Skip to main content

Project Templates

Overview​

Templates enable you to create reusable investigation structures that can be applied to new projects. Define standard topics, questions, and supporting documents once, then use them to quickly spin up consistent investigations.

What's in a Template​

Template Structure​

A template can include:

ComponentDescription
NameTemplate identifier
DescriptionWhat the template is for
Work TypeDefault work type for projects
TopicsPre-defined topic structure
QuestionsStandard questions within topics
Background DocsStandard context documents
Framework DocsStandard evaluation frameworks

Topic Templates​

Define your standard topic structure:

  • Topic titles and descriptions
  • Logical groupings of questions
  • Investigator notes for guidance
  • Sequence ordering

Question Templates​

Pre-populate questions:

  • Standard question text
  • Associated with topics
  • Sequence within topics
  • Consistent framing

Document Templates​

Include standard documents:

  • Background documents (charge letters, scope templates)
  • Framework documents (policies, regulations, standards)
  • Automatically copied to new projects

Creating Templates​

From Scratch​

  1. Navigate to Templates
  2. Click "New Template"
  3. Enter name and description
  4. Set default work type
  5. Add topics and questions
  6. Upload standard documents
  7. Save template

From Existing Project​

  1. Open an investigation
  2. Go to Settings
  3. Click "Save as Template"
  4. Enter template name
  5. Select what to include:
    • Topics and questions
    • Background documents
    • Framework documents
  6. Save template

Using Templates​

Create Project from Template​

  1. Go to Dashboard
  2. Click "New Investigation"
  3. Select "From Template"
  4. Choose template
  5. Enter project-specific details:
    • Project title
    • Focus statement (optional)
    • Work type (can override)
  6. Create project

What Gets Created​

From the template:

  • All topics (with descriptions and notes)
  • All questions (assigned to topics)
  • Background documents (if included)
  • Framework documents (if included)

Project-specific:

  • New project title
  • New focus statement
  • New project ID
  • Empty evidence collection

Managing Templates​

Template List​

View all templates at /templates:

  • Name and description
  • Work type
  • Created date
  • Actions (edit, delete, use)

Editing Templates​

Update existing templates:

  • Add/remove topics
  • Add/remove questions
  • Update documents
  • Change work type

Note: Changes don't affect existing projects created from the template.

Deleting Templates​

Delete templates you no longer need:

  • Confirms before deletion
  • Existing projects unaffected
  • Cannot be undone

Template Best Practices​

Design Principles​

Completeness

  • Include all standard topics
  • Cover common question patterns
  • Include necessary frameworks

Flexibility

  • Use general question framing
  • Allow for project-specific additions
  • Don't over-specify

Consistency

  • Follow naming conventions
  • Use consistent terminology
  • Match organizational standards

Common Use Cases​

Audit Templates

  • Standard audit program
  • Control testing questions
  • Relevant regulations/standards

Investigation Templates

  • Allegation categories
  • Common evidence types
  • Investigation protocols

Evaluation Templates

  • Program assessment criteria
  • Performance measures
  • Evaluation standards

Organization Scope​

Template Ownership​

Templates belong to organizations:

  • Created within current org
  • Only visible to org members
  • Not shared across organizations

Access​

All organization members can:

  • View templates
  • Create projects from templates
  • Create new templates

Admins and Owners can:

  • Edit any template
  • Delete templates

Document Handling​

Background Documents in Templates​

When used:

  • Files are copied to new project
  • Separate storage for each project
  • Original template docs unchanged

Supported types:

  • Charge letter templates
  • Org chart templates
  • Scope memo templates

Framework Documents in Templates​

When used:

  • Files are copied to new project
  • Linked to new project's analysis
  • Used as evaluation criteria

Supported types:

  • Policies and procedures
  • Regulations
  • Industry standards
  • Audit criteria

Template Versions​

Current Behavior​

  • Templates are single-version
  • Edits update the template directly
  • No version history maintained

Future Enhancements​

Planned improvements:

  • Template versioning
  • Change history
  • Lock/publish templates
  • Share across organizations

Importing Templates​

From File (Future)​

Import templates from:

  • JSON export files
  • Shared template libraries
  • Standard template packages

Standard Templates (Future)​

Pre-built templates for:

  • Healthcare compliance audits
  • Financial audits
  • HR investigations
  • Procurement reviews