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California Department of Transportation
Welcome to Forms Management

LiveCycle Forms

Forms Management uses Adobe's LiveCycle Designer to create the forms we use on CEFS. This allows us to create programmable forms that can work on the computer as well as being printer freindly as we move from a paper centric to a digital workplace. There are many features that are available using LiveCycle forms that make forms work better some of them are listed here:

  • Calculations, this makes filling out forms like the TEC much quicker to fill out
  • Drop Down lists, can improve accuracy when filling out fields, by releasing you from remembering how to spell San Joaquin County
  • Expandable tables and fields, on old paper forms when you ran out of room you would have to attach another page or write on the back, or save paper if you only used 3 rows when there are 15 showing and can save you from drawing a line though half a page because there is all this extra space that begs to be filled
  • Tool tips and Popup instructions that can help you fill in a form quicker
  • Feilds to embed digital images
  • Data Connections to save time from having to retype information into or from another system
  • Validations, checking the data as it is entered so that phone numbers look like phone numbers and you can't enter 26 hours in a day, making the information in a form more accurate the first time it is entered

You must install Adobe Reader 9 or better on your computer to use these forms. See our Install Software section for more information.

We can answer your questions about CEFS, Adobe Reader and any problems you may be experiencing with the forms.

Submit a Question or Comment to Forms Management.

 

Overview of Electronic Forms Enhancements to CEFS

Caltrans Electronic Forms System (CEFS) is a menu driven intranet site which allows users access to Caltrans and other agency forms (i.e., Department of General Services (DGS) standard forms and PERS) from one central location. The forms in this system are updated frequently and are designed in accordance with the originating program's expectations and state standards. All forms found outside of this system may not be in compliance with the state's policies and mandates.

Government Code Section 14772 requires each Department to establish and maintain a Forms Management Program. Departments are required to designate a Departmental Forms Coordinator to implement and administer the Department’s business forms in a manner that is cost effective and economical, which includes:

  • Meeting all State and Federal mandates, including those specified in the Information Practices Act (IPA) which applies to notices required for protection of personal information, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to insure accessibility.
  • Reducing costs associated with developing, designing, producing, procuring, storing, and distributing Departmental forms through proper analysis of form purposes and processes, employment of efficient design principles, and utilization of automated technology where appropriate.
  • Save Departmental resources by reducing the forms completion burden on the public by: (a) Assuring forms require only necessary information. (b) Have clear concise instructions and employ efficient design principles; (c) Utilize resource saving technology, such as computer design and scanning where appropriate.

Caltrans provides for, supports and maintains a Forms Management Program to ensure State and Federal laws, rules, and standards are effectively met within the Department.  The Caltrans Forms Management Program provides the orderly design, implementation and maintenance of all departmental standardized business forms which includes processes for form analysis, design, and the application and management of electronic forms.

 

Flatten Button

The new forms have different ways of saving, one is a save operation that flattens the form into a PDF document in which changes to the document are no longer allowed. This is the Flatten Form button, with it you can fill in the form and then click on the button to flatten the form and save the data. The drawback to this is that you can no longer change any of the data on the form. You can however, send this form to other users without having to worry that they might change information on the form. We are in the process of changing the button From Reading Copy Form for Saving to Lock Data on Form because this better describes the process.



Last updated 03/20/2019