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Assigning reviewers

Assigning a reviewer asks someone outside the land use office to look at an application. This page is for clerks. Reviewing an application describes what the reviewer then sees.

Who can be a reviewer​

Anyone who holds the Reviewer role and has an active account. An administrator gives people the role under Settings, Users. If the person you want does not appear in the list, they do not hold the role yet. How the staff roles fit together describes it.

Land use staff and administrators can assign and remove reviewers.

Assign a reviewer​

You can do it from three places.

  • On the application record, in Do this now when the step is Assign a reviewer. The Reviewer list shows everyone who is not already assigned. Choose a name and Assign reviewer.
  • In the Reviewers panel on the record, open Assign a reviewer. The panel also lists everyone assigned, with their status.
  • In the Applications list, choose Unassigned in the Reviewers column. The Assign a reviewer box opens.

Chiban answers Reviewer assigned. The reviewer is emailed that a review has been requested. If you assign someone who is already on the application, Chiban says That reviewer is already assigned.

Assigning a reviewer does not share any documents with them. Open Change who can see this on each document the reviewer needs and tick Assigned reviewers, then choose Save signed-in access. A document the applicant uploaded may already be shared with reviewers, as the line under it says: Who can see this, followed by who.

Remove a reviewer​

In the Reviewers panel, open Remove beside the name and confirm. The person no longer sees the application.

What reviews do to a decision​

On a permit that goes through review to a decision, such as a building permit, the requirement Reviews signed off blocks Record the decision until at least one reviewer is assigned and every assigned reviewer has signed off.

  • With nobody assigned, the requirement says No reviewer is assigned. and the panel shows The decision is blocked until a reviewer is assigned and signs off.
  • With reviewers who have not finished, it says how many reviews are not signed off.

If a reviewer is away or no longer needed, Remove them. Removing is better than overriding the requirement, which ignores the reviews altogether. Land use staff can override with a recorded reason, as From intake to issued permit explains.

Board applications are different. For these the requirement is not used. Review comes from the board.

Asking a board for comment​

On the same panel, Send to a board for comment asks a board, for example the Conservation Commission, to comment on an application it does not decide. Choose the board and, if you wish, a comment-by date. The members seated on the board are emailed, and the panel lists the board under Boards asked for comment with Waiting for comments or Comments received. Withdraw takes the request back. A board's comment does not block the decision, and a board member does not sign off the way a reviewer does.

When the review is back​

Reviews back, ready to decide on Today counts applications where the reviewers have finished. The Reviews back flag on the Applications list finds them too.