TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 1 Overview & Introduction
- 2 Prerequisites & Requirements
- 3 Getting Started
- 4 Step-by-Step Workflows
- 5 Core Features & Functions
- 6 Settings & Customisation
- 7 Technical Information
- 9 Additional Resources
1 Overview & Introduction
Project Profiles in itslearning define what users can do within Projects (also known as Communities in US English) based on their assigned role. When you access Profiles through Administration > Profiles > Project tab, you'll see a matrix showing available functionalities with green checkmarks (✓) for enabled features and red crosses (✗) for disabled features.
The Project Profile system provides role-based access control for collaborative spaces used for clubs, cross-functional events, and group work. Unlike Course Profiles, Project Profiles manage simpler permission sets as Projects do not include assignments, tests, or advanced pedagogical tools. This granular control ensures users only access the administrative and collaborative features they need for their specific role within Projects.
2 Prerequisites & Requirements
Before configuring Project Profiles, ensure you have:
- System Administrator or Administrator profile with profile management permissions
- Access to the Administration tab in itslearning
- Understanding of your organisation's Project usage and requirements
- Projects/Communities feature enabled at site level
3 Getting Started
3.1 Accessing Project Profiles
- Log in to itslearning with system administrator credentials
- Navigate to the Administration tab
- Select Profiles from the administration menu
- Click the Project tab (third tab alongside Site and Course)
- The Project Profiles matrix will display showing all profiles and their permissions
3.2 Understanding the Profile Matrix
The Project Profile matrix displays:
- Rows: Different functionalities and features available in Projects
- Columns: Profile types (Project manager, Project participant, and any custom profiles)
- Indicators:
- ✓ Green checkmark = Feature enabled
- ✗ Red cross = Feature disabled
3.3 Default Profiles Overview
| Profile | Primary Purpose | Security Level | Typical Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Manager | Full Project control | 50 | Project creators, club leaders, event coordinators |
| Project Participant | Standard collaboration | 30 | General members, students, staff participants |
4 Step-by-Step Workflows
4.1 Modifying Existing Profiles
Objective: Update permissions for an existing Project Profile
Steps:
- Access Administration > Profiles > Project tab
- Locate the profile column to modify
- Click on specific permission cells to toggle enabled/disabled
- For settings with values (such as security level), click to edit
- Review all changes before saving
- Save modifications
Result: Changes apply immediately to all users with this profile across all Projects
Next Steps: Communicate changes to affected users if significant permissions were modified
5 Core Features & Functions
5.1 General Permissions
| Setting | Description | Typical Configuration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manage participants and groups | Determines whether users with this profile can add, edit, and delete participants within a Project | Enabled for Project manager, disabled for Project participant | Essential for Project managers to control membership but should be restricted for regular participants |
| Use trash can | Controls access to the Project's trash can functionality | Enabled for Project manager, disabled for Project participant | Allows users to recover deleted content. This permission helps prevent accidental data loss whilst maintaining appropriate access control |
| Manage events in project calendar | Grants ability to add, edit, and delete calendar events in the Project calendar | Enabled for Project manager, disabled for Project participant | Useful for users coordinating events or managing Project schedules |
| Manage general administration permissions | Provides access to administrative functions including bulletin board management, Project settings, access to reports, and other Project administration tools | Enabled for Project manager, disabled for Project participant | This permission should be restricted to Project managers. Includes administration of bulletin boards, Project settings, and report access |
| Include profile in student reports | Determines whether this profile appears in student reports, progress reports, personal reports, and status pages | Disabled for both profiles | Typically disabled for Project Profiles as Projects focus on collaboration rather than academic assessment |
5.2 Default Profile Settings
| Setting | Description | Typical Configuration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use this profile for default membership | Specifies which profile new Project participants receive by default when added to a Project | Project participant profile selected | Ensures consistent baseline permissions for all new members. New Project participants automatically receive this profile |
| Use this profile for users creating a project | Defines which profile is automatically assigned to users when they create new Projects | Project manager profile selected | Project creators automatically receive this profile, granting them full administrative control over their newly created collaborative space |
5.3 Default Folder Permissions
Default folder permissions determine what access users have to the root resource folder when a Project is created. These permissions establish the baseline for content management and are inherited by elements added to the folder.
