As the Admin of your Tribal Habits portal, there will be times when you need to manage users, enrolments, or other data in bulk. The "Bulk upload or enrol" feature allows admins to use CSV spreadsheets to manage data in bulk.
Admins can navigate to the People menu in the admin area and use the "I want to..." menu on the top right of the page to select "Bulk upload or enrol". There are a variety of data imports available via this feature. Please see this article for an overview of the choices.
In this article, we review uploading external knowledge - capturing and recording training data created outside of your platform (like licenses, certificates or external training). Select the EXTERNAL type of import to begin.
NOTE - this bulk upload process can be used to update existing external training records and to create new external training records as well. You cannot delete external knowledge records via the bulk import.
Recommendation: Upload one type of external knowledge at a time
Within the external knowledge import, there are five different types of external knowledge which can be recorded, each with different data fields.
Training
Certificates
Licences
Qualifications
Documents
While it is possible upload one CSV with a mixture of different types of external knowledge, this is not our recommendation. That can result in a lot of columns, some of which are unused for some types of external knowledge.
Instead, we recommend that each CSV import contains a single type of external knowledge - all licences or all qualifications.
General guidelines for external knowledge CSV templates
At the end of the panel with information about External uploads, there is an option to download a template CSV. This is optional. The template CSV provides you with a template of columns to populate your data, should that be useful.
When you download a template CSV for external knowledge, it will only contain the appropriate columns for one type of external knowledge. Note that not all columns / fields are mandatory - some are optional. See below for each type of external knowledge.
The CSV can be used to both create new external knowledge, but also update existing external knowledge. The first column in the template is called 'External knowledge ID'. If it is blank, a new item of external knowledge will be created from that row. If it is populated with the ID number of an existing item of external knowledge, then that item will be updated.
You can obtain a list of your existing items of external knowledge by using the External Knowledge report in the Analytics area of your portal. You can then edit that CSV to reduce it to the items you wish to update (removing rows and columns as needed) and then upload that edited CSV via this process.
Within the CSV template, items of external knowledge go in rows and related data fields in columns.
Rows - List one (1) item of external knowledge for each learner per row. So if you have 10 learners who have all completed the same external Qualification, then you will need 10 rows, one for each learner. Learners in this upload are identified by their Tribal Habits user name or email. Remember, that we recommend just a single type of external knowledge in each import to keep things easier to map and manage
Columns - Each column contains one field of information for the upload - user name or email of the learner, type of external knowledge, title of the knowledge, completed date and so on.
Title row - The first row in your spreadsheet should list the titles of each column. It is mandatory to have a title row.
NOTE - This upload process does not support bulk upload of individual files - such as PDFs of certificates. Instead, you can edit individual records via Knowledge > External after the upload to add these files.
Step 1 - Prepare your spreadsheet
Lets now review the process of completing a CSV import for External Knowledge.
First, you need a CSV of items and data. Your spreadsheet must be saved in a CSV format and the data you enter must be in the correct format. Failing to provide data in these formats will be the cause of most failed uploads.
Important - You will use the User name or Email as the 'identifier' of the learner for this upload and the learner must exist in Tribal Habits. You cannot create new learners with this upload and attempting to do so will trigger an error. You do not need both user name and email - either can be used as the identifier for the user.
Remember that each type of external knowledge has a different set of mandatory and optional fields. Click on each below to see the mandatory and optional fields.
External knowledge type: Training
External knowledge type: Training
This type of external knowledge covers general training completed outside this learning platform which qualifies for training records - e.g. professional development workshops, external online training, third-party webinars.
External Knowledge ID (Mandatory) - Leave blank to create a new item of external knowledge. Alternatively, put the ID number of an existing item of external knowledge for updating (obtain the ID number by downloading your existing external knowledge in Analytics/External Knowledge report).
User name or email (Mandatory) - Requires either for the 'identifier' in step 3 of the upload process. This is the user name or email address of the user in your portal for which the knowledge should be recorded. The user must already exist in your portal and this must be an exact match with their user name or email.
Type (Mandatory) - This is the type of external knowledge. It should be Training for this template.
Title (Mandatory) - This is the title of the training (e.g. the name of the workshop attended).
Code (Optional) - This is any code (numbers or letters) associated with this knowledge.
