• Section 1 - About this Document
• Introduction
• Purpose
• Scope
• Audience
• Definitions
• Section 2 - Policy Governance
• Policy Governance Principles
• Types of Policy Documents
• Table 1 – Types of Policy Documents
• Hierarchy of Documents
• Policy Library
• Section 3 - Policy Lifecycle: Development to Implementation 
• Preparation
• Policy Document Review Preparation
• Policy Review Initiation
• Policy Document Review Direction and Resourcing
• Associated Document Review 
• Policy Risk and Opportunity Assessment
• Consultation
• Consultation with Controlled Entities
• Drafting
• Quality Review
• Preliminary Quality Review
• Final Quality Review
• Table 2 –Quality Review Purpose
• Policy Document Feedback Period
• Approval
• Major Reviews and New Policy Documents
• Policy Rescission
• Review Cycle and Next Review Date
• Implementation Plan
• Publication
• Implementation
• Section 4 - Policy Lifecycle: Maintaining Published Policy Documents
• Issues Register
• Policy Reviews 
• Types of Policy Document Review
• Table 3 – Policy Risk Levels
• Table 4 – Policy Document Review Types
• Policy Amendments
• Table 5 – Policy Amendment Types
• Policy Amendment Requirements
• Amendments and Review Cycle
• Policy Amendment Pathway
• Quality Scans
• Published Policy Document Feedback
• Section 5 - Exception Handling
• Deferral of Policy Review
• Policy Review Type Consensus
• Overdue Policy Reviews
• Waiving of Consultation Requirements
• Section 6 - Associated Information

Section 1 - About this Document

Introduction

(1) The University of Newcastle (University) is committed to effective governance and control over its operations, in accordance with the University of Newcastle Act 1989 and the University of Newcastle By-Law, 2017. Effective and well-crafted policy documents are critical to achieving strong governance.

Purpose

(2) This Framework documents the requirements and responsibilities for the development, review, amendment, and rescission of University policy documents.

Scope

(3) This Framework:

1. applies to:
   1. all University document types that are identified in the Hierarchy of University Policy Documents;
   2. policy documents, as defined by the Government Information Public Access Act, and that are required to be publicly available in accordance with this Act.
2. does not apply to policy documents of University controlled entities.

Audience

(4) This document should be read and understood by:

1. any University staff member who has responsibility or been tasked with drafting or reviewing policy documents;
2. Policy Owners;
3. delegates who are authorised to approve policy documents;
4. Legal and Governance Services staff with policy administration responsibilities.

Definitions

(5) In the context of this document the following definitions apply:

1. “administrative amendment” means amendments to correct or update information that does not alter its intent, scope, or operational effect. This includes updates to position titles, organisational units, role descriptions, clarification of wording that improves readability without changing meaning, updates to references, links or supporting documents, alignment with the Policy Style Guide and structural or presentation changes that improve usability. Administrative amendments do not change responsibilities, rights, obligations, or compliance requirements.
2. “benchmarking” involves the comparison of policy documents, practices, or performance against peer organisations. It supports informed decision-making, identification of gaps and opportunities; and continuous improvement.
3. “broad consultation” involves engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including those who may be affected, interested, or able to provide diverse perspectives on a policy subject. Broad consultation is undertaken to:
   1. gather comprehensive input;
   2. test principles, procedures, or positions;
   3. ensure transparency and inclusiveness; and
   4. inform risk control effectiveness.
4. “committee approval pathway” is a policy approval pathway, where the relevant delegation of authority requires the document to be endorsed or approved by a Committee;
5. “editorial amendment” means amendments to correct minor errors that do not change the meaning, intent, or interpretation of the policy document. This includes typographical errors, grammatical corrections, formatting inconsistencies, punctuation and broken or incorrect hyperlinks;
6. “major amendment” means substantive changes that alter the policy document intent, scope, or context and that have operational impact;
7. “minor amendment” involves low-impact changes that do not alter the intent or scope of the policy but may affect how it is applied in practice. This includes clarifying or refining requirements; correcting inconsistencies that affect interpretation; making procedural or operational updates that do not materially change responsibilities or compliance obligations;
8. “policy amendment” refers to discrete updates outside of a scheduled review to maintain accuracy or address specific issues. The type of amendment being made (i.e. editorial, administrative, minor or major will determine the approval pathway);
9. “Policy Author” refers to the role responsible for preparing draft versions of a policy document. The Policy Reviewer may also be the Policy Author;
10. “policy document review date” refers to the date specific to a relevant Policy document and recorded within the Policy Library status and details page which indicates when a policy review must be initiated. The Policy document remains in effect in the event the policy document review date has passed and until such time as a policy document expiry date is applied;
11. “policy document expiry date” is the date applied to a policy document that has been approved to be rescinded from the Policy Library. The policy expiry date reflects the date that the policy is no longer effective.
12. “policy lifecycle” refers to the sequence of policy document stages that ensures the policy document is created and maintained in accordance with this Policy Framework;
13. “Policy Owner” refers to the nominated executive who is responsible for the policy document’s subject and its implementation and maintenance;
14. “Policy Review” refers to a structured re-assessment of a policy document’s effectiveness, risks, and fitness for purpose;
15. “Policy Reviewer” a subject matter expert nominated by the policy owner who is responsible for initiating and completing a policy review;
16. “targeted consultation” involves selectively engaging identified stakeholders who are directly impacted by, responsible for implementing, or possess subject matter expertise that is relevant a policy document. Targeted consultation aims to obtain focused, informed, and practical input to determine the effectiveness of a policy document; establish if a document is fit for purpose; and identify any minor amendments required.

