Highlighting in PowerDMS brings the assessor’s attention to the exact portions of a written directive that demonstrate compliance and speeds up navigation through long documents. Assessors can click highlight labels to jump to each highlighted area, which improves review efficiency.
Open the standard, click the written directive attachment to view it, then expand the attachment menu by clicking the small sideways caret to the right of the title and choose Edit Highlights (paper-and-pencil icon). In the viewer window, scroll to the section you want to highlight. Click-and-drag a box over the portion to highlight; release to set it. A text box appears in the right column for you to label the highlight. Repeat for additional highlights, then Save.
Start with the standard statement (the first sentence or short paragraph of the standard).
Identify any specific requirements beyond “needing a written directive.”
Search the policy for each requirement (use keyword search). Review all matching spots and pick the one that best satisfies the requirement. It’s okay to add multiple highlights when parts of the requirement appear in different sections. You only need to prove compliance once—but still scan other mentions to ensure nothing conflicts.
Draw a highlight box only around the exact text that proves compliance—avoid blanket highlights.
Label each highlight with one or two simple words in the right-hand text box.
For the standard statement, a clear label like “Standard Statement” or a brief keyword from the context works well.
For bullets, move through them and apply the same steps. Common labels include “A, B, C” or “Bullet A, Bullet B,” or again use brief keywords from the bullet text.
Whatever labeling style you choose, stay consistent across standards to minimize the assessor’s reading effort.
When you add a highlight, the standard’s checkboxes appear on the right. It defaults to the standard statement. Select the single point that best matches what your highlight is showing (e.g., the standard statement or a specific bullet). Be sure to deselect the default standard statement checkbox, if your highlight relates to another part of the standard. This keeps your evidence tied to the correct part of the standard and allows the standard and the attachment to scroll to the relevant sections.
Next week: Back to Basics Series: Highlighting Part 2 of 2 — Other Attachments. We’ll apply the same “keep it simple” approach to proofs beyond written directives, following what the standard asks for and labeling consistently.
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Areaka P. Jewell
Accreditation Academy
areaka@accreditationacademy.net
(305) 360-1075