| Title: | Operational Directives and Information Circulars | |||||
| Document ID: | Operational Directive OD 0001/06 | |||||
| Date of Issue: | Tuesday, 7 November 2006 | |||||
| Status: | Current | |||||
| File Number(s): | 87-01271 | |||||
| Description: | The current system for producing Operational Circulars has been reviewed in the context of existing employing authorities and delegations. It is proposed that this system be replaced by a new system of Operational Directives and Information Circulars. Compliance with Operational Directives will be mandatory. All existing Operational Circulars deemed to be current and active are to be reviewed by the responsible Division of the Department or Area Health Service and re-classified as either Operational Directives or Information Circulars. Operational Directives may only be issued by the Director General in the delegated capacity of employer, and have the standing of a written instruction to all staff of the relevant employing authority. In summary, key features of the distrubution system (work in progress) will include the following: Operational Directives and Information Circulars will be subject to an automated review mechanism. Improved search and browse facilities will make it quicker to retrieve current directives and circulars. Compulsary use of key words/terms from a Functional Groups list will assist in finding documents. Operational Circulars will no longer be issed. Previously issued circulars deemed to be active will be re-stored as either an Operational Directive or Information Circular and have the same document number. Retrieval of inactive circular numbers can still be undertaken from archives. Circulars deemed to be obsolete have been noted as such on the replaced Circular system; and The replaced Circular system can be viewed from the new web page for Operational Directives and Information Circulars via a link to the 'archived' section. | |||||
| Applicable to: | Whole of Health | |||||
| Category: | General Information | |||||
| Period of Effect: | from 7 November 2006 | |||||
| Authorised By: | Dr Neale Fong, Director General, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, 07-Nov-2006 | |||||
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| Subject Terms: | Information and Data • Governance and Service Delivery |
Operational Directives and Information CircularsThis document supersedes Operational Circular 1346/00. This Operational Directive is applicable to the Department of Health and all Area Health Services, agencies and entities responsible and/or accountable directly or indirectly to the undersigned. The current Operational Circular system has been considered in the context of existing employing authorities and delegations. It will be replaced by a new system of Operational Directives and Information Circulars. Compliance with Operational Directives is mandatory. All existing Operational Circulars deemed to be active are to be reviewed by the responsible Division of the Department or Health Service and where deemed necessary re-issued as either Operational Directives or Information Circulars. Operational Directives may only be issued by the Director General and have the standing of a written instruction to all staff of the relevant employing authority. ACCOUNTABILITY Area Health Service Chief Executives and Department Executive Directors are responsible for ensuring the effective dissemination of Operational Directives and Information Circulars and are directly responsible and accountable for ensuring the observance of Operational Directives. Operational Directives (OD) The determining factor as to whether a document is an Operational Directive is not its title (eg strategy, standard, policy etc), but whether it must be complied with. Documents of this nature will be notified to the WA public health system by way of Operational Directive. Operational Directives require the approval of and will be issued under the signature of the Director General, exercising authority over the Department of Health and authority delegated by the Minister for Health over the Metropolitan Health Services, WA Country Health Service and the Alcohol and Drug Authority. Examples of matters that will be advised by Operational Directive are:
Information Circulars (IC) Documents that provide advice or guidance will be issued to the WA public health system as Information Circulars. Information Circulars require the approval of Executive Directors or Directors when issued out of the Department and Chief Executives when issued out of an Area Health Service. Examples of matters that will be advised by Information Circular are:
The shift to a system of Operational Directives and Information Circulars is supported by policy and guidelines that can be accessed at http://intranet.health.wa.gov.au/circularsnew/index.cfm.
Dr Neale Fong |
This circular last updated: Tuesday, 7 November 2006 at 2:04pm