Section 2 - Policy Governance

Policy Governance Principles

(6) University policy documents must:

1. demonstrate compliance with relevant associated legislation and legal obligations, without duplicating them;
2. be developed and maintained through an understanding of associated risks and opportunities that is achieved through appropriate and timely exploration and consultation;
3. offer high quality information that can be easily understood and complied with;
4. meet the needs of relevant stakeholders and be implemented within a given timeframe;
5. interconnect with associated policy documents, where relevant;
6. align with the objects in the University of Newcastle Act, and the University's values and strategies;
7. promote efficiency, consistency, and quality;
8. be approved by a relevant and authorised delegate; 
9. once approved, be published in the University Policy library; and
10. once published, be subject to a policy lifecycle that maintains the policy document.

(7) Each policy document must be assigned to a Policy Owner, who is responsible for ensuring:

1. implementation of the requirements of the document through an effective implementation plan; and
2. ongoing review and maintenance of the policy document in a timely manner.

(8) New policy documents must only be developed where the University is committed to, and able to fully implement the document and its requirements, including the allocation of resources to operationalise the document, review and maintain it. 

(9) Policy documents must be kept up to date and current throughout the policy effectiveness period.  This can be achieved through major amendments, minor amendments, editorial amendments, or a policy review.

Types of Policy Documents

(10) University policy documents include and are limited to:

Table 1 – Types of Policy Documents

Hierarchy of Documents

(11) Where multiple types of policy documents address the same subject matter, the policy documents must be established and preserved within a clear and coherent hierarchy to ensure clarity of authority, support effective implementation, and promote consistent interpretation and application.

(12) At a minimum:

1. policies must articulate overarching principles, intent, and mandatory requirements;
2. supporting procedures and guidelines must be explicitly aligned to, and consistent with, the relevant higher-order policy;
3. each document must clearly state: 
   1. its role and position within the hierarchy; and
   2. its relationship to any related documents addressing the same subject;
4. content must be structured to avoid duplication, contradiction, or ambiguity across documents; and
5. in the event of inconsistency, the higher-order document prevails, unless otherwise explicitly authorised.

Policy Library

(13) The Policy Library is the Council approved platform for publication of approved policy documents.

(14) Documents, other than those listed in Table 1, are not permitted to be published as policy documents in the Policy Library. 

(15) Policy documents that are published outside of the Policy Library are not considered authorised University policies and therefore may not provide any recourse should non-compliance occur. Publishing content that meets the definition of a policy document on platforms that are outside of the Policy Library (e.g. SharePoint or knowledge-based article) is considered a breach of this Framework and such action may be subject to disciplinary action as it places the University at risk of non-compliance with the Government Information Public Access Act. 

(16) To determine if a document constitutes a “policy document”, Legal and Governance Services will defer to the definition of “policy document” within the Government Information Public Access Act.

Section 3 - Policy Lifecycle: Development to Implementation 

(17) This section outlines the key stages of the policy lifecycle, including the development, approval, publication and implementation and review of policy documents.

