Set up Collection programmes, assignments and regular returns
A Collection programme coordinates one or more expected response-gathering exercises. A Collection is a single run or reporting period. Use it when you know who should respond and need assignments, deadlines, reminders and response history.
Create a programme and Collection
- Open Response Hub → Collection programmes and create a programme with a clear purpose.
- Review its Collection defaults and Message templates.
- Create a Collection, choosing a starting form and saved version to copy.
- Edit its managed form, save it and explicitly apply the desired revision from the Collection.
- Add respondent organisations and assignments, directly or through a validated roster import. Configure response groups where policies differ.
- Review dates, policies and access, then open the Collection. A draft needs an applied form revision before it can open.
Collection policy reference
| Setting | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Opening date | When assigned respondents may start after the Collection is opened. Uses the library's Service time zone. |
| Response deadline | The effective due date used for overdue/reminder handling. It must follow the opening date; it is separate from explicitly closing the Collection. |
| Reminder offset | Number of days before the effective deadline for the configured reminder. |
| Review start | On submission or a scheduled review-start date, where review is required. A schedule does not itself enable review. |
| Amendment window | Never after submission, until the deadline, or until review starts. |
| Reason for reopening | Not required, optional or required, according to the chosen policy. |
| Retention days | The Collection's retention period, calculated from closure. Reopening is unavailable once retention has ended. |
Initial programme defaults are a deadline 30 days ahead, a reminder seven days before it, review timing on submission, no respondent amendments, a required reopening reason and 2,555 retention days. Review these values for your purpose; an existing programme can have different saved defaults. Require review in Response Hub is off by default, including Collection forms.
Manage the expected respondents
Assign the organisations/people expected to respond. A response group (cohort) can override applicable dates and policies. Use roster validation/preview before applying an import, and review the proposed assignment changes. An unassigned person cannot create a return simply by opening its URL.
Moving an assignment between groups can recalculate deadlines, reminders, editability and review eligibility. Check affected work before applying changes; accepted work remains terminal.
Publish form changes deliberately
New and in-progress journeys use the latest form revision explicitly applied to their Collection. Each submitted version retains its exact answers, form revision and file evidence. Applying a new form revision while a Collection is open does not rewrite submitted history.
Do not deploy a managed Collection form as an ordinary independent service or enable service payments on it. Its publication is controlled by its Collection programme. Use Bulk Data inside the form where a return needs validated CSV/XLSX input.
Review, communicate and close
Where review is enabled, use the review queue to claim, return or accept work. Respondents see shared correction instructions and the relevant issues; staff notes stay internal. The programme dashboard, or an included User portal, gives respondents their assignments and history.
Programme templates cover submission confirmation, returned, accepted and reminder messages. Review message history and audit events when checking delivery. A template change is not proof that a message was sent.
Closing freezes Collection mutations, cancels future scheduled work and starts retention. Controlled reopening is a separate action subject to policy and remaining retention. Review the current state and consequences before closing or reopening.
Export a point in time
Use Collection exports for the intended response/version scope, including retained evidence where selected. Review form history and audit records alongside results. See Collection programme API for authorised automation, pagination and export jobs.