NP10 - Design and Development Guidelines

Purpose

To ensure that the design and development activities for the Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations are carried out and verified for adequacy and that design changes are identified and controlled effectively.

Policy

All Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations shall be designed, developed and released with the approval of the responsible officer in accordance with the Document Control Policy.

Identifying Needs for Guidelines

Guidelines are based on recommendations from the National Aquatic Industry Committee. The National Aquatic Industry Committee is responsible for identifying the supporting resources that they would like developed and RLSSA maintain a Supporting Resource List.

From the Supporting Resource List, RLSSA design, develop and review resources as per the following processes.

Development Plan

When a new guideline is to be developed by RLSSA for and on behalf of industry, the responsible officer or nominated project manager shall review the design request and develop a Guideline Development Plan.

The nominee shall complete the Guideline Development Plan in consultation with the responsible officer to ensure organisational requirements are met.

Where ambiguities in information exist, or conflicting requirements require resolution, the nominated Project Manager shall be responsible for obtaining agreement and approval from all relevant parties.

The Guideline Development Plan shall include the following:

• The purpose and focus of guideline
• Identify scope and breadth of the guideline
• Identify target group and their characteristics
• Identify any legislative and regulatory requirements of the guideline
• Access other relevant sources of information
• Identify environmental, operational guideline requirements and safety considerations
• Industry consultation mechanisms
• Identify budget, resources and timing

The Guideline Development Plan shall be subject to review by the nominated Project Manager, budget requirements, priorities and resources and approved/rejected/postponed and signed by the responsible officer.

Guideline Structure

The design process is the first step in developing a guideline. It identifies the all the important items which the guideline must contain and at the end of the process produces a guideline outline

Regardless of whom the Project Manager is the design of a guideline shall be a collaborative process with industry consultation.

The final design of the guideline shall be approved by the responsible officer prior to being developed.

The structure for RLSSA guidelines is as follows:

• Guidelines Number
• Guidelines Name
• Issued Date
• Effective as of Date
• Purpose
• Description and Content
• Sub Headings
• References
• Forms / Templates

Guideline Development

The development and improvement of all guidelines (and supporting resources) shall be consistent with this Policy and the RLSSA Branding Guidelines.

The development or improvement of any part of a guideline shall be approved by the responsible officer prior to implementation.

The guideline development outcome will vary depending on the guideline context however the following process shall be used:

• Collect information, resources and materials
• Determine the content
• Sequence the content
• Develop the guideline
• Arrange for an initial guideline review

Initial Guideline Review

The project manager shall arrange for an initial review of the guideline in consultation with relevant stakeholders.

The project manager shall prepare a written brief for the initial review activity. This brief may contain:

• The components requiring verification and the personnel required to undertake the review
• The time scales involved
• The approvals required to proceed
• Design reviews
• External Guideline grammar and spelling check
• Evaluation of significant differences between the current and proposed guideline
• An acceptable review
• A review with comment
• A review identifying an unacceptable condition

For long-term developments (in excess of three months) the project manager shall prepare a work program, including key dates, for the review process and ensure that personnel required to assist the activity will be available when needed.

The review process shall involve a check on each guideline document to ensure the development aspects are met and for content accuracy. The guideline shall also be verified by one or more of the following techniques:

In all cases the personnel undertaking the above tasks shall have the necessary experience to verify that guideline activities including content are satisfactory.

All design verification activities shall indicate on the applicable documents either:

Upon completion of the review activities required by the brief, the Project Manager shall present a final report and presentation of the guideline to the National Manager – Operations for temporary endorsement.

Changes During Guideline Design and Development

The following clauses may only be applicable to changes in the guideline, which become apparent after the guideline has been approved.

Personnel detecting a need for a change/review of the guidelines during their normal work shall inform responsible officer. The responsible officer shall determine whether design change activities are required.

The level of control required shall be determined by the project officer and handled as described in this procedure.

When a design change is actioned by the Project Manager, all changes shall be documented and receive the same checking and approval as the original documents.

Where problems may be caused as a result of a design change, the Project Manager shall determine the necessary action based on available options prior to initiating action for the change.

Where approval is required, this shall be obtained by forwarding all relevant documentation to responsible officer. All guideline changes requests and verification activities shall be submitted in writing to the responsible officer for approval.

On approval by the responsible officer, a new Development Plan may be required to be initiated. All guideline outline, review, verification and change activities shall be repeated in accordance with the foregoing procedures.

Guideline Release

On completion of all design and development activity, the Project Manager shall forward all documentation to the responsible officer for final endorsement and verifying production, release and implementation.

Guideline Development Review

The Guideline Development Plan shall include the extent of review to be carried out at each phase of guideline development and nominate the proposed participants for each review.  Records of review shall be indicated by signatures in the Guideline Development Plan, or on the documents under review.

Participants at each design review shall be drawn from the functional/departmental groups nominated in the approved Guideline Development Plan.

The review should aim to identify and anticipate design improvements and problem areas and initiate action to resolve any potential or actual problems.

The guideline reviewers shall be selected on the basis of being knowledgeable in regard to their area of responsibility and the items under review.

Upon completion of the review activities, the Project Manager shall present the guideline and all supporting documentation to responsible officer for verification.

Endorsement of Guidelines

Endorsement signifies the sanction of a guideline/s by the National Aquatic Industry Committee on behalf of the Australian Aquatic Industry who will have to support its enactment. Endorsement also implies a supportive and iterative evaluation during the development or review of a guideline.

Endorsement is obtained by consensus by the National Aquatic Industry Committee ensuring that the needs of the industry have been met prior to endorsement.

Guideline Validation

RLSSA is committed to the undertaking of guideline validation processes to ensure guideline delivery methods, tools, resources and procedures remain valid, reliable and fair, and continue to meet the requirements of the relevant training package, industry, learners and the organisation.

The responsible officer shall ensure that all guidelines used by RLSSA undergo validation every 10 years as a minimum, or as directed by the Chief Executive Officer.

A Validation Panel shall be established by the responsible officer for each guideline and will include at least one person with relevant industry background. Validation Panel members shall come to validation meetings prepared, having formulated their own feedback regarding the guideline and processes.

Evidence of validation shall be recorded and shall include Validation Panel meeting minutes and the completion of the Guideline Validation Checklist. Meeting minutes shall be endorsed by the responsible officer and distributed to the panel members

The Guideline Amendment Register shall be used to record any Minor Amendments made to the guidelines as described in the Document Management Policy.

Should the Validation Panel recommend any Major Amendments, those Amendments must be endorsed by the National Aquatic Industry Committee.

Feedback

Individuals who identify areas for improvement in regard to guidelines are required to submit an Improvement Request form in accordance with the Continual Improvement procedure.

Implementation of Changes

The responsible officer is responsible for the implementation of all amended guidelines. This shall occur by communicating the changes to all relevant personnel, distributing the new/amended guidelines and providing a document summarising the changes.

Reference

• RLSSA Guideline Development Plan
• RLSSA Validation Checklist