Supporting those who take care of the rest of us
Mission
Accreditation Docs offers document support and coordination for APWA accreditation and related work.
What is APWA Accreditation?
Learn about the APWA's accreditation program and benefits from APWA.org.
Why Does Documentation Matter?
A single, approved version of information ensures that everyone involved operates from the same understanding. This could be a regulation, a plan, an SOP, an SOW, or meeting minutes. For APWA accreditation, documentation provides your methods and standards to the assessor for the site visit near the end of the accreditation journey. APWA accreditation expects documentation to be clear, current, and accessible to everyone who needs it.
Documentation is a form of communication that needs to be managed for it to remain relevant and current. Without documentation as a practice (a normal part of the work week), misunderstandings and conflicting versions cause delays, rework, and sometimes more serious incidents.
The accreditation journey involves change management. The process of instilling documentation as a practice is an example of change management in itself, just as the documentation becomes a tool for other change management in the accreditation journey.
Philosophy
Quality
Quality documentation:
- brings clarity,
- identifies problems,
- reveals assumptions, and
- aids in succession planning.
Characteristics
To realize these benefits, documentation should be:
- clear,
- concise,
- correct,
- complete, and
- compliant.
Accessibility
Documentation should also be accessible in order to be useful. Organizing documents:
- saves time,
- reduces hassle, and
- reduces version control problems.
Document Services
APWA accreditation requires documentation. If you don't have the time and energy to spend on documentation, Accreditation Docs is here to create, update, review, and organize processes, procedures, forms, and other paperwork while tracking and coordinating progress toward your goal.
Documentation gets organized during the self-assessment and improvement phases of APWA accreditation. Some documents need to be updated, some need to be completed, some need to be created, and some need to be compared to others for compliance and consistency. Documentation also needs to be organized and accessible to those who need it, which can involve creating document libraries and adjusting file permissions for security.
Documentation Assessment
Every engagement begins with an assessment of your existing documentation. A quick assessment looks at the files you have, their dates last edited, and any filenames that may be duplicates or seem to overlap. The more comprehensive assessment reviews the documents' content and quality while identifying other missing material. This assessment is the starting point for everything that follows.
Gap Analysis
During the assessment, Accreditation Docs identifies gaps in material and provides a summary for the agency's accreditation manager to prioritize.
Policies to Plans to Processes to Procedures
There is a cascade effect when it comes to "the four P's." When done in this order, there is less rework due to a better understanding among all involved. This work also checks whether the procedures still match the policies. Consistency across documents is part of compliance.
Improvements and Recommendations
The self-assessment process will reveal areas for improvement. Accreditation fosters an environment of ongoing improvement. Accreditation Docs can help build toward this.
Project Coordination
Far more than a list of tasks, this effort needs an accreditation manager who in turn needs support. Accreditation Docs takes on the role of "right-hand man" (or woman) for the agency's accreditation manager, providing status updates, conducting meetings, and coordinating document updates.
The Work
The APWA provides resources for accreditation, but you still need the extra hands until updating documents and records becomes routine. Accreditation Docs does much of the legwork and coordination while your team keeps up with daily operations and builds documentation into its regular practices.
What can Accreditation Docs do for you?
- Assess existing documentation
- Gather information
- Coordinate meetings
- Create, complete, and update documents
- Organize documentation
NAICS Codes
- 541611: Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- 541618: Other Management Consulting Services
- 541990: All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Contact
Liam Hickey, Documentation Consultant
312-767-6824
liam.hickey@accreditationdocs.com