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We're excited to announce a powerful new teams management feature that gives you more control over how your organisation collaborates on engagement projects. This enhancement brings sophisticated team structures, granular permissions, and improved security for sensitive projects.

Now you can organise your projects and content around dedicated teams, aligning perfectly with your organization's structure and responsibilities

 

What's New?

Enhanced Team Types

We've introduced two distinct team types to match your organization's needs:

 

Regular Teams

• Team members get access to all team projects
• Maintains existing system-level permissions for non-administrators
• Perfect for standard project collaboration

Restricted Teams

• Provides enhanced security for sensitive projects
• Only team members and administrators can access content
• Ideal for internal or confidential projects

Comprehensive Team Roles

Each team can now have members with specific roles tailored to their responsibilities:

• Team Lead: Manages team membership and overall team settings
• Project Manager: Oversees project creation and management within the team
• Engagement Officer: Creates and manages engagement content
• Publisher: Controls content publishing
• Reviewer: Reviews and approves content

Key Benefits

• Better Organization: Group related projects and team members together
• Enhanced Security: Protect sensitive projects with restricted teams
• Clear Responsibilities: Define clear roles within each team
• Flexible Access: Maintain administrator oversight while controlling general access
• Streamlined Collaboration: Make it easier for teams to work together on related projects

 

Creating Your First Team

Creating a new team is straightforward:

1. In the left-hand menu, click People
2. Click on the Teams tab
3. Click the + icon in the top right corner
4. Fill in the required fields:
- Team Name
- Summary (optional)
- Team Type (Regular or Restricted)
5. Click Save to create your team

Adding Team Members

Once your team is created:

1. Navigate to your new team
2. Click the Members tab
3. Click + Add member
4. Search for users to add
5. Assign their team role
6. Click Add to confirm

Assigning Projects

To assign projects to your team:

1. Navigate to the project you want to assign
2. Click the Edit tab
3. Under Advanced settings, locate the Team settings section
4. Select your team from the dropdown
5. Click Save

 

Getting Started

We recommend starting by:

1. Identifying which teams you need
2. Deciding if any projects require restricted access
3. Planning your team member roles
4. Creating your team structure
5. Migrating existing projects to appropriate teams

We're confident these new team management capabilities will help you better organize your engagement projects and enhance collaboration across your organization.

Need help setting up your teams? Our support team is ready to assist you in creating the perfect team structure for your organisation. Contact us for guidance and best practices.

 

Major Features ⭐️

Advanced Team Management

We've completely revamped how teams work in District Engage, giving you more control over project access and collaboration. Key features include:

• New Team Types: Choose between Regular and Restricted teams to control project access
• Enhanced Team Roles: Assign specific roles within teams (Team Lead, Project Manager, etc.)
• Project Assignment: Easily assign projects to specific teams
• Granular Permissions: Better control over who can access sensitive projects
• Improved Security: Restricted teams for confidential projects

Read more about the new Teams Management feature here.

Notes 📝

• Existing projects will not be automatically assigned to teams
• System administrators will need to set up teams and assign projects manually
• All existing permissions will remain unchanged until projects are assigned to teams
• We recommend reviewing our guide on team management best practices before implementing team structures

 

If you have any questions about this release or need assistance with team setup, please contact our support team.

Major Features ⭐️ 

Form Analytics

For this release, we have enabled the tracking of advanced analytics data on how people complete forms/surveys within District Engage. For Surveys (and other tools) we can track data such as:

• Views / Viewers – Total views / how many people viewed your form
• Starts / Starters –  How many people began filling out your form
• Conversions / Converters – how many people completed and submitted the form

These analytics give you deeper insights into user behaviour, helping you refine survey design. This release also includes new dashboard widgets to help you start using this data effectively.

Read more about these new metrics and how to use them here.

 

Automatic Public Submission Moderation

We now offer automatic moderation for public submissions, for tools such as Ideas Boards or Map Surveys. This service automatically flags and either approves or rejects submissions based on content (e.g., profanity, abuse). This feature is available at no extra cost for existing District Engage customers. 

