Procedure
Definition
A step-by-step operational instruction that tells a specific role how to carry out a task in conformance with the relevant standard. Procedures are written for the people who execute them and are approved by the process owner or department head.
- Hierarchy level
- Below policy and standard
- Audience
- The role that executes the task
- Approval
- Process owner or department head
- Content
- Step-by-step operational instruction
Common questions
How does a procedure differ from a policy?+
A policy states the organisation's high-level intent and rules, why something must be done and the boundaries around it, while a procedure gives concrete, step-by-step instructions for how a specific role carries out a task in conformance with that policy or an underlying standard.
Why do accreditation schemes require written procedures rather than relying on trained staff memory?+
Written procedures ensure a task is performed the same way regardless of which analyst carries it out, provide an auditable record of the required method, and let a laboratory demonstrate to an accreditation body or a court that a specific, approved process was actually followed for a given exhibit.
Related terms
- Document Control
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- Operating Effectiveness
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- Policy Exception
- A formal, time-bounded approval to deviate from a policy or standard requirement when the standard control is not achievable. Exceptions must be...
- Standard
- A document that translates a policy requirement into specific, measurable criteria. For example, a password policy may require strong authentication; the accompanying...