Page | 1
Roles and Permissions in ATTAINS
Version: 5/17/2019
Purpose: In ATTAINS, user permissions depend upon organization type: users from states/territories/tribes
have different Role options than EPA users. This document explains the Role options for each type of user, and
the basic permissions allowed for each.
Audience: Anyone who would like to understand the Role levels and permissions available in ATTAINS.
1 All Users
Each user needs an individual user account. State/Territory/Tribal Users will need an Exchange Network or
NAAS account to be created before they can be registered in the ATTAINS User database. EPA users will use
their Web Access Management (WAM) or Local Area Network (LAN) login ID. All users will need to provide the
following information to the ATTAINS User Administrator:
Organization (the state, territory or tribal name; or the EPA Region number; or EPA HQ)
User ID (this is the Exchange Network or NAAS account for State/Territory/Tribal users, or the
WAM/LAN ID for EPA users)
Email address
First Name
Last Name
2 Roles for State/Territory/Tribal Users
State, Territory and Tribal Users may receive access to the Assessment Units, Assessments, Actions, and Surveys
tabs, as well as the ability to add state level Domain values, with the appropriate permissions. This section lists
the general permissions available to each type of Role.
Manage User
Organization*
User ID*
[Test Organization A (TEST_ORG_A)
User ID
Email Email
First Name
First Name
Last Name Last Name
Roles
Assessment Units
<ง) Read Only O Data Entry G Administrator
Assessments
ฎ Read Only O Data Entry O Administrator
Actions
-------
Page | 2
2.1 Assessment Units Tab
Permission
Read Only
Data Entry
Administrator
Ability to view Assessment Unit data
S
Ability to edit data in Assessment Units tab
S
S
Ability to Upload GIS for the Organization
S
S
Ability to Batch Upload Assessment Units
S
2.2 Assessments Tab
Permission
Read Only
Data Entry
Administrator
Ability to view Assessment data
S
Ability to edit data in Assessments tab
S
S
Ability to Batch Upload Assessments
S
S
Ability to Submit ("Promote") an Assessment cycle to EPA
S
2.3 Actions Tab
Permission
Read Only
Data Entry
Administrator
Ability to view Actions data (e.g., TMDL, 4B Actions, etc.)
S
Ability to create new Actions
S
S
Ability to edit data in Actions tab for state-entered Actions in
"Draft" status.
Users cannot edit Actions in "Submitted" or "Final" status.
Users may see Actions entered by EPA but cannot edit
them.
S
S
Ability to Batch Upload Actions
S
S
Ability to Submit an Action to EPA
S
2.4 Surveys Tab
Permission
Read Only
Data Entry
Administrator
Ability to view state scale statistical Survey data
S
Ability to edit data in Surveys tab
S
S
Ability to Submit ("Publish") a survey in ATTAINS
S
-------
Page | 3
2.5 Domains Administrator
Domain Administrators should be limited to one or two people per Organization.
Permission
None
Administrator
Ability to see Administration tab
Ability to add some state-specific domain values. These are
only available for domain lists that are not managed at the
national level. The domain types that state/territory/tribal
Domain Administrators may manage include:
Organization IR Category (The state should not try to
redefine labels that are used by the EPA IR Category
that can cause confusion if the state claims a water is in
one category without providing the supporting data so
that ATTAINS can calculate it properly. Instead, this
Organization IR Category could be used to further
subdivide a category (such as Category 3 to Category
3a, 3b and 3c), or it could have a different name.)
Assessment Methodology
Assessment Use Qualifier Flag
Assessment Parameter Qualifier Flag
Location Type (Note: This does not allow you to add
location types that are managed at the national level
such as HUC8 and HUC12.)
Survey Use or Condition
Survey Category
Note: This role allows you to add domain values in the
categories above. It does not allow you to edit or delete
existing domain values. Check for typos before you save a new
domain value.
