Project Setup Wizard

This page covers:

What is the Project Setup Wizard?

The Project Setup Wizard guides users through the process of setting up the Project and related records - which is the backbone of Amp Impact and ultimately, enables impact measurement. Setting up the Project record correctly is essential to use features such as Indicator Management, Activity Planning, and Budgeting.

Using the Project Setup Wizard

1. The core details of a Project need to be entered first. The user will create a Project record and once the record is created, click on the “Setup Project” button to open the wizard.

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2. The wizard will guide the user through a set of screens that would allow them to create the details related to a Project record. Some of these fields are required to save the record. For the most part, users can create the related records while navigating from one screen to another (including Frameworks, Implementation Plans, and Budgets). However, there are two exceptions:

   1. Geographic Areas: Typically, there is a list (or catalog) of Geographic Area records that already exist in the system (see this page for more details). Users should select the relevant Geographic Areas from a picklist.

   2. Thematic Areas: Similarly, Thematic Areas are high-level impact themes that are predetermined and should be selected from a picklist.

3. Use the “Previous” and “Next” buttons to navigate from one screen to another and the “Skip” button to move to the next screen without creating or selecting records.

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For more detailed information on creating project records without using the wizard, refer to the Project Setup page.

Set up the Reporting Periods

Reporting Periods represent time periods during a project. They are used for the purpose of reporting -grant reports or progress reports (including narrative, results, financials, and files). To create Reporting Period records using the wizard, follow these steps:

1. Enter the “Start Date” and “End Date” to define the Reporting Period schedule. 

2. Select the “Reporting Period Type”: Monthly, Quarterly, Biannual, Annual, and Life of Project. These are all required fields to save the records as indicated by the red asterisk.

3. The Reporting Periods that have already been added to the Project (if any) will also be displayed. If you select a Reporting Period that is already allocated, you will get a message identifying the duplicate records. You have the option to proceed with or edit the duplicate record as needed.

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Creating Automatic Hierarchies with the Project Setup Wizard quasar v1.47 onwards

When creating Reporting Periods through the Project Setup Wizard, you can now automatically create parent-child hierarchies based on their frequencies and date ranges. To create Reporting Period hierarchies using the Project Setup Wizard, follow these steps:

1. On the Reporting Period creation step within the Project Setup Wizard, you will see a new checkbox: "Create Reporting Period Hierarchies Automatically".

2. This checkbox is unchecked (FALSE) by default.

   1. If you leave it unchecked: Reporting Periods will be created without any parent-child relationships.

   2. If you check it (TRUE): Amp Impact will automatically create hierarchies for the new Reporting Periods upon saving.
      Example: If the user creates Quarterly and Annual Reporting Periods for a time period using PSW with the "Create Reporting Period Hierarchies Automatically" TRUE, the Quarterly Reporting Periods would be the children of the Annual Reporting Period that they belong to (Annual 2026 will be the parent of Q1 2026, Q2 2026, Q3 2026, Q4 2026 Reporting Periods).
      
      

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      Creating Reporting Period Hierarchies using PSW

3. This feature also re-evaluates existing Reporting Periods and their hierarchies. If you add new Reporting Periods that should logically sit in an existing Reporting Period hierarchy, the system will reparent all the Reporting Periods in the system accordingly.
   Example:
   Assume the system already has Quarterly and Annual Reporting Periods created for the year 2026 along with hierarchies. Later, the user creates Biannual Reporting Periods for the same year using PSW and sets Create Reporting Period Hierarchies Automatically = TRUE.
   In this case, the system will automatically reorganise the existing Reporting Periods to maintain a logical hierarchy. The resulting structure will be: Annual → Biannual → Quarterly

   1. For a child Reporting Period to be automatically parented or re-parented, it must fit completely within the parent's date range ie., The start date of the child Reporting Period must be on or after the parent’s start date, and the end date of the child Reporting Period must be on or before the parent’s end date.
      
      

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      Impact of Automatic Hierarchy creation on existing Reporting Period Hierarchies in the system

When not to use automatic hierarchy creation?

