Accessing forestry applications made efficient and secure

Forestry in B.C. is transforming and the Ministry of Forests is adapting to meet new demands. One example of this is the creation of Forest Access Management (FAM).

Developed by Team Heartwood in the ministry’s Forestry Digital Service, FAM allows authorized administrators to manage external partners’ and public sector staff’s access to forestry web applications. It integrates with employee authentication, Business BCeID and BC Services Card to make forestry applications easy to access online while also ensuring they remain secure. 

The team created the new system to handle access authorizations for applications Forestry Digital Services is updating. It allows users to manage their own roles and delegations, which streamlines the authorization process. This puts control in the hands of administrators while giving them a better user interface and more features for managing access.

Best practices in design 

Team Heartwood adopted human-centred and collaborative ways of working to develop Forest Access Management. The designers used service design and user experience design to understand user needs through work that included interviews, consultations, journey maps and prototypes. They tested the prototypes with users both inside and outside the public sector and modified them based on feedback. These prototypes and “handoff notes” were a crucial guide for developers when creating the user interface and they helped identify which functionalities to build at the application’s back end. 

How it works 

An Application Administrator can request to have their application integrated with the system. If accepted, the application appears in the dashboard menu. The dashboard shows only the applications an Application Administrator can manage. 

The Application Administrator can create, update and delete authorized users and roles for their application in FAM. This increases efficiency by putting responsibility for managing user access into the hands of the application owner, streamlining authorizations. It also makes it easier for application owners to define user roles and restrict access to those who need it. 

Ministry of Forests case study 

The Forests Client Management System is a good example of FAM improving processes. Forests Client assigns a unique number to each legal entity or individual the ministry does business with, which is then used to invoice clients, award contracts, make payments, send correspondence and more.

Forests Client is undergoing a transformation led by Forestry Digital Services. The process for applying for a client number online was moved and a new web-based submission dashboard changed the way staff receive, review and approve or reject client number applications. To ensure accessing the dashboard is both secure and easy, Forests Client was integrated with FAM.

Forests Client’s Application Administrator can define specific user roles in FAM to better manage access. These roles limit the access the user has in Forests Client and defines what they can do within the application. FAM allows Forests Client’s Application Administrator to create roles that meet the needs of the application and its users and to assign and revoke access without the help of a service desk or another third party. This approach increases efficiency without compromising security. 

The dashboard 

Team Heartwood’s decision to adopt service and user experience design approaches makes FAM easy to use. An Application Administrator simply enters the user’s IDIR, a Business BCeID or a BC Services Card username. If the API authenticates the user, the administrator selects the user’s role and can have the system send an email to let them know they have access. 

Once a user has access, their details appear in the dashboard. This includes their username, authentication method, full name, role and access date. The Application Administrator uses the dashboard to manage users such as auditing their history and revising or removing access. 

Delegated permissions 

FAM also allows Application Administrators to delegate access management and trust external users to assign application access and roles, which boosts administrative efficiency. This newly developed functionality makes it even faster to add, change or delete a user without the aid of a service desk or help request. 

Agile sprints for an ongoing marathon 

In addition to service design and user interface design, Team Heartwood used an Agile approach in development. Agile organizes a project’s design, development and testing into “sprints” during which the team works on tasks it sets for itself. Sprints allow teams to organize their own work and adapt to changing needs. Agile empowers the team to identify and fix issues fast and to improve functionality in increments.  

Team Heartwood is confident their Agile approach will ensure Forest Access Management continues to evolve with the needs of its users. 

If you have questions about Forest Access Management, email Forestry Digital Services. 

To learn more about the Forestry Digital Services program, visit the program website or watch the introductory video. To see what Forestry Digital Services achieved in 2024, watch our year in review.