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Policy Development and Approval Procedures

procedure

These procedures must be read in conjunction with the Policy Development and Approval Policy.

2. Scope

These procedures apply to all employees.

3. Procedures

3.1 Policy Development

Department policies and procedures must be submitted to the Corporate Executive Policy Subcommittee (Policy Subcommittee) and Corporate Executive in the templates approved by the Policy Subcommittee.

The development and review of Department policies must follow the policy development processes and approval pathways approved by the Policy Subcommittee

Guidance

Forms, templates and policy approval pathways and processes can be accessed at S:\DET-IS_Forms\Governance Unit.

3.2 Development of new policies

Before commencing the development of new policies and procedures, policy contact officers will submit the required forms to Policy and Program Governance to obtain approval to proceed from the Corporate Executive Policy Subcommittee (the Policy Subcommittee). 

Guidance

Refer to Appendix A - Guidelines on Planning and Drafting Policies.

3.3 Revision of existing policies

Department policies and procedures are reviewed within three years from their creation and undergo a major review every three years thereafter.

Before commencing major reviews of existing policies and procedures, policy contact officers will submit the required forms to Policy and Program Governance to obtain approval to proceed from the Policy Subcommittee.

Guidance

Refer to Appendix A - Guidelines on Planning and Drafting Policies.

Forms, templates and policy approval pathways and processes can be accessed at S:\DET-IS_Forms\Governance Unit.

3.4 Policy approval

Policy contact officers will submit draft policies in the policy template, and submit the required forms to Policy and Program Governance to obtain policy approval from the Policy Subcommittee.

Guidance

Forms, templates and policy approval pathways and processes can be accessed at S:\DET-IS_Forms\Governance Unit.

Policies are not deemed approved for publication until all outstanding actions have been completed and they have been formally endorsed by the Director General.

Exceptions to the requirements stipulated in this policy are managed on a case-by-case basis, but would normally be limited to CEO Instructions or policies directly approved by the Director General.

Policy and Program Governance publishes policies once they have been endorsed by the Director General.  Policies are initially published in PDF format with an effective date one week after an Ed-e-mail has been circulated that notifies employees of the new policy or changes to an existing policy.

All Department policies and CEO instructions are published on the Policies website.  They should not be reproduced in any way or form on other Department internet or intranet sites. When policy information on a Department website is required, a link should be provided to the relevant policy on the Policies website.

3.5 Policy removal

Policy contact officers will submit the required forms and briefings to Policy and Program Governance to obtain approval from the Policy Subcommittee and Corporate Executive to remove a policy from the Department’s policy framework.

4. Definitions

Mandatory instructions released by the Director General which are usually of finite duration.  An instruction should be replaced by policy or procedures within one year, or may cease when no longer needed. 

Guidelines guidance statements are non-mandatory supporting information that assist in the implementation of policy.  They may contain or refer to external compliance requirements that exist outside the scope of the policy, for example, state or federal legislative requirements

Guidelines detail the Department’s expectations for the implementation of policy and reflect the Department's current standards of good and safe practice.

Refers to system level policies that direct decision-making and are applied across the whole Department or across multiple business areas rather than individual work sites such as schools.

Employee in the business area responsible for the content of a particular policy.

Senior officer, usually director level or above, in the business area responsible for the management of a particular policy.

The key mandatory elements of a policy.

A concise, clearly worded statement that sets out the purpose of the policy.

Specify the methods to be employed in implementing a policy.  Procedures are consistent with and support policies.

6. Contact information

Policy manager:

Director, Executive and Communication Services

Policy contact officer:   

Manager, Policy and Program Governance

T: (08) 9264 4001

E: policyenquiry@education.wa.edu.au

7. History of changes

Effective date Last update date Procedure version no.
16 November 2012 2.0
This policy and supporting procedures replace the Policy Development, Approval, Publication and Implementation policy. Endorsed by Corporate Executive 18 October 2012. D12/0714450
16 November 2012 10 March 2015 2.1
Contact information updated to reflect change in position from Director, Office of the Director General to Executive Director, Organisational Governance. D15/0085666
16 November 2012 29 June 2015 2.2
Updated contact details D15/0198137
16 November 2012 31 August 2018 2.3
Minor updates to reflect organisational changes D18/0388428

9. More information

This procedure:

Download procedure PDFPolicy Development and Approval Procedures v2.3

Please ensure you also download the policy supported by this procedure.


Supported policy:

Download Policy PDFPolicy Development and Approval Policy


Procedure review date

16 November 2015

Procedure last updated

31 August 2018