Preparation

(18) The preparation stage forms part of the ongoing policy lifecycle and contributes to currency and effectiveness.

(19) The Policy and Delegations Officer must be contacted when considering the development of a new policy document and before drafting the document. 

(20) The Policy and Delegations Officer:

1. may seek approval from the General Counsel and Chief Governance Officer to proceed with the development of a new policy document; 
2. may confirm endorsement from the relevant Responsible Executive before proceeding, if not provided; and
3. must be provided with the following information:
   1. the proposed Policy Owner (Responsible Executive);
   2. the Policy Author, who must be a subject matter expert; and
   3. the document Enquiry Contact Person.

Policy Document Review Preparation

(21) The Policy and Delegations Officer will:

1. provide a calendar or list of all policy reviews falling due in the forthcoming calendar year, in December. This will be provided to the Executive Leadership Team and is designed to assist with work planning;
2. provide notification to the Policy Owner, and/or their nominee, to advise of a forthcoming review, 3 months before the scheduled review date;
3. consult with the Policy Owner or their nominee before the review date, to determine the type of review that may be completed (see Table 4), and seek confirmation from the Policy Owner of this review type;
4. work with the Policy Owner or their nominee to identify appropriate stakeholders for the purposes of consultation for the policy review, where required.

Policy Review Initiation

(22) Policy reviews are a critical stage of the policy lifecycle and ensure policy documents remain current, effective, and aligned with the University's requirements. Policy Owners are responsible for devising work plans that will ensure policy reviews are completed in a timely manner, aiming to complete each review before or soon after the policy review date.

(23) Initiation of a policy document review must commence on or before the scheduled policy document review date. Where this does not occur, the Policy Owner or their nominee must provide justification of delay to the Policy and Delegations Officer for reporting to the General Counsel and Chief Governance Officer.

(24) Consultation between the Policy Owner, or their nominated Policy Reviewer and the Policy and Delegations Officer must occur to determine and agree on the policy risk level, review type to be undertaken, and the stakeholder reference group.

(25) Approval and publication of an updated version of the policy document indicates completion of the policy document review.

Policy Document Review Direction and Resourcing

(26) The Policy Owner is responsible for:

1. ensuring sufficient resources are in place to undertake policy reviews, including nominating a Policy Reviewer. The Policy Reviewer must have sufficient knowledge of the policy subject and context to carry out the review;
2. establishing the objectives of the review, particularly for major reviews;
3. monitoring policy review completion to ensure it is completed on time and when due.

Associated Document Review 

(27) An associated document review is required for

1. new policy documents;
2. major and minor policy document reviews;
3. major amendments to policy documents;
4. No Change Reviews; 
5. Post Implementation Reviews; and
6. proposals to rescind policy documents.

(28) The associated document review should occur prior to consultation and drafting and involves the Policy Owner or their nominee identifying any relevant or associated legislation and University Policy documents to determine if:

1. associated documents are current and up to date;
2. any change has occurred (e.g. legislative, regulatory change);
3. the associated documents are not in conflict with the policy document.

(29) Where the policy document may deal with or address highly contentious or litigious issues, the Legal and Governance Services must be consulted to determine best practice policy inclusions based on legal precedent.

(30) For Post Implementation Reviews, the associated document review will be undertaken by the Policy and Delegations Officer.

Policy Risk and Opportunity Assessment

(31) A Policy Risk and Opportunity Assessment is required for:

1. new policy documents; and
2. major reviews of existing policy documents.

(32) The assessment is aimed at identifying the critical issues that the policy document may deal with, and to allow a better understanding of the subject to inform its content. This assessment must be informed by relevant key stakeholders. (Please also see Risk Management Framework).

(33) Completion of the assessment is the responsibility of the nominated Policy Reviewer in consultation with relevant key stakeholders. (Please also see Policy Consultation Guideline).

(34) The assessment must:

1. consider the full range of risk categories articulated in the Risk Management Framework that relate to the subject that the policy document will deal with; and
2. consider the risks to successful and ongoing implementation of the policy document.

(35) Legal and Governance Services (Legal) must be consulted where the subject matter relates to legislation, where a Rule is being developed or reviewed, or where any legal risk is identified.

(36) The Policy Risk and Opportunity Assessment tool may be used.

Consultation

(37) Please see the Policy Consultation Guideline for further information on consultation.