• If your project has duplicate Reporting Periods (e.g., two 'Annual 2025' Reporting Periods in same or overlapping date ranges), the automatic hierarchy creation may not work as expected. In this case, you will need to create the hierarchies manually:

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• If a Reporting Period is set up in a way that it could be a child to multiple parents (e.g., overlapping parent Reporting Periods), the system will parent it to one of them randomly. We suggest you to rely on manual hierarchy creation in such cases.

Set Up Project Geographic Areas

To add Geographic Areas to the Project:

1. Search the picklist for Geographic Areas that already exist as records in the system and select the ones that are relevant.

2. Click “Next” to add the Geographic Area records to the Project.

   1. The Geographic Areas that have already been added to the Project (if any) will be displayed. If you select a Geographic Area that is already allocated, you will get a message identifying the duplicate records. You have the option to proceed with or edit the duplicate record as needed.

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Set Up Project Thematic Areas

To add Thematic Areas to the Project:

1. Search the picklist for Thematic Areas that already exist as records in the system and select the ones that are relevant.

2. Click “Next” to add the Thematic Area records to the Project.

3. The Thematic Areas that have already been added to the Project (if any) will be displayed. If you select a Thematic Area that is already allocated, you will get a message identifying the duplicate records. You have the option to proceed with or edit the duplicate record as needed.

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Set Up Frameworks

Frameworks are used to visualize an organization’s logic model - typically a hierarchy of project objectives. Multiple Frameworks can be created for a single Project depending on how an organization tracks and reports on project objectives. To create a new Framework using the wizard, follow these steps:

1. Start by entering the Framework Name. Similar to other screens, any Frameworks that have already been associated with this Project will be displayed on the screen.

2. If you are creating multiple Frameworks at this point, check the “Check this if you want to create another Framework” checkbox. This will ensure that you are guided back to this same screen again to create the next Framework.

3. Click on the “Next” button.

   1. If you have not checked the “Check this if you want to create another Framework” checkbox, you will see the next screen.

   2. If you have checked the “Check this if you want to create another Framework” checkbox,  you will see the Framework screen again to create a new Framework record.

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Once the Framework(s) are set up, Framework Objectives can be added. This isn’t done through the wizard - refer to this page for step-by-step instructions.

Set Up Implementation Plans

Implementation Plans allow organizations to plan and visualize the activities that form part of a project - essentially, a work plan or project plan. The Implementation Plan is the backbone of the project plan and this can be created using the wizard.

To create an Implementation Plan (or multiple Implementation Plans) using the wizard, follow these steps:

1. Start by entering the Implementation Plan Name. Similar to other screens, any Frameworks that have already been associated with this Project will be displayed on the screen.

2. If you are creating multiple Implementation Plans at this point, check the “Check this if you want to create another Implementation Plan” checkbox. This will ensure that you are guided back to this same screen again to create the next Implementation Plan.

3. Click on the “Next” button.

   1. If you have not checked the “Check this if you want to create another Implementation Plan” checkbox, you will see the next screen. 

   2. If you have checked the “Check this if you want to create another Implementation Plan” checkbox,  you will see the Implementation Plan screen again to create a new Implementation Plan record.

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Once the Implementation Plan(s) are set up, the granular Activity records that fill out the details of the project plan can be added. This isn’t done through the wizard - refer to this page for step-by-step instructions.

Set Up Budgets

Budgets enable organizations to plan revenue and expenditure and report on actuals at specified time intervals. The Budget record is the backbone of the project budget and can be created using the wizard.

To create a Budget (or multiple Budgets) using the wizard, follow these steps:

1. Start by entering the Budget Name. Similar to other screens, any Budgets that have already been associated with this Project will be displayed on the screen.

2. If you are creating multiple Budgets at this point, check the “Check this if you want to create another Budget” checkbox. This will ensure that you are guided back to this same screen again to create the next Budget.

3. Click on the “Done” button.

   1. If you have checked the “Check this if you want to create another Budget” checkbox, you will see the Budgets screen again to create a new Budget.

   2. By clicking on the “Done” or “Skip” buttons, you will exit the wizard.

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Once the Budget(s) are set up, the granular Financial (Expenditure) records that fill out the details of the budget can be added. This isn’t done through the wizard - refer to this section for step-by-step instructions.