Policy & Procedures
Project Summary
Under the Melbourne Policy Framework, the University provides for its operations through regulatory documents such as the University Act, Statutes and Regulations and through policies and procedures statements. Ensuring that regulatory documents, and particularly policy and procedures statements, appropriately provide for service delivery within the new framework provided by Responsible Division Management, is key to successful change management and will form the basis for the implementation of the new service delivery arrangements and the associated retraining of staff.
A new substream, the RDM Policy and Procedure Framework, has been created in RDM Workstream 5, Change Management, to review the existing regulatory documentation and coordinate its revision and further development as necessary. Included in this is a review of the delegations of authority required to manage the revised business processes that will give effect to the new service delivery arrangements.
Objectives
The objectives of the substream are to:
- establish if the current regulatory framework and specifically existing policies and procedures statements meet the new operational model
- determine where gaps exist in the regulatory framework
- ensure that regulatory documentation and specifically policies and procedures are aligned to the new organisational structure
- ensure that delegations of authority support expeditious processing and are consistent with compliance and audit obligations
- identify those areas where operating procedures must be applied in a standard way
- review the administrative delegation structure, and, where possible, standardise delegations and ensure that they are aligned to the new organisational arrangements.
Where new policy / procedure statements need to be developed or changes need to be made, the current policy owners will be tasked with its development. Where policy ownership is unclear, it will be identified.
A Practice Manager is to be identified in each functional area. The Practice Manager’s functions might include the following (to be confirmed):
- Developing revised administrative processes in cognisance of RDMI
- Ensuring appropriate monitoring, compliance and risk management processes and standards are in place for all functions, wherever located
- Providing advice on appropriate policy and procedures statements
- Supporting the head of a budget division, who would have operational responsibility in the area concerned, in the implementation of RDMI policy and procedure as it affects the area concerned.
The RDM website will be used as the means of consultation on these policy and procedural changes.
RDMI policy consultative group
A Consultative group has been established to coordinate the development of policy within the RDM context.
Activity and Timeline
What has happened – a meeting coordinated by the Vice-Principal and Head of University Services with representatives nominated by Heads of functional areas as a Policy/Procedure officer for their functional area was held to:
- to scope the extent of regulatory documentation requirements
- see a presentation of the Melbourne Policy Library and specifications for systems
- contribute to the identification of necessary policy and procedure changes
- agree priorities for revision, in cognisance of the plan for the implementation of changes to business processes
- determine the nature and membership of a stakeholder reference group for the project, which will include Faculty representation.
Between now and the end of March 2009 we will
- complete a review of administrative delegations
- produce Policy/Procedure drafts, focussing on filling essential gaps (relating to services moving from one organisation unit to another), and identify where changes to legislation might be needed
- complete the scoping and commence development of a document repository and search tool so that documents may progressively be placed within the Melbourne Policy Library and be easily located by staff.
March – May 2009 we will
- Consult through the RDM or other websites on policy changes
- Submit Policy/Procedure drafts, together with related implementation plans, to appropriate committees and/or Senior Executive for approval.
By April 2009 we will
- Complete the first phase of Policy/Procedure drafting
- Commence preparation of training and development material for staff who will undertake new roles and responsibilities.