Creating or Editing a New
Record Type Filter on page 122.

Associating a Record Type Filter to the Create Amendment
Button
To associate a record type filter to the Create Amendment button


For all the parent records in a module that have the Create Amendment button on their
Record Detail pages.
Those records may be of different record types and at different record statuses, depending
on which record types and what statuses you specified in the Combine Button with Record
Type section. For detailed information, see Displaying the Create Amendment Button on
Record Detail Page on page 559.
a. Navigate to the module Record Details page.
b. In Record Details page, click Create Amendment button.

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c. In Field Properties, click the Value cell next to Record Type Filter and select the desired
filter from the drop-down list.



For the parent records that are of a specified record type and at a specified status.
The setting in the Record Details page takes precedence over the setting below. For the
setting below to take effect, you must not select any filter in the Record Details page.
a. Navigate to the Module Settings page.
b. In Combine Button with record type, select a particular record type and a record status.
c. Highlight the selected status name.
Citizen Access Setup displays a drop-down list at the bottom of the section.

d. Select a filter from the drop-down list to associate it to the Create Amendment button.

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e. Repeat the step b to step d to associate each record type status to a filter.

Checking Out Amendment Functionality in Daily Site
To check out amendment functionality in daily site
After configuration, the Create Amendment button is applied to the desired modules, record
types and record type statuses.
For example

1.

Public user searches for and opens a parent record.

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2.

The user clicks the Create Amendment button on the Record Details page.
Citizen Access displays the available amendment record types.

3.

The user selects the amendment record type and clicks the Continue Application button.

4.

The user then completes the rest of the application as a child record. For more information
about record type filters, refer to Record Type Filters on page 120.

5.

Click the Save button.

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A PPENDIX D:

LDAP AUTHENTICATION AND
SSO
Citizen Access supports LDAP authentication and Single Sign-on (SSO), thus helps your
agency better manage internal users and external users, and application security. For protected
content, only authenticated and authorized users have permission to access. For unprotected
content, all public users can access quickly without authentication or authorization. The LDAP
or SSO support provides public users with a single, secure, and easy access point to your
agency’s information and services.
This appendix details how to enable LDAP authentication and how to enable single sign-on with
Oracle Access Manager. You can choose any of these solutions to improve your public user
management across your agency website and Citizen Access.
Topics


LDAP Authentication



Single Sign-On (SSO)

LDAP Authentication
This topic guides you through configuring LDAP support in Citizen Access. These instructions
assume that you are familiar with LDAP authentication and Citizen Access.
Topics


Overview



Enabling and Configuring LDAP Authentication

Overview
LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a standard for user authentication and a
centralized directory for storing user identity. Citizen Access can integrate with any LDAPcompliant directory such as Oracle Internet Directory. With LDAP authentication enabled, public
users can log in to Citizen Access from an agency’s website with the same user ID and
password for login to the agency website. Public users register accounts on the agency
website, instead of Citizen Access. In other words, only the agency website maintains the user
accounts.
The first time a registered public user accesses Citizen Access from an agency’s website, the
Citizen Access Account Registration page appears. The User ID from the agency website
appears as read only and the password hides. The public user needs to enter information that

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Citizen Access requires for registered public users that public users have not previously entered
during the user account registration on the agency website. After application information is
collected, the registered public user can access the protected content provided by Citizen
Access and the Citizen Access public user account may be auto-activated based on agency’s
settings.
The second time a registered public user accesses Citizen Access from an agency website, and
for all subsequent accesses, the user only needs to log in to Citizen Access with the same user
ID and password as used by the agency website.

Enabling and Configuring LDAP Authentication
You must follow these steps to set up LDAP authentication for Citizen Access.
To enable and configure LDAP authentication

1.

Set the following FIDs to Read Only to prevent public users and their licenses from changes
through Civic Platform:

•

8223-Citizen Admin

•

8224-Citizen Admin Supervisor

For more information about the FIDs, see the listings in the Function IDs Reference chapter
of the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

2.

Configure the following Standard Choice values in Standard Choice ACA_CONFIGS to
enable LDAP authentication in Citizen Access and prevent public users from registering
accounts through Citizen Access:

•

Set the value description to Yes for ENABLE_LDAP_AUTHENTICATION.

•

Set the value description to No for REGISTRATION_ENABLED.

