Policy content on your site may just be for users to browse, or you may have asked them to read & accept these, or a mix of the two has been implemented.
Regardless of how the application is being used, over time, policy content can become outdated and needs updating.
When this situation arises, it's recommended to create a new version of the policy and apply the new changes.
This ensures any previous acceptance (if it was sent to users to read & accept) is retained, as well as keeping the previous version accessible in an archived state as a record.
How to create a new version of a Policy
There are two stages in creating a new policy version and making it available to users.
Only users with Edit Policy permission can create a new version for it.
1. Edit policy & save in Draft status
- Open the policy you wish to create a new version of and click Create New Version.
- Make the changes that you need to the policy properties, content or permissions.
- Once ready, make sure you're in the Summary tab and click Submit to save the content as a draft.
2. Edit policy, check permissions & set to Distribution
The new policy version will be created, with the previous now listed as Archived.
- Click Edit Properties to edit the policy once more.
- Make final checks that all content has been updated as needed for the new version and that any permissions changes have also been applied.
Please note: If users must read & accept the new version of the policy, ensure they're assigned the Target Distribution permission.
- When ready, in the Summary tab, change the status to Distribution and click Submit.
- The system will ask if you wish to send a notification to users who are in the Target Distribution.
If the policy is read-only (i.e., acknowledgement not required), select Do not send notification.
Otherwise, send the notification, and users will receive this based on their notification preferences, prompting them to read & accept the new version.
Management over time
Policy editors can identify which policies need a new version over time by using the following controls.
- Manage Policies area
From the front-end of Policy Manager, users can view, edit, create new versions, delete, and manage all policies for which they have permission.
- Set a review date on all policies
The Review date field, set for each policy when it is created or edited, helps with overall policy maintenance and updates.
A notification will fire 15 days before the entered date and will be received by users with the Edit Policy permission so they can action this (e.g. check the policy content, create a new version and/or set a new review date).