Provider (Mandatory) - This is the provider of the knowledge (e.g. training provider, institute).
Conquered (Mandatory) - This equates to the Date Obtained field for the training type of external knowledge, and represents the date the training was completed. It should be in the format dd/mm/yy or dd/mm/yyyy.
Assessment Score (Optional) - This must be a number.
Total time (Optional) - This must be a number (and represents the minutes to be assigned to this training).
Skill 1-3 Attained (Optional) - This can be used to assign a skill to this knowledge. The skill must be an existing skill within your Tribal Habits portal. You can assign up to three skills for each item of knowledge - one per column. The name of the provided skill must exactly match an existing skill in your portal.
Category 1-3 + points/minutes (Optional) - These are three columns for each of three categories (e.g. Category 1, Category 1 points, Category 1 time). The Category X column assigns this knowledge to a category (usually for continuing education purposes) - the category must exist in your Tribal Habits portal. Category X points records how many continuing education points were acquired by this item and must be a number. The Category X time records how much time is assigned from this item as continuing education - it is a per cent and will be based off the Total time field. Note - Don't add the % symbol to this field.
External knowledge type: License
External knowledge type: License
This type of external knowledge covers a licence obtained for a specific tool or vehicle - e.g. drivers license, forklift licence, specialised machinery operations.
External Knowledge ID (Mandatory) - Leave blank to create a new item of external knowledge. Alternatively, put the ID number of an existing item of external knowledge for updating (obtain the ID number by downloading your existing external knowledge in Analytics/External Knowledge report).
User name or email (Mandatory) - Requires either for the 'identifier' in step 3 of the upload process. This is the user name or email address of the user in your portal for which the knowledge should be recorded. The user must already exist in your portal and this must be an exact match with their user name or email.
Type (Mandatory) - This is the type of external knowledge. It should be License for this template.
Title (Mandatory) - While this column is called Title (and should be matched to Title in step 3 of the upload) it represents the Type of license - e.g. Car, Forklift, Truck.
Code (Optional) - This is any code (numbers or letters) associated with this knowledge.
Class (Optional) - This is an additional field for licenses to record the class - e.g. Open or Restricted.
Provider (Mandatory) - This is the provider of the licence.
Conquered (Mandatory) - This equates to the Date Obtained field for the licence, and represents the date the licence was granted. It should be in the format dd/mm/yy or dd/mm/yyyy.
Certificate Number / License Number (Optional) - This equates to the License Number for the license type of external knowledge (it should be matched to Certificate Number in step 3).
Country obtained (Mandatory) - This is the country from which the knowledge was obtained. You must use one of the ISO country codes (listed here).
Country obtained (Mandatory) - This is the region within the country from which the knowledge was obtained. You must use one of the ISO region / sub division codes (listed here).
Expires (Mandatory) - This equates to the Expires field for the licence, and represents the date the licence expires. It can be left blank if there is no expiry. If populated, it should be in the format dd/mm/yy or dd/mm/yyyy.
Skill 1-3 Attained (Optional) - This can be used to assign a skill to this knowledge. The skill must be an existing skill within your Tribal Habits portal. You can assign up to three skills for each item of knowledge - one per column. The name of the provided skill must exactly match an existing skill in your portal.
Category 1-3 + points/minutes (Optional) - These are three columns for each of three categories (e.g. Category 1, Category 1 points, Category 1 time). The Category X column assigns this knowledge to a category (usually for continuing education purposes) - the category must exist in your Tribal Habits portal. Category X points records how many continuing education points were acquired by this item and must be a number. The Category X time records how much time is assigned from this item as continuing education - it is a per cent and will be based off the Total time field. Note - Don't add the % symbol to this field.
External knowledge type: Certificate
External knowledge type: Certificate
This type of external knowledge covers a certificate (or certification) obtained in a particular skill or competency from a recognised provider - e.g. first aid, Microsoft products, coaching methods, SEO tools.
External Knowledge ID (Mandatory) - Leave blank to create a new item of external knowledge. Alternatively, put the ID number of an existing item of external knowledge for updating (obtain the ID number by downloading your existing external knowledge in Analytics/External Knowledge report).
User name or email (Mandatory) - Requires either for the 'identifier' in step 3 of the upload process. This is the user name or email address of the user in your portal for which the knowledge should be recorded. The user must already exist in your portal and this must be an exact match with their user name or email.
