Assessor Portal Increases Consistency and Provides Easier Access

Grant assessors will no longer receive boxes of paper grant applications in the mail, or have to sift through endless application pages on a memory stick.  Instead, they can simply log into the new online Assessor Portal to review applications – the latest update to SaskCulture’s Online Grant Platform (OGP).

In spring 2017, peer assessors for grant adjudications of Aboriginal Arts and Culture Leadership, Métis Cultural Development Fund and Culture Days grant programs, all had their first experience with the new online Assessor Portal.  SaskCulture’s funding assessment panels (juries) review approximately 10 to 30 grant applications per grant deadline. Now, assessors can review all grants online prior to the adjudication meeting.

“Reviewing grant applications can be a big task for peer assessors, so creating a user-friendly experience was important to SaskCulture,” explains Catherine Folstad, grants administrator, SaskCulture.  “The online system helps manage the review process by ensuring consistency of grant application data, offering easy to access attachments, keeping track of scores and feedback, adding up overall assessments and monitoring progress.”

The new system saves time and money, and the grant assessors seem to like the change.  “So far the assessors really like the fact that they can see the applications exactly as they were submitted, including attachments,” adds Folstad, “And that they can access the applications from anywhere on a desktop, laptop or even a mobile phone, if needed.” 

One assessor noted, “I enjoyed using the new online platform - it was easy to get the hang of it. Thank you for the opportunity to assess - it is a very rewarding experience and neat to learn about the initiatives that communities are trying to do to enhance culture.”

The Assessor Portal has made the process more efficient, accessible and reliable than the mail and courier systems of the past and is currently being set up for the Annual Global Funding assessments needed next year.