Updating or adding new content to the Practice Centre

Updating previous Practice Centre content

We’re rewriting the content from the previous Practice Centre so it’s shorter and easier to understand before we move it over to the new part of the website.

Previous Practice Centre section

• When updating guidance from the previous Practice Centre, the Practice Centre working group asks subject matter experts (SMEs) from the appropriate business lines to provide expertise and strengthen it in line with the practice approach.
• The Practice Police team updates policies from the previous Practice Centre, with help from SMEs and the Practice Centre working group.
• Sometimes a project team leader or SME initiates contact with the Practice Centre working group to ask them to update existing policy or guidance.
• The people involved (for example, the initiator, practice policy advisor, practice advisor, SME and/or content designer) scope the work and plan the approach. This includes identifying what’s missing or out of date, incorporating key perspectives (other SMEs or legal advice may be required), and making sure that changes to law are reflected in policy, changes to policy are reflected in guidance and that guidance is in line with policy and the law.
• The content designer, practice advisor or operational policy advisor drafts the content and consults with relevant people, including the SME and the Practice Centre working group, incorporating feedback where they can.
• If they can’t resolve an issue, they work with the people who gave feedback.
• The content designer, practice advisor or practice policy advisor ensures the content receives the appropriate quality assurance check. The sign-off process will be identified at the same time.
• Once published, the content designer adds the document to the ‘Updates’ section on the Practice Centre, and informs the teams in charge of our internal channels.

Email the Practice Centre with any questions about content on the previous Practice Centre.

Email: practice_centre@ot.govt.nz

New content or significant updates

Sometimes a person identifies the need for new content, or significant updates to existing content that will result in a change in practice.

In these cases, a similar process is followed to updating existing content, except the person who identified the need is responsible for:

• commissioning the work through the Quality Practice and Experiences group
• highlighting and considering the changes and possible implication to practice across business lines – the QPE practice forums should be used early to consult on these matters
• presenting final policy or guidance content to the QPE Quality Assurance Checkpoint for endorsement
• following their own internal process for their deputy chief executive (DCE) or senior responsibile officer (SRO) to sign off before the content is sent to the General Manager Practice for approval to publish on the Practice Centre (internal sign-off usually involves sending a memo to their DCE or delegate along with the final version of the content)
• carrying out the communications and implementation plan specific to that piece of work.

Approval process for updated or new content

The General Manager Practice signs off minor amendments. Minor amendments involve strengthening practice and optimising the content for the web (for example, headings, bullets, plain language, active sentences).

Sign-off for significant change or new content is made by the Deputy Chief Executive Quality Practice and Experiences.

Small changes and updates

Anyone who notices broken links, typos or unclear wording should email the Practice Centre. These changes can usually be made straightaway and don’t require approval.

Email: practice_centre@ot.govt.nz

Regular reviews

All content on the Practice Centre comes up for review automatically – at least every 12 months.

The content designers check the content and talk with the subject matter experts.

The review may result in no change to the content, or content may need to be updated, added or removed.

Practice Centre working group members

The working group has representatives from the Quality Practice and Experiences group (practice and policy implications) and the Communications team (content design and web standards).