image_print

Last Updated on 13 April 2022 by policychair

NA Policy and Procedure documentation is created, managed, and maintained by the Policy and Procedures Subcommittee. As such, the Policy and Procedures Subcommittee are trusted servants and can make minor changes and edits, including formatting and keeping documentation up-to-date.

Generally, policy is created by the Australian Regional Service Committee (ARSC) as a whole. It can reflects believes and foundations of practice in regional service and thus in the Australian region on the whole. It is considered that this must be created by the group conscience of the ARSC, through discussion, or through the creation and endorsement of a formalised motion or proposal.

About this documentation

  • reflects current and best practice of the Australian Regional Service Committee (ARSC) and its members
  • documents policy and policy decisions made by the ARSC
  • is based upon, and is mindful of, the Narcotics Anonymous Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts
  • may also house guidelines where formal policy and procedure don’t apply but guidelines may be helpful
  • may also house resources for the Fellowship in the Australian region, such as literature relevant to service or other resources that could be useful for Groups in the Australian region
  • there is a historical archive that contains past Policy documents, some dating back to the 1980’s. These reflect decisions made in the past by past ARSCs. The archive is kept separately to the current Policy and Procedures documents

Process for creating or changing documentation

The Policy and Procedures Subcommittee are trusted to make minor changes and edits, including formatting and bringing documentation up-to-date, where needed. To ensure an efficient and effective process the Subcommittee maintains openness with the ARSC, but can work on documentation between ARSC Meetings. This also prevents discussion of documentation from taking up lengthy parts of the ARSC Meeting itself.

Documentation is intended to be available, accessible, readable and useful for all ARSC participants.

The procedure for making changes is

  1. The Policy and Procedures Chair, in conjunction with the Policy and Procedures Subcommittee, produces draft documention
  2. The draft documentation is submitted to the ARSC for review, at least 21 days prior to the next ARSC Meeting
  3. Policy and Procedure documentation is active and noted at the ARSC Meeting. It is considered ratified, unless there are objections or members wish to discuss or clarify anything in the draft. If there are unresolved objections, the documentation remains in draft until the next ARSC Meeting.