• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Scope
• Section 3 - Local Protocol Purpose and Function
• Section 4 - Structure, Composition and Format
• Section 5 - Approval
• Section 6 - Distribution and Communication
• Section 7 - Review and Amendment
• Section 8 - Recording Keeping
• Section 9 - Roles and Responsibilities
• Section 10 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This document provides guidance for the development, management, review and publishing of Local Protocols under the UOW Policy Framework.

Section 2 - Scope

(2) These Procedures apply to all UOW staff who have responsibility for the development, management, review and distribution of Local Protocols.

(3) These Procedures do not apply to any other level of document in the UOW Policy Hierarchy.

Section 3 - Local Protocol Purpose and Function

(4) Local Protocols are operational-level procedures or practices that apply within a particular academic unit or division.

(5) Local Protocols are subordinate to, and must be consistent with, all policy documents above them in the Policy Hierarchy.

(6) Local Protocols are enforceable:

1. to the extent of the specific directions which they provide; and/or
2. to the scope of the division/work unit/areas which they apply.

Section 4 - Structure, Composition and Format

(7) Local Protocols must:

1. be consistent with legislation, including regulations, by-laws or statutory rules, UOW Rules, Policies, Procedures and Guidelines;
2. support, and be consistent with UOW vision, mission and values;
3. be relevant, transparent in their intention and meaning, including clear direction when any directions are mandatory; and
4. clearly state the context/work unit to which they apply.

(8) The design, structure and format of Local Protocols is the responsibility of the Custodian, and should be suited to the context and audience, however, they must be:

1. written in plain English;
2. audience appropriate (ie the policy custodian should not assume a prior knowledge of the subject area by the reader); and
3. consistent with the Inclusive Language Guidelines.

Section 5 - Approval

(9) Local Protocols (including their creation and amendments) should be approved by a manager of appropriate seniority (the Approving Manager). This will vary according to the context, but should typically be at Director/Chief Officer/Head of Unit. The Governance and Policy Division can provide advice on a case-by-case basis.

Section 6 - Distribution and Communication

(10) Local Protocols must be clearly available to relevant/affected staff in an electronic format to ensure version control and currency. Appropriate locations include:

1. UOW intranet/ServiceNow; and
2. local servers (such as the S Drive or UOW Cloud files that have managed access).

(11) Affected staff must be informed of any relevant Local Protocols, including (but not limited to) as part of their induction. It is good practice to document training and referral to Local Protocols as part of individual staff record keeping.

(12) Affected staff must be informed of any new, amended or updated Local Protocols.

Section 7 - Review and Amendment

(13) Local Protocols should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure currency. As a minimum this should occur every five years.

(14) High risk/variable contexts may require more frequent review. Custodians should asses the risks using UOW Risk Framework to ascertain the risk level and review schedule.

(15) Local Protocols should be amended in response to changes in the internal and/or external environments.

(16) Staff must be informed of any amended or updated Local Protocols.

Section 8 - Recording Keeping

(17) A change log should be maintained at the end of the document.

(18) Archived versions should be kept by the custodian.

Section 9 - Roles and Responsibilities

(19) Local Protocols are not centrally managed or registered by the Governance and Policy Division.

(20) The Approving Manager is responsible for overseeing the management of documents, including identifying risk and document requirements, appointing custodians, and overseeing the administration and approval processes.

(21) The document custodian is responsible for authoring, version control, reviewing and amending the documents.

(22) The Governance and Policy Division is responsible for providing advice on document requirements, especially in regard to the appropriate classification on the Policy Hierarchy.

Section 10 - Definitions

(23) Definitions are contained in the Policy Management Policy.