Re: How to Convince Development Dept to Provide External and Internal Design Specs?

[Beth Agnew <beth -dot- agnew -at- senecac -dot- on -dot- ca>]

Rather than convince a "department", try convincing one or two key 
individuals within that department. The team leader, the product 
manager, and the lead developer (your SME) are all good candidates for 
becoming your new best friends. TechComm is a profession built on 
relationships. The more developers see you as a member of their team, 
the easier it will be for you to do whatever is necessary to get the 
documentation done. Techwriters need to develop relationships not only 
with development, but with marketing, sales, QA, Customer Support, and 
the IT department.

Offer to proofread their design specs, on your own time if they're 
worried about resource burn. Ask to attend any meetings at which design 
is discussed. Get permission to troll specified development directories 
on the network for artifacts relating to the conception and design of 
the product. Offer to present a "lunch and learn" session on the role of 
Tech Pubs. Be creative in how you let people know that this information 
is integral to your work.

If you can demonstrate that a) giving you this information doesn't use 
up their resources, and b) it's an accepted practice within development 
organizations, you should be able to overcome those hurdles. Get the 
right people on your side, and the battle is won.
--Beth