Think of FieldDoc as a growing repository of your nature-based work. The fundamental unit is an activity record, which you can create for any action you're taking in support of nature-based solutions. Each activity record can include a wide range of attribute data, such as environmental models to estimate benefits and geometries to map its location on the landscape. Over time, you can track implementation progress towards installation completion and then continue to monitor the functioning of the activity.
You can organize your records within your portfolio using Project Folders and Sections. When you're ready, you can share records with funders, export them, or use integrations to connect with other applications.
In Legacy FieldDoc, Activities were called Practices. The change in FieldDoc 2.0 reflects the expanded list of nature-based work that can be tracked in FieldDoc. Restoration BMPs like cover crops, tree plantings, and wetland restoration are still supported as Activity_Types. The expanded list includes additional work such as convenings, monitoring, and research.
Your Activity records
Each activity record is represented by a tile in your portfolio. You can switch between views to see activity records either as a grid or on a map. Regardless of the view you choose, these records contain a wealth of information about your nature-based work. Activity records help you plan, track, and report progress toward completion, as well as assess the impact of your work in achieving target goals. The first step is to create activity records within your organization's workspace.
What is an activity record?
An activity record should represent a single implementation or a representative example of a single implementation. Each activity record should be verifiable, if required, by the activity owner or by other authorized FieldDoc users, such as Program Managers or Collaborators. Keep this in mind when creating an activity record and delineating its geospatial boundary. For example, activity record geometries should not be delineated at the scale of an entire watershed, county, or state. Doing so may disrupt FieldDoc’s functionality.
FieldDoc makes it easy to create activity records within the platform, but if you already have data ready to port into the system, we have options to get that data into the system too!
To use geospatial data when creating an activity:
If you have a shapefile or other geospatial file, you must start by using the "File Import" option. This is the only way to associate your file with a new activity.
Important: You cannot import a file after the activity record has already been created. There is currently no option to upload or link geospatial data from within an existing Activity record.
When to use in-app Create Activity?
Use the Create Activity button if you do not have a geospatial file for this record or a spreadsheet with prepared data. This will allow you to use FieldDoc's Map Editor to delinate the activity footprint.
Where to find Create Activity?
You can create an activity from multiple entry points: on Home Page, within a Project, or within a Pact.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Open the Workspace where you want to create the activity record.
Enter a Name for the Activity.
From the Activity Overview Page, open the three vertical ellipses and select Edit Activity. This opens up the Edit Activity Modal.
Now you can enter in all of the attribute information that you have for this record.
Activity Type - Choose from the universal list. Click Save once you have selected the activity type.
Geometry - use the point, line, or polygon draw tools to delineate the activity location on the map. TIP - if you draw a line or polygon, you can grab the extentor set a custom extent on the Extent tab.
Organization Metrics - If you have a list of organization metrics, you can select metrics and set planned_values for all relevant metrics. (TIP - the activity must be assigned to a Pact before you can add programmatic metrics!)
Models - If you selected an Activity Type and there is an associated model, you can calculate model outputs on this tab. Most models require a geographic component, taken from the geometry, and an Unit Value.
Dig in! Interactive Tutorial
For more information on any individual section, please visit the corresponding article.
When to use Batch Import
Use the batch import option if you have geospatial file(s) or a spreadsheet of multiple activity records that you would like to create simultaneously. You can batch import a file with projects, activities, or metrics.
If you have a single geometry, you will use the Batch Import feature to create the activity record and add the geometry to it in one step.
Where to find Batch Impact?
You can batch import from multiple entry points: on Home Page, within a Project, on the Activity page, or within a Pact. Once in the Batch Import modal, check the upper left hand-corner to confirm what the system thinks that you are importing.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare your source file.
Select the File Import button.
Select your source file and drop it in the modal.
Map your source file field names to the FieldDoc Field Names.
Click Save. The system will tell you how many records were imported.
If you were importing activity records, open the Activities within your Portfolio.
Since you cannot import the activity_type:namefield, now is a good time to associate that FieldDoc managed data with your activity records. A "fast" way to add the activity_type:name is to toggle your activities to the grid view.
Select the field activity_type:name . A drop down appears. Search for the appropriate option, select it, and save. Repeat for all records.
If you are adding Metrics or Models to your records, check out the corresponding articles for options for how to add those in expedited actions, like using table views.
Dig in! Interactive Tutorial
When to use Table Views to create Activities?
You can create new activity records from the table views in FieldDoc. You will treat the table view like a spreadsheet to enter in an activity record within a single row.
Where to find Table Views
Table views for Activities are available within the Activity Portfolio as well as individual Projects and Pacts.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Switch to the Table view.
In an empty row, type in the Activity_Name
Select the associated Project_name, if applicable. Tip! Activity records can only be organized in one Project.
Select the associated Section_name, if applicable. Tip! Activity records can only be organized in one Section, which is a sub-folder of the Project.
