Meta-reviewers / Providing access to the reviewers of the same papers

What is a Meta Review?
What are Meta-Reviewers in ConfTool Pro?

Can we give some reviewers access to the reviews as well as the reviewer names of the persons evaluating the same submissions?

(A German version of this article is available.)

"Meta-Reviewers" have access to the reviews and reviewer names of their co-reviewers (the other persons inspecting the same submission).
They can, for instance, supervise the review process for one paper or summarize the reviews of the other reviewers. You can assign one or several meta-reviewers to each paper.

Other terms for this role are "Expert Reviewer" or "Senior Reviewer". Please see the second answer in this forum entry for more information.

There is no special ConfTool user status "meta-reviewer". You define meta-reviewers during the assignment process (see image 2).
You can find more information on how to assign reviewers here: How to Assign Reviews in ConfTool
You can only find out if there are meta-reviewers for submissions via the list of submissions and who the meta-reviewers are via the submission details.

To enable meta-reviewers please go to:
Overview => Settings => Main Settings for the Review Process
... and set the option "Enable Meta Reviews?" to "yes" (see image 1).

You can then set the status meta-reviewer during the review assignment process (see image 2).

If you need a different deadline to the regular review deadline for meta-reviews or senior reviews, you can define it for each track separately. Please go to:
Overview => Settings => Manage Submission Types / Conference Tracks
In the section "Alternative Deadlines for Different Review Options" for the option "Alternative Deadline for Meta-Reviews and Senior Reviews" choose a new deadline.
This deadline also has to be before the global deadline. The global reviewing deadline completely ends the review process.

Furthermore, you can enable a messaging function that allows Meta-Reviewers to send messages to the other reviewers via the system. Please go to:
Overview => Settings => Main Settings for the Review Process
... and in the section "Messaging between Chairs, Meta-Reviewers, Senior Reviewers and Reviewers" for the option "Enable Messaging for Reviews" choose the users who will be allowed to send messages regarding reviews within ConfTool.

You can filter for submissions with meta reviews on the list of submissions:
Overview => Submissions & Reviews => List of Submissions
Click on "More filter options" and for the filter "Special Filter" choose the setting "Only contributions with meta-reviewer assignments".

If you need to distinguish between two different kinds of expert reviewers, you can enable a second kind, called "Senior Reviewer".

Please go to:
Overview => Settings => Main Settings for the Review Process
... and enable the expert settings by clicking on "Expert Settings Disabled" or the cogwheel icon on the bottom of the page.

A new option will then appear: "Enable Senior Reviews?"
Activate it to enable a second kind of expert reviewer, called "Senior Reviewer" (see image).

Hint:
In case you want to rename the labels of the expert reviewers:
You can always adapt all words and phrases in ConfTool to fit your needs.