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In our instance producing military manuals, a manual when first written is
reviewed and agreed to by both parties. We are the hardware/software
designers, and the military are the (hopefully never) users and (always
diligent) maintainers. For any (any) change to a manual to occur, agreement
of all parties is again required. I believe but am not certain that
military personnel get some sort of "credit" for discovering errors or
suggesting better ways to work and seeing them through to correction or
implementation. Sometimes we find our own mistakes or a better way and
propose changes ourselves, but agreement of all parties is still required
before the change is made.
Each manual features an original issue date and includes a special page that
lists the issue date for each individual page within the manual. If a
change occurs on a particular page, a vertical bar is placed in the page
margin next to the affected line or lines, and the date for that particular
page is changed on the summary page. Sometimes we need to create a page 12a
(and 12b perhaps lableled "intentionally blank") or the like. New pages are
sent to all holders of the manual--we keep records who they are. We make a
lot of changes simply because the name of the general or admiral on the
authorization page changes as these folks are rotated to new assignments,
retire, etc. Even these changes are approved, but it's reather perfunctory
obviously. We save all the correspondence related to an implemented
changed. A manual could be completely revised just for "cleanup" to
eliminate change bars, inserted pages, etc. In this case (once approved)
the manual simply receives a new issue date.
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