6.6. Procedures

In order to provide guidance to officers and members on the functioning of the Club a series of procedures should be developed. Procedures may also be produced to explain how the Club will implement a SLSA or SLSQ policy or procedure. All officers should be aware of and comply with Club procedures.

What is a Procedure?

Procedures are action oriented. They outline steps to take, and the order in which they need to be taken. They’re often instructional, and they may be used in training and orientation. Well-written procedures are typically solid, precise, factual, short, and to the point.

How do you write a Procedure?

Step One: Align to Club Process
Not all processes of a club need to be documented, the club can select the core processes for which procedures shall be written to ensure consistent and high-quality delivery to the members. Once a list of procedures that need to be defined is decided, the first thing is to understand the limits of each procedure. The procedure should clearly define the scope of the procedure to ensure there is no ambiguity in the minds of the reader on the areas which are covered/not covered by the procedure.

Step Two: Gather Information
Before you start writing, gather detailed information on the process you’re making into a procedure.

Talk with content experts as well as others who hold key information – long-time members/ officers, staff, and people who will use the procedure.

• Why is this procedure important? – Define the purpose of the procedure
• Who is involved? – Define the person/s responsible
• What is the equipment/materials? -List of required material
• Where do the activities take place? – Specified sections for the activities
• When do the activities happen? – What are the pre-requisites for the procedure?
• How do activities take place? – All tasks/methods involved in a procedure

Step Three: Create a Standard Structure for Procedures
A standard document structure can be developed by the club which will serve as a procedure template. This document is ideally built with the club’s brand guidelines in mind. A typical procedure template will include:

• Scope & Purpose
• Definitions
• Responsibilities
• Procedure
• References (Checklists, templates, forms etc.)
• Version History (author, approvals, date, versions etc.)
  

Step Four: Assess Design Elements
You may find that words alone aren’t enough to explain the procedure. Sometimes other elements can help your presentation. Here are some common formats:

• Flowchart – This shows a process as a diagram. Using a series of symbols and arrows to indicate flow and action, you can outline a process and make it easy to follow. Be sure you don’t complicate your chart with too many unfamiliar symbols or too much text. If you need to, break it into a series of smaller flowcharts.
• Question and answer (FAQ)– Match common procedural questions with their correct answers. This is a useful format when procedures are confusing or when there are lots of variations. It also helps address “what if” issues.
  

Step Five: Document the Procedure, Review and Approve
Once all the information is gathered and you understand the scope and purpose of the procedure, it is time to write the procedure. Ideally, a Subject matter expert should write a procedure.
The procedure should include all the necessary steps required but at the same time should not be voluminous. It should have just enough details for the members to understand. The procedure should be written without using jargons. It is necessary that the procedures are not complicated and any reader is able to understand the steps easily.
After a draft is written, it should be reviewed by management committee. Once reviewed and all review comments are incorporated, the Management Committee are to endorse and approve the procedure before it is published for use in the club.
Here are some good rules to follow:

• Write actions out in the order in which they happen. Start with the first action, and end with the last action.
• Avoid too many words. Just be specific enough to communicate clearly.
• Use the active voice. Example: “Place the file in the administrator’s inbox” rather than “The file should then be placed in the administrator’s inbox.”
• Use lists and bullets.
• Don’t be too brief, or you may give up clarity.
• Explain your assumptions, and make sure your assumptions are valid.
• Use jargon and slang carefully.
• Write at an appropriate reading level.
  

Step Six: Communicate and provide training
The last and the final step is to communicate the approved procedure to all the relevant members/ staff. Training may be provided to make sure that the members/staff understand the procedure and implement the activities in the procedure. Changes to the procedure should also be communicated whenever these are done.

Examples of Procedures Clubs could adopt:

Procedure – Use of Members Area
Procedure – Commitment of Funds, External Agreements and Contracts
Procedure – Receipt of Funds
Procedure – Budgets
Procedure – Risk Assessment
Procedure – Website and Web-based Communication
Procedure – Media and Key Stakeholders
Procedure – Grievance Flow Chart
Procedure – Communications Protocol
Procedure – Use of Bunk Rooms
Procedure – Non-standard Activities
Procedure – Disciplinary Action Flow Chart
Procedure – Guidelines for Club Expenditure
Procedure – Storage of Personal Watercraft
Procedure – Blue Card process for Eligible Members
Procedure – Club Security
Procedure – Membership Approval Process
Procedure – Grant Application Process
Procedure – Authorisation of Payments
Procedure – Water Safety
Procedure – Monthly Reports
Procedure – Bill Approval
Procedure – Personal Swimwear Approval
Procedure – Junior Team Selection
Procedure – Petty Cash
Procedure – Post Incident Follow Up
Procedure – Debrief Procedure for Critical Incident