After you set the value description to Yes for ENABLE_LDAP_AUTHENTICATION, the
Login Information section hides the following password-related fields: Password, Type
Password Again, Select a Security Question, and Answer.
For more information about the Standard Choice, refer to the Accela Civic Platform
Configuration Reference.

3.

If your agency does not need public users to activate their Citizen Access accounts through
e-mail verification and EMSE event, do both of the following:

•

Disable e-mail verification in Citizen Access Setup.
1) Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > General > Registration Settings.
2) Scroll down to Auto-Activation Settings.
3) Mark the check box next to Enable Auto-Activation and Stop Sending Account
Verification E-mail.

a. Disable or remove the scripts that relate to the RegistrationSubmitAfter event in Civic
Platform Classic Administration.
Public user accounts is automatically activated upon creation.

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4.

Do all the following to hide the password-related fields (Password, Type Password Again,
Select a Security Question and Answer) from Citizen Access:
a. Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > General > Registration > Enter Information.
b. .

5.

Update or add the parameters in the LDAP configuration file LdapConfiguration.config as
shown in Table 28: Parameters in LDAP Configuration File on page 568.
The LdapConfiguration.config file resides in the \Config. For example,
C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\720\Bridgeview\Config\LdapConfiguration.config.
Here is an example of the LdapConfiguration.config file.









dbname="email"




dbname="middleName"



dbname="lastName"



dbname="gender"

...




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Table 28: Parameters in LDAP Configuration File

Parameter

Value Description

ServerUrl

Specify the URL of the LDAP server, including host name (or IP address) and
port number.

BaseDN

Specify the starting point for the search in the directory tree.

SearchScope

Specify the depth of user searches by entering one of these values:
• Base. Search the base only.
• OneLevel. Search the base and one level of subtrees.
• Subtree. Search the base and all subtrees.

UserFilterString

Specify the filter pattern for user searches. The filter pattern must have a
placeholder named $$UserID$$ to match the user ID. The actual user ID
replaces $$UserID$$ in the search process.
Note: Use "&" to replace the "&" character in the value.

BindUser

Specify the Windows account name or distinguished name of the root user for
binding before any LDAP operation. The user must have permission to
perform a user search.

BindPassword

Specify the root user password for binding.

CertificatePath

Specify the full file path to the x509 certificate. The certificate establishes
secure connections with the LDAP server. The best practice is to place the
certificate under the Citizen Access installation root directory. If the certificate
sits under any other folder, administrators must set the folder permission to
allow the host account of the Citizen Access web application to read the folder.
In IIS 6 and IIS 7, the default host account is Network Service.

AttributesMapping

Map each user information field in Citizen Access to a field in the LDAP server
so Citizen Access can synchronize user information with the LDAP server.
Here are the properties for each attribute.
• name. Name is the user information field in Citizen Access.
• dbname. Dbname is the user information field in Civic Platform database.
• maxlength. Maxlength is the maximum length of the field that Civic Platform
database allows.
• extname. Specify the corresponding user information field in the LDAP
server. You can leave it blank as “”.
Note: Do not change the name, dbname, and maxlength properties above.

Single Sign-On (SSO)
This topic guides you through integrating Oracle Access Manager with Citizen Access to
support single sign-on. These instructions assume that you are familiar with single sign-on,
Oracle Access Manager, and Citizen Access.
Topics


Overview



Preparing Your Environment



Best Practices to Ensure Successful Single Sign-On

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

Enabling Single Sign-On with Oracle Access Manager

Overview
Single sign-on (SSO) is a session/user authentication process that permits a user to enter one
name and password to access multiple applications. Your agency can use a third-party
application such as Oracle Access Manager to manage public user identity and access across
the agency website and its embedded applications such as Citizen Access.
Currently Citizen Access can integrate with Oracle Access Manager to support single sign-on.
Therefore, public users can automatically log in to Citizen Access without typing their
usernames and passwords if they already logged in to the agency website. Alternatively, if
public users already logged in to Citizen Access and are redirected to the agency website,
Citizen Access can be automatically recognize them as registered public users and they can
access the protected resources without login to the agency website.

