DDailyWF

Documentation Policy

Set expectations for current, findable, owner-assigned documentation.

Purpose

Documentation work should prioritize findability, ownership, freshness, and the decisions needed during real work. A document that cannot be found under pressure is not operational documentation.

Policy shape

RuleState the expected behavior in direct language.
ReasonExplain the operating risk or obligation behind the rule.
OwnerName who maintains the policy and decides exceptions.
EvidenceDefine what proves the policy is being followed.
ReviewSet a review cadence and update trigger.

When to use

  • When the work repeats often enough that memory is no longer reliable.
  • When more than one person may request, perform, review, or inherit the work.
  • When risk, approval, evidence, or handoff needs to be visible later.

Common failure modes

  • Documents are current only at creation.
  • No owner is responsible for updates.
  • Procedures omit warnings and failure conditions.

Review guidance

Review this page after a material incident, after a role or system change, and on a normal cadence appropriate to its risk. During review, check whether the owner is still correct, whether inputs are still complete, whether the output is still useful, and whether related pages need updates.

External guidance

These resources are references for terminology, control thinking, or review design. DailyWF adapts the ideas into lightweight operating pages rather than reproducing full standards.