Type (Mandatory) - This is the type of external knowledge. It should be Certificate for this template.
Title (Mandatory) - This is the title of the certificate or certification.
Code (Optional) - This is any code (numbers or letters) associated with this knowledge.
Provider (Mandatory) - This is the provider of the certificate.
Conquered (Mandatory) - This equates to the Date Obtained field for the certificate, and represents the date the certificate was obtained. It should be in the format dd/mm/yy or dd/mm/yyyy.
Certificate Number (Optional) - This is the certificate number for the certificate.
Country obtained (Mandatory) - This is the country from which the knowledge was obtained. You must use one of the ISO country codes (listed here).
Country obtained (Mandatory) - This is the region within the country from which the knowledge was obtained. You must use one of the ISO region / sub division codes (listed here).
Expires (Mandatory) - This is the date the certificate expires. It can be left blank if there is no expiry. If populated, it should be in the format dd/mm/yy or dd/mm/yyyy.
Assessment Score (Optional) - This must be a number.
Total time (Optional) - This must be a number (and represents the minutes of training to be assigned to this certificate).
Skill 1-3 Attained (Optional) - This can be used to assign a skill to this knowledge. The skill must be an existing skill within your Tribal Habits portal. You can assign up to three skills for each item of knowledge - one per column. The name of the provided skill must exactly match an existing skill in your portal.
Category 1-3 + points/minutes (Optional) - These are three columns for each of three categories (e.g. Category 1, Category 1 points, Category 1 time). The Category X column assigns this knowledge to a category (usually for continuing education purposes) - the category must exist in your Tribal Habits portal. Category X points records how many continuing education points were acquired by this item and must be a number. The Category X time records how much time is assigned from this item as continuing education - it is a per cent and will be based off the Total time field. Note - Don't add the % symbol to this field.
External knowledge type: Qualification
External knowledge type: Qualification
This type of external knowledge covers an academic or vocational qualification obtained from a recognised education provider - e.g. university degrees, postgraduate studies, vocational training.
External Knowledge ID (Mandatory) - Leave blank to create a new item of external knowledge. Alternatively, put the ID number of an existing item of external knowledge for updating (obtain the ID number by downloading your existing external knowledge in Analytics/External Knowledge report).
User name or email (Mandatory) - Requires either for the 'identifier' in step 3 of the upload process. This is the user name or email address of the user in your portal for which the knowledge should be recorded. The user must already exist in your portal and this must be an exact match with their user name or email.
Type (Mandatory) - This is the type of external knowledge. It should be Qualification for this template.
Title (Mandatory) - This is the title of the qualification.
Code (Optional) - This is any code (numbers or letters) associated with this knowledge.
Provider (Mandatory) - This is the provider of the certificate.
Conquered (Mandatory) - This equates to the Date Obtained field for the qualification, and represents the date the qualification was obtained. It should be in the format dd/mm/yy or dd/mm/yyyy.
Certificate Number (Optional) - This is the certificate number for the qualification.
Country obtained (Mandatory) - This is the country from which the knowledge was obtained. You must use one of the ISO country codes (listed here).
Country obtained (Mandatory) - This is the region within the country from which the knowledge was obtained. You must use one of the ISO region / sub division codes (listed here).
Qualification level (Mandatory) - This is the level of qualification obtained for the Qualification type. It must be one of: Certificate I, Certificate II, Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Bachelor Degree, Graduate and Vocational Graduate Certificate, Graduate and Vocational Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours Degree, Masters Degree, Doctoral Degree.
Skill 1-3 Attained (Optional) - This can be used to assign a skill to this knowledge. The skill must be an existing skill within your Tribal Habits portal. You can assign up to three skills for each item of knowledge - one per column. The name of the provided skill must exactly match an existing skill in your portal.
Category 1-3 + points/minutes (Optional) - These are three columns for each of three categories (e.g. Category 1, Category 1 points, Category 1 time). The Category X column assigns this knowledge to a category (usually for continuing education purposes) - the category must exist in your Tribal Habits portal. Category X points records how many continuing education points were acquired by this item and must be a number. The Category X time records how much time is assigned from this item as continuing education - it is a per cent and will be based off the Total time field. Note - Don't add the % symbol to this field.
