Service 04 · Systems & documentation
Procedures, policies, templates, induction packs and the systems behind them - documented in plain language for your business, committee, trust, society or board. So the work carries on smoothly, whoever's away.
I sit down with the people who do the work, get what's in their heads onto paper and set it up where everyone can find it. No 200-page manual no one reads - just lean, repeatable systems that hold.
01What this covers
Six kinds of systems and documentation work, all done by me - and all sized to fit your organisation, not a corporate rulebook.
How the work actually gets done.
You end up withWork that runs the same way, whoever does it.
Written plainly, and actually followed.
You end up withOne current version of every policy, with a review date.
Done once, used many times.
You end up withNo more starting from a blank page.
New people, useful from day one.
You end up withKnowledge that stays when people move on.
Everything where you'd expect it to be.
You end up withRecords you can find in a minute, not an afternoon.
New tools, set up and explained.
You end up withSystems that don't depend on one person's memory.
Start with one folder, or hand over all six. Nothing is farmed out to a stranger, and nothing is left half-done.
02What it looks like in your organisation
The knowledge is in people's heads. The manual exists, but it's four years out of date and nobody is sure which version is current. The procedures are somewhere - in someone's email, or a shared drive nobody can navigate.
So the day fills with questions only one person can answer. It's not a reflection on the people. It's a reflection on the systems.
Situation 01
The job waits until they're back - or someone guesses and gets it half right.
The procedure is in the shared drive. Anyone can pick it up and do it the same way.
Situation 02
They shadow whoever has time, and learn a slightly different version from each person.
An induction pack and handbook walk them through it, so they're useful from week one.
Situation 03
The outgoing officer hands over a box of papers and a login that no longer works.
A handover pack, a governance calendar and a filing system the next person can follow.
Situation 04
Nobody's sure which version is current, or whether it was ever formally adopted.
One current version, adopted properly, with a review date on the calendar.
The shiftKnowledge in headsKnowledge on paper
03How it gets written
Every procedure, policy and handbook goes through the same five steps. Your part is mostly step one - I take it from there.
Listen
I talk it through with you and the people who actually do the job, and look at what already exists. No template dropped on top - the starting point is your organisation.
Map
Who does what, in what order and with which tool - including the workarounds nobody ever wrote down. Gaps and double-handling show up here, before anything is written.
Write
One page where one page will do. Written in your words, with checklists and templates where they help - and nothing added just to make it look thorough.
Test
Tried against the real work, reviewed with your team, management or committee, and tightened until it's right. If they wouldn't use it, it isn't finished.
Hand over
Stored where people will look for it, formally adopted where it needs to be, and on the calendar for review - so it stays current instead of quietly going out of date.
Book a call →04Two ways to work
Flexible hours when you need something written, or a monthly retainer to keep your documentation current as the organisation changes. We'll settle the right fit on our call.
When the work varies
Price on application · plus GST
Best for one-off or occasional documentation. You get me, for whatever needs writing - no fixed scope to squeeze the job into.
When the work repeats
Price on application · plus GST
Best for documentation that needs to keep pace with you. A set block of hours at a fixed fee - the same trusted hands, priced predictably, month after month.
This is bespoke governance and admin work, so pricing is scoped to your needs - no rigid packages, no paying for hours you won't use. Anything outside an agreed retainer is quoted and approved first. All prices in NZD plus GST.
05Where this fits
What needs writing down looks different in a small business, an early learning centre, a society or a board. I've done it in all four.
Procedures for the jobs only you know how to do, staff handbooks, templates and a shared drive people can actually navigate.
Explore this sectorPolicy suite reviews led with kaiako, induction documentation, H&S and child protection procedures, and practical tools for MoE and ERO.
Explore this sectorGovernance procedures, officer induction material, signing authorities and handover packs - so continuity survives a resignation.
Explore this sectorBoard policy and delegation documentation, director induction packs, a document register and procedures for recurring board admin.
Explore this sector06In practice
A typical month, handed off. One piece of your organisation's knowledge written down each week - and anything that needs your sign-off flagged early.
Week 1
I sit down with the person who does the month-end, map it step by step and write it up.
PublishedWeek 2
Your health & safety policy checked against current requirements, adopted and given its next review date.
AdoptedWeek 3
The induction pack refreshed before they arrive, so their first week runs to plan.
ReadyWeek 4
How your team uses it, written in plain steps as it goes live - and filed where people look.
DocumentedWhat it means for you
07Common questions
Straight answers to what most people want to know before we talk.
No. I start from your organisation, not from a template. Where a template is appropriate I'll say so - and adapt it properly to how you work, rather than dropping your logo into someone else's document.
That's the most common starting point. I'll review what you have, identify the gaps, and update or rewrite what's needed - then give everything a review date so it doesn't drift out of date again.
Yes - that's how it should be done. I sit down with the people who actually do the work, whether that's office staff, kaiako, management or committee members. Documentation written without them rarely gets used.
In your own systems - Microsoft 365, Google Drive or whatever you already use - so your documents always stay yours. If a tool isn't listed, it's one I'll learn on the job at no cost to you.
Yes. I write them in plain language, based on current New Zealand requirements and how your organisation actually operates. I'm not a lawyer or employment adviser, so where something needs specialist sign-off, I'll flag it early so you can get the right advice.
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Book a call and let's talk about what needs writing down first. No obligation, no pressure, no meter running.
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