Click on Decisions on the Event Panel menu.
How to Create a New Decision
When a protest has been filed electronically on RRS.org, the majority of the information in the Decision form will already be complete. However, when you receive a paper protest form and want to open a protest decsion , you need to enter the protest information. Once you have completed this form, the application will indicate that a protest has been filed and is now waiting to be scheduled. And the applicaiton will automatically send an email and/or text message to the competitors and other contacts that a protest has been filed.
Click on + Decision on the Protest Decisons page.
The Decision form is divided into several segments. By clicking on the tabs across the top, you can select Parties, Schedule, Hearing or Activity. When starting a decision from a paper protest, you will enter the information on the Parties page. Typically this is done by the jury secretary. You can either schedule it immediately on the Schedule tab, or schedule all pending protests at once by selecing Schedule on the left menu on the Event Panel. Once the hearing has started, the scribe will use the Hearing tab to complete the decision.
If a protest was filed electronically, all the information on the Parties tab will be complete. If you're creating a decision based on a paper protest:
- The Protest No. is assigned automatically as the next number after the highest protest number for the event. You can edit this number with numbers and or letters.
- The hearing type is required. You can select more than one.
- You should also enter the race number.
- Select the appropriate type for the Protestor. It is either a Boat, Race Committee, Technical Committee or the Protest Committee.
- If you have imported the competitor information, you'll see the Search box. You can search on the class, sail number, boat name or competitor name. Once you select a competitor, it will populate the rest of the Protestor information.
- Be sure to check the SMS checkbox if the competitor is okay with receiving text messages.
- Make sure you enter the telephone number with the country code.
- When you start a decision, there is one blank Protestee. You can add additional Protestees by clicking the Add Protestee at the top. You can remove Protestees with the link a the bottom.
- Again, select the type of protestee you're entering.
- If have imported the competitor information, you'll see the Search box. You can search on the class, sail number, boat name or competitor name. Once you select a competitor, it will populate the rest of the Protestee information.
- Be sure to check the SMS checkbox if the competitor is okay with receiving text messages.
- Make sure you enter the telephone number with the country code.
- To add contact information to a protest, click on the + Contact link. You can add contacts for the Protestee, Protestor or Witnesses. The purpose of the contact list is to gather the information necessary to communicate electronically with the parties. If the tactician, owner or other participant wants to be included in the emails and texts to the protestee and/or protestor, you can enter their contact information.
When you click on the + Contact link. You can enter their contact information. Make sure you select the type of contact and indicate whether it is okay to send them text messages. You can remove any contact by clicking on the X link.
Make sure you click on Save to save your work.
Entering the Body of a Protest Decision
After you have created a decision and have scheduled the hearing, you can reopen the Decision for the hearing itself. The scribe for the hearing can enter the hearing information directly into the Decision.
- The first thing to do is to set the Status to Hearing in Progress. You can do this in the upper right hand corner of the page. It is important as it sets the status on the public pages so the competitors know which hearing is in progress.
- Click on the Hearing tab.
- You can attach any documents you like, including a photo of the protest form and any evidence, including photos of damage or tracker information.
The form captures all the information necessary for the Decision to be published.
Enter the name of any witnesses plus who called them as a witness (eg: For Protestor: John Smith). And if one of the parties requires an interpreter, enter the information in the same way.
By default, the form will indicate that the protest is valid and all the requirements have been met. You only need change the elements which caused the protest to be invalid. You can also further explain any of the issues regarding the requirments in the comments field provided.
Enter the facts found. Each statement of fact should be numbered. Also, use complete sentences. Remember, the Decision will most likely be public.
Enter all the rules broken in the Rules field. You only need to enter the rule number. Then enter the conclusions. Again, use line numbers. You should use the Suggested Wording for Conclusions by clicking the button and selecting the rules which apply. The wording will automatically be inserted into the Conclusion.
Note: If you want to cut and paste from a Word document (we DO NOT recommend this technique), use the Paste From Word button on the editor tool bar.
Enter the decision. You should use the Suggested Wording by clicking the button and selecting the decision(s) that apply. You can also select explanations and or redress award from Suggested Wording. And Finally, use Scoring Change to indicate whether this decision requires a scoring change. Setting the decision to Scoring Needed will notify the scorer and the decision will appear on the Scoring Panel.
Select the official who chaired the hearing from the drop down list. Then select the individuals who sat on the panel as judges. You can either include the individual who chaired or not, depending on how you want it to appear on the printed decision. Note the Now button after the hearing date. The button inserts the current date and time. And finally, enter the name(s) of any parties requesting the decison and explain to them where they can find the decision online.
Select the status of the Decision from the drop down list. This determines if and how the Decision will be displayed to the competitors. Select Decision Complete to indicate that the hearing is done but nothing of the Decision will be published. Select Publish Abstract to publish just the Decision section of the form on the public Decisions page. Select Publish Full Decision to make the full Decision available on the public Decisions page.
Select the Activity tab at the top of the form to see an audit of who has edited the decision.