An engagement is one piece of work for one client. Its stage says where the work has got to, and every change of stage is recorded.

Creating one #

On Casework → Engagements, use New engagement: choose the client, give it a title (for example "Gray line, Yorkshire, pre-1837") and the research question if you have it. It starts at Enquiry.

The stages in the free edition #

• Enquiry - the first contact. It can move to Scoping, or be closed if it comes to nothing.
• Scoping - you know what the client wants. Sending the intake form moves an engagement here automatically. In the free edition it can then only be closed: the plan, quote and agreement that follow are Pro.
• Closed - nothing further happens. Closing starts the retention period set in Settings.

Moving an engagement on #

On the engagement's Overview tab, under Move this engagement on, choose the next stage, add a note for your records if you like, and press Update status. Only the moves that make sense from the current stage are offered.

The History below records every change: when, from which stage to which, who made it - you, "Automatically" for the plugin's own moves, or "Client page" - and the note.

The full journey (Pro) #

With Pro, Scoping leads on to Agreed (once the client has accepted the plan), Research in progress, and from there On hold, Scope change pending, Interim review or Final review; Final review leads to Delivered, which can lead to Follow-on proposed or be closed. Final review can also go back to Research in progress when the work needs revising.

Some moves wait for something first:

• Into Agreed: the client has accepted the current version of the plan.
• From Agreed to Research in progress: the retainer is recorded as paid, unless you have switched that check off.
• From Scope change pending back to work: the client has accepted the change.
• From Final review to Delivered: the client has signed off the work - on by default.
• From Interim review back to work: the client has signed off the interim work - only if you switch that on.

If you hold the client's agreement some other way, tick I hold the client's agreement outside this plugin - skip the sign-off and payment checks on the status form. The move is then recorded in the history as an override.

Closing work that stops part-way #

With Pro, an engagement can be closed at any stage - a client cancels, or a line proves impossible to research. Closing before the work is delivered needs a note saying why; the note is kept in the history. Closing is what starts the retention period, and it is what allows the privacy tools to act for that client.