1. Problem Statement

Public officers predominantly rely on email to seek approvals from their management, a practice that often leads to inefficiency, especially when handling multiple concurrent requests. The challenge of managing these requests through email is amplified by their varying timelines and diverse follow-up requirements. As a result, officers find it difficult to ascertain the current status of each request, quickly locate past approvals, and maintain a reliable audit trail of the approval process.

Public officers responsible for managing and submitting internal approval requests to supervisors or management.

• Approval processes are currently handled through fragmented email threads.
• Officers face difficulty tracking multiple approvals with varying timelines.
• There is no centralized system to view request statuses (pending, approved, rejected).
• Absence of a searchable, consistent audit trail.
• Manual follow-ups are common, leading to inefficiency.

• Delays in project delivery and policy implementation due to approval bottlenecks.
• Increased compliance and accountability risks from undocumented or missing decisions.
• Frustration and productivity loss from tracking approvals manually.

2. Description of the Web App – ApproverTracker

A lightweight, role-based web application that streamlines the submission, tracking, and management of internal approval requests for public officers.

To replace informal email workflows with a structured, searchable system that improves visibility, auditability, and responsiveness in approval processes.

3. Key Features & Design Decisions

• Submit approval requests with structured metadata: title, category, file upload, target date, remarks, and intended approver.
• View all submitted requests in a sortable and filterable table.
• Cancel pending requests that are no longer required.

• View requests assigned to them.
• Take action to approve or reject with a single click.

• Real-Time Status Tracking: Display of request statuses—Pending, Approved, Rejected, or Cancelled.
• Audit Trail: Timestamp logs for submission, review, and decision-making actions.
• Filtering & Sorting: Quick access to relevant submissions based on criteria such as status or category.
• Role-Based Access: Separate login paths and interfaces for users and approvers to prevent confusion.

• Target Date Field: Helps approvers understand urgency and prioritize tasks.
• Approver Selection Dropdown: Reduces misrouting and ensures clarity.
• Minimal Steps to Action: Both submission and approval processes designed to be completed in just a few clicks.

4. Workflow

• Log in and access the User Portal.
• Submit a new approval request.
• View all submissions in the tracking table.
• Cancel any pending request if no longer required.

• Log in to the Approver Portal.
• Review assigned requests.
• Approve or reject with a single click.