Select the Activity_Type:Namefrom the universal list.
Add your Activity_Description. This is a text field. This is a great place to add details for you and your team about the record that you are documenting.
Type in the Practice:extent. This is a number field.
Use the practice:extent_unitto define the extent. Select from the available drop down list.
Return to the Tile View. Open the Edit Activity modal to add a geometry and activate the model.
To activate a model, you need both an activity_type and a geometry.
Keep in mind that not all activity_types have models, and some models may not work in all locations.
Dig in! Interactive Tutorial
When to use Map Editor to create Activities?
We do not recommend using the Map Editor to create mulitiple activity records.
If you want to create all of your records via a digital map editor tool, there are some excellent third party tools availble. We recommend using third party applications like ArcGIS Online, GeoJSON.io, or Placemark.io and then using our Import feature to add them to FieldDoc.
Where to find Map Editor
The Map editor view is available from the Activity Portfolio view as well as within individual Projects and Pacts. Please use the Map Editor to edit existing geometries.
Editing an Activity
To edit an existing activity record, open the Edit Activity modal. From this view, navigate to the area that you would like to update and make your change. Remember to click save!
Currently, you cannot edit existing records by importing a file.
Any records in the imported file will be treated as new entries.
Edits are easy in FieldDoc table views. We recommend using the Activity Table to edit activity_type, extent, extent_unit, and completed_ondate.
To edit Metrics associated with Activities, we recommend using the Metric Table and ImplementationTable available in the Project, Activity, and Pact views.
If you would like to edit a geospatial feature for an Activity record, you can do that from the Map Editor view. You have the option of editing or deleting a geometry. You have the option of deleting an entire feature record too.
FieldDoc's Map Editor is not intended to be used for editing multiple records. If you want to make changes to multiple activity record geometries, we recommend using the Edit Activity>Geometry tools.
Activity Attributes Overview
General Settings
The following provide a brief overview of the different attributes that you can attach to each Activity record.
What fields are required?
All fields in the activity record are optional; however, some Program Managers may have specific data standard requirements that must be met. Find your Program Guide for specific instructions.
When building your organization's portfolio, we recommend creating your guidelines for your organization and collaborators to clearly indicate how you want to structure and name your data and what fields you want to include.
Activity Type
FieldDoc provides a universal Activity Type list of standard names. Users have the option to attach an activity type from this list to their activity record. This is helpful if you want to turn on environmental models or participate in funding programs with curated activity type lists.
Map this Activity to NEIEN best management practice specifications.
Align activity metadata and implementation measurements with Environmental Information Exchange Network specifications. This information enables implementation tracking and crediting by state governments and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
FieldDoc calculates extent based on the dimensions (area, length, etc.) of an activity's geometry. Many models and activity types use this number to calculate estimated nutrient and sediment reductions and other parameters.
FieldDoc uses the World Geodetic System (WGS84, EPSG:4326) as its reference coordinate system. Note that the estimated extent value generated by FieldDoc may differ from values produced by other systems that process geospatial data.
If necessary, fill out the "User-defined extent" inputs below to override the FieldDoc-generated extent.
Completion status indicates the date when the activity was fully installed by clicking theMark activity as completed button. We recommend marking an activity as complete when all work is done to specification - this may
The activity completion date is never generated by FieldDoc. It must be entered manually.
Project folders provide organizational structure to individual activity records. Activity records can only be associated with a single project. Project folders can also include sections, which provide even further organizational options.
The privacy setting indicates that the geometry from this record should be generalized if shared via a Pact with a third party. It does not protect the data from being shared.
The geometry tab opens the Map Editor. From this view users can draw a geometry type to delineate the activity record footpring. FieldDoc provides basic draw tools for points, lines, and polygons.
Both Organizational Metrics and Programmatic Metrics can be added to individual activity records. Metrics will include a planned_valueand implemented_valueto track progress towards organizational goals.
All activity records that you create become part of your portfolio. You can share some activity records to one or many third parties via Pacts.
There are two pathways that you can take to share an Activity with a funder:
Create an new activity record within a Pact.
Within a Pact, navigate to the Activities tab. You can create new records by clicking Create or Import File.
Tips about creating activity records within a Pact
The benefit of creating records within a Pact is that the programmatic metrics will be available without any further action needing to be taken.
When you create an activity record within a Pact, it is not assigned to a Project Folder or Section in your Portfolio. You can organize your records from within the edit activity modal or from the Activity table view in your portfolio.
Link an existing activity record to a Pact
All activities that you create are placed into your portfolio. All of these activities can be linked to one or many Pacts. Once an activity is linked to a Pact, programmatic metrics from that Program can be added to the activity record.
Link records from within your Pact
If you open an activity record, you can link it to a Pact without leaving the record from two locations: within the Edit Activity modal or from the Overview>Pact tab. From these views, you can create a new Pact or manage your Pact connections. You can also jump over to the Pact overview page using the hyperlink.
