Swinburne Policy Framework

Hierarchy of documents

All Swinburne policy documents are part of a structured hierarchy that governs University activities. The Governance Framework sets out the regulatory hierarchy and processes that ensure appropriate content, authority and consistency. 

A summary of the internal regulatory hierarchy is shown below:

Policies, regulations and statutes are university-wide instruments governing all administrative, operational and academic functions of the University. They must comply with all relevant legislation and are approved by appropriate delegated authority.

Procedures, guidelines and manuals are instructional documents that set out processes but do not impose obligations. They must be consistent with the statutes, regulations and policies that sit above them. They are approved by the relevant Senior Manager.

Work instructions are detailed instructional documents that set out processes at a localised unit level. They are approved and managed within each Management Unit.

Definition and management of documents

Document	Scope	Approver	Description
Statute	University-Wide	Council and then Minister	Makes provision for those matters relating to the university that imposes rights or confer obligation. Coordinated by Governance and Assurance. Created only where there is a justifiable need. Publicly available on this the university’s website.
Regulation	University-Wide	Council or Academic Senate or Vice-Chancellor	Makes provision for those matters relating to the university that imposes rights or confer obligation. Coordinated by Governance and Assurance. Created only where there is a justifiable need. Publicly available on this the university’s website.
Policy	University-Wide	Council or Academic Senate or Vice-Chancellor	High level principle-based documents that give guidance to decision making and administration. Coordinated by Governance and Assurance. Created only where there is a justifiable need. Publicly available on the university’s website.
Procedure	May apply across departments	Local level	Specific "how to" document that sets out processes and actions. Coordinated by the relevant Senior Manager. Created only where there is a justifiable need. Available via the management unit's website or wiki. Access may be restricted to staff only.
Guideline	May apply across departments	Local level	Offers detail and context to assist staff in making decisions. It informs good practice in how a task might be undertaken. Coordinated by the relevant Senior Manager. Created only where there is a justifiable need. Available via the management unit's website or wiki. Access may be restricted to staff only.
Manual	May apply across departments	Local level	A comprehensive operational document that may contain procedures and guidelines. Coordinated by the relevant Senior Manager. Created only where there is a justifiable need. Available via the Management Unit's website or wiki. Access may be restricted to staff only.
Work instruction	May apply across departments	Local level	Specific task description for a localised audience or team, often in support of a procedure. Coordinated by the relevant Manager. Format and location is guided by the operational need of the localised audience. Access is usually restricted to staff only.