...
| Excerpt |
|---|
This page provides a high-level overview of how to understand your Project Space in CommCare. |
| Table of Contents | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
About Project Spaces in CommCare
A Project Space in CommCare HQ is a secure, web-based space where all data related to your CommCare applications is stored, managed, and accessed. It serves as a centralized hub that enables organizations to efficiently develop, deploy, and oversee and use the applications for data collection and case management.
Each project space is distinct and isolated, ensuring that data remains separate between different spaces unless explicitly shared by inviting users. This isolation enhances security, facilitates streamlined workflows, and allows teams to manage multiple projects independently without interference.
Core Functions available on a Project Space
1. Reports and Analytics
Project spaces provide built-in reporting tools that allow users to track and analyze various data points efficiently:
...
Worker Activity Reports: Monitor mobile user interactions, login patterns, and performance trends.
Read more here: Worker Activity Report
...
Submission by form Reports: Access detailed logs of form submissions, timestamps, and associated metadata.
...
Report builder: Generate tailored reports using CommCare’s export functions for further analysis.
2. Data Management and Storage
A project space ensures seamless data organization and retrieval through robust management tools:
Data Exports: Download form submission data in structured formats (CSV, Excel) for external analysis.
Case Management: Track and update individual cases over time using built-in workflows.
Lookup Tables: Store reference data that can be used to populate fields dynamically within forms.
3. User and Role Management
...
Web Users: Administrators, developers, and analysts who configure applications and oversee data management.
...
Mobile workers: Field workers who collect data using the mobile application.
...
Roles and Permissions: Assign role-based access to control visibility and interactions within the project space.
...
Groups: Groups feature can be used for sharing case data among mobile workers and reporting purposes.
4. Application Development and Deployment
App Building Tools: Create custom applications using CommCare form designer and logic engine.
Multiple Application Support: Manage several applications within a single project space for different uses.
Application Releases: Publish updates and maintain version control to ensure seamless deployment.
Messaging: Create and manage the Messaging workflows for your applications.
5. Security and Access Control
User Authentication: Enforce password policies and two-factor authentication for enhanced security.
Restricted Access: Ensure data confidentiality by granting access only to authorized users.
6. Customization and Configuration
How to Create a Project space?
Creating and setting up a new project space is a very easy process. Here are the steps to create and setting up an all new project space: https://dimagi.atlassian.net/wiki/x/yS3Kfw.
If the users already have an existing project space and they to create a new project space, here are the steps to create a new one:
Click on the dropdown menu displaying current project space name in the top-right corner
At the end of this list, select the “+ Add Project” option.
A new page appears which ask the users to name the project space. Enter the name and click on “Create Project”. Once this is done a new project space will be created and the user is directed to it.
Project Space Functionality
Many CommCare users have one project space to run their own programs. Within a project space, you can do the following:
Project Customization
You can set permissions related to your project space. This includes
Project Space Naming: Customize the project space name without affecting the access URL.
Custom Branding: Apply logos, color schemes, and themes to match organizational branding.
Automated Workflows: Set up scheduled tasks for data processing, automatic case updates, or notifications.
Common Uses
Program-Specific Spaces: Organizations managing multiple programs can use different project spaces for each initiative.
Testing and Training: Create a separate project space for testing new features or training new users without affecting live data.
Multi-Application Management: Manage different applications within a single project space while maintaining distinct workflows and access control.Security Settings: Set security settings specific to your project space (e.g. two-factor authentication)
Multi-Application Management
Each project space allows users to develop and manage their own applications. You can manage multiple applications within one project space in CommCare. You can read more about developing applications here: Application Development
Data & User Management Control
Project spaces provide built-in reporting tools that allow users to track and analyze various data points efficiently, as well as store any collected data from the application.
You can read more about these at Data Management & Data Analysis & Visualization and
You can also manage a pre-set number of authorized users for your specific project space, including grouping them into different groups and granting them role-based access control. Beyond user management, you can also set security measures in your project space.
You can read more at User Management.
When to Consider Separate Project Spaces
Each project space is distinct and isolated, ensuring that data remains separate between different spaces unless explicitly shared by inviting users. This isolation enhances security, facilitates streamlined workflows, and allows teams to manage multiple projects independently without interference.
Although a single Project Space can accommodate multiple applications and segmented user groups, there are cases where splitting into separate Project Spaces is beneficial:
Testing / Training Needs | To ensure data integrity and security, you may want to split out your project spaces from live data and testing data. Many programs may have one project space set up for their live instance of CommCare, and use another project space for testing and training. |
Access Permission Concerns | If different teams or program administrators should not have access to each other’s data, separate Project Spaces ensure complete separation. |
Different Project Needs | You can manage different applications and programs within one project space, including setting different user permissions. However, there are things that all project spaces share, such as Organizations (Locations), Lookup Tables , Security Settings, at the Project Space level. If you are supporting different programs that have different needs for these, you may benefit from having multiple project spaces. |
Connecting Project Spaces
While project spaces are separate by default, certain features allow limited connectivity between them:
Linking Project Spaces | Organizations can create a parent-child structure where a parent space distributes applications or configurations to child spaces. This may be useful for managing global vs. country-specific applications. Multi-Environment Release Management or Enterprise Release Management (ERM) is the solution for organizations that need centralized control, version consistency, and structured updates across these spaces, ensuring seamless deployments while minimizing disruptions. Learn more at Multi-Environment Release Management or Enterprise Release Management |
Application Copying & Sharing | Applications can be copied from one project space to another, enabling reuse while keeping data separates. Learn more at Copy or Delete an Application |
Multi-Space Reporting | Data from multiple project spaces can be consolidated externally (e.g., in Power BI or Tableau) using OData Feeds . Additionally, External tools can pull or push data between multiple project spaces using CommCare’s Data APIs |