Preparing Your Environment
Make sure your environment meets these requirements for configuring single sign-on:


Integrate Citizen Access with Oracle Access Manager 11g



Install Oracle Access Manager SDK 10g for .Net on the Citizen Access web server



Turn on "Enable 32-Bit Applications" for the Citizen Access application pool if IIS is 64-bit



Do not install Webgate in the web site of Citizen Access

Best Practices to Ensure Successful Single Sign-On
Here are some best practices for you to ensure successful single sign-on support:


Create an individual website for Citizen Access to separate Citizen Access from the other
applications on IIS.
If other applications share one website with Citizen Access, Citizen Access affects these
applications.



Avoid associating any scripts with the BeforeLoginEMSE and AfterLoginEMSE events.
Citizen Access uses the agency’s universal login page which does not support those two
events.



Prevent public users from registering “anonymous” (case-insensitive) as the user ID in
Oracle Access Manager.
Citizen Access regards that user ID as an anonymous user and thus prevents the user from
accessing protected resources.



Synchronize the system time of the Citizen Access web server and the Oracle Access
Manager server.
Oracle Access Manager generates the authentication token that may expire due to the time
difference between the two servers, which could result in a single sign-on failure.

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Enabling Single Sign-On with Oracle Access Manager
This section describes the tasks that you must complete to enable single sign-on with Oracle
Access Manager. You must perform the tasks in the order in which they are listed.
Topics

•

Task 1 Configuring Civic Platform and Citizen Access

•

Task 2 Configuring Oracle Access Manager (OAM)

•

Task 3 Installing Oracle Access Manager SDK

•

Task 4 Running ACA_OAM Installer and Configuring AccessGate

•

Task 5 Configuring Internet Information Services (IIS)

Task 1 Configuring Civic Platform and Citizen Access
To configure Civic Platform and Citizen Access

1.

Set the following FIDs to Read Only to prevent public users and their licenses from changes
through Civic Platform:

•

8223-Citizen Admin

•

8224-Citizen Admin Supervisor

For more information about the FIDs, see the listings in the Function IDs Reference chapter
of the Accela Civic Platform Configuration Reference.

2.

If your agency does not need public users to activate their Citizen Access accounts through
e-mail verification and EMSE event, do both of the following:

•

Disable e-mail verification in Citizen Access Setup.
1) Navigate to Citizen Access Setup > General > Registration Settings.
2) Scroll down to Auto-Activation Settings.
3) Mark the check box next to Enable Auto-Activation and Stop Sending Account
Verification E-mail.

•

Disable or remove the scripts that relate to the RegistrationSubmitAfter event in Civic
Platform Classic Administration.

Public user accounts is automatically activated upon creation.

Task 2 Configuring Oracle Access Manager (OAM)
To configure Oracle Access Manager

1.

Set up an SSO agent and policies and set all Citizen Access resources as protected.
a. Go to OAM Administration Console and click New OAM 10g Webgate.
The console displays the Create OAM 10g Webgate tab.

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Note:

For IIS, Oracle Access Manager 11g only supports 10g Webgate.

b. Complete the fields on the Create OAM 10g Webgate tab.
c. Configure the policies to make sure all resources of Citizen Access are protected.

2.

Configure policy responses.
a. Go to OAM Administration Console > Policy Configuration tab.
b. Expand the Application Domains node > desired domain name node > Authorization
Policies node.
The domain name is the same as the agent name that you entered in the first step.
c. Double-click the desired authorization policy, and click the Responses tab.

d. Add the desired response items.
Each response item represents a field of an Citizen Access user account. And the type
of response items must be “Header”.
For user attribute definitions, please refer to:
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E12839_01/oid.1111/e10035/schema_attrs.htm

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Note:

3.

The first time a public user is redirected to Citizen Access from an
agency website and authorized in Citizen Access, Citizen Access
automatically creates a public user account according to the response
items in Oracle Access Manager and grants the user a default user
role.
The Contact Method field of the user account is specific to Citizen
Access so it is automatically populated with one of the available
contact methods stored in Oracle Access Manager based on the
priority: e-mail, mobile phone, work phone, home phone, and fax
(highest priority first). For example, if there already exist an e-mail
address and a fax number, the contact method is set to e-mail. If there
is no contact method available, the Contact Method field is blank.
Receive SMS is also an Citizen Access specific field. It is automatically
marked if there is a mobile phone number stored in Oracle Access
Manager.

