The first public forum on the Policy Reform project was held last Friday. A big thank you to those who braved the smoke to come out!

At the forum we gave a short presentation on the project, outlining why we are doing this work, work done to date and what our next steps will be. We also discussed the results of our previous survey on potential policy frameworks and our creation of a draft principles-based policy framework for further development and consultation in response. The key features of this framework include:

• 9 thematic policy groups to make it easier to find what you need. We have leveraged some previous work in this space, though the number, names and contents of each group are subject to change based on feedback. Further detail on the groups will be available on our new Moodle site that will be established shortly.
• A summary document outlining the key principles for each of the groups. Supporting the principles would be guidelines that outline how specific functions are to be undertaken, and provide the standards and key roles and responsibilities for those functions.
• Clearer roles and responsibilities so you know what you, and others need to do and an improved review and compliance process to ensure our policies meet our needs. This process will be supported by policy champions across UNE who can help guide or suggest opportunities for continuous improvement.

The presentation was followed by a Q&A session where some interesting questions were asked and perspectives given. We have included some of these points below:

• The new policy framework will be open to the community, similarly to the current system. Only some associated documents, reflecting internal operations, might be restricted to staff.
• The new framework will, once complete, represent all of UNE’s policies. Existing policies will be incorporated into the new framework and will outline the standard agreed for various activities. Other associated documents may need to be re-drafted to align with the new standard or will have no further operation.
• We want to work across the University at all levels to clarify processes to ensure policies are relevant and monitored for compliance. This includes working with key policy champions to ensure policies meet the needs of their areas.
• Any current policies requiring updates in the meantime will go through the usual process. If you have questions about current policies, please email policies@une.edu.au.

We will shortly be setting up a Moodle site with additional information about the project, the outcomes of our previous survey and a forum for discussing the work going forward. Look out for future communication about this and other invitations to participate in consultation as we progress.

If you have any further information about the project or have any questions, please contact Ryan Young, Caitlin Rowe or Gabrielle Price on policies@une.edu.au.