Understanding User Types

When you create a Kora account, you are assigned a user type that reflects your primary relationship to animal management. This is not a restriction. It is a starting point for configuring appropriate access and capabilities.

User types matter because they determine:

• Default permission levels - What you can view, create, modify, and delete
• Feature visibility - Which specialised features you see by default
• Access boundaries - Whose animals you can view and manage
• Cross-property capabilities - Whether you work within a single organisation or across multiple properties

Let's explore each user type in detail.

1. Professional

Who they are: Professionals with formal qualifications in animal-related fields requiring detailed scientific and clinical capabilities.

Examples:

• Veterinarians (covered separately due to unique cross-property access)
• Wildlife biologists
• Zoo veterinarians
• Animal nutritionists
• Conservation scientists
• Certified animal behaviourists
• Licensed wildlife rehabilitators

Typical access:

• Full animal management - Create, modify, and delete animal records
• Medical records - Complete access to health observations, treatments, diagnoses
• Scientific data - Research features, genetic tracking, studbook management
• Advanced features - Breeding programmes, conservation genetics, welfare assessments
• Documentation - Generate health certificates, compliance reports, research data exports

What they typically do:

• Provide clinical care and medical interventions
• Conduct scientific research and population monitoring
• Manage conservation breeding programmes
• Design and implement welfare assessment protocols
• Generate regulatory compliance documentation
• Coordinate complex multi-site conservation projects

Permission level: Typically Advanced to Administrative depending on role and organisational responsibility

Example workflow: A zoo veterinarian reviews health assessments for the primate collection. They update treatment plans for animals under care. They generate health certificates for an international species transfer. They contribute genetic data to the international studbook.

2. Paraprofessional

Who they are: Trained animal care specialists working under professional supervision or with significant practical expertise.

Examples:

• Veterinary technicians and nurses
• Farm managers with agricultural diplomas
• Zoo animal care specialists
• Wildlife technicians
• Conservation field coordinators
• Livestock production managers
• Aquaculture facility supervisors

Typical access:

• Daily animal management - Full access to observations, movements, feeding, routine care
• Treatment implementation - Record treatments prescribed by veterinarians
• Operational features - Tasks, location management, biosecurity, inventory
• Limited clinical authority - Can record observations and implement prescribed care but typically not diagnose
• Data entry and maintenance - Create and modify most animal records

What they typically do:

• Implement daily care routines and monitoring protocols
• Execute treatment plans designed by veterinarians
• Manage facility operations and biosecurity
• Coordinate team activities and task assignment
• Record observations and health assessments
• Manage inventory and supplies
• Support professionals with technical tasks

Permission level: Typically Standard to Advanced

Example workflow: A veterinary technician at a clinic completes morning health checks. They administer medications according to prescribed treatment plans. They record post-surgical observations. They manage the clinic's inventory of medical supplies. They coordinate appointments for the veterinarians.

3. Community Animal Health Worker (CAHW)

Who they are: Field-level animal health providers serving communities, often in resource-constrained or remote areas. CAHWs receive practical training and work closely with professional veterinarians.

Examples:

• Community animal health workers in rural areas
• Livestock extension officers
• Mobile veterinary service assistants
• Community-based wildlife monitors
• Livestock cooperative health coordinators
• Rural vaccination campaign workers

Typical access:

• Essential animal management - Create observations, record treatments, document movements
• Field observations - GPS-enabled mobile observations for work in the field
• Treatment recording - Document basic treatments and medications administered
• Referral coordination - Flag animals requiring professional veterinary attention
• Limited data modification - Can add information but may have restrictions on deleting historical records
• Mobile-first features - Optimised for smartphone and tablet use in field conditions

What they typically do:

• Provide basic animal health services in underserved areas
• Conduct vaccination campaigns
• Identify and refer sick animals to veterinarians
• Educate farmers on animal husbandry and disease prevention
• Conduct community-level disease surveillance
• Support professional veterinarians during field visits
• Implement basic treatments under veterinary guidance

Permission level: Typically Basic to Standard

Example workflow: A CAHW conducts a village vaccination campaign. They record each animal vaccinated with GPS coordinates. When they observe an animal with suspected disease, they record detailed observations. They create a task for the regional veterinarian to visit. They provide basic wound care to an injured goat and record the treatment administered.