(38) The Policy and Delegations Officer will work with the Policy Owner or their nominee to establish a stakeholder reference group for the purposes of consultation.

(39) New policy documents, major reviews and major amendments must be informed by broad consultation.

(40) The consultation undertaken for a policy document review is dependent on the type of review (see Table 4). The consultation must be directed at confirming the purpose of the review type are met.

(41) In the event the proposed changes do not meet the review type and purpose, the review type will be changed by the Policy and Delegations Officer and the consultation requirements for the revised review type must be undertaken.

(42) Where broad consultation is undertaken, this must be undertaken via the Policy Library bulletin board, but may be supported by other mechanisms such as focus groups, zoom sessions, surveys, benchmarking, feedback tools, and individual or team submissions).

(43) Benchmarking may be used to inform policy development, reviews or amendments. Consultation with the benchmarked institution must occur to inform the effectiveness of the elements being adopted where benchmarking is used to inform drafting.

(44) When using other organisation’s policies to inform a policy document, copyright law must be adhered to.  Please see the University's Copyright Compliance Policy.

(45) A Policy Owner may opt to use the Policy Library bulletin board for policy document feedback as a  consultation mechanism for any policy document regardless of the review type or proposed amendment types. In these circumstances, the Policy Owner or their nominee should consult with the Policy and Delegations Officer to facilitate this.

Consultation with Controlled Entities

(46) Where the scope of a policy document indicates the document applies to controlled entities, consultation with representatives from the controlled entities must be undertaken.

(47) The General Counsel and Chief Governance Officer is responsible for determining if a policy should apply to controlled entities.

Drafting

(48) Policy authors are responsible for maintaining effective version control of all draft policy documents.

(49) The Policy Style Guide provides supporting information to assist Policy Authors and Policy Reviewers when drafting, and should be adhered to as far as reasonably possible.  

(50) Policy Document templates are available to use and can be found here.

(51) Policy Authors and Policy Reviewers must continue to consult with key stakeholders during the drafting phase to arrive at a final draft document that is fit for purpose.

(52) The Policy Owner must endorse a final draft before it can proceed to the Policy and Delegations Officer for Quality Review. 

Quality Review

Preliminary Quality Review

(53) The Preliminary Quality Review is conducted by the Policy and Delegations Officer, and must be completed for:

1. new policy documents;
2. high and medium risk policy documents subject to major review; 
3. medium risk policies subject to minor review; and
4. major and minor amendments to medium or high risk policies.

(54) Policy documents submitted for approval without a Quality Review where it is required may be rejected from committee meeting agendas by Secretariat.

Final Quality Review

(55) A Final Quality Review may be conducted after the feedback period (see clause 57-65), and is required for:

1. new policy documents;
2. high and medium risk policies that have undergone a major review or major amendment;
3. medium risk policies that have undergone a minor review where significant changes emerge from the feedback provided.

(56) Table 2 outlines the purpose of Quality Reviews.

Table 2 –Quality Review Purpose

(57) The Preliminary Quality Review may result in recommendations:

1. to improve the document in consideration of the Policy Governance Principles and this Framework, including the Policy Style Guide;
2. for further consultation; or
3. for legal review.

(58) Recommendations made by the Policy and Delegations Officer that speak to the foundations of the document that remain unresolved following quality review but prior to approval will be reported to the relevant delegate to inform their decision.

Policy Document Feedback Period

(59) A Policy Document Feedback period must be established for:

1. new policy documents;
2. all policy documents that have undergone a major review; and
3. high or medium risk policies that have undergone a major amendment. 

(60) The Feedback Period involves the revised policy document being placed on the bulletin board for a feedback period of no less than 2 weeks. This period may be extended by the Policy and Delegations Officer without notice in the event no views have been recorded during this 2 week period.

(61) Policy documents must not be posted on the Policy Library bulletin board, or any other feedback mechanism, without:

1. endorsement from the Policy Owner;
2. being subject to a Preliminary Quality Review where changes have been drafted; and
3. communications being prepared by the Policy Reviewer or Policy Owner to invite feedback.

(62) Policy Reviewers are responsible for identifying all impacted stakeholders and undertaking timely and effective communication to invite them to provide feedback on the document. 

(63) Post feedback, the Policy Reviewer is responsible for reviewing all feedback received and drafting any required amendments to the document. 

(64) Feedback received must be given objective consideration as it may indicate further edits to the draft document are required. 

