The standard PIE iAbacus licence is the Level One licence. This allows any agency or network to create one or more - usually many more - on-line forums, to share their discussions on progress and needs.  Like the paper version, the Level One licence allows whole teams to enter their data on views and plans for the future, using the PIEs 2 framework and the Pizazz service assessment and self development process.

By contrast to a standard or 'Level one' licence,  with a Level Two licence it is the individual staff member in a team that is the designated ‘user’.

A Level Two licence then allows finer detail of assessments not just with individuals’ own views.  But it can also offer greater 'granularity', in reflecting the range of team structures and specialist areas within the agency or network. In this way, it adds further forums.

But this is not the full significance of a Level Two licence. Although they are initially given license codes by virtue of the teams in which they work, in an agency that also has a Level One licence, an individually licensed user can then participate in any other forums for which an iAbacus has been created*.

This far greater flexibility and freedom allows workers with a wider range and a more specialist role to share views with colleagues; and that far greater flexibility and range of involvements adds considerable scope and value to their work.

A Level Two licence may therefore be more suitable for workers with more specialist roles, who need to communicate between their opposite numbers in other teams; for middle or senior managers; and for more specialist services.

A Level Two licence is both cheaper for the initial licence, and per individual user.

• NB: there will be brief videos on the PIElink that outline how this combination of licences can be most effective, in general terms; and the PIEs assessment training course will include an allocation of time to discuss this for PIE leads in each agency. 

Other PIE iAbacus Level Two uses: local ‘stand alone’ services, and research

Although it is quite possible in principle to have a Level 2 licence on its own, without a Level One licence, the users then cannot share data with anyone else outside their immediate team.

Even so, this does not exclude a small, perhaps cash-strapped local service from being party to a PIEs assessment, at a licence cost they can’t really afford. For a very small local service, the Pizazz on paper should be enough for their needs.

Its only if someone else wants to include them in a wider picture that they might benefit from having their data digitised – for example, by being members of a consortium; or for a research project, or a local needs analysis by the local authority.

In that case, the local authority, research institute, or other body obtains the Level One licence; and makes the small service a user.

• NB: there will be brief videos on the PIElink that outline how this combination of licences can be most effective, in general terms; and the PIEs assessment training course will include an allocation of time to discuss this for PIE leads in each agency.