Configure the authentication scheme.
a. Go to OAM Administration Console > Policy Configuration tab.
b. Expand the Authentication Schemes node and double-click the desired scheme.
The console displays the Authentication Schemes tab.

c. Complete the fields as necessary. Here is a description of two important fields. If you
need more information about the authorization scheme, go to
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E14571_01/doc.1111/e15478/shared.htm#CHDEECFH.

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Challenge Method

Select “FORM” from the drop-down list.

Challenge URL

Enter the URL of the universal login page in the Challenge URL
field.

Note:

Make sure the universal login page can work in
iframe. So when Citizen Access is embedded into
your agency website frame, and public users access
Citizen Access without login to your agency website,
Citizen Access can redirect them to an accessible
universal login page.

Task 3 Installing Oracle Access Manager SDK
The Access Manager SDK enables you to create a specialized AccessGate on the Citizen
Access web server, which helps you with the public user access management.
To install Oracle Access Manager SDK

1.

Download the Access Manager SDK from Oracle official website:
http://download.oracle.com/otn/nt/middleware/11g/
ofm_oam_core_win_10.1.4.3.0_disk1_1of1.zip

Note:
2.

For .NET platform, Oracle Access Manager 11g only has SDK
10.1.4.3.

Extract the package and double-click Oracle_Access_Manager10_1_4_3_0_Win32dotnet20_AccessServerSDK.exe to install the SDK and complete the settings below:

•

Grant the Modify permission to the Citizen Access web application hosting account for
the SDK installation directory.

•

Add the “\oblix\lib” to the Windows environment
variable “Path”. For example, add “C:\Program
Files\NetPoint\AccessServerSDK\oblix\lib”.

Task 4 Running ACA_OAM Installer and Configuring
AccessGate
To run ACA_OAM installer and configure AccessGate

1.

Run the installer ACA_OAM_.exe to complete the installation.
This installer copies the OAM-related files to the specified folder and enable OAM single
sign-on authentication. Get the installation program and the corresponding installation
guide from Accela Customer Support.

2.

Configure AccessGate on the Citizen Access web server.

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a. Open a command window and locate this path: “\oblix\tools\configureAccessGate”.

Note:

If the Citizen Access web server uses Windows 7 or Windows
Server 2008, you must open a command window in
Administrator mode.

b. Execute the following command to complete the AccessGate configuration:
configureAccessGate.exe -i "" -t AccessGate
This command describes the “-i” parameter as “AccessGate”.

Note:

During the AccessGate configuration, you need to provide the
following information configured in the OAM server:

•
•
•
•
•
•
3.

Access Server Security Mode
Webgate ID
WebGate password
Access Server ID
Access Server Host Name
Access Server Port

Configure the Accela.ACA.OAMAccessGate.dll.config file.
The Accela.ACA.OAMAccessGate.dll.config file resides in the /bin folder. For a description of the parameters in this file, see Table 29:
Parameters in Accela.ACA.OAMAccessGate.dll.config on page 575.
Here is an example of the file.











dbname="middleName"




dbname="gender"



dbname="salutation"




...



Table 29: Parameters in Accela.ACA.OAMAccessGate.dll.config

Parameter

Value Description

ASDKInstallDir

Specify the Access Manager SDK installation directory without the "/"
or "\" suffix.

HostIdentifier

Specify the Host Identifier defined on the server of Oracle Access
Manager to indicate the HTTP resources.

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Table 29: Parameters in Accela.ACA.OAMAccessGate.dll.config (Continued)

Parameter

Value Description

ChallengeURL

Specify the URL that points to the virtual path of the "obrareq.cgi" file
on the Oracle Access Manager server.

Note:

If the Oracle Access Manager server works in SSL mode,
you must enter the HTTPS URL in this field. Follow these
steps to check the server works in SSL mode or not:
1 - Go to Oracle Access Manager Administration Console > System
Configuration tab.
2 - Expand the Access Manager Settings section and double-click the
Access Manager Settings node.
3 - Check the OAM Server Protocol and OAM Server Port fields in the
Load Balancing section.
RegisterURL

Specify the URL for user account registration. It is the URL that the
Register for an Account link in Citizen Access points to.

LogoutURL

Specify the URL for user logout from the Oracle Access Manager
server.