Read more about submission moderation options here.

 

Minor Features ✨

Table Filtering on Admin Interface

Filtering is now available in all table views on the Admin interface. When using a search bar, you’ll see a filter icon that allows you to narrow results by relevant fields (e.g., filter projects by consultation status, users by role). Learn how to use this tool in our new help article here.

 

Allow Multiple Submissions on Participation Tools

Participation tools now include an option to allow multiple submissions. You can control whether users can submit more than once, giving you flexibility in how users interact with your tools.

 

Data Labels on Reporting Widgets

All reporting widgets for participation tools now display data labels by default. This feature provides easy access to view actual numbers on graphs and charts, and ensures accurate data export. You can turn off this option if needed by editing and saving the widget layout.

 

Updated Footer Options

We’ve updated the site footer, allowing you to upload a custom logo that will appear on the left side of the footer. You can upload a footer logo in appearance settings.

 

Quick Front End Switch Button

A new button on the bottom left of the Admin interface allows you to switch to the front end of the site instantly, taking you directly to the homepage. The night mode toggle has been moved to the profile menu on the right.

 

Updated Theme Colours

We’ve improved accessibility in the base themes. Without customisation, all themes now meet accessibility standards for contrast ratios across all elements.

 

Submission Deletion

Authorised users can now delete test submissions directly from a tool, making it easier to manage data for testing.

 

Fixes 🔧

• We have fixed an issue where users were being redirected to the home page after logging in via SSO, rather than the page they were visiting
• Fixes to the submission export to allow more consistent exports
• Fixes to images in Rich Text Blocks and image carousels
• We have made the attendees field on event non mandatory, to better support open, or online events

Each reporting dashboard will display a default set of widgets. However, users can update the widgets on any of these dashboard.

• Click here for more info on the available reporting dashboards.
• Click here for more information on how to add, edit or remove widgets on your dashboard.

Reporting widgets display data according to their reporting context (Main dashboard, Project dashboard) and selected date filter, except for the 'Currently logged-in users' widget that displays the total amount of currently logged in users.

Whenever a widget refers to a metric being ‘unique’ - for example in the context of a unique visitor or unique participant count - the uniqueness refers to a visit or participation from a unique IP address. However, an IP address is not a definitive way of defining a distinct individual. A single IP address could be allocated to multiple users located at the same household or workplace. If multiple people in the same household (sharing the same IP address) visit the website, these people will all be counted as a single visitor, as they originate from the same IP address.

Available widgets

Users

User count

The count of users segmented by verification status, activity, or registration. This widget is customisable to display data based on user roles and can include a suffix to clarify the count.

Metric	Detail
Verified	The total number of users who have been verified.
Last Active	The count of users who have shown activity within a specified timeframe.
Registrations	The number of new users who have registered.

Configuration Options:

• Roles: Filter the user count by specific user roles, such as Administrator, Project Manager, etc.
• Exclude Roles: Option to exclude certain user roles from the count.
• Suffix: A text to be displayed next to the count, such as "Users" to provide context.

User list

A table displaying selected user data. This widget is customisable to display data based on user role and selected Table columns, such as Name, Registered and Last Active.

 

Count

This is an example of a count card:

 

Analytics metric

The following analytic metric count cards can be added to the dashboard:

Title	Detail
Unique visitors	The number of visits from a unique IP address. If a single visitor comes to the same website multiple times in the selected date filter, it will be counted once as a unique visitor.
Users	Total amount of users that are currently logged in (public and admin users combined).
Visits	If a visitor comes to your website for the first time or if they visit a page more than 30 minutes after their last page view, this will be recorded as a new visit.
Visits converted	The total unique visitors having made a submission.
Bounces	The number of site bounces within the selected date filter. A bounce is a session during which a visitor viewed an entry page but did not continue to another page view, or goal conversion.
Actions	The number of actions performed by your visitors. Actions can be: Page views, Internal site searches, Outlinks, Downloads.
Maximum actions	Maximum number of actions in a visit, in the context of this dashboard and the selected date filter.
Number of actions per visit	The average number of actions (page views, site searches, downloads or outlinks) that were performed during a visit.
Average time on website	The average time spent, in seconds, in the context of this dashboard and the selected date filter.
Total visit length	The total time spent, in seconds, in the context of this dashboard and the selected date filter.

