Navigating Within a Pact or Project

We’ve updated the breadcrumb behavior so that navigation now stays consistent with your current context. In other words, if you’re working within a Pact, you can now move back and forth between Pact Activities and the Pact overview without being shifted into the Project or portfolio views.

Organization Setup

When setting up a new account, users with unrecognized email domains will be prompted to create a new organization in FieldDoc. To prevent duplicate organizations from being created, we’ve added backend checks that help consolidate records and streamline collaboration.

This change makes it easier for users to find and join existing organizations, improving the experience for everyone.

If you're blocked from creating an organization, or explore creating multiple workspaces within one organization, please contact us at support@fielddoc.org and we’ll help you sort it out.

FieldDoc was built to answer problems around understanding where funding for restoration work was being implemented and what environmental impact it was having. Since 2018, The Commons has grown the FieldDoc platform to support restoration practitioners receiving funding from over thirty conservation and restoration programs across the Chesapeake Bay, Ohio, and Delaware River Basins. The platform has helped estimate sediment and nutrient load reductions, reported thousands of verifiable BMPs to state and federal agencies, and aligned funding with installation footprints. We’re excited to announce that FieldDoc is now available for broader use beyond sharing data with funding programs within specific geographies. We are also releasing new features that greatly enhance data management and usability for restoration practitioners, funders, and partners working on nature-based solutions.

The new FieldDoc platform opens up endless opportunities to transform your nature-based work into valuable digital assets. One of the key system enhancements is the ability for users to create records without having to link them to a specific funding program.* By removing this affiliation, FieldDoc enables users to oversee their entire portfolio in one centralized location rather than just a portion of their work. This means that anyone - from policymakers to restoration professionals - can use FieldDoc’s data management tools for whatever goal they have - including organizing their nature-based data for monitoring, planning, advocacy, or reporting.

Practitioners are sitting on a goldmine of nature-based activity data. Whether you track your protected lands, implement restoration actions, or champion conservation strategies, your on-the-ground data represents the best information decision-makers have to track progress toward local, regional, and global nature-based goals.

Now, you can turn your valuable resources into measurable impacts that help meet environmental goals. No more digging through spreadsheets or juggling different applications to generate quantifiable data. With FieldDoc’s powerful new data management tools, every team can now share, scale, and utilize geospatially powered, standardized, machine-readable data to make informed decisions that influence investments and improve the health and resilience of our landscapes and communities. In other words, the data you manage in FieldDoc can be shared not only with funders but also with third-party software providers and applications.

On-boarding

We’ve completely reimagined onboarding in FieldDoc to make it faster, clearer, and way more helpful. While the core steps may look familiar, the entire flow has been streamlined behind the scenes to reduce friction and help you get up and running without missing a beat.

Now, when you create a new account, you’ll see a simplified onboarding experience that gets right to the point. We’ve removed the need to rely on existing users to approve additional staff within an organization, added smarter prompts, and introduced helpful guidance at each stage—so you always know what to do next.

Plus, we’ve improved how roles and permissions are assigned when you join or create an organization. You’ll get clearer feedback about what you can do and where to go next. And if you’re inviting others to join your team, we’ve made that process smoother too—no more guesswork.

All in all, this is a major step forward in making FieldDoc easier to adopt and more intuitive to use from day one. If you’re spinning up a new application to a funding opportunity or building a portfolio of nature-based work for your organization, you’ll notice the difference right away.

As always, if you hit any snags or have ideas to make onboarding even better, drop us a line or share your feedback directly in the app.

Pacts

Share data with multiple funders. Managing data across multiple funders and partners can often feel like a balancing act, but with FieldDoc’s Pacts feature, those worries are a thing of the past. Pacts allow you to share the same data with multiple funders and collaborators seamlessly - without duplicating records or risking double counting and avoiding implementing tedious version control measures.

You remain in full control of your data, deciding who has access and when all while avoiding the administrative headache of creating separate entries for different stakeholders.

With Pacts, your data can do more—working across projects, partners, and funders—without creating unnecessary complications. This streamlines the reporting process, allowing you to focus on what matters: the impact of your work.

You will still be able to select Partner-specified metrics and report progress toward installation, track the status of the Pact, and visualize the footprint and impact of your work. The main difference is that you will select which activity records from your portfolio you want to add to each Pact and then you will track progress for each Pact based on that sub-list.

Organization Metrics

Metrics are crucial for tracking progress, and every organization measures success with a unique set of metrics. With the new Organization-Specific Metrics feature, you can set your own organizational goals and track progress alongside the metrics required by funders.

This means that, in addition to meeting the expectations of your funding programs, you can also measure your work against the specific goals your organization cares about—whether it’s restoring a certain amount of wetland or improving soil health across multiple sites.

By integrating these customizable metrics into your workflow, FieldDoc ensures that your data isn’t just about compliance; it’s about reflecting your organization's unique mission and progress. Now, you can view your results holistically, combining funder-required outcomes with your strategic target goals.

Learn more about Organization metrics →

Batch Import

Say "Goodbye!" to single record data entry. Data management for nature-based projects is notoriously time-consuming, but FieldDoc is taking the “dirty work” out of it with new, time-saving features designed to make your life easier.

Whether you’re moving data in and out of the system or cleaning up existing records, FieldDoc’s latest tools simplify and accelerate the process, giving you back valuable time to focus on achieving your environmental goals. With these features, data management becomes less of a chore and more of a strategic asset, empowering you to make better decisions and deliver greater impact for your projects, funders, and partners.

