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Policy @ Newcastle

Policy Reform Project

Contents of this page

• Introduction
• Outcomes
• Project Progress

Introduction

The aim of the Policy Reform Project is to develop a streamlined Policy Library whose place within the governance framework of the University is readily understood, and whose policies are coherently organised, easy to find, readable, and consistent in presentation and meaning.

Outcomes

The project is expected to deliver:

• A smaller, streamlined Policy Library with a coherent hierarchical structure.
• A centralised online system within the Content Management System (CMS) for managing both the development and housing of University policy.
• A more functional and reliable search engine for retrieving policy.
• A set of guidelines - housed on the policy website - for the drafting, development and approval of policy.
• A series of templates for policy and procedure documents to ensure consistency of content and appearance across the policy collection.

Project Progress

Progress to date has been across a range of initiatives.

• Lexicon

A revised Lexicon of Governance Terms has been devised. It will be expanded in the course of the project. A Glossary of Terms used across the University will also be developed to ensure that terms are defined and used consistently across the Policy Library.

• Policy Framework

A new Policy Framework has been developed which locates the University's Policy Framework within the broader governance framework of the University.

Within this model policy will not be seen in isolation. Each policy will be linked to the legislation or strategic priorities (above it) that have given rise to it, and to the operational policies and/or procedures (below it) which prescribe how it will be implemented.

• Web Based Management of Policies

Tools are currently being developed within the CMS to house and manage the Policy Library. The CMS will provide workflow processes for proposing and developing policy, for scheduling periodic review of policies, for archiving and version control. It has already engineered advanced search facilities through the development of metadata around policy documents.

• Streamlining the Policy Library

Streamlining the Policy Library is one of the priorities of the project. Collaboration with representatives from each policy area is underway to assess their policy collection, identify repetition, delete rescinded items, and relocate "information" that is not properly located in the Policy Library.

• Developing and Writing Policy

Resources to assist with developing and writing policy are being developed. A Procedure for Developing Policy is available from the Developing Policy page. Guidelines for Writing Policy are being developed.

• Reformatting Policy and Procedure documents

Templates for formatting policies and procedures have been refined to encourage clear, brief, consistently formatted documents. These templates are available from the Templates  page.

A Policy and Procedure Data Collection Sheet has also been revised. It will be used to collect information (i.e. metadata) about the policy document until the new CMS policy tool is available. This data sheet is available from the Templates  page.