| Setting | Description | Typical Configuration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full control | Grants complete control over the resource folder, including permission to manage folder permissions and all capabilities listed below | Enabled for Project manager, disabled for Project participant | This permission should be restricted to Project managers |
| Edit | Allows users to edit the folder structure itself | Enabled for Project manager, disabled for Project participant | Enables modification of folder organisation and properties |
| Write | Permits users to add elements to the folder, copy elements to and from the folder, and change the sequence of elements within the folder | Enabled for Project manager and Project participant | Essential for collaborative content creation |
| Evaluate | Not used directly by the folder but is inherited by elements added to the folder | Enabled for Project manager and Project participant | Projects typically do not use evaluation features as they lack assessment tools. This permission is inherited by content elements |
| Participate | Not used directly by the folder but is inherited by elements added to the folder | Enabled for Project manager and Project participant | Enables interaction with collaborative elements such as discussions. This permission is inherited by content elements |
| Read | Grants permission to view the folder contents | Enabled for Project manager and Project participant | This is the minimum permission required for users to access shared Project resources |
6 Settings & Customisation
6.1 Permission Matrix: Project Manager vs Project Participant
The following table displays the standard permission configuration for default Project Profiles:
| Permission | Project Manager | Project Participant |
|---|---|---|
| Security level | 50 | 30 |
| General Permissions | ||
| Manage participants and groups | ✓ | ✗ |
| Use trash can | ✓ | ✗ |
| Manage events in project calendar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Manage general administration permissions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Include profile in student reports | ✗ | ✗ |
| Default Profile Settings | ||
| Use this profile for default membership | ✗ | ✓ |
| Use this profile for users creating a project | ✓ | ✗ |
| Default Folder Permissions | ||
| Full control | ✓ | ✗ |
| Edit | ✓ | ✗ |
| Write | ✓ | ✓ |
| Evaluate | ✓ | ✓ |
| Participate | ✓ | ✓ |
| Read | ✓ | ✓ |
This permission structure ensures Project managers have full administrative control whilst Project participants can collaborate effectively without access to sensitive administrative functions.
Permission Inheritance Model:
Permissions set at the root folder level inherit to all content added within the Project:
- Direct Folder Permissions: Full control, Edit, Write, and Read operate directly on the folder itself
- Inherited Permissions: Evaluate and Participate do not affect the folder directly but are automatically inherited by elements added to the folder (such as discussions, resources, and other interactive content)
This inheritance model maintains security whilst reducing administrative overhead.
7 Technical Information
7.1 Security Levels
Security levels create a permission hierarchy where higher levels can override lower levels:
| Security Level | Profile Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Project Manager | Higher level - full Project control |
| 30 | Project Participant | Standard Project access |
Important: Each profile must have a unique security level.
Understanding the hierarchy:
- Higher security levels grant greater administrative control
- Users with higher security levels can manage users with lower security levels
- Only profiles with security level 30 and above have Project management capabilities
- Security levels determine which administrative functions are available
- Security levels cannot be changed if doing so would create conflicts with existing profiles
Valid Range: 1-100
If you are creating custom profiles, assign unique security levels between existing levels (e.g., 40 for a Project Coordinator role would be between Project Manager and Project Participant).
7.2 Permission Hierarchy and Inheritance
Project Profiles operate within itslearning's broader permission system:
Permission Flow:
- Site-level permissions determine whether users can access Projects at all
- Project Profiles determine capabilities within individual Projects
- Folder permissions (inherited from profile defaults) control resource access
- Individual resource permissions may be customised by Project managers
Override Behaviour:
- Site-level restrictions cannot be overridden by Project Profiles
- Project managers can adjust individual user permissions within their Projects
- Folder-level permissions can be modified independently of profile defaults
- Custom permissions override inherited profile defaults
7.3 Relationship to Site and Course Profiles
Site Profiles:
- Control site-wide administrative functions
- Determine whether users can create Projects
- Override Project-level permissions if site restrictions exist
Course Profiles:
- Operate independently of Project Profiles
- Contain additional permissions for assessments and pedagogical tools
- Do not affect Project functionality
Project Profiles:
- Function independently within the Project context
- Simpler permission set than Course Profiles
- Focus on collaboration rather than assessment
Users may have different profiles across Site, Course, and Project contexts. A user with limited Course permissions may have Project manager rights in specific Projects.
9 Additional Resources
Related Articles:
- Profiles Overview
- Site Profiles - Complete Guide
- Course Profiles - Complete Guide
- Profile Setting: Automatic Logout
- Projects/Communities - Getting Started Guide
More Help Resources:
Service Status Check the current status of itslearning services at https://status.itslearning.com/
Ideas Portal Share your ideas and help shape the future of itslearning at https://ideas.itslearning.com/
Roadmap Check out the itslearning product roadmap at https://itslearning.com/global/roadmap/
Contact Information
For additional support with Project Profile configuration, reach out to your itslearning contact.