AttributesMapping

Map each user information field in Citizen Access to a response item
in Oracle Access Manager so Citizen Access can synchronize user
information with the OAM server. Here are the properties for each
attribute.
• name. User information field in Citizen Access.
• dbname. User information field in Civic Platform database.
• maxlength. Maximal length of the field that Civic Platform database
allows.
• extname. Specify the corresponding response name of the
authorization policy in Oracle Access Manager. You can leave it
blank as “”. For more information about the response items in the
authorization policy, see Task 2 Configuring Oracle Access Manager
(OAM) on page 570.

Note:

Do not change the name, dbname, and maxlength
properties above.

Task 5 Configuring Internet Information Services (IIS)
You must configure the IIS server to enable the HTTP handler to intercept all requests to
“http(s):///obrar.cgi”.
After users log in to the Oracle Access Manager server, current HTTP requests are redirected to
the URL "/obrar.cgi" under the requested web server. The destination URL contains the
authentication token and the user requested URL. The HTTP handler creates the single sign-on
cookie based on the authentication token and directs user to the requested URL.
The IIS server version can either be 7.0, 7.5 or 8.0. Follow the configuration steps in this section
to configure IIS.

Note:

Make sure the application pool of the website root is set to .NET
Framework 4.0.

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Topics


Configuring IIS Classic Mode



Configuring IIS Integrated Mode

Configuring IIS Classic Mode
If your Citizen Access web server uses IIS 7.0, 7.5 or 8.0, and the website application pool runs
in classic mode, follow these instructions.
To configure IIS classic mode

1.

In IIS Manager, navigate to the Citizen Access website and then double-click Handler
Mappings.

2.

On the Handler Mappings page, in the Actions pane, click Add Script Map.

3.

Complete these fields on the Edit Script Map window:
Request Path

Enter “/obrar.cgi”.

Executable

Browse to “%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\<.net 4.0
version number>\aspnet_isapi.dll”.

Name

Enter a name such as ‘AccessGateObrarHandler”.

4.

Click the Request Restrictions button, and unmark the “Invoke handler only if request is
mapped to” check box on the Mapping tab of the Request Restrictions window.

5.

Add the content below to the "configuration/system.web/httpHandlers" section in the
"web.config" file under the root folder of the Citizen Access website:

If the “web.config” file does not exist, create it.

Note:

The web.config file is applicable to all of the applications hosted on the
same website. So if multiple .NET applications are running on the
same website with Citizen Access, add the content below to the
“configuration/system.web/httpHandlers” section in the web.config file
for those applications which does not need Single Sign-On support:


Here is an example of the web.config file.










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D: LDAP Authentication and SSO

6.

Restart your IIS server.

Configuring IIS Integrated Mode
If your Citizen Access web server uses IIS 7.0, 7.5 or 8.0, and the website application pool runs
in integrated mode, follow these instructions.
To configure IIS Integrated Mode

1.

In IIS Manager, right-click the Citizen Access website, navigate to the Citizen Access
website, and then double-click Handler Mappings.

2.

On the Handler Mappings page, in the Actions pane, click Add Managed Handler.

3.

Complete these fields on the Add Managed Handler window:
Request Path

Enter “/obrar.cgi”.

Type

Enter “Accela.ACA.OAMAccessGate.ObrarHttpHandler”.

Name

Enter a name such as ‘AccessGateObrarHandler”.

4.

Click the Request Restrictions button, and unmark the “Invoke handler only if request is
mapped to” check box on the Mapping tab of the Request Restrictions window.

5.

Restart your IIS server.

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A PPENDIX E:

MOBILE CITIZEN ACCESS

The mobile Citizen Access website is available immediately out of the box, with no
customization necessary, and includes the following:


A modern, mobile-friendly user experience that is consistent with the new look and feel of
the desktop site



Operating system detection, which automatically redirects to the mobile site from mobile
devices



Responsive design, with screen rotation and resizing



Support for anonymous access

You have the option to disable automatic re-direct to the mobile site. The default setting is to
automatically redirect users to the mobile site when they access it from mobile devices.
However, agencies that want to limit access to only the desktop site (agencies that have
extensive customizations to their site, for example) may choose to disable access to the mobile
site. See Configuring Mobile Citizen Access Settings.

