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"My concern is updates--they'll probably come thick and fast in
the early days, then occasional spurts of change. If I have
to produce a brick, can folks recommend a resource discussing the
pros and cons of various pagination/segmentation schemes? (Or
discuss particularly appropriate answers yourself, of course.)"
When I got my (Canadian) Private Pilot license in 1984, the Department of
Transport (DOT) sent me a compact 7-ring binder called the Aeronautical
Information Publication (A.I.P.) Every month since 1984 I have received an
amendment package for my A.I.P from DOT. The package includes a section at
the top of the pile of loose leaf change sheets (the ones meant to be
inserted into the AIP), which contains the remove/insert instructions for
that month. For example, for the "GENERAL" section the remove/insert
instructions might say REMOVE: GEN 0-1, 1-11, 5-11 and then INSERT: Gen 0-1,
1-11, 5-11 thru 5-21. Directly underneath each R/I instruction there is
included a description of the change. For example:
(1) GEN 0-2 "Distribution and Address Changes" information updated.
(2) GEN 1-12 (appearing on the back of GEN 1-11, of course) Note to V1 Speed
added.
(3) GEN 5-12 (appearing on the back of GEN 5-11, of course)"Visual approach"
definition updated.
And so on, for each of the sections contained in the AIP. Further, to
emphasize where the changes have occurred, the authors of the AIP also make
use of vertical change bars in the left hand margin right next to where the
change occurred in the content.
FAA requires a similar publication for American pilots. In fact, it shares
the same name, though the content will be different, relating to the way
ya'll do things down yonder there in the states :). Try here for a
subscription: http://www.claitors.com/prf/catelog/950-001-00000-3.html.
Over the years, I have to say, I have seen no change-tracking system more
thorough, accurate, and user friendly. One exception would be the Canadian
Forces Technical Orders (CFTO's). The Department of National Defense (DND)
is probably more 'nit-picky' about tracking changes than DOT, however to me,
a civilian the CFTO change-tracking system seemed less user-friendly than my
good old AIP's change-tracking system). Then again, maybe in the case of an
internal procedures manual, you might want your change tracking system to
look more like a CFTO change-tracking system. Who knows? Depends on audience
I suppose? I have nowhere to point you to look for examples of the CFTO
change-tracking system....
However, if you have a good look at the A.I.P. system of updates it may give
you SOME ideas for the creation of your internal procedures manual system of
updates.
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