Standard Operational Procedures

A standard operational procedure (SOP) supports a college policy by providing a consistent approach with a series of steps to be followed to accomplish an end result. Policy is the guiding principal used to set strategic direction at the college. The SOP includes actions or rules that support and provide direction for a policy.

Operational Standard/Purpose

A standard operational procedure (SOP) supports a college policy by providing a consistent approach with a series of steps to be followed to accomplish the result. Policy is the guiding principle used to set strategic direction at the College. The SOP includes actions or rules that support and provide direction for a policy. The SOP provides procedures by outlining the steps to accomplish a task, service, or goal. Operating procedures at ICC fall into two main categories:

• Institutional SOP: Apply to activities or approaches that involve most or all employees or impact most or all employees.
• Departmental SOP: Apply to activities that occur primarily within a specific department.

Scope/Applicability

This procedure applies to the whole College. Ensuring compliance is the responsibility of every manager/supervisor.

Procedures

1. Determine if a procedure qualifies as an operational standard by asking the following:
   1. Is the work, activity, or process frequently repeated and/or required to be completed the same way every time? If yes, this is an operational standard.
   2. Is this a legal process or a process that is required by law or Board policy? If yes, then this is an operational standard.
   3. Are there specific forms that are used and/or required for this activity? If yes, then this is an operational standard.
   4. Is there specific information, documentation, or actions that employees need to know? Is there a specific means or process for transmitting that information? If yes, then this is an operational standard.
2. Add SOP to the Master List: If it is appropriate to develop an SOP, send a request to the Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness & Innovation to add an SOP to the master list that is maintained in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. Cabinet members will review the added SOP and determine if and when the SOP will be scheduled for a first draft review. SOPs are categorized as follows on the Master List:

   Status	Description
   Draft	New or additional standard operational procedures (SOPs) pending review and approval.
   Pending	Operational standards with a scheduled date for review.
   Complete	Operational standards approved by Cabinet. May be presented at Strategic Forum and/or require additional employee training. Available in repository on ICCNET.
   Scheduled Review	Existing standard operational procedures that are scheduled for review by Cabinet.

3. Complete the SOP Template: The template for each SOP, regardless of whether it is institutional or departmental, has specific areas or topics that need to be completed. The following describes each section and how to fill it out.
   1. Header section
      
      • Department: List the name of the department that has responsibility for this standard.
      • Responsible Cabinet Member: List the title, not name, of the Cabinet member who oversees the department/area pertaining to this standard.
      • Effective Date: New standards should use current date. If the standard already exists, this is the original effective date of the standard.
      • Revised Date: The date the standard is being updated or modified.
      • Cabinet Approval Date: The date the standard was approved by Cabinet.
      • Approved by: The President will sign the standard once approved by Cabinet.
      • Next Review Date: Date for annual review. Standards should be reviewed every 3 years to ensure that the policies and procedures remain current and appropriate, or to determine whether the SOP is still needed.
      • Policy: : If the standard relates to a Board policy, another Standard Operational Procedure (SOP), bargaining unit agreement, etc., list the policy. Board policies are listed on the ICC website at https://icc.edu/about-icc/board-trustees/ under Bylaws and Administrative Policies.
   2. Body: The remaining sections in the body of the SOP are defined in the template. The SOP should:
      • briefly describe the purpose of the work or process, including any regulatory information or standards that are appropriate to the SOP process;
      • define any specialized or unusual terms either in a separate definition section or in the appropriate discussion section;
      • detail what sequential procedures should be followed;
      • be written with sufficient detail so that someone with limited experience or knowledge of the procedure, but with basic understanding, could successfully follow the procedure.
   3. Review the SOP draft with your Cabinet member for any modifications.
   4. Submit the SOP draft to the Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness & Innovation for review. The review stages are illustrated as follows:

      Step	Description	Process
      1.	First Review	Electronic version of SOP sent to Cabinet members two business days before Cabinet meeting. Cabinet member presents the information at Cabinet for discussion.
      2.	Share	Cabinet members share the operational standards with their direct reports for input and questions. SOP is posted publicly for campus comment.
      3.	Update	Cabinet members send feedback within seven business days of the first review. If significant questions or concerns arise, Cabinet will discuss and a third review may occur. If the changes are minimal, the sponsoring Cabinet member will make adaptations to the first draft based on feedback and schedule a second, and possibly final, review.
      4.	Second Review or Final Review	Electronic version of updated SOP sent to Cabinet members two business days before Cabinet meeting. Second review of operational standard will either be approved or delayed for further discussion or amendments.
      5.	Approved	Operational standard approved by Cabinet.

   5. Share/Present/Train: Communicate publication of SOP to ICCNET and develop training / educational materials for the appropriate audience.
   6. SOP Review: Standards are reviewed every 3 years to assure the procedure is still applicable and working appropriately.

Additional Provisions/Information

1. The current repository for the Master List of Operational Standards and Final SOPs is located in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and published on ICCNET.