A Process is the reusable template behind every Observation — the set of Steps that lays out what should happen, who does it, and in what order. Before anyone can be observed, a Process Manager builds a Process so it can be assigned and used year after year. For how Processes fit into the wider module, see Observations Overview.
This article covers the first stage of building a Process: giving it a Title, Description, Category, and Reporting Framework. You can start two ways — from scratch with the green '+' button, or by duplicating one of Sibme's Pre-Defined Processes. Once the details are set, you move on to building the Steps, which is covered in How to Build Process Steps.
Who Is This Article For?
Creating Observation Processes is the Process Manager's job. An Account Owner or Super Admin chooses who the Process Managers are in Account Settings > Observations, and a Process Manager can be any User level. If you cannot create a Process, ask your administrator whether you have been added as a Process Manager. For more on setting that up, see Observations Settings.
This article is for these User levels, when they have been named a Process Manager:
User
Admin
Super Admin
Account Owner
Two Ways to Start a Process
A Process Manager can create a Process in one of two ways:
From scratch — Click the green '+' button and build a brand-new Process.
From a Pre-Defined Process — Duplicate one of the two Processes Sibme provides (First Year Teacher Cycle and Experienced Teacher Cycle) and adapt it to your needs.
Both paths land you on the same Process details page; the only difference is whether the fields and Steps start empty or pre-filled. Each path is covered below.
Creating a Process From Scratch
From the Observations Process list, click the green '+' button in the top-right corner. This opens the Process > New Process page, which has two stages shown in the stepper at the top: 1 Process and 2 Steps. You start on the Process stage, where you set the details.
Fill in the details from top to bottom:
Title (required) — The name of the Process. This is the only field you must complete before moving on.
Description (optional) — A short explanation of the Process. The Description field includes a formatting toolbar for bold, italic, underline, headings, lists, links, and attachments.
Category — Groups Processes together so they are easier to search and report on, the same way Categories work in Goals. Pick an existing one from the Select category dropdown, or click Add category to create a new one.
Reporting Framework — Sets the single Framework used for scoring and reporting on this Process. Other Frameworks can still be used within the Process, but only the Reporting Framework counts toward scoring and reporting. Choose one from the Choose Framework dropdown; your Account's default Framework is listed first and the rest follow alphabetically. If your Account has only one Framework, it is selected automatically and no dropdown appears. The i icon next to the field explains: "This Framework will be used for scoring. Other Frameworks used in this Process will not count."
Your work is saved automatically as you go — the auto-save timestamp at the bottom of the page confirms it. Once you enter a Title, the Next button turns green. Click Next to move on to the Steps page and start building the Process; click Cancel to discard it.
Building the Steps is the next stage of creating a Process. See How to Build Process Steps for the full walkthrough.
Starting From a Pre-Defined Process
When Observations is first set up, two ready-made Processes are added to your Account on the Unpublished tab: First Year Teacher Cycle and Experienced Teacher Cycle. These are starting points you can copy and tailor rather than building everything from scratch.
To use one, click the Duplicate button on its row — or open the ⋯ menu and choose Duplicate. Either way, Sibme creates a copy named Copy - [Original Process Name] and opens it on the Process edit page so you can rename it, adjust the details, and change its Steps. Your changes apply only to the copy — the original Pre-Defined Process stays intact for next time.
For a closer look at what each Pre-Defined Process contains and how to adapt it, see Using Pre-Defined Processes.
What's Next
How to Build Process Steps | Sibme Help Center
Using Pre-Defined Processes | Sibme Help Center