Colleagues,
In recognition of the University’s commitment to agile governance, adaptive frameworks, and the sustainable management of legacy documentation, we are pleased to introduce the Policy for Retiring Policies (PRP).
This policy establishes a clear and consistent approach to the retirement of policies that are no longer fully aligned with current institutional priorities, while ensuring continuity through the anticipation of their eventual replacement.
1. Purpose
The PRP provides guidance on:
- Identifying policies suitable for retirement
- Managing the transition from active to retired policy status
- Maintaining operational continuity in the absence of a confirmed replacement policy
This ensures that all policies are either:
- Active,
- Retired, or
- Pending retirement pending replacement
No policy will be considered simply “no longer used,” as this category is not currently recognised.
2. Definitions
- Active Policy (AP): A policy currently in force
- Retired Policy (RP): A policy formally decommissioned following due process
- Pending Replacement Policy (PRP): A policy identified for retirement, contingent on the future development of a replacement policy
- Interim Interpretive Framework (IIF): A temporary set of guiding assumptions used in the absence of an active or replacement policy
3. Criteria for Policy Retirement
A policy may be considered for retirement if it is:
- No longer reflective of current practice
- Superseded in principle but not in documentation
- Operationally ambiguous
- Excessively clear in ways that limit interpretive flexibility
All retirement proposals must be supported by a Policy Retirement Justification Statement (PRJS).
4. Retirement Process
- Required immediately
- Required eventually
- Conceptually desirable but operationally deferrable
Step 4: If a replacement policy is not yet available, the policy is designated as Pending Replacement (PRP)
5. Status: Pending Replacement
Policies in PRP status:
- Remain notionally in effect
- May be selectively applied, interpreted, or referenced
- Should not be relied upon as definitive guidance
- Must be acknowledged as transitional in all formal use
Staff are encouraged to exercise informed discretion, supported by local interpretive practices and retrospective alignment.
6. Replacement Policy Development
Replacement policies will be developed:
- When sufficient clarity emerges
- When operational need becomes unavoidable
- When prompted by audit, incident, or sustained confusion
Until such time, the existing policy remains in a state of provisional retirement readiness.
7. Communication and Documentation
All policies designated PRP will be:
- Clearly labelled as “Pending Replacement”
- Accompanied by a disclaimer noting their transitional status
- Included in the Register of Policies in Anticipated Transition (RPAT)
Staff accessing these policies will be prompted to confirm awareness of their provisional nature.
8. Monitoring and Review
The status of PRP-designated policies will be reviewed annually, or more frequently if:
- Circumstances change
- A replacement policy becomes available
- The absence of a replacement becomes unsustainable
9. Closing Remarks
The University recognises that policies, like the environments they govern, must evolve. The PRP ensures that this evolution occurs in a structured and transparent manner, even where the future state has not yet been fully defined.
Staff are reminded that the absence of a replacement policy should not be interpreted as an absence of guidance, but rather as an opportunity for context-sensitive decision-making within a formally recognised state of transition.
Attachment: Policy Retirement Flowchart (Version 0.9 – pending replacement)
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