Closed (also known as Confidential, InCamera, Executive Session) items are items that are not visible in the regular public meeting, and the information is only visible to a certain group of participants with specified access to closed information. In many cases, items can only be considered closed from the public if they meet the legislated requirements.

There are two ways of handling closed/confidential meeting items in eSCRIBE:

1. An entirely closed meeting where all items are closed
2. Closed items, or category of items, within a regular open session agenda

While there is no right or wrong method, there are pros and cons to each method of handling the closed information within eSCRIBE, this document will outline these factors and review how to create closed information for each option.

User Permissions

To grant closed session access to individual participants, ensure the Is this user allowed in closed session? checkbox for that participant is selected in the attendee group settings.

(Under the Attendee Mgmt menu bar, select Groups and choose a particular attendee group. For more information see the Portal Administration User Guide)

Entirely Closed Meeting

In eSCRIBE, a separate meeting type/template will be created for the closed meeting and managed as such using the Administration security settings as shown below, and setting up a separate attendee group for those that should have access to the meeting and all related details.

When items are created using the Create Agenda Item, or Report Manager, it is advisable that those items are marked as Confidential to restrict access to closed information from within eSCRIBE from other users. Creation of agenda items, agenda and minutes is conducted the same as regularly completed in eSCRIBE.

Closed Items Within a Regular Open Meeting

In a regular open session meeting agenda, any heading can be marked as a Closed Session Special Action in the template, this will create a closed session meeting within the regular open session – only those with access to closed items will have access to this section.

When creating a meeting site using this Closed Session special action heading, you will now notice a Closed menu option for that meeting site. Click on the Closed menu item and the closed session meeting agenda will be presented and look similar to the screen shot below.

To start adding items to your closed session agenda, select the Closed Session item and add an item as usual by clicking on the Add New Item button.

Creating an item in closed session will provide for two titles: Open Title (will appear on the open session agenda) and Closed Title (will appear on closed session agenda) and two Descriptions: Open Description (will appear on the open session agenda) and Closed Description (will appear on the closed session agenda only). 

While in the closed session agenda, create the item(s) with as much information applies. The closed session meeting will act as its own meeting site, which can be prepared, published, and generally managed the same as earlier open session meetings.

When capturing both minutes and resolution details, the option to bring forward the minutes and/or the resolution(s) for that item into the open session minutes is possible. If left unchecked, the minutes and/or resolution(s) will only appear in the closed session minutes. If checked, the selected information will also appear in the open session minutes for that item.

When complete providing the information for closed session item(s), navigate back to the open session meeting site by clicking the Open Session menu item.

The open session agenda will be updated to display the Open Title from the closed session items only, and they will be greyed out (link is disabled), and can only be accessed by navigating into Closed session again.

At time of preparing and publishing the agenda, both the open session and the closed session must be prepared and published separately, as two separate versions are created. For participants that are using either the eSCRIBE web portal, or the iPad app, navigation between the open session and closed session meeting materials for review prior to the meeting is quite simple. Only one meeting appears in the meeting list, and participants can switch back and forth between the open and closed meeting materials by clicking the Closed/Open menu buttons, similarly to the Administrator navigation described above.

If the participant is in closed session, the menu option will say "Open Session" and if the participant is in closed session, the menu option will switch over to say "Closed Session"

Note: the information for the closed session items are held in a separate storage location then the open session for enhanced security measures.

To facilitate the capture of minutes details using eSCRIBE, administrators will move each the open session and closed session into Conduct Meeting mode and capturing all necessary minutes information.

Note: a roll call can be done at the start of the closed session to capture details of which participants are in attendance for the closed portion of the meeting.

Throughout the course of the meeting, the administrator may navigate back and forth as many times as necessary between the open and the closed session to capture information. Once the meeting has concluded, each session can be moved to Post Meeting mode for after meeting review, minutes clean up, and task creation.