Currently, on 3.32.1, when answering Online Assessments, users can add evidence and attachments that support their answers (or are requested by the Assessor/Auditor) only using the Comments & Attachments functionality.
Even though it could work for Authenticated Users, when you activate the new OA setting Enable Non-Authenticated Submissions, Anonymous Users are not able to add attachments in any way (as the Comments & Attachments functionality is reserved only for Authenticated Users)
In addition, it is worth mentioning that the current way of collecting evidence (Comments & Attachments feature) is a bit cumbersome and not very user-friendly, and users often forget to do it and must be reminded.
I suggest introducing a New Question Type specifically for Attachments. When creating a new questionnaire, users could select this question type and prompt respondents to attach relevant evidence and document any other supporting materials directly within the form.
Benefits of the Proposed Feature:
- Efficiency and User-Frendly: Users (including on-authenticated users) won’t need to navigate to a separate feature (Comments & Attachments) to upload evidence. It will be seamlessly integrated into the assessment process without additional steps.
- Clarity: By explicitly requesting attachments, assessors can ensure that respondents understand the need for supporting materials and provide them.
How It Should Work:
- When creating a new questionnaire, users can use the new question type: “Attachments.”
- The question prompt could be customizable, allowing auditors to specify the type of evidence required (e.g., screenshots, documents, photos).
- Respondents would have the option to upload files directly within the audit conclusion form (if possible with a drag-and-drop functionality as well)
- If the OA setting Incomplete Submissions is disabled, users shouldn’t be able to send the form without uploading an attachment.
I believe this enhancement would improve the overall Online Assessment module and make it more efficient for both assessors and respondents.