Still More on What Sophisticated Writing Groups Do

Continuing on the discussion of the last two posts regarding how we categorize the level of sophistication of writing groups. The next stop on the documentation capability sophistication chain is Level 5--Managed and sustainable.

The Level 5 writing organization applies a broad range of sustainable best-of-craft work practices.

At this level, the planning of business critical documents occurs in parallel with the planning of clinical research studies. Writing teams always deploy document prototyping techniques, such as populating sections of a clinical study report after the study protocol has been completed and planning the report results sections once the statistical analysis plan is finalized. Level 5 writing teams can tell you how many pages will be in their study report even before LPLV because there has been so much planning. Level 5 writing teams always map arguments across the sections of a clinical study.

Level 5 writing teams are aware of agile authoring techniques, but have not yet deployed these work practices. Level 5 writing teams clearly understand that repurposing information involves a whole lot more than merely cut and paste.

Level 5 writing groups clearly understand what strategic review means. The teams articulate and rely upon defined document quality standards and guidance for executing effective reviews. They always define reviewer roles and responsibilities acknowledging unique and strategic expertise.They recognize that the problems of word choice, style preferences, transcription accuracy, and format should be passed onto the writer/editors and not made a focus of review.

Level 5 writing teams routinely solicit document user information and maintain databases to help them track and understand usability and readability statistics on all of their documents. At Level 5, teams engage in root cause analysis to ascertain why questions were received from regulatory agencies. Level 5 writing teams apply standards and measures to the task of document authorship and review that are well down the highway from the simple metrics of time and draft numbers. Level 5 writing teams always engage in a lessons learned session at the end of each documentation project and such sessions are not seen as merely an activity to be filed and forgotten. Process and practice is tweaked and refined for the next time.