Training module: sharing document versions with other organisations

Introduction

Exercises

Before you start

Before you can complete this exercise you will need a bill ready for sharing with the Bill Office (download this XML )

Follow these steps to import a pre-populated bill into a newly created project

1. Create a new project selecting Northern Ireland Bill and Executive Bill and providing the title [Your Initials] Sharing document versions Bill

2. Close the Editor after it loads using the Close Editor button.

3. From the Project tab, select Document Actions > Upload document—

   1. Specify a folder Pre-Introduction

   2. Specify a version description Candidate for introduction

   3. Select the downloaded Candidate_for_introduction.xml file

   4. Click on Upload button

4. Find the newly uploaded document version and select Actions > Update Document Information—

   1. Update the Title to [Your Initials] Sharing document versions Bill

   2. Click on Update button

Sharing a bill with NIA Assembly for Introduction

1. From the Project tab, open the document version you intend to share.

2. In the Editor—

   1. Check there are no mandatory Document Check errors. In our training scenario, there are a couple—

      1. The drafter of the bill left some empty spaces which can cause issues later on when processing the xml so it’s good practice to check for and remove these using Tools > Remove all leading and trailing spaces from the upper toolbar

      2. When this update has run, the corresponding document check errors will disappear.

   2. The second Part hasn’t been correctly numbered. When you renumber the whole document, this document check error will disappear. Trigger a renumber by selecting Tools > Renumber Provisions from the upper toolbar

   3. As you have performed a renumber, it’s important to update cross references afterwards by selecting Tools > Update references from the upper tool bar which will make sure any cross references are quoting the correct provision number. Also check this doesn’t create more document check errors e.g. if a cross reference is no longer valid, these will be highlighted in the Document Check panel

   4. Check the table of contents shows the clauses, schedules and any grouping levels in sequential order (i.e. a simple way of check whether the document has been renumbered following drafting). You’ve already run renumber in the step before so the table of contents should be correct. But you should re-insert a new table of contents to make sure the part number is correct by selecting Insert > Insert Table of Contents

   5. Delete any remaining comments & tracked changes (click on the Review right-hand panel)

   6. Delete any J-refs that might accidentally have been left in by selecting Insert > Delete All J-refs

3. Once you’re happy with the final version, save your changes and close the Editor using the Close Editor button.

4. On the Project tab, find the final document version and select Actions > Share version.

5. Select NI Assembly click on Share.

The system will create a Significant Version which will appear on the right-hand side of the Project tab which will be read-only for you (and users in your organisation); but also read-only to NIA users to maintain the integrity of the document version that was shared.