(65) The Policy Owner or the Policy Reviewer may exercise discretion in responding to feedback.

(66) Once all final edits to the document have been made to address relevant and appropriate feedback, the final draft document must be:

1. endorsed by the Policy Owner; and
2. submitted to the Policy and Delegations Officer. 

(67) Depending on the outcomes of the Preliminary Quality Review and changes made post feedback, the document may be subject to a Final Quality Review by the Policy and Delegations Officer.

Approval

(68) New versions of documents, including initial versions must be approved in accordance with the University's delegations of authority prior to their publication and implementation. (Please see Delegations Register).

(69) The Policy and Delegations Officer can provide support and assistance in identifying the appropriate approval pathway and approval authority for major reviews and new policy documents.

(70) Approval, except for administrative and editorial amendments, must be sought using one of the following cover sheets:

1. Delegate – Policy Cover Sheet, for delegate approval pathways; or
2. Committee – Policy Cover Sheet, for committee approval pathways.

(71) The completed cover sheet must be provided to policy@newcastle.edu.au in the first instance, who will facilitate approval.

Major Reviews and New Policy Documents

(72) To seek approval for a new policy document or major review of an existing policy document, the following must be undertaken by the Policy Owner, or the Policy Reviewer:

1. where the document has been drafted outside of the policy library workspace, the final draft version being submitted for approval must be provided to the Policy and Delegations Officer for transfer into the workspace to ensure version control;
2. completion of the Policy Document Checklist;
3. a drafted Committee – Policy Cover Sheet must be provided to the Policy and Delegations Officer for review. The Policy and Delegations Officer is responsible for adding any outstanding recommendations that need to be considered by the approving delegate to the cover paper and for ensuring resolutions are appropriate.

(73) The Committee – Policy Cover Sheet must include, at a minimum:

1. a draft resolution seeking specific approval from the authorised delegate of the policy document (using the policy document title) and approval of the next review date;
2. details of the need for the policy document where it is a new policy document;
3. a summary of the amendments being made, where it is a minor or major review, or major amendment;
4. details of consultation that has occurred (See Policy Consultation Appendix template);
5. the Implementation Plan (if required) (as an appendix); and
6. the final draft Policy, and the completed Policy Document Checklist as appendices.

(74) Draft resolutions provided on the cover paper for submission for approval must also be considerate of any related matter that may require approval to give effect to the policy. For example, where approval of a new policy document will result in the rescission or amendment of another policy, approval should be sought for the rescission or amendment at the same time.

(75) Where the publication of a new or revised policy will create a conflict with any delegation of authority, the request for approval for any change in delegation must be submitted with the paper to approve the policy.  

Policy Rescission

(76) Approval to rescind a policy document must be provided by an authorised delegate and is subject to a committee approval pathway.

(77) Where the rescission of a policy document will require associated changes in other policy documents or delegation schedules, the details of these should be outlined in the Committee – Policy Cover Sheet requesting approval of rescission, and the changes required should be detailed in an appendix.

(78) The drafted Committee – Policy Cover Sheet seeking approval to rescind a policy document must be provided to the Policy and Delegations Officer for review. 

(79) The policy document will not be rescinded from the Policy Library until such time as:

1. approval has been confirmed; and
2. amendments to associated policy documents have been approved, where required;
3. references to the rescinded policy document in the Delegations Schedules have been amended and approved.

Review Cycle and Next Review Date

(80) The review cycle for a policy document commences from the date of publication of the most recent approved version.

(81) The next policy review date must be determined in consultation with the Policy and Delegations Officer. The Policy Owner or their nominee may seek to align the review date with associated documents (such as overarching documents, contracts, or agreements) or with operational work plans. In all circumstances, review cycles must align with the requirements for the relevant review type and policy risk level.

(82) Completion of a major review replaces all other review requirements and resets the review cycle from the date of publication of the approved policy document.

(83) New policy documents will be assigned a 12-month review date to enable a Post Implementation Review to be conducted by the Policy and Delegations Officer. The subsequent review cycle will be confirmed in consultation with the Policy Owner or their nominee upon completion of the Post Implementation Review.

(84) If approval for the policy and any related matter cannot be achieved at the same time (i.e. needs to be approved by different delegates), the relevant policy will not be published until such time as the related matter is approved.