External knowledge type: Document
External knowledge type: Document
This type of external knowledge covers any other document to be stored against the user profile – perhaps a policy agreement, performance management document, medical certificate or any other document. NOTE – Please use the License, Qualification, Certification and Training types where appropriate. This Document option is for general HR or administrative documents only. Remember that you cannot upload actual documents via this import CSV process - only the item record itself.
External Knowledge ID (Mandatory) - Leave blank to create a new item of external knowledge. Alternatively, put the ID number of an existing item of external knowledge for updating (obtain the ID number by downloading your existing external knowledge in Analytics/External Knowledge report).
User name or email (Mandatory) - Requires either for the 'identifier' in step 3 of the upload process. This is the user name or email address of the user in your portal for which the knowledge should be recorded. The user must already exist in your portal and this must be an exact match with their user name or email.
Type (Mandatory) - This is the type of external knowledge. It should be Document for this template.
Title (Mandatory) - This is the title of the document.
Provider (Mandatory) - This is the provider of the document.
Conquered (Mandatory) - This equates to the Date field for the document represents the date the document was created/saved. It should be in the format dd/mm/yy or dd/mm/yyyy.
Document Type (Mandatory) - This is the type of document. The accepted options are: General, Employment, Financial, Medical, Performance, Policy or Medical.
Expires (Mandatory) - This is the date the certificate expires. It can be left blank if there is no expiry. If populated, it should be in the format dd/mm/yy or dd/mm/yyyy.
Skill 1-3 Attained (Optional) - This can be used to assign a skill to this knowledge. The skill must be an existing skill within your Tribal Habits portal. You can assign up to three skills for each item of knowledge - one per column. The name of the provided skill must exactly match an existing skill in your portal.
Category 1-3 + points/minutes (Optional) - These are three columns for each of three categories (e.g. Category 1, Category 1 points, Category 1 time). The Category X column assigns this knowledge to a category (usually for continuing education purposes) - the category must exist in your Tribal Habits portal. Category X points records how many continuing education points were acquired by this item and must be a number. The Category X time records how much time is assigned from this item as continuing education - it is a per cent and will be based off the Total time field. Note - Don't add the % symbol to this field.
Step 2 - Upload your spreadsheet
Click the 'Continue' button, select your file and upload your spreadsheet for mapping - remember it must be in CSV format.
Step 3 - Map columns
Now map the columns in your spreadsheet to the relevant fields in Tribal Habits. Otherwise, please select the correct Tribal Habits field from the dropdown for each column.
NOTE - As the mapping step (step 3) of the import process is shared by all types of external knowledge, some fields use a shared label. For example, the 'Title' field is used for the title of a training type, but the type of license for a license type. See the list of fields for each type of external knowledge to assist with mapping.
Step 4 - Complete the checklist and upload
Make sure your Checklist is showing all green 'ticks' > then click on 'Start import'.
Check your Import dashboard to see the status of your upload. Review any errors identified in an error report and re-upload until the status appears as 'Complete'.
Common errors include:
External knowledge id does not exist
This error appears if you have manually added a number in this column when adding new external training.
To rectify, the External knowledge field should remain blank.
The provided Document Type is not an accepted type
This error occurs when your training 'Type' is a 'Document', but you have not listed the correct 'Document type' in Column C.
To rectify, add any of the following terms to your 'Document type' column: General, Employment, Financial, Medical, Performance, Policy or Medical.
The provided categories for Category X (XXXX) does not exist.
This error occurs when the category doesn't currently exist in your portal.
To rectify, add you category to the portal via Account > Categories > Edit categories before you complete the upload.
The provided Qualification Level is not an accepted qualification.
This error occurs when you have used an incorrect term in the qualification_level column.
You must use only one of these qualifications terms: Certificate I, Certificate II, Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Bachelor Degree, Graduate and Vocational Graduate Certificate, Graduate and Vocational Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours Degree, Masters Degree or Doctoral Degree.
The provided skill for Skill X (XXXX) does not exist.
This error occurs when the skill doesn't currently exist in your portal.
You will need to add you skill to the portal via Account > Roles > Skills > 'I want to . . . > New skill before you complete the upload.
The Assessment Score must be a number.
This error occurs when you list the assessment score as a character (e.g. %) or as text.
To rectify, change the assessment score to a number.