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5a - Configurable Authoring Forms - Backend System

Contractor: TBA

Main Contact: TBA

Start date: 1 May 2027

End data: 31 July 2027

RFP not published yet

Abstract​

This milestone builds the engine that makes form customisation possible: the data model, configuration logic, and field visibility rules that the accessible UI in Milestone 5b will expose to site owners. By separating the backend system from the UI, both can be developed, tested, and reviewed independently, and extension developers can integrate the configuration system in their own components without depending on any specific frontend implementation.

Milestone 5a feeds directly into Milestone 5b (the accessible graphical interface for the same configuration system) and is informed by the remediation backlog from Milestone 1b and the test protocols from Milestone 1a.

Scope of work​

Deliverable 1: Field Visibility Configuration System​

Create a configuration system that allows site owners to customise which fields are visible in content editing forms (for example articles, contacts, and categories), in both the frontend and the backend editing views. The system must:

  • Cover both frontend and backend editing views consistently
  • Apply to the core content types listed above and be extensible to others
  • Persist configuration in a way that is upgrade-safe and that can be exported, imported, or version-controlled by site owners
  • Have no UI dependencies, so that the same system can be driven by the Milestone 5b UI, by third-party extensions, or by automated tooling

Deliverable 2: Documented Internal API​

Define and document an internal API for the configuration system, so that the accessible graphical interface from Milestone 5b and third-party extension integrations can be built on a stable, testable contract rather than directly on implementation details. The API must:

  • Have a clearly versioned contract, with a documented stability policy
  • Be covered by automated tests that protect the contract against regressions
  • Be accompanied by developer documentation, including at least one worked integration example

Deliverable 3: Documentation and Milestone Report​

Maintain the programme documentation framework and produce the milestone completion report in the format agreed at kick-off.