4. Farmer

Who they are: Livestock owners, agricultural producers, and property managers responsible for animals on their own land.

Examples:

• Cattle ranchers
• Dairy farmers
• Sheep and goat producers
• Poultry farmers
• Pig farmers
• Mixed farming operations
• Smallholder farmers
• Hobby farmers with small flocks or herds

Typical access:

• Full management of own animals - Complete control over animals on their properties
• Comprehensive features - Animal management, mobs, movements, treatments, observations
• Production tracking - Weights, breeding records, production metrics
• Operational management - Tasks, locations, biosecurity, inventory
• Limited cross-property access - Typically cannot view animals on other farms unless explicitly authorised
• Veterinary coordination - Grant veterinarians access to their animals for medical records

What they typically do:

• Manage daily livestock care and operations
• Record births, deaths, purchases, and sales
• Track animal weights and production metrics
• Coordinate with veterinarians for health care
• Implement biosecurity and disease prevention
• Plan and execute pasture rotation and feeding programmes
• Maintain compliance with regulatory requirements
• Prepare animals for market

Permission level: Typically Standard to Advanced (for their own animals)

Example workflow: A dairy farmer records morning milk production. They move the herd to fresh pasture. They note that one cow appears to have reduced appetite. They create a task for the farm manager to monitor the animal. They review the upcoming vaccination schedule. When the veterinarian visits, they grant access to the affected cow's complete health history.

5. Conservation & NGO

Who they are: Organisations and individuals working on wildlife conservation, endangered species management, rescue operations, and habitat protection.

Examples:

• Wildlife conservation NGOs
• Animal rescue centres
• Wildlife sanctuaries
• Endangered species breeding programmes
• Marine mammal rescue organisations
• Raptor rehabilitation centres
• Primate conservation projects
• Elephant orphanages

Typical access:

• Conservation-specific features - Studbook management, genetic diversity tracking, CITES compliance
• Multi-site coordination - Manage animals across multiple locations and partner institutions
• Breeding programmes - Species Survival Plans, genetic management, breeding recommendations
• Cross-organisational collaboration - Coordinate with zoos, other NGOs, and government agencies
• Donor and funding tracking - Link animals to conservation funding and donor programmes
• Release and reintroduction - Track animals from captivity through release to wild monitoring

What they typically do:

• Coordinate international breeding programmes for endangered species
• Manage wildlife rescue and rehabilitation
• Track animals across institutions for conservation genetics
• Prepare and submit CITES documentation for species transfers
• Monitor released animals in reintroduction programmes
• Collaborate with multiple stakeholders on conservation goals
• Generate reports for donors and funding agencies

Permission level: Typically Standard to Advanced, often with specialised conservation features enabled

Example workflow: A rhino conservation NGO coordinates breeding recommendations across three institutions in different countries. They update the international studbook with a new calf born at a partner zoo. They prepare CITES export documentation for a breeding transfer. They generate a quarterly report for donors showing breeding success rates and genetic diversity metrics.

6. Wildlife Management

Who they are: Government agencies, park services, and private reserves managing wild animal populations in natural or semi-natural habitats.

Examples:

• National park wildlife departments
• Game reserves and conservancies
• Wildlife research stations
• Forestry departments with wildlife responsibility
• Provincial or state wildlife agencies
• Private game ranches
• Community-based natural resource management organisations

Typical access:

• Population-level management - Primarily mob tracking for wild populations
• Individual tracking for special cases - GPS-collared animals, rehabilitated releases, problem animals
• Territory and habitat management - Extensive use of mapping and GPS features
• Monitoring and surveillance - Camera trap integration, wildlife sightings, incident reporting
• Human-wildlife conflict - Incident tracking, mitigation measures
• Regulatory compliance - Hunting quotas, culling records, disease surveillance

What they typically do:

• Conduct wildlife population censuses
• Monitor GPS-collared animals (elephants, predators, endangered species)
• Track wildlife movements and migration patterns
• Manage human-wildlife conflict incidents
• Implement disease surveillance in wild populations
• Coordinate anti-poaching efforts
• Maintain habitat and water source monitoring
• Generate reports for conservation authorities

Permission level: Typically Standard to Advanced

Example workflow: A national park wildlife officer conducts a monthly elephant census using GPS coordinates. They download data from camera traps positioned at waterholes. They investigate a human-elephant conflict incident. They update the location of a GPS-collared lion. They prepare a quarterly wildlife monitoring report for the conservation authority.

