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Assigning Platform Roles and Permissions

Learn how to assign, update, and remove roles like Admin, Survey Creator, or Goals Admin in Culture Amp.

Jessie Walsh avatar
Written by Jessie Walsh
Updated this week

Who can use this feature?

Available on:

  • All subscriptions. Roles visible will depend on the products enabled on your account.

Platform roles give organisations flexibility in managing Culture Amp, allowing admins to delegate administrative tasks to other users. This guide covers how to add a new administrator, assign platform roles, and manage permissions.

Note: This guide is for learning how to assign permissions only. For instructions on understanding permissions (what each role can and cannot do), see the Role Permissions Breakdown

Before Getting Started


Updated Permissions Model (August 11, 2025)


The updated Roles and Permissions page uses a simplified, module-based system. Instead of assigning multiple roles, you can now grant one of three permission levels for each module (e.g., Performance, Surveys, Goals):

Permission Level

Description

Full Permissions

Complete access to create, manage, and configure the module.

Limited Permissions

Partial access (currently available for Surveys only).

No Permissions

Default setting, no access.

You can also assign task-based roles (e.g., Survey Creator, Performance HR Business Partner) using checkboxes for additional control.

Scoped Roles

Some account-level permissions can be restricted (“scoped”) to specific groups or departments.

Example:

  • Goals Full Permissions (Scoped Role) – Manages goals only for assigned teams or departments, with cascading access to group and individual goals in those groups.

Scoped roles are helpful when you want to grant full permissions but limit the scope to part of your organization.

Survey and Cycle-Level Roles


Not all roles are managed from the Roles and Permissions page. Some roles are assigned directly within a survey or performance cycle and apply only to that specific survey or cycle:

  • Survey Administrator (Survey Admin) – Grants admin rights on a single survey. Can be set to Overall or Support-only access. How to assign.

  • Report Owner – Full access to view specific survey reports and receive reminders to take action. How to assign.

  • Report Viewer – View-only access to survey reports that have been shared with them. Can take action, but won't be prompted to. How to assign.

  • Collaborator (Performance cycle-level) – Can view and comment on manager reviews for a specific performance cycle. How to assign.

  • Calibrator (Calibration view-level) – Participates in calibration sessions within a performance cycle to ensure fairness and consistency. How to assign.

Note: These roles are assigned directly within the survey or performance cycle they relate to and are not visible on the Roles and Permissions page.

Assigning Roles from the Roles and Permissions Page


You can assign or modify the following roles from the Roles and permissions page:

  • Account administrator

  • Employee Data Full Permissions

  • Survey creator

  • Surveys Limited Permissions

  • Survey comment replier

  • Survey data analyst

  • Performance Full Permissions

  • Performance HR Business Partner

  • Develop Full Permissions

  • Goals Full Permissions

1. Go to Roles and Permissions

  • Sign in to your Culture Amp account

  • Click the Settings icon in the top right corner.

  • Select Roles and permissions from the Account section.


2. Select a User

  • Use the search bar to find an existing user with permissions by name or email.

  • Click on their name to edit their permissions

  • Alternatively, if you are assigning permissions to a user for the first time, e.g., they have not had permissions assigned previously, select "assign new role" to find and locate the user

  • Click to select the user

3. Set Module-Level Permissions

  • Use the dropdown to the far right to view the types of permissions associated with that role. You can also refer to the detailed breakdown article for a full overview.

  • No permissions will be the default option assigned for each role until you change it to something else.

  • Use the dropdown beside No permissions for each module (e.g., Employee Data, Surveys, Performance) to choose:

    • Full permissions

    • Limited permissions (Surveys only)

    • No permissions

  • As you select full, limited, or no permissions, you will see the checkmarks change beside the breakdown of permissions associated with that role, depending on which option you select.

Tip: "Full permissions" replaces former admin roles. "Limited permissions" is ideal for HRBPs.

4. Assign Task-Based Roles

  • Scroll to the checkboxes under the module list.

  • Assign task-based roles such as:

    • Survey Creator

    • Survey data analyst

    • Survey comment replier

    • Performance HR Business Partner

5. Save Your Changes

  • Scroll to the top.

  • Click Save permissions to apply.

How to Assign Scoped Roles for Goals


Scoped roles let you assign Full permissions to Goals while limiting access to specific groups.

1. Enable Full Permissions for Goals and Restrict to Group

  • In Roles and permissions, go to the Goals module.

  • Select Full permissions. The Restrict to group button will appear.

  • Click Restrict to group to define the scope.

2. Select Organizational Structure

  • Use the Organizational structure dropdown to choose how you want to filter (e.g., by department or team).

