IOSHQ Document Control Policy
The IOSHQ Document Control Policy establishes principles for approving, identifying, reviewing, revising and maintaining official institutional documents so authorized users can identify and use appropriate current versions.
Purpose of the IOSHQ Document Control Policy
Document control supports consistency, traceability and institutional accountability. Official documents should be identifiable, appropriately authorized and maintained in a manner that reduces unintended use of obsolete or unauthorized versions.
This policy provides a framework for controlled institutional documents, including policies, procedures, standards, forms and other documents designated for formal control.
Document Control Lifecycle
Controlled documents should move through an appropriate lifecycle from initial preparation through authorization, publication, review and eventual replacement or withdrawal.
Prepare
Develop the document for its defined institutional purpose and intended users.
Approve
Obtain appropriate authorization before a controlled document becomes effective.
Maintain
Keep the authorized version identifiable, accessible and subject to appropriate review.
Revise
Control changes and replace or withdraw superseded versions when updates are approved.
Documents Subject to Formal Control
The level of document control should reflect the purpose and significance of the information. Documents used to establish institutional requirements or direct important processes may require formal control.
Policies
Institutional policies defining requirements, principles, responsibilities or governance expectations.
Procedures & Standards
Approved documents establishing methods, processes, academic requirements or quality expectations.
Forms & Templates
Official forms or templates may be controlled where consistent format or approved content is important.
Document Identification and Version Control
Where appropriate, controlled documents should contain sufficient information to distinguish the authorized version from earlier or draft versions. Relevant controls may include a document title, identifier, revision or version information, approval status, effective date or other suitable control information.
The specific controls used may vary according to the document type and the system through which it is maintained.
Changes to Controlled Documents
Material changes to a controlled document should be reviewed and authorized through an appropriate process before the revised version is treated as current. Changes should not unintentionally remove necessary institutional, academic or quality requirements.
When a new version becomes effective, reasonable measures should be taken to reduce unintended reliance on superseded copies.
Access to Current Documents
Authorized users should be able to locate the appropriate current version of documents required for their responsibilities. Public policies should be published through the appropriate IOSHQ website location when public access is intended.
Internal or restricted documents may be subject to access controls and should not be treated as public merely because they form part of the institutional document system.
Obsolete and Historical Versions
Superseded documents should be removed from active use or clearly identified where they must be retained for historical, audit, legal, academic or other legitimate recordkeeping purposes.
Historical copies retained as records should be managed according to applicable IOSHQ records-management and retention requirements.
IOSHQ Document Control Policy FAQ
It establishes principles for approving, identifying, maintaining, reviewing and revising controlled institutional documents.
A controlled document is an institutional document subject to defined authorization and version-management requirements because its content establishes or supports an official requirement or process.
The revised document should undergo appropriate review and authorization before becoming the current version, with superseded versions removed from active use or identified appropriately.
Not necessarily. A superseded document may need to be retained as a historical record where an academic, audit, legal, operational or other legitimate requirement applies.
Access IOSHQ Institutional Policies
Use the IOSHQ Policies directory to locate published institutional policies and related governance information.