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Role Management

Understanding event roles and permissions is crucial for effective event management. This page explains the role hierarchy, permissions matrix, and how to manage team members in your events.

Event Role Hierarchy

Each event can have users with different roles that determine their access and capabilities:

Reporter

Basic incident submission and viewing

  • Can submit new incident reports
  • Can view their own submitted reports
  • Can add comments to their own reports
  • Cannot view reports submitted by others
  • Cannot manage team members or event settings

Responder

Incident response and team coordination

  • Can view and manage all incident reports in the event
  • Can assign incidents to team members
  • Can change incident status and add internal comments
  • Can view team member information (read-only)
  • Cannot manage team membership or event settings

Event Admin

Full event management capabilities

  • All Responder permissions plus:
  • Can manage team members and send invitations
  • Can configure event settings and metadata
  • Can upload logos and customize event appearance
  • Can manage the code of conduct and community guidelines
  • Can view audit logs and administrative information

Permission Matrix

ActionReporterResponderAdminSystem Admin*
View own reports❌**
View all reports❌**
Submit reports❌**
Manage reports❌**
Invite users❌**
Event settings❌**
Create events
System admin

*System Admins need explicit event roles to access event data **System Admins can access event data only when assigned an event role

System Admin Event Access

Important: System Admin Isolation

System Admins do not automatically have access to event data. This is a security feature that ensures proper data isolation between events.

How System Admins Access Event Data

  1. Event Admin assigns role: An Event Admin must explicitly assign a role to the System Admin
  2. Role-based access: System Admin gains access based on the assigned role (Reporter, Responder, or Admin)
  3. No special privileges: System Admin has the same permissions as any other user with that role
  4. Event-specific: Role assignment is per-event and doesn't transfer to other events

Why This Separation Exists

  • Data privacy: Ensures sensitive incident data cannot be accessed without proper authorization
  • Role clarity: Separates system administration from event management responsibilities
  • Compliance: Supports data protection requirements and audit trails
  • Security: Prevents accidental or unauthorized access to event data

Managing Team Members

Inviting New Team Members

Event Admins can invite users to join their event team:

  1. Navigate to team management: Go to the Team section in event navigation
  2. Click "Send Invites": Access the invitation interface
  3. Enter email addresses: Add one or more email addresses
  4. Select role: Choose the appropriate role for each invitee
  5. Add personal message: Optional message to include with the invitation
  6. Send invitations: Generate and send invitation links

Screenshot needed: Team invitation interface showing role selection and email entry

Invitation Process

For existing users:

  • Receive email with invitation link
  • Click link to accept invitation
  • Automatically added to event with specified role
  • Can immediately access event features

For new users:

  • Receive email with invitation link
  • Click link and create new account
  • Accept invitation during account creation
  • Added to event with specified role

Managing Existing Team Members

View team members:

  • See all users with roles in the event
  • View each member's role and join date
  • See last activity and engagement level

Change roles:

  • Promote/demote team members as needed
  • Changes take effect immediately
  • Role changes are logged in audit trail

Remove team members:

  • Remove users from the event
  • User loses all access to event data
  • Can be re-invited if needed later

Role Assignment Best Practices

Choosing the Right Role

Assign Reporter role when:

  • User only needs to submit incident reports
  • User is an event attendee or participant
  • User doesn't need to see other people's reports
  • User has no incident response responsibilities

Assign Responder role when:

  • User is part of the incident response team
  • User needs to see and manage all incident reports
  • User will be assigned incidents to investigate
  • User needs to coordinate with other responders

Assign Event Admin role when:

  • User is an event organizer or manager
  • User needs to configure event settings
  • User will manage team membership
  • User has overall responsibility for the event

Team Structure Recommendations

Small Events (1-50 attendees):

  • 1-2 Event Admins
  • 2-3 Responders
  • All other attendees as Reporters

Medium Events (50-200 attendees):

  • 2-3 Event Admins
  • 4-6 Responders
  • Specialized roles (e.g., legal, HR)
  • All other attendees as Reporters

Large Events (200+ attendees):

  • 3-5 Event Admins
  • 8-12 Responders
  • Specialized response teams
  • Clear escalation procedures
  • All other attendees as Reporters

Role Changes and Audit Trail

When Roles Change

All role changes are tracked in the audit log:

  • Who made the change: User who performed the action
  • What changed: Old role and new role
  • When it happened: Timestamp of the change
  • Why it changed: Optional reason or note

Automatic Role Changes

Some role changes happen automatically:

  • Event creation: Creator automatically gets Event Admin role
  • Organization events: Organization Admin gets Event Admin role
  • User removal: All roles removed when user leaves event
  • Event deactivation: Roles preserved but access suspended

Manual Role Changes

Event Admins can manually change roles:

  • Immediate effect: Changes take effect immediately
  • Notification: User may receive notification of role change
  • Audit logging: All manual changes are logged
  • Reversible: Role changes can be undone if needed

Multi-Event Role Management

Different Roles in Different Events

Users can have different roles in different events:

  • Independent assignment: Roles don't transfer between events
  • Context switching: Navigation adapts to current event role
  • Separate permissions: Actions available based on current event role
  • Audit separation: Actions logged separately for each event

Managing Multiple Event Roles

For users:

  • Check role indicators in event switcher
  • Understand permissions change between events
  • Use appropriate features for each event context
  • Contact event admins for role questions

For administrators:

  • Assign roles based on event-specific needs
  • Don't assume roles transfer between events
  • Communicate role differences to team members
  • Monitor role effectiveness across events

Troubleshooting Role Issues

Common Role Problems

User cannot access event features:

  • Verify user has appropriate role in the event
  • Check if user account is active and verified
  • Confirm event is active and not disabled
  • Ensure user is logged in properly

System Admin cannot access event data:

  • Remember: System Admins need explicit event roles
  • Have Event Admin assign appropriate role
  • Verify role assignment was successful
  • Check audit log for role assignment

Role changes not taking effect:

  • Refresh the page or clear browser cache
  • Check if role change was actually saved
  • Verify user is in the correct event context
  • Contact system administrators if issues persist

Team member permissions seem wrong:

  • Review the permission matrix above
  • Confirm user's actual role in the event
  • Check if event has custom permission settings
  • Verify user understands role limitations

Getting Help with Roles

For role-related issues:

  1. Check the audit log for recent role changes
  2. Verify user permissions and current role assignments
  3. Test role functionality with different user accounts
  4. Contact other event admins for assistance
  5. Reach out to system administrators for technical problems

Security Considerations

Role Security Best Practices

  1. Principle of least privilege: Assign minimum necessary role
  2. Regular role review: Periodically review team member roles
  3. Prompt role removal: Remove roles when team members leave
  4. Audit monitoring: Monitor role changes in audit logs
  5. Clear communication: Ensure team members understand their roles

Protecting Event Data

  • Role validation: System validates roles for every action
  • Event isolation: Roles don't grant access to other events
  • Audit trails: All role-based actions are logged
  • Access controls: UI and API enforce role-based permissions

Understanding these role management concepts helps ensure your event team has appropriate access while maintaining security and data privacy.