3. Select Groups

  • Choose the relevant group(s) in the Groups field.

4. Add Rules (Optional)

  • Click + Add rule to combine multiple groups using "or" logic.

5. Apply Restriction

  • Review your selections.

  • Click Restrict to X groups to confirm.

Note:

  • Scoped roles are only available for the Goals module.

  • Users are not notified when permissions change, except for Account administrators or Survey administrators on individual surveys.

Assigning the Survey Admin Role


Unlike other roles, the Survey admin role is assigned in the settings of each individual survey.

  1. Click Edit survey for a specific survey on your Surveys page.

  2. Click Administrators > Add administrator.

  3. Use the search box to type part of the person's name or email address.

  4. Choose Overall or Support only (hover over each option for details).

  5. Click Save.

An email will automatically be sent to the new Survey administrator, providing a link to set their password for Culture Amp (if they don’t already have a login).

Removing Roles From the Roles and Permissions Page


  1. Click the Settings button.

  2. Select Roles and permissions from the menu.

  3. Use the search box to find the user by typing part of their name or email address.

  4. Click Edit next to the user's name.

  5. Uncheck the role(s) you want to remove.

  6. Click Update to save.

Removing the Survey Admin Role


The Survey admin role is removed from the individual survey Settings > Administrators page:

  1. Go to your Surveys page and click Edit survey for the relevant survey.

  2. Click Administrators.

  3. Locate the user or use the search box to find them.

  4. Click the user's name, then uncheck Overall, Support only, or both.

  5. Click Update to confirm.

Previous vs. New Roles Mapping


If you are familiar with the previous system, here is a quick reference table to understand the new roles:

Previous Role

New Role

Account Administrator

Account Administrator

Surveys Administrator

Surveys Full Permissions

Surveys HR Business Partner

Surveys Limited Permissions

Survey creator

Survey creator

Survey comment replier

Survey comment replier

Survey data analyst

Survey data analyst

Employee Data Administrator

Employee Data Full Permissions

Performance administrator

Performance Full Permissions

Performance HR Business Partner

Performance HR Business Partner

Develop administrator

Develop Full Permissions

Goals administrator

Goals Full Permissions

Group goals administrator

Goals Full Permissions (Scoped Role)

FAQs


Are scoped roles available for all modules?

No. Scoped roles are currently only available for the Goals module.

Will users be notified if their permissions change?

No, except in these cases:

  • When a user is made an Account Administrator.

  • When someone is assigned as a Survey Administrator for a survey.

How do I assign an HR Business Partner (HRBP) role?

It depends on the module:

  • For Performance, there’s still a checkbox for Performance HR Business Partner.

  • For Surveys, the HRBP function is covered by giving the user Surveys Limited permissions.

What’s the difference between ‘Full permissions’ and ‘Limited permissions’?

  • Full permissions = Full admin access for setup and management across the module.

  • Limited permissions (e.g. in Surveys) = Partial access like viewing data or managing tasks, without access to full settings.

Why do roles like “Survey Creator” still have individual checkboxes?

These roles are for specific tasks that can be assigned separately from full or limited access. For example, someone can create surveys or reply to comments without needing full administrative control of the module.

What does “scoping” a Goals role mean?

Scoping means that even if someone has Full permissions for Goals, they’ll only be able to view or manage goals for specific groups, like a department, team, or location based on your org structure.

Why should I use scoped roles in Goals?

Scoped roles offer a few key benefits:

  • Stronger privacy – Only those who need access can view or manage specific goals.

  • Less clutter – Users see only what’s relevant to them.

  • Controlled delegation – Managers can take ownership of team goals without broad access.

  • Better alignment – Goal visibility and access match your org structure.

Who benefits from scoped Goals roles?

Common use cases include:

  • Department Heads/Managers managing their team’s goals

  • HRBPs supporting specific departments

  • Project Leads overseeing project-specific goals

Can someone have Full Goal permissions and still be scoped?

Yes! Scoping works with Full permissions. Using the Restrict to group setting, you can limit their access to specific parts of the org, even if they have full module access.

Can I assign a user to more than one group for Goals?

Yes, you can add multiple rules or select several groups in the Restrict to group setting. For example, someone can manage goals for both Sales and Marketing.

When it comes to the scoped Goal role, what happens if someone changes departments?

If your HRIS is integrated with Culture Amp and updates regularly, group membership (and scoped access) should update automatically. Still, it’s a good idea to double-check permissions after major org changes.

Can scoped users see public goals from outside their group?

They might be able to view public goals (like those marked Visible to Everyone), but they won’t be able to edit or manage them unless the goal falls within their assigned scope. This can vary slightly depending on your setup, so testing is recommended.


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