7. Regulatory Authority

Who they are: Government officials and inspectors responsible for animal health, welfare, food safety, and regulatory compliance oversight.

Examples:

• Veterinary services inspectors
• Animal welfare compliance officers
• Food safety auditors
• Import/export certification authorities
• Disease control officials
• CITES enforcement officers
• Agricultural department regulators

Typical access:

• Read-only or limited modification - Typically view and verify rather than create primary data
• Cross-property access - View animal data across multiple farms and facilities for regulatory purposes
• Anonymised aggregate data - Access to population statistics and compliance metrics
• Compliance verification - Review traceability records, biosecurity plans, treatment histories
• Inspection recording - Document inspections, findings, and compliance status
• Disease surveillance - Monitor disease occurrence across regions

What they typically do:

• Conduct facility inspections for welfare and biosecurity compliance
• Verify animal traceability for food safety
• Review and approve export health certificates
• Monitor disease surveillance data across farms
• Investigate disease outbreaks and compliance violations
• Generate regional compliance and disease reports
• Coordinate emergency disease responses

Permission level: Typically ReadOnly to Basic (to record inspection findings)

Example workflow: A veterinary services inspector reviews a farm's biosecurity plan before an official visit. They conduct an on-site inspection documenting compliance with animal welfare standards. They verify the farm's movement records for traceability compliance. They record inspection findings. They review regional disease surveillance data to identify emerging threats.

8. Education

Who they are: Academic institutions, researchers, students, and training organisations using animal management for educational purposes.

Examples:

• Veterinary schools with teaching farms
• University research facilities
• Agricultural training colleges
• Wildlife biology programmes
• Animal science departments
• Veterinary nursing programmes
• Conservation education centres

Typical access:

• Research-appropriate features - Data export, analytics, experimental group tracking
• Student training - Multiple users managing the same animals for learning
• Teaching records - Document educational procedures and learning outcomes
• Ethical oversight - Welfare assessment and research protocol compliance
• Limited modification scope - May have restrictions to prevent accidental data loss by learners

What they typically do:

• Manage teaching herds and research animals
• Conduct controlled research studies
• Train students in animal management practices
• Document experimental protocols and outcomes
• Monitor animal welfare in research contexts
• Generate research data and publications
• Demonstrate best practices in animal care

Permission level: Variable - ReadOnly for students, Standard to Advanced for faculty and researchers

Example workflow: A veterinary school manages a teaching dairy herd. Professors assign students to record daily observations as part of clinical skills training. Researchers track experimental groups for a nutrition study. The farm manager maintains overall herd health and coordinates with the university veterinarian for medical care.

9. Public

Who they are: General users, hobbyists, pet owners, and small-scale animal keepers using Kora for personal or non-commercial purposes.

Examples:

• Backyard chicken keepers
• Small hobby farms
• Pet breeders (dogs, cats, rabbits, birds)
• Equestrian enthusiasts
• Aquarium hobbyists
• Small-scale beekeepers
• Personal livestock (goats, sheep, pigs for family use)

Typical access:

• Basic animal management - Record animals, observations, treatments
• Essential features - Individual animals, basic observations, simple treatments
• Limited advanced features - May not have access to studbook, conservation genetics, or complex analytics
• Simplified workflows - Streamlined interface for non-professional use

What they typically do:

• Track health and care for personal animals
• Record basic treatments and vaccinations
• Maintain breeding records for small-scale operations
• Document daily care and observations
• Keep personal animal records organised
• Coordinate care when multiple family members are involved

Permission level: Typically Basic to Standard

Example workflow: A backyard chicken keeper records daily egg production. They note that one hen appears lethargic. They document administering vitamins. They track which roosters bred with which hens for managing their small breeding project.

