Good Shepherd Microfinance Provider Portal Portal Registration Instructions Contents Introduction... 2 Step 1 Sign up for a Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID)... 2 Create Microsoft account registration screen... 3 Verify your Microsoft account... 4 Step 2 Sign In and register for the Portal... 5 The invitation email... 5 Sign In with your Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID)... 5 Complete and Submit Access Request to the Portal... 6 Verify your Portal Registration... 7 Welcome to the Microfinance Provider Portal... 7 Accessing the Microfinance Provider Portal on an ongoing basis... 8 Updating your contact information... 8 Portal Registration Instructions V2 2012 1
Introduction The Good Shepherd Microfinance Provider Portal is a free, central resource for the microfinance provider network to access up to date news, information and resources. In particular, it contains a new program directory, advanced search and filter functions and a helpdesk through which both technical and program related queries will be able to be lodged. The provider portal is for all members of the Microfinance network, you can only gain access via invitation and you will be required to create individualised logins with your own password using a Microsoft account (previously known as a Windows Live ID). Accessing the new portal can be divided into various steps but overall it is a process that can be categorised into two parts: A) Creating your portal User ID based on a Microsoft account (Step 1) B) Signing in to access to the Portal (Step 2) The steps outlined below provide instructions on how to access the portal. Step 1 Sign up for a Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID) If you don t already have a Microsoft account (Windows Live ID) based on the work email address you have provided to Good Shepherd Microfinance along with your contact details, you will need to follow the instructions below to create one. If you do have one, skip to Step 2. Visit http://www.live.com and click on the Don t have a Microsoft account: Sign up now link located on the bottom right hand side of the page (see box in Diagram 1A below). Diagram 1A: Microsoft account Sign Up Portal Registration Instructions V2 2012 2
Create Microsoft account registration screen Once you click on Sign Up Now you will be taken to the Microsoft account registration screen screen exhibited below (Diagram 1B). Who are you? You will be required to fill out your name and also a birth date and gender, but do not feel obliged to use your actual birth date. Diagram 1B: Creating Microsoft account Part A How would you like to sign in? It is important that you use your work email to create an account, not a hotmail account. If the screen defaults to that seen below, click on the blue link Or use an email address you already have which sits under the Microsoft account name box (see red box in Diagram 1C below). Diagram 1C: Creating Microsoft account Part B When you click on the link, the page will refresh and allow you to enter your work email address and create a password. The next sections on the screen will require you to select some password reset options (phone number, sometimes an alternative email or set some questions) and enter the words on display Portal Registration Instructions V2 2012 3
under the Verification section for security purposes. Remember, if you can t read the verification words, you can click on the link new for another option. Once you have completed the form, click on I Accept. If you wish to look more closely at the conditions of the agreement that you are signing up to, click on the links in blue (Microsoft services agreement and privacy & cookies statement). Diagram 1D: Creating Microsoft account Part C, D & E Verify your Microsoft account Once you press I Accept, you will be taken to a screen notifying you that you have been sent a verification email from the Microsoft Account Team. Go to your inbox, open the email with the subject line: Verify your email address, and click on the link to verify your account (Diagram IE). Diagram 1E: Microsoft account verification email Portal Registration Instructions V2 2012 4
It is very important that you check this email and verify your Microsoft account. If you do not receive this email within a few minutes, check your junk mail folder. If it does go to your junk mail, you will need to move it to your inbox otherwise you will not be able to access the link. Once you click on the verification link, you will be taken back to the Microsoft screen and notified that you have successfully verified your account. Close the screen (make sure you log out first if it has logged you into your account) and go to your invitation email (Step 2) to start the actual portal registration. Step 2 Sign In and register for the Portal The invitation email To register and access the Good Shepherd Microfinance Portal, you must first receive an invitation email, such as the one exhibited in Diagram 2A below. Without an invitation email, you will not be able to proceed with the registration process. Diagram 2A: Invitation If Good Shepherd Microfinance does not have your current details or work email address, touch base with your Good Shepherd Microfinance State Coordinator or NILS Quality & Development Officer. Once this information has been provided to them, an Invitation email can be sent to you and the process started. Similarly, if you have provided contact information, but do not receive an invitation email, check with Good Shepherd Microfinance staff that the information we have on our system has been recorded correctly. Sign In with your Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID) Once you click the link on the invitation email or type http://portal.goodshepherdmicrofinance.org.au in the browser, you will come to a Sign in screen Portal Registration Instructions V2 2012 5
once more. Enter your Microsoft account details (Windows Live ID) and password, and sign in to progress to the next stage. Complete and Submit Access Request to the Portal The Access Request page is the actual portal registration page (Diagram 2B). Complete the form using the same work email used to create your Microsoft account and press OK to submit your request. If for some reason you cannot finish this entry prior to pressing OK and are forced to cancel, you will need to contact the Portal Administrator to reset your application and re-issue you with the invitation email from Step 2. Diagram 2B: Access Request Portal Registration Instructions V2 2012 6
Verify your Portal Registration Once you press OK, you will come to the Confirmation notification (Diagram 2C) and an email will be sent to your inbox that requires that you confirm/activate your registration via a link provided (Diagram 2D). Diagram 2C: Confirmation As with the Microsoft account, it is essential that you verify your portal registration. The Portal is a separate system to Windows Live and has links to the Good Shepherd Microfinance CRM where all program information is recorded. Clicking on the verification link shown in Diagram 2D will confirm your email address details have been recorded correctly and take you automatically to the Portal Homepage. Otherwise, access the link in your invitation email - http://portal.goodshepherdmicrofinance.org.au Diagram 2D: Email Verification for Portal registration Welcome to the Microfinance Provider Portal When you login you will be taken the Portal Homepage. Take your time to look around the site and at the various features, but if you d like a summary and navigation guide to provide some Portal Registration Instructions V2 2012 7
background and information, you can download the Portal Quick Start Guide from the link found on that homepage. Make sure you bookmark the link http://portal.goodshepherdmicrofinance.org.au. Accessing the Microfinance Provider Portal on an ongoing basis The Windows Live screens are currently undergoing some changes. If when you initially sign in to the portal, make sure you do not tick Keep me signed in (A). If you do, you may notice upon next logging in that your Microsoft account automatically appears in the sign in area along with a continue button (B). You will find that if you click on continue, nothing will happen. If this does occur, click on the link below: sign in with a different Microsoft account (see red box), re-enter your Microsoft account details and password and sign in again. This will get you back into the portal. A B Updating your contact information Once you have gained access to the portal, it is very important that you keep Good Shepherd Microfinance informed of any updates to work email addresses etc as changes may impact on your access to the system as well as general email communications. Portal Registration Instructions V2 2012 8