Good documentation is not a silver bullet to all your management requirements but it can play a significant part in supporting the success of your organisation.
We specialise in making sure your documents are clear, precise and, most importantly, fit their purpose
We can help you work out what you need, design your document framework, assist with the content and ‘make it look good’. The aim is to make sure your document responds to your requirements and engages your readers.
If the reader can’t understand your document, it won’t be useful to you or anyone else!
You can select varying parts of our Document Review and Development services to suit your needs
Cost:
- Prices for all our customised services are negotiated with you around the work required
- Indicative cost for documentation services is $100-$120/hour
Research and Planning
Research and planning before you begin writing your documents can save you time and effort. It can also increase the effectiveness of communications.
Highwire can help you to:
- Be clear about your organisational goals and objectives that will frame your information sharing
- Develop a framework for your documentation requirements
- Establish roles and responsibilities for both the process and individual pieces of work
- Ensure you know what you’re going to be writing about
- Identify and understand the audience level of knowledge and requirements
- Collect relevant information about a product or service and get in touch with subject experts to support your document development and design
- Assist you to understand and decide on the most suitable documentation options for your needs
We can work with you to develop a process for structuring, maintaining and updating your documentation.
Establishing a Document Framework and Design
Setting up a framework for your document ensures that it:
- Addresses all the requirements and critical criteria (for a tender or annual Report for example)
- Includes all the necessary information in an ordered structure
- Provides guidance about where to insert information during the writing stage (this is especially important if there are multiple contributors)
- Makes it easy to see if all the required information is ‘in the right place’.
It also provides a quick way to check that the document is ‘doing what you want it to do’, such as responding to tender requirements, strategic directions, government or organisational reporting, or customer feedback.
The design of a document:
- Assists with readability
- Reinforces key messages
- Promotes your organisation
Working with Content
We can support you to make sure the content in your document is appropriate – clear, precise and addressing all your requirements. For example, we can:
- Check the content against the brief and provide advice on gaps
- Undertake research to assist with additional content information
- Check content for accuracy and appropriate linkages
- Check if the document and meaning is clear and appropriate for your target audience
Editing and Proofreading
Our full editorial and proofreading service can be tailored to your needs – including for governance papers, plans, policies, reports, tenders and submissions. Some examples of tasks include:
- Reading and considering draft documents for feedback and advice
- Checking the document structure and adjusting text for clarity, readability, consistency and ‘sense’
- Checking and implementing consistency of terminology, punctuation and style
- Ensuring grammar and spelling accuracy
Often, the task seems overwhelming but we can help make sure your documents are accurate, read well, fulfill their purpose and look professional.
Using your logos, corporate colours and consistent
fonts will make your documentation look professional
and distinguish you from other organisations.
Maintenance and Updating
Documentation is one of those topics that elicits a groan whenever it’s mentioned. We all know we need to do it and should do it, but more urgent things often take priority.
Setting up an easy to implement process to keep track of your documents can take a weight off your shoulders. This is especially helpful with maintaining and updating policies and procedures.
Layout and Publication
If you want a document or report to look a little more professional, or to prepare it for publication, we can help you with a number of services, including:
- Setting up the layout with consistency of design across the whole document – including for the front and back covers, page layout, heading hierarchies and graphics
- Implementing and checking accuracy of heading styles, numbering, headers and footers, references, contents page and appendix
- Printing recommendations and quotes
Graphic Design
Good design can enhance your message and we offer professional graphic design services.
Web Design and Management
We have access to professional web designers and people who can help set up a new website or amend and maintain your current webpage. Click here to find out more.
Examples of How We Can Support You in Practice
Policies and Procedures
Some examples of how we can work with you to develop a system of writing and maintaining your policies and procedures so they provide accurate guidance, and respond to legislation and accreditation requirements include:
- Establish a system of ownership, naming conventions and version control
- Assist with writing conventions and language
- Analyse and review existing documents to ensure they are ‘doing their job’
- Write new policies and procedures on your behalf
- Develop a complete suite of governance, management and service delivery policies and procedures
- Match existing documents to accreditation requirements and identify gaps
Reports
For a report to be effective it must include meaningful information and be understood. For example, this is especially important with an Annual Report or a Report that is responding to funding requirements.
Ways we can assist and ensure your reports ‘hit the mark’ include:
- Conduct research
- Establish a frame of reference and report outline
- Check accuracy and relevance of information against requirements
- Write drafts and final copy
- Provide full editing assistance, including consistency of terminology and style
- Assist with design and layout, including heading hierarchies and automated contents page
- Provide graphic design services
We can also assist you to establish both internal and external reporting systems that provide an effective flow of information.
“I believe you have done a fantastic job of capturing what we actually
do. As you know it can be very hard to see through policy and
separate systems and how it is all brought together in such a short
time frame. Well done.”
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