10. Veterinarian (Special User Type)

Who they are: Licensed veterinarians providing professional clinical care to animals, often across multiple client properties and organisations.

Unique characteristics: Unlike other user types that primarily work within a single organisation, veterinarians have cross-property access. This is the ability to view and manage medical records for animals belonging to different owners, farms, and organisations.

Examples:

• Private practice veterinarians serving multiple farms
• Mobile veterinary services
• Zoo and aquarium veterinarians (may work at one facility but consult elsewhere)
• Wildlife veterinarians working across conservation sites
• Specialist consultants (reproduction, surgery, exotic animals)
• Regulatory veterinary officers

Unique access capabilities:

Cross-Property Medical Access:

• View animals across all client properties where they have been granted access
• Access complete medical histories regardless of who owns the animal
• Create veterinary observations and diagnoses across multiple organisations
• Prescribe and document treatments for animals they do not own
• Generate health certificates for animals belonging to clients

Access Logging:

• Every time a veterinarian accesses an animal record, it is logged
• Owners can see which veterinarians viewed their animals and when
• Provides accountability and audit trail for medical record access

Specialised Veterinary Features:

• Veterinary observation records (distinct from owner observations)
• Clinical diagnosis capabilities
• Treatment plan creation and monitoring
• Health certificate generation
• Cross-client patient list and dashboards
• Disease surveillance across multiple properties
• Access to KnowledgeAPI disease intelligence for clinical decision support

How cross-property access works:

1. Initial Setup: Farm owners or system administrators grant a veterinarian access to their animals
2. Patient List: The veterinarian sees a unified view of all animals they are authorised to access, regardless of who owns them
3. Medical Records: When the veterinarian opens an animal record, they see the complete medical history, even if multiple veterinarians have contributed to the animal's care
4. Observations and Treatments: Veterinary observations and treatments are clearly marked as coming from the veterinarian, maintaining clear professional accountability
5. Owner Visibility: Animal owners see all veterinary records for their animals, including which veterinarians accessed the records and when

What veterinarians typically do:

• Conduct clinical examinations across multiple client farms
• Diagnose diseases and prescribe treatment plans
• Monitor treatment progress and adjust protocols
• Generate health certificates for export, sale, or movement
• Coordinate outbreak responses across affected properties
• Provide specialist consultations (reproduction, surgery, exotic species)
• Support disease surveillance and regulatory reporting
• Train and supervise paraprofessionals and CAHWs

Permission level: Typically Advanced with specialised veterinary features and cross-property access

Example workflow: A private practice veterinarian starts the day reviewing their patient list. This includes animals from 12 different farms they serve. They visit Farm A to examine a cow with suspected mastitis. They record a veterinary observation, diagnosis, and prescribe a treatment plan. They check on a horse at Farm B recovering from surgery, updating the treatment progress. They access records for cattle at Farm C to generate health certificates for an upcoming sale. All of this work happens seamlessly across properties. Owners see the veterinary records for their animals. The veterinarian maintains a complete view of all patients under their care.

Why this matters: Veterinarians are fundamentally different from other users because their professional responsibility extends across organisational boundaries. A farmer manages animals they own. A veterinarian manages the health of animals owned by others. Kora's specialised veterinarian user type recognises this reality. It provides appropriate access while maintaining data security and professional accountability.

11. Other

Who they are: Users who do not fit neatly into the defined categories or have unique, specialised roles.

Examples:

• Custom organisational roles
• Consultants with mixed responsibilities
• Technology administrators managing systems but not animals
• Specialised roles created for specific projects or organisations

Access: Highly variable. Configured by system administrators based on specific needs.

Requesting User Type Changes

Your user type is not permanent. If your responsibilities change or you discover you need different access:

1. Contact your system administrator - Explain what you are trying to accomplish that your current user type does not support
2. Describe your workflow - Help the administrator understand whether you need a user type change or just permission adjustments
3. Temporary access - For short-term projects or consultations, administrators can grant temporary elevated permissions without changing your user type

User types are tools for organising access appropriately. They are not barriers preventing you from doing your work.