Manually entering data one record at a time is a thing of the past.

With FieldDoc’s Batch Import feature, you can now upload large datasets in one go, mapping fields from your import file directly to the FieldDoc schema. This not only saves you hours of desk time but helps to keep your data clean and ready for the next stage of reporting or analysis. Whether you’re importing data from another system or organizing information from the field, this feature ensures that your data management process is efficient and accurate.

Learn more about Import →

Enhanced Map Editor

We've created a more powerful geospatial tool. FieldDoc continues to raise the bar when it comes to geospatial data management, offering powerful tools to handle geospatial information alongside your other project data.

With our latest updates, we’ve enhanced the platform’s ability to manage, visualize, and analyze geospatial data, giving you even more flexibility and insight. Whether you’re tracking restoration projects, analyzing environmental impacts, or sharing results with stakeholders, our new mapping and data visualization features make it easier than ever.

The new Map Editor in FieldDoc is more intuitive and powerful than ever. We've taken the tools you know and love and supercharged them to offer a seamless geospatial editing experience. Now, you can edit records and geometries directly within the same view, which means less time switching between screens and more time refining your data. You can also customize geometry colors, import spatial data from external sources, and even create new activities directly on the map.

Whether you're drawing new project boundaries, updating restoration sites, or visualizing the spread of your work, the enhanced Map Editor gives you full control over your geospatial data.

Learn more about Map Editor →

Atlas

Geospatial views with analytics at your fingertips. We’ve made it easier than ever to access and visualize your geospatial and metric data with Atlas Views.

Now, you can dive into your data from virtually any context—whether you’re viewing an individual project, a larger program, or your organization’s entire portfolio. With just a click, you can launch an interactive map view that combines geospatial data with key metrics, making it simple to analyze performance, track progress, and communicate results. This expanded access to Atlas views transforms how you interact with your data, providing real-time insights and the ability to make more informed decisions.

By enhancing both the Map Editor and Atlas Views, FieldDoc is making it easier to scale, track, and share your data across all levels of your organization and with external partners. Whether you’re managing multiple projects or simply looking to visualize the impact of your work, these tools ensure you have everything you need to make the most of your data.

Table Editing

The power of a spreadsheet, inside FieldDoc. For those who prefer working in a spreadsheet-style view, FieldDoc’s new Table Editing feature is a game-changer.

You can now view and update multiple records at once, just like you would in Excel or Google Sheets, but with the added benefit of FieldDoc’s powerful data structure. This feature will not only save you hours of manual work but also improve data accuracy and efficiency.

Imagine editing entire rows of records at once, spotting inconsistencies more easily, and making bulk changes in a fraction of the time. Whether you’re updating project details, tracking activities, or managing metrics, Table Editing gives you the flexibility and control you need to manage your data with ease. We’ve done the math, and this feature alone could save you hours of desk work—while significantly boosting your excitement for data management!

Assign Activity Types via Tables

Each Activity benefits from having an assigned Activity Type. With the new table view, you can skip the single record configuration and access the universal list of Activity Types from the grid view. Simply click the drop-down list and search for the correct type to assign to the record. Then move on to the next row!

Add Metrics and Planned Values

From the grid view, you can easily assign metrics to your activities. Once you pick them from your pre-created list, add the planned target values. Throughout the lifespan of the Activity, you can track progress towards implementation - again, with table views!

Portfolios

Manage all of your work from one central organizing system. The latest FieldDoc updates represent a significant leap forward in how FieldDoc supports users in managing and optimizing their nature-based work. These features are designed to empower you with the tools you need to drive impactful environmental change. It may be boring, but a key feature that's needed is a centralized place to organize your work.

FieldDoc is no longer just a tool for grant reporting; it's now a comprehensive solution for managing all of your nature-based projects in one place. With the introduction of Portfolios, you can easily organize and oversee your entire body of work without the need to tie everything to a specific funding program. This shift gives users more control, allowing them to share only the relevant records with third parties, funders, or collaborators—empowering organizations to manage and share data on their own terms.

Gone are the days of fragmented data management. Whether you’re juggling multiple projects or working with several partners, Portfolios give you the flexibility to centralize your data while selectively sharing the right information. This is a game-changer for organizations, giving them a holistic view of their nature-based work while retaining full autonomy over what they share and with whom.

Expanded Universal Activity List

Expanding beyond water quality BMP implementation. We’ve transitioned from the limited "Practice Types" to a broader concept of “Activities,” making FieldDoc a versatile tool for managing a wider range of nature-based initiatives.

This change reflects the growing diversity of projects our users are working on—from habitat restoration and soil health to reforestation and sustainable agriculture.

By switching to Activities, FieldDoc is now a go-to platform for all kinds of conservation work, not just water quality-focused projects. No matter what kind of nature-based activities you're engaged in, you can now track and manage your projects efficiently, ensuring they align with your organization’s environmental goals.

Expanded Account Management

Collaboration is at the heart of most nature-based work, and our expanded Account Management features make it easier than ever. Whether you're working with contractors, technical service providers, or internal teams, FieldDoc allows you to maintain clear ownership and visibility of your records, even when multiple parties are involved.

This update eliminates the need for complicated handoffs or permission issues—everyone works from the same dataset but with clear roles and access controls. By streamlining collaboration, you can now focus more on the impact of your work and less on managing who has access to which parts of your data.