Performance activity instance creation settings

Creation range

Select from two options:

• Limited: The user selects an opening date and a closing date, between which subject instances for eligible assigned users will be created. 
• Open-ended: There is no closing date, meaning the activity will generate subject instances for any eligible assigned users from the opening date onward.

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Date type

Select from two options:

• Fixed: With fixed dates you simply enter the calendar dates you want to use. You can also select the time zone for the selected date (this will default to the server time zone).
• Relative: Relative dates allow you to choose dates relative to when the activity instance is created, e.g. within two weeks. With dynamic dates you can configure the following:
  • Select the number of Days or Weeks, then Before or After your selected criteria.
  • Select whether you want your date range to be based on the Completion date of another activity, Date first assigned to this activity, the Instance creation date of another activity, Job assignment start date, or the User creation date (i.e. when the user's account was created).
  • If you selected Completion date of another activity or Instance creation date of another activity then you will need to select an activity from the dropdown list.

Fixed dates apply to all assigned users, so everyone is bound by the same dates, whereas Relative dates are personal to the assigned user, because it is relative to another date or event in relation to that user.

An example of a Fixed and Limited date range could be:

9 April 2020 Europe/London to 9 December 2020

An example of a Relative and Open-ended date range could be:

2 weeks after Completion date of another activity - Probation appraisal

Creation frequency

Select from two options:

• Once: A single instance will be created for each user.
• Repeating: As long as the activity is assigned to a user, instances will be created based on the settings selected. When using repeating dates you can choose from the following options to decide when additional instances should be created for assigned users:
  • Trigger: Set the number of days/ weeks relative to the trigger type for the creation to occur, e.g. time since completion of previous instance: X weeks
  • Repeating limit: Choose whether to set a maximum number of instances per assigned user or have the creation repeat indefinitely

When using you enable Repeating you may want to use each of the available options in the following scenarios.

Every X days/weeks after the creation of their previous instance: Use for activities you know users will complete immediately.

When previous instance is complete, and it was created more than X days/weeks ago: Use when you don't want instances to be created too frequently, for example if users could complete the activity immediately but you still want to space out instances.

Every X days/weeks after the completion of their previous instance: Use for activities that have a larger window for completion. If you're not sure when the participants will complete the activity then this ensures that users won't have multiple instances created at the same time.

Due date

Select from two options:

• Enabled: Enabling this setting allows you to set a due date for the end users to complete the activity. You can set the due date as a number of days or weeks after the instance is created.
• Disabled: There is no deadline for submitting responses, meaning users are free to complete the activity at their own pace.

If a due date is set then it will be displayed in the end users' lists of activities, as well as in the subject and participant instance reports.

The due date also acts as a trigger for certain notifications. See more about performance activity notifications. 

Job assignment-based instances

Select from two options:

• Disabled: A single subject instance will be created for each user, drawing participants from all of their job assignments (if applicable). 
• Enabled: A subject instance will be created for each of a user's job assignments.

If this setting is enabled but a user has no job assignments then a subject instance will not be created for the user.

Note that if you select Disabled you will not be able to use Job assignment start date as a reference date for relative scheduling, as the user could have multiple start dates for their different job assignments.