The New e-Appeal: Information for Agency Users
September 20, 2023The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is excited to introduce its new e-Appeal system, which will be available on October 2, 2023. In preparation for the launch of the new e-Appeal, MSPB is providing information about new functionality and processes for agency users.
- How will the new e-Appeal improve external user functionality?
The current e-Appeal Online system, developed 20 years ago, is based on client-server applications and allows users to view just one case at a time. In the new e-Appeal, appellants and representatives will have a dashboard that allows them to manage in a single location all cases before MSPB.
- How does the new e-Appeal dashboard model affect agency users?
An agency user who serves as an active designated agency representative will see their cases in their "My Assigned Cases" queue. A designated agency representative can authorize several users as a "support team" to assist in monitoring appeals assigned to the representative. (This new functionality expands the limited functionality that was available through the "on behalf of" functionality in the current e-Appeal Online.)
Additionally, the new e-Appeal configures agency users into "work units." Each work unit can designate several users as "superusers" who will have the ability to monitor all appeals pending in their work unit. Superusers can also preregister, deactivate, and edit agency users in the work unit.
MSPB developed the agency user functionality for the new e-Appeal in response to longstanding requests by agency users for improved capability to monitor appeals generally, and especially during periods of staff absences or staffing shortages.
- What is an agency work unit?
Work units will be defined by an authorized point of contact for the agency or subagency based on their organizational structure for handling MSPB appeals. This practice currently exists in relation to agency initial contacts, who have coordinated for many years with MSPB to provide contact information and a description of their work unit for notification of new MSPB appeals.
An agency work unit may encompass the entire agency/subagency–which is often the case for small agencies, but also for some large agencies—or it may be structured by location, geographic area, or other criteria as provided by the agency.
In most circumstances, a work unit will be determined and communicated to MSPB by the initial contact. MSPB has sent an electronic form to current agency initial contacts to collect information about work units and agency users. Agency users may wish to consult with their initial contact to ensure that they are preregistered in the new e-Appeal, as discussed in Question 4 below.
- How will agency users register for the new e-Appeal?
Obtaining access to the new e-Appeal is a two-step process for agency users.
Step 1: Preregistration
First, each agency work unit will preregister their users as "agency representative" or "agency legal support." Agency users should be preregistered as legal support if they will not serve as a designated representative on appeals. For more information about preregistration, please see Question 8 below.
Step 2: Create e-Appeal Account
On October 2, 2023, preregistered agency users can create their new e-Appeal account by selecting a username and password and providing their preregistered email address. The new e-Appeal will be available from the MSPB website at https://www.mspb.gov. Agency users will not be able to access their assigned cases or file pleadings until they have completed the new e-Appeal account registration process.
- Does the new e-Appeal require changes for agency initial contacts?
One agency representative from each work unit must be designated as the initial contact for the agency work unit. The initial contact is the agency representative responsible for monitoring receipt of new appeals. Following receipt of a new appeal, the initial contact can continue in their representative role or designate an alternative or additional representative.
Given the expanded monitoring functionality offered by the new e-Appeal (explained in Question 6 below), coupled with increased security measures such as two-factor authentication, the new e-Appeal requires a named individual, registered with a unique email address (not a shared mailbox), to serve as the initial contact.
The new e-Appeal does not support the use of a shared mailbox among agency representatives or a shared name (e.g., "General Counsel") as the initial contact.
- What tools are offered by the new e-Appeal to assist the initial contact and other agency representatives in monitoring their cases?
MSPB appreciates agencies' desire to track appeals effectively and ensure coverage during periods of staff leave. Thus, the new e-Appeal offers the option for each agency representative to create a "support team" of up to five individuals within their work unit, consisting of other agency representative users, legal support users, or both. Members of the support team will have a dedicated "My Monitored Cases" queue where they can view the case record and file pleadings on behalf of a designated agency representative.
Additionally, the initial contact and up to five agency users may be designated as superusers for the agency work unit. Superusers can preregister, deactivate, and edit agency users in the work unit and will have a dedicated "My Work Unit Cases" queue to view all appeals pending in their work unit. Agency superusers also can send invitations for agency representative designations, as explained below. Both agency representatives and agency legal support can be designated as an agency superuser.
- How will agency representative designations work in the new e-Appeal?
Active agency representatives and work unit superusers will have a workflow in the new e-Appeal to "invite" another work unit agency representative onto a case. When the agency representative accepts the invitation, they will be added as a case party, the case will appear in the new representative's "My Assigned Cases" queue, and the new e-Appeal will generate a pleading for the new representative to complete and submit to the parties and MSPB. The generated draft pleading will appear on the case's "Pleading Listing."
- How should agencies prepare for these changes in the new e-Appeal?
- Name and title of individual completing the form
- Name and description of the agency work unit
- Name and email address of the agency representative who will be designated as the initial contact
- Names and email addresses of all users in the work unit, and their appropriate designations (representative/legal support and superuser (yes/no)).
- How will agency users learn to use the processes and functionalities offered by the new e-Appeal?
MSPB will have user guides available in the new e-Appeal Information Hub to assist with navigation. Additionally, MSPB will have technical support available once the new e-Appeal goes live to troubleshoot issues with user accounts and other technical issues.
MSPB encourages agency initial contacts to use the week of October 2-6, 2023, to verify the accuracy of agency users included in the work unit and encourage individuals in their work unit to register for their new e-Appeal accounts and to verify the migration of their assigned cases.
- What should agency users expect after the new e-Appeal goes live on October 2, 2023?
As explained above, MSPB is excited to introduce a dashboard model with the new e-Appeal. We believe this model will better serve our external stakeholders and reduce inefficiencies that result from the need to log in and out of the system for participants who are involved in more than one MSPB proceeding, which is common for agency users.
Currently, almost all agency representatives use the current e-Appeal Online system to file pleadings and manage their MSPB cases. Therefore, the number of agency users that must be migrated and mapped to their cases under the new e-Appeal dashboard model is extensive. A migration of this magnitude is likely to present issues that will require troubleshooting. MSPB is committed to working with our agency user stakeholders to resolve technical issues as quickly as possible and will have processes in place for e-Appeal users to report technical difficulties. MSPB appreciates the patience and understanding of our agency user stakeholders as we undertake the transition from our current e-Appeal Online and other adjudication systems to offer a new and improved e-Appeal.
- Where should questions about the new e-Appeal or support requests be directed?
e-Appeal Technical Support Request Form: https://www.mspb.gov/e-appeal/support/
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On September 20, 2023, MSPB sent an electronic form to current agency initial contacts to solicit the following information for agency user preregistration, which MSPB will preload into the new e-Appeal: