# Assign program staff and operating notes

> PositiveForm guide · Programs and schedules · PROG-005
> Canonical page: https://positiveform.com/guides/programs/program-staff-notes/
> This Markdown: https://positiveform.com/guides/programs/program-staff-notes.md

**Summary:** Assign teaching staff and maintain operating notes for a program. Assigned staff and notes remain visible in the program workspace.  
**Who can do this:** Organization owners, Managers  
**Required access:** `members.change`  
**Where in PositiveForm:** `/programs/:slug/staff`  
**Status:** Verified on 2026-07-29 against PositiveForm build `40f78fa`.

## Who this is for

This guide is for an **owner or manager** recording who usually runs a program.

Assigning somebody here says who teaches it. It does not change what they can do
in PositiveForm: permissions come from their roles and direct grants, and they
apply across the organization regardless of which programs they are on. See
[Manage staff access](https://positiveform.com/guides/staff/manage-staff-access/) for access.

## Before you begin

- The people you are assigning need staff records already; see
  [Invite staff](https://positiveform.com/guides/staff/invite-staff/).
- Know that this is about who normally runs it, not who is rostered on a
  specific date. Date-specific detail belongs in a meeting note; see
  [Manage program schedules](https://positiveform.com/guides/programs/manage-program-schedule/).

## Steps

1. Open the program and click the **Staff** tab. It reads **Assigned staff**,
   for the staff who usually run or support this program.
2. Tick each person who runs or supports it. Everyone with a staff record at
   your organization is listed.
3. Click **Save staff**.

You can also reach this from the program **Overview**, where **Action items**
offers **Assign staff** while nobody is assigned yet.

## Expected outcome

The assigned staff persist on the program and stay visible in its workspace, so
anyone opening the program can see who runs it without asking.

The assignment also shows on each person's own profile, under **Teaches**; see
[Maintain a staff profile](https://positiveform.com/guides/staff/maintain-staff-profile/). It is the same fact viewed from
the other side, not a copy.

Nothing about their access changes. Assigning somebody to a program does not
grant a permission, and removing them does not take one away.

## Screenshots

![The Staff tab, listing the staff who can be assigned to run this program](https://positiveform.com/guides/media/PROG-005/20260729T042000Z/001-program-staff.webp)

## Recovery

If saving fails, PositiveForm shows the reason and the assignment is unchanged.

If somebody you expect is not listed, they have no staff record at this
organization yet; see [Invite staff](https://positiveform.com/guides/staff/invite-staff/).

If an assigned instructor cannot do something you expected them to, this is not
the place to fix it. Check their roles and direct grants in
[Manage staff access](https://positiveform.com/guides/staff/manage-staff-access/).

If you need to record who is covering one specific class, do not change the
assignment. Leave a meeting note on that date instead; see
[Manage program schedules](https://positiveform.com/guides/programs/manage-program-schedule/).

## Related guides

- [Maintain a staff profile](https://positiveform.com/guides/staff/maintain-staff-profile/) — the same assignment seen
  from the person's profile, under **Teaches**.
- [Manage program schedules](https://positiveform.com/guides/programs/manage-program-schedule/) — record a one-off change with a
  date-specific staff note.

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Source: PositiveForm customer guides, https://positiveform.com/guides/. 
Every guide as one file for AI assistants: https://positiveform.com/llms-full.txt. 
Guide index: https://positiveform.com/llms.txt.