Implementation Plan

(85) An Implementation must be documented for:

1. new policy documents; or
2. policy documents that have undergone major review or major amendment.

(86) The Implementation Plan should identify what actions are required, and by whom, to successfully implement and comply with the policy. This may include, but is not limited to:

1. communications;
2. training;
3. changing, updating, or implementing resources and/or systems, including testing where appropriate;
4. changing practices and review of these to ensure compliance.

Publication

(87) The Policy and Delegations Officer will publish approved policy documents upon receipt of the confirmation of approval from the relevant delegate and in accordance with any conditions associated with the approval. Confirmation of approval must be sourced from the Secretariat where the committee approval pathway has been applied.

(88) Publication of draft policy documents without confirmation of approval may be delayed until such evidence can be sourced or provided.

(89) The University Secretary may authorise publication of a policy document without confirmation where:

1. the approval pathway is via a Committee; and
2. the provision of the confirmation may be delayed but immediate publication is operationally necessary.

(90) The effective date of the policy document will be the date of publication, or a later date. Backdating of policy documents is prohibited.

(91) The policy review date will be established as per the approval.

Implementation

(92) Implementation is a critical stage of the policy lifecycle, ensuring that approved policy documents are operationalised and embedded within the University.

(93) Once published, the Policy and Delegations Officer:

1. will notify the Policy Author, Policy Owner, and Responsible Executive of the publication; 
2. notify the key stakeholders that the document is now in effect and must be complied with; and
3. schedule a 12-month Post Implementation Review if the policy document is new.

(94) The Policy Owner is responsible for ensuring that the revised or new policy document is effectively operationalised.

(95) Please also see Table 4 (Post Implementation Review).

Section 4 - Policy Lifecycle: Maintaining Published Policy Documents

(96) This section outlines the ongoing maintenance stage of the policy lifecycle, ensuring policy documents remain current, accurate and effective following publication.

(97) The Policy Owner is responsible for ensuring the content of a published policy document remains current and up to date to ensure its continued integrity and validity.  This includes, but is not limited to:

1. seeking amendments where:
2. regulatory changes occur;
3. operational changes or improvements are introduced; 
4. roles and responsibilities change; or
5. new risks emerge; and
6. ensuring policy reviews are completed on time and when due.

(98) Whilst undertaking projects to improve systems and processes Policy Owners must ensure that concurrent efforts are undertaken to maintain the currency of related policy documents.

Issues Register

(99) The Issues Register supports the ongoing maintenance stage of the policy lifecycle.

(100) Policy Owners are responsible for maintaining a Policy Issues Register for each policy document that they are assigned to, to record any issues identified with the policy. The Policy Issues Register must be reviewed to inform any future policy review or amendments.

Policy Reviews 

Types of Policy Document Review

(101) Review types are based on the level of risk a policy presents to the University. This risk level refers to the level of impact on the University if the policy is incorrect, unclear, outdated, or not complied with. A formal risk assessment is not required.

(102) Table 3 explains the policy risk levels.

Table 3 – Policy Risk Levels

(103) The policy risk level is established by the Policy Owner, or their nominee, in consultation with the Policy and Delegations Officer. In the event the Policy Owner and Policy and Delegations Officer fail to reach consensus on the policy risk level, the Senior Compliance Manager will determine the risk level.

(104) The following types of review may be undertaken for approved policy documents:

Table 4 – Policy Document Review Types

Policy Amendments

(105) Policy amendments form part of the ongoing policy lifecycle and ensure policy documents remain current between scheduled reviews.

(106) All proposed amendments to a policy document must be classified as either:

1. a policy review; or
2. an out-of-cycle amendment.

(107) Where amendments are proposed within 6 months of the policy document review date, the Policy and Delegations Officer must determine whether the changes should instead be undertaken as a policy review, having regard to the extent, impact, and risk of the changes.

Table 5 – Policy Amendment Types

Policy Amendment Requirements

(108) All proposed amendments to policy documents are subject to review by the Policy and Delegations Officer prior to being submitted for approval.

(109) Where there is uncertainty regarding the classification of an amendment, the Policy and Delegations Officer will determine the appropriate amendment type in consultation with the Senior Compliance Manager.

Amendments and Review Cycle

(110) The review cycle is a key mechanism within the policy lifecycle.

(111) The completion of a policy review resets the review cycle from the date of publication of the updated document.

