What are roles and permissions?

Roles define what users are allowed to do, from simply visiting the platform to managing complex multi-project structures. Assigning the right roles ensures responsibilities are distributed efficiently, data privacy is respected, and users only access what they need.

What are the different roles on the platform?

End-user roles:

Visitor: Anyone who visits the platform without registering.
User: Someone who has registered but hasn't interacted yet.
Participant: A registered user who has taken action (posted input, commented, voted, etc.).

Platform management roles:

Project Manager: Manages a (or more) specific project(s).
Folder Manager: Manages a folder and its projects.
Platform Admin: Has access to the entire admin panel and platform-level tools.

What can platform admins do?

Admins are the highest-level users who manage the entire platform.

Admin capabilities:

Create, approve, and publish projects.
Assign project or folder managers.
Access the Users tab, smart groups, and user data.
Manage platform branding and homepage.
Send messages using platform-wide email tools.
View full dashboard and analytics tools.
Post content using a general admin profile.

Admins are the only users who can grant admin rights or assign others to manage folders or projects.

What can project managers do?

Project managers handle individual projects and participant engagement.

Project manager capabilities:

Edit project title, description, and access rights.
View participation metrics and demographic breakdowns.
Respond to input and send emails to project participants.
Add events and export attendee lists.
Track participation and traffic sources.
Access user data for their project (excluding votes with personal identifiers).
Send project-specific emails using either their name or a generic platform name.
Use testing features (e.g., multiple survey submissions or participation during closed phases).

Limitations:

Cannot create new questions or invite other project managers.
Cannot email users outside their assigned projects

What can folder managers do?

Folder managers oversee a group of projects and assist in organization-wide coordination.

Folder manager capabilities:

Modify folder description and settings.
Create projects within their folder.
Automatically become project manager for projects they create.
Publish and approve projects in their folder.
Set unused projects to draft (instead of deleting).

Limitations:

Cannot delete projects.
Cannot create platform-wide changes.

How to assign/remove a role?

Only platform administrators can assign roles to users. The first platform admin role(s) will be given to you by your government success manager.

How to assign a project manager:

Navigate to the project.
Go to Project Settings > Access Rights.
Under Project Management, add the user's name.

How to assign a folder manager:

Navigate to the folder.
Open the Permissions tab.
Add the user under Folder Management.

How to assign a platform admin:

Choose a shared email address (e.g. participation@cityname.com).
Register it as a user.
Enter a clear and recognizable name like Moderator [City] or City of Springfield.
Set a profile picture if desired.
Assign the Platform Admin role either:
- By logging in and updating the account, or
- By going to Users > Invite Users > Manually enter email, and assigning admin rights via Invitation options.