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Narratives (and Settings)

KEY TOPICS:

  • About Narratives and their Components
  • Determine Narrative Settings
    • Select System Template
    • Include Reports in the AAP Document
    • Select Report Type (for Organizational Profile)
    • (If applicable) Turn on REACH Integration
    • Display Page Numbers in the Table of Contents
    • (Optional) Add a Header or Footer
  • Import Narratives from another balanceAAPBalanceAAP Plan

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    Develop Narratives for the AAP

    When all of steps involved in developing AAP analyses are complete (from ReportsSettings >to Narratives IWD/Veterans), the final step is selectedto fromgenerate the sideaccompanying navigation menu, Narratives. In preparation for generating these documents, stop at the Narratives > Settings tab willto display.review Tabsand determine a few options.

    From this page, links will also be accessible forin the tab header for: Tags & Values, Templates, and Published Narrative, as(as described in thisNext HelpSteps, chapter.the artices linked above).

    About Narratives and their Components

    Your organization’s Affirmative Action plan will include Narratives for:

    • Minorities/Women
    • IWD (Individuals with Disabilities)
    • Veterans

    balanceAAPThe three Narratives will be represented in the software by separate tabs. The system provides boilerplate language on separate tabs,language, along with tools for customizing their content for each Narrative by Section. The results from plan calculations will be merged into the Narratives, and reports will be included to build a complete Narrative.

    Documents from your organization may also be uploaded and included in the AAP, as described below.

    Determine Narrative Settings

    After determining the Narrative Options (and optional Header and Footer settings) below, click [Save].

    Select System Template

    The first step is to select the version of default Narrative template you would like to start with.with from the displayed drop-down. For new plans, dated 2015 and later, the recommended template is: Most Recent. To choose an older default system template, select a date from the provided drop-down.

    Important Caution: Finalize this setting before customizing the Templates. If the setting is changed later, any customization will be lost. To review the currently applied template version, navigate to Narratives > Templates.

    Include Reports in the AAP Document

    To automatically insert the required reports within the final AAP document, check all of the following:

    • Include Reports for Minorities/Women
    • Include Reports for Individuals with Disabilities
    • Include Reports for Protected Veterans

    Quick Tip: Leave the boxes unchecked to review simple drafts of the Narrative texts.

    Help Cross-reference: For information on exporting or printing the final Narrative, see: SelectAAP Reports.

    Quick Tip: Leave the boxes unchecked to review drafts of the Narrative texts.

    Select Report Type (for Organizational Profile)

    Either of the following two reports satisfies the requirement for submitting an Organizational Profile. Check off one:

    This option may be pre-selected for you, based on earlier settings you made in the system.

    (If applicable) Turn on REACH Integration

    If Good Faith Efforts data are available from BALANCEhub REACH and you would like to include the data in this Affirmative Action plan, check the box under: Reach Integration.

    BALANCEhubREACH Help Cross-reference: Each REACH data record must be associated with at least one or more Locations, a Plan Date, and an Evaluation for the integration to work. See: REACH > Activities.

    Display Page Numbers in the Table of Contents

    While page numbering is always displayed in the Narrative document, this Miscellaneous setting will turn on (or exclude) page numbers in the Table of Contents.

    (Optional) Add a Header or Footer

    Under the Header and Footer menu header, check the box next to: Include Header and Footer. If applicable, click: Include on the title page.

    Next, enter text for either the Header or Footer or both, using the Add Header Text and Add Footer Text menus.

    Import Narratives from another balanceAAPBalanceAAP Plan

    Narrative elements can be imported from another plan into the current plan, by accessing the Narratives > Settings tab. Select the items to import:

    • Settings
    • Tag Values
    • Templates
    • Supporting Documents

    Then select Company, Establishment, and Plan from the provided drop-downs. Click [Import].

    Edit Tags and Values

    About Tags

    The text assigned with a tag will appear wherever the tag is placed in a template. Based on tags, content is inserted into the proper place, remains accurate across an organization's plans, and is efficiently updated when information changes.

    Example: [Affirmative Action Chief Policy Signer] is a tag, representing the name of the chief policy signer, perhaps "Jane Smith."

    Using the Tag Library

    On the Narratives > Tags and Values tab, a library of tags appears on the left side of the screen. Tags with an [In use] icon next to them are currently in place in one of the Narrative Templates and should be updated with the relevant information. Tags with a [Value Assigned] icon indicate that information has been supplied. Tags without an icon are currently not in use in Narrative Templates.

    Select a tag from the list. Any text already applied to the tag will appear in the Tag Description field. Enter the appropriate information for each tag into the Tag Description field and click [Save], and then continue with the other tags.

    Add a Tag to the System

    Create a tag by clicking [Add a New Tag]. Enter:

    • Tag Name
    • Tag Description
    • Number of Rows (from 1 to 6, which will be available in the template for tag content)

    Click [Save]. Tags created in one plan can be used in any plan in your organization.

    Cross-reference: For instructions on including the tag in the Narrative, see: Edit Narrative Templates.

    Delete the tag (for all plans in your organization) by clicking [Delete]. You can only delete tags you have created.

    (Optional) Manage Supporting Documents for the Select Reports list

    Appendices and other corporate documents can be added at the end of a Narrative, to appear on the SelectAAP Reports list in the Narratives Report Group. From there, they can be selected or compiled into the completed AAP. Begin by clicking the [Manage Documents] button.

    From the tab header, select the Narrative to which the supporting documents should be added. Click Browse, and find the document. add [Add Another File] as necessary. Click [Upload]. Multiple documents will appear under Uploaded Documents in the order of upload.

    Next, review their order of appearance, as this order will be reflected on the Select Reports > Narratives list. To edit a document’s location, use the [Move Up/Move Down] arrows at the right of the File Name. Once the order is suitable, click [Save].

    Note: On the SelectAAP Reports list, the document(s) will appear directly after the associated Narrative, in the order you determined.

    Click the [Edit]Edit icon to change how the document’s Display Name appears on the Select Reports list. Click the [Delete]Delete icon to remove one of the Uploaded Documents.

    When the Upload list is satisfactory, click the Return to Settings tab.tab at the top of the page.