Contents

• Overview
• Calculated Value Fields
• Configure Form Fields for Calculation
  • Single-Select
  • Multi-Select
  • Numeric Slider
  • Likert Scale
  • Number
• Configure the Calculated Value Field 

Overview

This article provides information about what calculated value fields are and instructions on how to set them up.

Calculated Value Fields

When a program needs to evaluate the significance of responses to input or questions, a value (or score) may be assigned to options. These values are used in calculated value fields and may be used to assist in the award decision-making process. 

The ability to add calculated value fields is available in two forms:

• Intake form
• Custom Review Feedback form

There are two main steps to using calculated value fields:

1. Configure the required form fields for calculation.
2. Configure the Calculated Value Field.

--- USER TIP ---

If applicants or reviewers see the calculated value field totals, consider providing explanatory or presentational text to the form(s) about the calculation.

Configure Form Fields for Calculation

The following fields can be used in calculations:

• Single-Select
• Multi-Select
• Numeric Slider
• Likert Scale
• Number

--- IMPORTANT ---

The fields MUST be configured and designated to be part of the calculation to show in the calculated value field setup.

Single-Select

To configure a single-select form field for use in a calculation:

1. Select the desired single-select field so that the dotted line appears around the field.

2. Select the form field’s cog wheel icon to configure the field.

3. A panel slides out from the right side of the screen; before proceeding, edit or configure the elements of the form field as needed (if not already complete) so the calculation values are set up correctly.
4. Scroll to the section found after the area to label each option and toggle Add calculation value for the options? to Yes.

5. Assign numeric values to each option as needed to support the purpose of collecting and weighing that data.  Calculation values must be unique and may start at 0.  (Please note that the labels for the options in the screenshot are only an example and can vary; edit as needed.)
6. If desired, assign a relevant, descriptive alias that helps the field be easily identified when creating the calculated value field.  An example is shown in the screenshot below.

7. Select the Done button to complete the configuration.

Multi-Select

To configure a multi-select form field for use in a calculation:

1. Select the desired multi-select field so that the dotted line appears around the field.

2. Select the form field’s cog wheel icon to configure the field.

3. A panel slides out from the right side of the screen; before proceeding, edit or configure the elements of the form field as needed (if not already complete) so the calculation values are set up correctly.
4. Scroll to the section found after the area to label each option and toggle Add calculation value for the options? to Yes.

5. Assign numeric values to each option as needed to support the purpose of collecting and weighing that data.  Calculation values must be unique and may start at 0.  Please note that the labels for the options in the screenshot are only an example and can vary; edit as needed.

6. If needed, set the maximum number of choices permitted for the multi-select field.  In the example shown, applicants are allowed to select any and all of the five options that apply, so it is left blank.

7. If desired, assign a relevant, descriptive alias that helps the field be easily identified when creating the calculated value field.  An example is shown in the screenshot below.

8. Select the Done button to complete the configuration.

Numeric Slider

To configure a numeric slider form field for use in a calculation:

1. Select the desired numeric slider field so that the dotted line appears around the field.

2. Select the form field’s cog wheel icon to configure the field.

3. A panel slides out from the right side of the screen; before proceeding, edit or configure the elements of the form field as needed (if not already complete) so the calculation values are set up correctly.
4. When used in the calculated value field, the Numeric Slider field automatically assigns the value of the field based on the response the user enters into the field, so there is no value to define in the configuration panel.
5. If desired, scroll to the bottom of the panel and assign a relevant, descriptive alias that helps the field be easily identified when creating the calculated value field.  An example is shown in the screenshot below.

6. Select the Done button to complete the configuration.

Likert Scale

To configure a Likert Scale form field for use in a calculation:

1. Select the desired Likert Scale field so that the dotted line appears around the field.

2. Select the form field’s cog wheel icon to configure the field.

3. A panel slides out from the right side of the screen; before proceeding, edit or configure the elements of the form field as needed (if not already complete) so the calculation values are set up correctly.
4. Scroll to the section found after the area to Create a matrix and toggle Add calculation value for the options? to Yes.