 

Form Analytics Metric 

Title	Detail
Views	The total number of times a form page was viewed. This counts every time a visitor loads a page where the form is embedded, regardless of interaction with the form.
Viewers	The unique number of visitors who have viewed the form page at least once. If a visitor views the form multiple times, they are counted as one unique viewer.
Starts	The total number of times the form interaction was initiated after being viewed. A "start" is recorded when a visitor begins interacting with the form, such as focusing on or changing a form field (without counting autofill).
Starters	The number of unique visitors who have started filling out the form at least once. This count increases only once per unique visitor, even if they interact with the form multiple times.
Submissions	The number of site bounces within the selected date filter. A bounce is a session during which a visitor viewed an entry page but did not continue to another page view, or goal conversion.
Submitters	The number of actions performed by your visitors. Actions can be: Page views, Internal site searches, Outlinks, Downloads.
Resubmitters	Maximum number of actions in a visit, in the context of this dashboard and the selected date filter.
Conversions	The average number of actions (page views, site searches, downloads or outlinks) that were performed during a visit.

Content count

Title	Detail
Standard page	The number of pages created within the selected date filter.
Standard update	The number of updates created within the selected date filter.
Standard stage	The number of timeline stages created within the selected timeframe.

 

Document downloads

Title	Detail
Document downloads	The total document downloads within the selected date filter.

 

Event registrations

Title	Detail
Event RSVPs	The total of event RSVPs within the selected date filter.

 

Survey submissions

The number of submissions to any participation tool. This excludes likes or comments to other user’s submissions. When you select this count card, you can select the participation tools to be be part of the submission count (e.g., surveys only, polls only, or surveys and polls combined).

Form type	Detail
Form	Total number of survey submissions.
Poll	Total number of poll submissions.
Idea board	Total number of idea boards submissions.

Note: you can also decide to combine different types of participation tools (e.g., Poll and Idea board to get the total number of poll and idea board submissions).

 

Time series

This is an example of a time series widget:

 

User activity

This widget tracks user activity over time, including last active, registrations, and verified status. Users can select which of these metrics they want to have displayed on the graph.

Visitor activity

This widget shows visitor activity over time, including unique visitors, visits and bounces. Users can select which of these metrics they want to have displayed on the graph.

Form activity 

This widget shows visitor activity over time, including conversions, views, starts, submissions, and resubmissions. Users can select which of these metrics they want to have displayed on the graph. 

Event activity

This widget shows event activity over time, including RSVPs, unique visitors, visits, bounces. Users can select which of these metrics they want to have displayed on the graph.

Survey activity

This widget shows participation tools activity over time, including total submissions, unique visitors, visits and bounces. Users can select which of these metrics they want to have displayed on the graph.

 

Content

These are summary tables. Users can select the metrics they would like to see displayed in these tables. Users can also select which metric to sort the table by, and set the sort direction and the max items displayed.

This is an example of a content widget:

 

Content

Content (page, update, stage) summary table, allows the user to display the following metrics: Title, Total visits, Moderation status, Author, Last updated date, Created date, Unique visitors, Average bounce count, Average time on page.

Documents

Documents summary table, allows the user to display the following metrics: Title, Downloads, Moderation status, Author, Last updated date, Created date, Extension, Size.

Events

Documents summary table, allows the user to display the following metrics: Title, Attendees, Unique visitors, Moderation status, Author, Last updated date, Total visits, Average bounce count, Average time on page.

Surveys

Participation tool summary table, allows the user to display the following metrics: Title, Submissions, Unique visitors, Total visitors, Moderation status, Author, Last updated date, Created date, Average bounce count, Average time on page.

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Other

HTML Content

The HTML block is a WYSIWYG (“what you see, is what you get”) editor that enables you to add additional content to your dashboard, from text, images or code snippets, through to HTML and third-party embeds.