3 Roles for EPA Users
EPA Users may receive access to multiple Organizations, and permissions may vary by Organization. Access
includes the Assessment Units, Assessments, Actions, and Surveys tabs, as well as the ability to manage users,
with the appropriate permissions.
The roles available to EPA are:
1. Read Only (lowest level permissions)
2. Administrator (mid-level permissions)
3. Reviewer (high-level permissions)
There is often confusion between the Administrator level and Reviewer level. The mid-level permissions are
called "Administrator" (instead of "Data Entry") because they typically have the same permissions as the state
"Administrator" level (including the ability to Batch Upload, where available). The "Reviewer" level is higher
than Administrator level because they can review the work of the Administrator level before final approval.
-------
Page | 4
Manage User
Organization* USEPA(EPA)
Region Select Region
User ID* User ID Email Email
First Name First Name Last Name Last Name
Roles
Search Filter O Region ฎ Nation
Organization Select Parameters)
Advanced
Selection
Assessment Units Read Only
Assessments ฎ Read Only f) Reviewer
Actions <ง) Read Only f) Administrator Q Reviewer
Surveys <#) Read Only Q Data Entry o Administrator
Users B Administrator
Organization Assessment Units
Assessments Actions Surveys Users
No User Roles
3.1 Assessment Units Tab
States manage Assessment Units, so EPA's only role is Read Only for Assessment Units. However, EPA may also
upload GIS for a state, if necessary.
Permission
Read Only
Ability to view Assessment Unit data
S
Ability to Upload GIS
S
3.2 Assessments Tab
Permission
Read Only
Reviewer
Ability to view Assessment data
Ability to review Assessment decisions from the state once
the state has submitted ("Promoted") an Assessment cycle to
"Organization Final Action - Submittal" status. This also
includes the ability to add Assessment Unit / Cause
Parameter combinations to the CWA Section 303(d) List.
S
Ability to upload documents in the "Manage Cycle" section as
part of the Assessment cycle review
S
Ability to Approve ("Promote") an Assessment cycle to "EPA
Document Decisions", "EPA Interim Final Action" or "EPA
Final Action" status
S
-------
Page | 5
3.3 Actions Tab
Permission
Read Only
Administrator
Reviewer
Ability to view Actions data (e.g., TMDL, 4B Actions, etc.)
S
Ability to create new Actions
S
S
Ability to edit data in Actions tab for EPA-entered Actions in
S
S
"Draft" status.
Users may see state-entered Actions that are in
"Draft" status but cannot edit them, except by
changing the flag that determines whether the Action
counts towards WQ-27, if necessary
Ability to "Submit" an Action
S
Note: Currently, Reviewers cannot "Submit" an
Action, but a fix for that is planned for a future
release.
Ability to edit data in Actions tab for state or EPA-entered
S
S
Actions in "Submitted" status.
Ability to Batch Upload Actions
S
S
Ability to Approve an Action
S
3.4 Surveys Tab
Permission
Read Only
Data Entry
Administrator
Ability to view state scale statistical Survey data
S
S
Ability to edit data in Surveys tab
S
S
Ability to Submit ("Publish") a survey in ATTAINS
Note: While the system allows an EPA user to have
the "Administrator" role for Surveys, this is only
approved in limited circumstances. States should
have the final say on publishing a survey, so most
EPA users would not be allowed to have Survey
Administrator privileges.
S
(Only allowed
in limited
circumstances.
See Note.)
3.5 User Administration
User Administration is typically handled by EPA Headquarters and by EPA regional Data Management
Coordinators (DMCs). User Administrators manage permissions for both EPA and State/Territory/Tribal users
within their jurisdiction. A User Administrator may only grant privileges for an Organization that they
themselves have access to. For example, a Region 1 Data Management Coordinator only has access to
Organizations in Region 1, so he or she would not be able to grant permissions to an Organization in Region 5.
Permission
None
Administrator
Ability to add Users and change User permissions within their
jurisdiction
------- |