September 22, 2005
Making Communication Easier: Templates!
By Liz Dube for the Communications Working Group (Jo Bessler, Jean Cane, Dan Marmion, Jayne Schlutt, and Sandy Stellema)
If you’ve ever had to put a policy or procedure in writing, or if you’ve ever been tasked with preparing a charge for a committee or task force, you know that accomplishing such tasks can sometimes feel like reinventing the wheel. Instead of simply focusing on what you want to convey in your policy or charge document, you may find yourself faced with pesky details such as what should a policy look like?, or, is this task force charge missing some key detail? No doubt, it can be difficult to anticipate the types of information others might want to know about your policy or committee, and it can be difficult to determine the best way to arrange the information. You may also have found that once a policy or charge is written, it can be difficult to provide ready access to everyone who will need access—today, tomorrow, or even five years down the road. Finally, as policies and groups evolve over time, such changes can become increasingly difficult to document and communicate to others.
To assist with these challenges, the Communications Working Group (CWG) worked with Tom Lehman and Team Intranet to develop two electronic templates intended to simplify the process of preparing, communicating, and updating policies and team charges. As you put these templates to use, we ask that you please let Jo Bessler know what you think (jbessler@nd.edu or 1-6680). We hope the templates are useful and we look forward to making them even better, with your help!
Policy Template
What’s it for?
All new library policies and procedures affecting multiple departments are to be formatted according to the team charge template. All updated policies affecting multiple departments should also be formatted according to the policy template. All are welcome to voluntarily convert any existing policies and procedures to the policy template, if desired.
The policy template helps insure a transparent process whereby written policies are drafted in a consistent manner, shared publicly in a central location, and easily revised and shared.
Once a policy or procedure is written using the template and has received approval, email a copy to Elaine Savely (savely.1@nd.edu) so that it can be mounted in the “Policies and Procedures� section of UL@ND. Remember to alert/remind folks about the policies’ existence and location. Have a policy that’s not quite ready for prime time that you’d like input on? Drafts may also be submitted to Elaine; these will be posted in the “Draft Policy� section of the “Policies and Procedures� page of UL@ND. Again, don’t forget to alert folks about the draft policies’ existence and location.
Where is it?
In UL@ND, under “Forms� > “Library Related Forms�. Or, go directly to: http://libstaff.library.nd.edu/policies/policy_template.shtml
Team Charge Template
What’s it for?
All new formally-charged groups (committees, task forces, etc.) are to use the template to prepare their charge. The committee chair and LEC liaison share the responsibility for completing the charge template.
Once the charge is finalized, mount it prominently on your committee’s web page (or ask Elaine Savely to do that it you, if are unable). Don’t forget to publicize its availability.
Where is it?
In UL@ND, under “Forms� > “Library Related Forms�. Or, go directly to: http://libstaff.library.nd.edu/policies/committee_template.shtml