 

Survey

Note: these widget are only available for participation tools.

These widgets are designed to track defined analytics for specified input types. You have the ability to select a specific processor (analytics) to apply to a chosen input type, such as a checkbox. Additionally, the Map Submissions widget allows users to view submissions on a map.

This is an example of a survey widget:

 

Survey question

Input	Processors
Text short	1. Count the sentiment split 2. Count of unique words for word clouds 3. Count of entity mentions : count of responses
Text long	1. Count the sentiment split 2. Count of unique words for word clouds 3. Count of entity mentions: count of responses
Email	Count the amount of distinct domains
Phone	Count the amount of distinct phone prefixes
URL	Count the amount of distinct domains
Checkboxes	Count the amount of distinct values
Radios	Count the amount of distinct values
Drop-down	Count the amount of distinct values
Date and time	Count the amount of distinct date prefixes
Date only	Count the amount of distinct date prefixes
Time	Count the amount of distinct hour values
Number input	Count the amount of distinct values
Number slider	Count the amount of distinct values
Rating	Count the amount of distinct values
Upload	Basic count of rows: count of user that made uploaded
Image	Basic count of rows: count of user that uploaded an image

 

Map submissions

The map submissions widget enables you to view what submissions users have made using a selected map.

This is an example of a map submission widget:

 

High-quality images play a crucial role in enhancing the visual appeal and user engagement.

This guide offers best practices for selecting the right image sizes for your content.

 

Suggested Image Dimensions

Here are the recommended image dimensions for different tools on District Engage. These dimensions ensure your images look great on all devices and screen sizes.

 

Image type	Ideal size
Hero	Width: 750 px , Height: 500 px Aspect Ratio: 3:2
Full (only used in a Slideshow)	Width = 1900 px , Height = 1000 px Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Thumbnails	A thumbnail image will be automatically built from the project page image, so users will not need to upload thumbnail images. Width = 750 px , Height = 500 px Aspect Ratio: 3:2
Rich Content images	Width = 1200 px, Height = 800 px Aspect Ratio: 3:2
Before and after image slider	Width = 1200 px, Height = 800 px Aspect ratio: 3:2
Hotspot images	Width = 1280 px, Height = 960 px Aspect ratio: 4:3

 

Adaptive images 📏

District Engage uses an adaptive viewport that adjusts image dimensions based on the user's screen size and the Items per row.

Because of this adaptability, banner dimensions can vary with screen width. Here are a few examples of how images adjust on different screens:

Card Thumbnails:

 

Hero Banners:

 

File Size Recommendations 📂

To ensure fast loading times and optimal performance, keep image file sizes within 10MB. This balance maintains image quality without compromising speed.

 

Effective Use of Image Banners 🖼️

• Image banners should be used to enhance the accessibility and visual impact of your projects. We recommend avoiding text within images to ensure readability across all devices.
• Choose images with ample space around the focal point for better visual appeal. 

 

Adding a FAQ section to your project is a great way to provide extra information to the public, without making your page content-heavy.

Posting answers to frequently-asked questions can also minimise the need for the public to contact you by phone or email, freeing up your resources for other tasks.

How to create a FAQ:

1. In your District Engage dashboard, select a Project. 
2. This will open up the project overview page. Go to the Edit tab. 
3. Select +Add block.
4. From the drop down, select Rich content.
5. This opens up a Rich content window. 
6. Fill in the Title field. This will be displayed on your project page. 
7. In the Content box, click on the + sign to open up the Additional toolbox.
8. Select Accordion. 
9. Choose the number of items in your FAQ. Click Add Accordion. 
10. Fill in the Title and Content fields with your questions and answers. 
11. You can rearrange the order of questions by clicking on the grab dots and dragging them into position. 
12. Click on +Add item to add extra rows. 
13. When you are finished, click Add Rich Content.
14. Click Publish.
    
    

 

To edit or delete a FAQ:

1. Go to the Edit tab in your project overview. 
2. Click on the FAQ content block.
3. To edit, make your changes, and click Done. 
4. Alternatively, to delete the FAQ, select Remove. 
5. Click Publish.