Edition: Enterprise
User-level: System Administrator to change Configuration settings.
Director and Above Bypass access limitations by default (see Security Matrix)
Project Permissions controls who can see each project. You can give access by team, by project assignment (the project manager, stage managers, staff contacts and resources), or both. This lets people running or working on a project see it without being added to a team, while keeping projects hidden from people who don't need them.
How the Settings Work
There are two organisation settings, and both are off by default:
Enable project permissions by project team
Enable project permissions by project assignment
You can use either setting on its own or both together.
A person can see a project if any setting that is switched on gives them access.
If both settings are off, everyone sees every project.
Project Team Setting on Its Own
With Enable project permissions by project team on, people see the projects their team has been given access to.
If the project has a team - only people in a team with access see it.
If the project has no team - everyone sees it. The setting only restricts a project once a team has been assigned to it.
Teams can only be assigned to projects once this setting is on.
Project assignments are ignored. Someone who manages or works on a project but isn't in a team with access won't see it.
Example: Rail Depot is linked to the Civil team. Priya is in the Structural team and is the project manager of Rail Depot. With only the team setting on, Priya can't see Rail Depot because she isn't in the Civil team.
Project Assignment Setting on Its Own
With Enable project permissions by project assignment on, people see the projects they are assigned to.
If the person is assigned to the project - they see it, whether or not the project has a team.
If the person isn't assigned to the project - they don't see it, even if they are in a team linked to it.
Team access is ignored.
A project with no team is visible only to the people assigned to it. If nobody is assigned, nobody sees it, apart from roles that see all projects by default.
Office projects and project templates are not affected by this setting.
Example: With only the assignment setting on, Priya sees Rail Depot because she is its project manager. She no longer sees Structural team projects she isn't assigned to.
Using Both Settings Together
With both settings on, people see their team's projects plus the projects they are assigned to.
If the project has a team - people in a team with access, and people assigned to the project, see it.
If the project has no team - only people assigned to it see it. If nobody is assigned, nobody sees it, apart from roles that see all projects by default.
For projects with no team, the assignment rule overrides the team setting's "no team means everyone" behaviour.
Example: With both settings on, Priya sees the Structural team's projects through her team, and Rail Depot because she is its project manager.
Who Counts as Assigned
A person is assigned to a project if they are:
The project manager
A stage manager
A staff contact
A resource on the project
Resourcing notes
A resource at any level counts. Being resourced on a phase or stage, not the whole project, still gives access.
A resource still sees the project if they have no hours or their allocation dates are in the past.
If someone has more than one assignment on a project, removing one keeps their access while another remains.
Who Is Restricted
Restricted - Users, Assistant Project Managers and Project Managers.
See all projects by default - Directors, Assistant Administrators and System Administrators. If your organisation overrides that default, the restriction applies to them too.
These settings only decide whether someone can see and open a project. What they can do inside it, including seeing budgets and financials, still follows your Security Matrix.
Example: Comparing the Settings
A practice has three projects: Harbour Bridge (linked to the Structural team), Rail Depot (linked to the Civil team) and Office Fitout (no team, and nobody assigned).
Sam - in the Structural team, not assigned to any project.
Priya - in the Structural team, and the project manager of Rail Depot.
Jordan - in the Civil team, and resourced on Harbour Bridge.
Dana - a Director.
Person | Both off | Team only | Assignment only | Both on |
Sam | All three projects | Harbour Bridge, Office Fitout | None | Harbour Bridge |
Priya | All three projects | Harbour Bridge, Office Fitout | Rail Depot | Harbour Bridge, Rail Depot |
Jordan | All three projects | Rail Depot, Office Fitout | Harbour Bridge | Harbour Bridge, Rail Depot |
Dana | All three projects | All three projects | All three projects | All three projects |
With only the team setting on, Priya runs Rail Depot but can't see it, and Jordan works on Harbour Bridge but can't see it, because neither is in the right team. The assignment setting gives them access. With both settings on, Office Fitout is only visible to Dana, because it has no team and nobody is assigned to it. Once someone is assigned to Office Fitout, they see it too.
Turning Project Permissions On
Go to the Configuration page via
Organisation Settings > Organisation > Configuration.Scroll down to "Project Permissions".
A System Administrator ticks
Enable project permissions by project team,
Enable project permissions by project assignment,
or both
People who have access through a setting that is on keep seeing their projects.
Everyone else who is restricted stops seeing projects they don't have access to. Directors, Assistant Administrators and System Administrators are unchanged.
If you use the team setting, assign teams to the projects you want to restrict. Until a project has a team, it stays visible to everyone unless the assignment setting is also on.
The settings apply to your whole organisation. There is no project-by-project switch.
Before you switch on
If you use the assignment setting, check active projects have the right project manager, stage managers, staff contacts and resources. Anyone not assigned will stop seeing the project.
If you use the team setting, check each team's members and decide which team each restricted project should have.
Look at projects with no team. With the assignment setting on, a project with no team and nobody assigned is only visible to Directors, Assistant Administrators and System Administrators.
Think about people who need to see projects but aren't formally assigned, such as finance or people who cover for others, and how they'll get access.
What Your Staff Will See
For someone without access to a project:
Project list - the project doesn't appear.
Timesheets and time entry - the project isn't in the picker, so no new time can be logged to it.
Global search - the project can still be listed in the results, but it can't be clicked or opened.
Direct link or bookmark - blocked with the existing no-access message.
When Access Changes
Access changes the next time the person loads a page. They don't need to log out.
Adding someone - when a person is added to a team with access, made project manager, stage manager or staff contact, or resourced on the project, it appears in their project list, search and timesheet picker on their next page load.
Removing someone - the project disappears from their screens on their next page load, unless another team or assignment still gives them access.
Logged time - time already logged is never changed or deleted.
Saved timesheet rows - rows saved before access was removed stay and can still be submitted. New time can't be logged to the project.
Example: With the assignment setting on, the project manager resources Jordan on Harbour Bridge. On Jordan's next page load, Harbour Bridge appears in their project list and timesheet picker, and they log time against it. When the work finishes, Jordan is removed from the project and it disappears from their screens. The time Jordan already logged stays.
Troubleshooting
A project manager can't see their project - check the assignment setting is on and they are listed as the project manager, a stage manager, a staff contact or a resource. If only the team setting is on, check their team has access to the project.
A project has disappeared for everyone - the assignment setting is on, and the project has no team and nobody assigned. Assign someone to it to make it visible to them.
Staff can still see projects you didn't expect - with only the team setting on, a project with no team is visible to everyone. Assign a team or turn on the assignment setting to restrict it. Also check whether the person is a Director, Assistant Administrator or System Administrator.
A project shows in search but can't be opened - this is expected when the person doesn't have access. Assign them to the project or add them to a team with access.
Someone still sees a project after being removed - ask them to refresh the page, and check whether another team or assignment still gives them access.
Someone can see a project but not its budget - this follows your Security Matrix, not Project Permissions. Check their role's permissions.
Security Matrix permissions
By default, Director and above access levels bypass this feature (and, regardless of teams assigned, can view all projects). Use the security matrix to change this:
By selecting to 'bypass' for a user level, normal project permissions rules are overwritten, and this user level can see all project details as normal.