Re: Organizational Structure and Technical Writers

["Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- PHIBRED -dot- COM>]

Robbie Rupel writes:

*************
I currently work for a company with a small writing department. The company
is re-engineering (I hate that word!), and I am creating a proposal
defining  where the technical writers will fit in to the new organization.

I am looking for opinions on where a technical writer or writing department
best fits into an organization. Specifically, is it best for a technical
writer  to

     report to a documentation department and be assigned to the
     team(s) in which they will work?

     report directly to the team in which they will
     work?

Does one method produce better documentation? Does one method provide
a better career path for the technical writer? Are there other
organizational methods I have not considered?
**************

I'm strongly in favor of the first option, maintaining a central writing
group from which writers are "loaned out" to projects.  Our company used
this system until we reorganized about a year ago, so I've seen both
systems up close and personal.

As to your questions, I think the consolidated group provides better
documentation for three reasons.

First, the consolidated group can make editing a key part of everyone's
responsibility.  That way, editing is done as part of the job, rather than
as an occasional favor to a collegue.  This results in higher-quality
work, since editing your own stuff is pretty much an exercise in futility.

Second, the consolidated group is more able to enforce standards.  If the
writers report to development groups, chaos tends to creep in, and the
company's manuals may lose a unified "look and feel."

Finally, the consolidated group is more resiliant in terms of schedule.
If one writer is swamped or has an extended absence because of illness or
pregnancy, the work can be divided among the whole group.  If the one
writer assigned to a team is absent, work STOPS.

Skoal,

Doug                         "Multiply Life by the power of Two."
ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com
                                        --The Indigo Girls

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The preceding opinions and positions are mine alone, and are only
coincidentally related to those of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
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