Currently, communities can add certain custom fields to Program Availability to track details on program openings, however, the ability to customize the availability form is limited (e.g. no dynamic screen options, limited field types, inability to edit default fields). In its current state, communities may choose to use 3rd party form solutions outside of Clarity to track program openings or use workarounds to structure the availability form to capture local information (e.g. using a field as a label).

The Availability Form could be improved by providing screen functionality, offering all field types, and allowing for the editing of default fields on Availability:

Provide screen functionality on availability form set-up:

• Spaces, Labels, Warnings - -
  Spaces, Labels and Warnings would allow sys admins to make the availability form better organized and improve data quality. It would also resolve the need for workarounds such as using fields as a faux label to try to create sections.

• Display Constraints - -
  Display Constraints would allow sys admins to make the availability form more dynamic to only show applicable fields as needed Use case: site-based programs may need to include details on physical units that are not applicable to tenant-based programs.

• Data Quality Check, Hide, Read-Only Fields - -
  These features would also give sys admins more control of the availability form and ways to support better data quality.

• Customize Display Order of Fields - -
  Currently, custom fields are sorted alphabetically by field name requiring the use of naming conventions to structure fields in the desired order (e.g cafield1, cbfield2, etc.) making set-up and maintenance of availability more burdensome for sys admins. The ability to directly drag and drop fields into the desired order would save time and simplify field names.

Offer additional field types:

• Picklist & Multi-select Picklist - - Picklists fields could help reduce complexity and better structure data collection on the Availability Form. For example, if a community wants to collect the household type served by the program opening, currently they would need to use multiple checkbox fields to indicate the household type served; this data could more neatly captured by a picklist field.

Ability to edit default fields:

Currently, “Date” and “Additional Notes” are default fields on Program Availability that can’t be edited or moved. Additional, customization options could help improve clarity and organization.

• Date - -
  Some communities might want to collect the date of the program opening posting as well as a separate date for when the unit is available for move-in. Being able to customize the Date display name would allow for communities to capture the exact date information they want.

• Additional Notes - -
  Additional Notes is an important field as it is included in the Opening name visible to matchmakers, however this is not clear from the field’s display name. When communities use custom fields on Availability, they may want to specify what exact information they want providers to capture in this field (e.g. Unit Name) and/or reorganize where the field is on the form.

These enhancements would allow communities to capture the desired information on program openings in a clear and coherent manner improving usability for providers posting openings and matchmakers processing referrals.