Defining the tasks to cover

The Assignments screen is used to define the tasks or posts that the Staffing module will have to cover. It is a configuration step: you describe the needs before assigning people in the Planner.

Distribution to staff comes next, via the Roster (see Rosters).

What a task describes

A task can carry:

• a clear label: Reception, Playground, Cafeteria, Exam supervision lecture hall A;
• a minimum required number of people and an ideal number;
• a priority level;
• a site or a place;
• the specific list of staff members authorized to cover it (empty = all staff);
• compatibility rules with other tasks;
• detailed needs, slot by slot, on the service grid.

The task must be precise enough to be understood in the planner and in the duty roster handed to staff.

Frequent examples:

• Corridor 2;
• North gate reception;
• Playground;
• Cafeteria;
• Study hall room B12;
• Exam supervision lecture hall A;
• PE outing Charcot stadium.

Needs and authorized staff

Needs state how many people must cover a task, slot by slot on the service grid (0 = no need), on top of the task's required minimum and ideal headcount. The authorized staff list restricts who is eligible: reserve it for posts that require a specific accreditation or skill — a PE outing, specific supervision, special reception duties, access to a site.

This information keeps assignment from becoming a mere list of names: Omniscol keeps the link between the post, the need and the people authorized to cover it.

For a sensitive task, restrict the authorized staff rather than relying on verbal instructions: the planner then flags any assignment of an unauthorized person.

Compatibilities between tasks

Some nearby tasks can be covered by the same person if the institution allows it. Example: two adjacent corridors during a quiet slot.

Declare these compatibilities only when they match a real operating rule. An overly broad compatibility makes the schedule harder to read and can hide understaffing. Case to avoid: merging distant posts only because someone is missing.

Import and structure reuse

When many tasks already exist, the screen saves time with the import and structure-reuse tools available in the module. After importing, check the labels, the needs and the authorized staff before moving on to the planner.

A clean import should produce labels directly readable by the people assigned. If you import internal codes, rename them before distribution.

Why tasks and the planner are separate

The separation avoids mixing two decisions:

• defining the need: which posts exist, where, with which rules;
• assigning people: who covers these posts over a given week or period.

When the structure changes little, this separation lets you reuse the same tasks and change only the people or the exceptions.