(112) Where a policy document amendment meets the requirements of a defined review type, the amendment may be recognised as that review type, having regard to the policy’s risk level. In such circumstances, the review cycle will be reset in accordance with the requirements of that review type, from the date of publication of the updated document.

(113) The determination of whether the requirements of a review type have been met through policy amendment must be confirmed by the Policy and Delegations Officer and the next review date approved by the authorised delegate.

Policy Amendment Pathway

(114) All requests for policy amendments must be sent to policy@newcastle.edu.au, including details of any consultation required and undertaken.

(115) Requests made by staff other than the Policy Owner will be directed to the Policy Owner, or their nominee, for endorsement.

(116) Where the proposed amendments do not align with the amendment type proposed (and subsequent consultation and approval pathways), the Policy and Delegations Officer may advise the Policy Owner of alternate consultation or approval requirements.

(117) Published minor amendments:

1. to operational policy documents will be reported to the Executive Leadership Team by the Policy and Delegations Officer;
2. to academic policy documents will be reported to Academic Senate by the President Academic Senate.

(118) Details of amendments will be recorded in the policy document status and details page in the policy library.

(119) Editorial amendments will not produce an updated version of the document in the policy library. All other types of amendments must produce a new version of the document.

Quality Scans

(120) Quality scans support the maintenance stage of the policy lifecycle.

(121) The Policy and Delegations Officer may undertake periodic quality scans of published policy documents to identify minor issues, including formatting inconsistencies, broken links, outdated references, grammar or readability concerns, or administrative inaccuracies.

(122) Where issues identified through a quality scan meet the definition of an editorial or administrative amendment, the Policy and Delegations Officer may initiate amendments in accordance with this Framework and must seek endorsement from the Policy Owner or their nominee prior to seeking approval.

(123) Quality scans are not a substitute for policy review and do not assess the effectiveness or fitness for purpose of a policy document.

Published Policy Document Feedback

(124) Feedback on published policy documents can be submitted at any time by accessing the relevant policy document in the Policy Library and then selecting the “feedback” option.

(125) Feedback submitted will be emailed to the Policy and Delegations Officer, who will forward the feedback the Policy Owner for consideration.

Section 5 - Exception Handling

Deferral of Policy Review

(126) A Policy Owner may seek approval from the General Counsel and Chief Governance Officer to defer a review, under exceptional circumstances. A policy review deferral may only occur once within a 5 year period post a major or minor review, and may only defer the review date for 12 months. Exceptional circumstances include:

1. legislation associated with the document is currently under review and evidence confirms that legislative change is likely to occur within the next 12-month period;
2. a major organisational restructure is about to, or is occurring and it is anticipated that this will impact on the policy document;
3. resourcing for the review is subject to critical operational pressures (such as emergency response, critical incidents) and resources must be legitimately redirected to these high priority tasks.

(127) Once a policy review deferral has been approved the Policy and Delegations Officer will amend the policy document review date, in accordance with the approval. 

Policy Review Type Consensus

(128) In the event the Policy Owner and Policy and Delegations Officer fail to reach consensus on the type of policy review that must be conducted, the General Counsel and Chief Governance Officer will determine the review type.

Overdue Policy Reviews

(129) All policy reviews not completed 6 months after the policy document review date, will be reported regularly to the Executive Leadership Team by the Policy and Delegations Officer until such time as the review is completed.

Waiving of Consultation Requirements

(130) Waiving of consultation requirements may be approved by:

1. the General Counsel and Chief Governance Officer or Vice-Chancellor for operational or Council owned policy documents; or 
2. the President Academic Senate for academic and research policy documents. 

(131) Any such approval must be provided to the Policy and Delegations Officer.

Section 6 - Associated Information

(132) Examples of when a policy document may be required

(133) Policy Risk and Opportunity Assessment Tool

(134) Policy Consultation Guide

(135) Policy Consultation Appendix Template

(136) Policy Document Checklist

(137) Policy Document Quality Review

(138) Policy Template

(139) Procedure Template

(140) Policy Style Guide

(141) Issues Register Template

(142) Policy Document Lifecycle Requirements

(143) Implementation Plan Template

(144) Flow Chart – New Policy Document

(145) Flow Chart – Policy Reviews

(146) Policy Document – Committee Cover Sheet

(147) Policy Document – Delegate Approval Cover Sheet