5. Assign numeric values to each option as needed to support the purpose of collecting and weighing that data.  Calculation values must be unique and may start at 0.  

6. If desired, assign a relevant, descriptive alias that helps the field be easily identified when creating the calculated value field.  An example is shown in the screenshot below.

7. Select the Done button to complete the configuration.

Number

Calculated value fields may also be used for calculating total amounts, for example: budgets, total income, total funds requested, funds used, total awards, etc. In these cases, the Number field is used.

To configure a number form field for use in a calculation:

1. Select the desired number field so that the dotted line appears around the field.

2. Select the form field’s cog wheel icon to configure the field.

3. A panel slides out from the right side of the screen; before proceeding, edit or configure the elements of the form field as needed (if not already complete) so the calculation values are set up correctly.
4. When used in the calculated value field, the Numbers field automatically assigns the value of the field based on the response the user enters into the field, so there is no value to configure in the configuration panel.
5. If desired, assign a relevant, descriptive alias that helps the field be easily identified when creating the calculated value field.  An example is shown in the screenshot below.

6. Select the Done button to complete the configuration.

Configure the Calculated Value Field

After all the form fields that will be part of a calculation are configured, set up the calculated value field.  In the example screenshots below, an intake form is shown, but the same procedures should be applied when setting up a calculated value field on a custom review feedback form.

--- USER TIP ---

A best practice is to write out the desired calculation first before building it in the configuration panel to make it easier to build the formula.

1. Add the calculated value field to the form, if it is not there already.  (Please see the article titled Add a Form Field for instructions, if needed.)
2. Select the calculated value field so that the dotted line appears around the field.

3. Select the form field’s cog wheel icon to configure the field.

4. A panel slides out from the right side of the screen.
5. Hiding the calculated value field hides it from applicants or reviewers (depending on the form) but keeps it visible to program administrators.  If the field is not hidden, it will be visible to applicants or reviewers, but as a view-only part of the form.
   • If configuring an intake form and the calculated value field is to be hidden from applicants, toggle Hide field to Yes.  Please note that hiding the calculated field from applicants on the intake form does not hide that score from reviewers.
   • If configuring a custom review feedback form and the calculated value field is to be hidden from reviewers, toggle Hide field to Yes.

6. Build the calculation as needed.

a. As shown in the example below, the Add field dropdown menu displays the list of form fields that can be added to the equation built in the Calculator field; to add a form field to the equation, select it from this dropdown list.  (Fields can be used more than once in the formula.)

b. The operations on the calculator work as they would on a typical calculator.

c. For example, if a program needed to calculate a score where the single-select field was added to the multi-select field and the multi-select field was weighted at 2 times the value, the resulting equation would be: single-select+(2*multi-select)

d. The screenshot below shows a formula where the calculated value field adds the weighted values of the responses to the target audience demographic, the number of new programs that will use the funding, and the rating of how often participants complete the community programs.

e. If a mistake is made while creating the calculation formula, the back button, highlighted in the screenshot below, will delete the last variable or operation in the formula.

f. In circumstances where the formula needs to be redone, the Clear button will delete everything from the formula.

7. It is recommended to assign a relevant, descriptive alias to the calculated value field as the alias is what displays in the Workflow Builder when setting up average scoring.  (An example is shown in the screenshot below.)  Please see the article titled Average Scoring (coming soon) for more information on that function.

8. If needed, in the Prefix field, enter any text or symbols that should appear before the calculated value field, like a dollar sign, other unit measurement designation, or text helping to define the calculation such as “The overall score is:”

9. If needed, in the Suffix field, enter any text or symbols that should appear after the calculated value field, like a percentage sign, other unit measurement designation, or text helping to define the calculation.

10. Select the Done button to complete the configuration.

Even when hidden from applicants and reviewers, the calculated value field shows for administrators when viewing the forms.  The calculated value field (or any form field) is also available as a column to show in the corresponding data view for administrators of either the respective intake form or custom review feedback form.