Accela Civic Platform - Citizen Access Administrator Guide

E: Mobile Citizen Access

Mobile Citizen Access Functionality
The Mobile Citizen Access website includes the following functionality. For full functionality
citizens should use the desktop site.
Registered users can:


Create and modify collections



Filter, view, and search for records



Reset passwords



Schedule, cancel, and reschedule inspections, with ability to request specific days/times
and specify inspection ready-time



Search for any record details; results are grouped by category and retained for easy access
to subsequent searches



View conditions



View related records



View process status (e.g. “Amendment received.”)

Anonymous users can:


Access the site anonymously, with the following subset of functionality:

•

Filter, view, and search for records

•

Schedule inspections (if anonymous inspection scheduling is enabled in ACA Admin)

•

View Address/Parcel/Owner details

Configuring Mobile Citizen Access Settings
You can configure the following settings for your mobile Citizen Access site:


Display your agency name on the login screen



Disable access to the mobile site

To configure mobile Citizen Access settings

1.

In ACA Admin, navigate to General > Global Settings > Mobile Website Settings.
The following page displays.

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E: Mobile Citizen Access

2.

To disable automatically redirecting to the Citizen Access mobile site, select Disable Autoredirect to Mobile Citizen Access Website. With this option selected, users will only have
access to the desktop site.

3.

To display your agency name on the login screen, enter your preferred text in the Agency
Name field.

4.

Click Save.

5.

Click Clear Cache.

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A PPENDIX F:

LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT

The Legislative Management solution enables you to manage your agency’s public meetings
and engage your community in the process. You can use the new Legislative Management
solution to streamline legislative meetings, from document creation to video presentation.
Citizens can watch videos of hearings and meetings, and view agendas and transcripts, with
just a few clicks.
Topics


Setting Up Citizen Access for Legislative Management Integration



Using the Legislative Management Functionality in Citizen Access

Setting Up Citizen Access for Legislative Management
Integration
FIDs and Standards Choices




Update existing standard choice, ACA_CONFIGS, with a new value that defines the URL
used by the Legislative Management tool.
Value

LEGISLATIVE_MANAGEMENT_URL

Value Desc

enter agency URL (for example, http://ouragency.gov)

Status

Select Enable.

Update existing standard choice, ACA_CONFIGS_TABS, with a new value adds Legislative
Management as a tab at the top of the Citizen Access home page, and defines what to
display when a user clicks the tab.

Accela Civic Platform - Citizen Access Administrator Guide

F: Legislative Management

Value

LEGISLATIVE_MANAGEMENT

Value Desc

Use this format for the value description:

label=[info], order=[info], role={info],
url=[info],module=[module name],
tabvisible=[info].
where

label=aca_sys_default_Legislative_Management
order=5 (or other numeral representing order of display, left to right)
role=0|1 (for both registered and anonymous users)
url=/LegislativeManagement.aspx
tabvisible=yes
Status

Select Enable.

Configuration
The Legislative Management feature must be enabled for Citizen Access.
To enable Legislative Management functionality

1.

In ACA Admin, navigate to General > Global Settings > Legislative Management
Settings.
The following displays.

2.

Configure the settings:
Enable Legislative
Management Section

Select this option to display Legislative Management options on the
record detail page.

Enable Legislative
Management Tab

Select this option to display the Legislative Management module tab
on the home page.

Set the Legislative
Management Server URL

Enter the Legislative Management Server URL. This must match the
server URL specified in the standard choice value
LEGISLATIVE_MANAGEMENT_URL for the ACA_CONFIGS
standard choice (See FIDs and Standards Choices).

3.

Click Save.

4.

Click Clear Cache.

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F: Legislative Management

Using the Legislative Management Functionality in Citizen
Access
Citizens can view hearing videos, agendas, transcripts, and more by accessing relevant records
in Citizen Access.
Use case: A city planner processes a record in Automation, which triggers a hearing workflow.
When a decision is reached, the Legislative Management system is invoked and the workflow
updates. Any available videos, agendas, etc. are available for citizens to view.

Viewing Videos and Agendas in Citizen Access
1.

Log in to Citizen Access.

2.

Click the Legislative Management tab.
Citizen Access displays the meeting calendar.

3.

4.

You can specify:

•

The calendar year you want to view.

•

The meeting type you want to view (zoning, city council, or public safety, for example).

•

The view type: list or calendar view.

Click a link to view the associated content. For example, click Video.
Citizen Access streams the video in a new browser window.

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F: Legislative Management

585



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