Forms Management- Forms Creation and Maintenance (G/P)

PURPOSE

To provide standards and procedures for inventory, design, and production of College forms, and to ensure compliance with Administrative Rule3.0901.02, Forms Management.

FORMS REVIEW

The Records Management Office will be responsible for implementing the Administrative Rule and procedures, and for working with appropriate offices as needed to ensure compliance.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Standards have been established for the design and numbering of College forms.  The Records Management Office is responsible for ensuring that all print-based and Level 1 and 2 electronic forms are designed in accordance with these standards.

Level 1 –    These forms will be listed in the forms inventory and on the College forms website.

Level 2 –    Temporary, one-time use forms must adhere to design standards, but will not be monitored by Records Management.  All other Level 2 forms should be reported to Records Management for inclusion in the College Forms Inventory.

Information Technology is responsible for meeting design standards as outlined for Level 3 and 4 electronic forms.

All College employees, duplication centers, and Purchasing shall cooperate with Records Management in meeting the purpose and intent of these procedures.

DESIGN STANDARDS

Print-based and Electronic Level 1 forms shall include:

College Logo.  The logo will be placed at the top left corner of the page and must be used in accordance with the ACC Logo Usage Guidelines. The guidelines may be obtained at the following website:  http://www.austincc.edu/marketing/guidelines/logousage.php.

Identification.  Name of the area responsible for creation of the form will be printed flush right across from the College logo. The font will be Arial bold, italic type and no larger than 14 points.  Forms distributed outside of the College such as Application for Employment should have the College name, address, and contact numbers as appropriate.

Header Rule.  A horizontal rule (1 point) will be placed immediately under the logo and identification information.

Form Title.  The title will be centered and in bold type.  The title should be brief and clearly state the function or purpose of the form. Avoid using a date in the title. Words such as “form” or “sheet” are not used in the title of a form. The font will be Arial bold, non-italic type and no larger than 20 points.

Body.  The body of the form is the area used to collect information necessary to achieve the purpose for which the form was designed. The text font will be Arial and no smaller than 8 points.   Form items must be clearly identified and logically arranged. All spelling must be accurate and terminology must be consistent.

Column Headings.   Column headings should be centered over the column and in bold type.

Instructions.  The form should be self-instructing.  This is accomplished by using precise captions.  If general instructions are needed, they should be clear and concise.  Instructions that apply to certain sections should be placed near those sections.   Required fields must be noted.

Distribution.  Form distribution lists must be printed at the bottom left of the form and printed on every copy of the form.

Prenumbered Forms. Use prenumbered forms only if control is essential to the system. Allow a space of one inch to accommodate the numbering head on the press. Recommended position is upper right corner.

Margins.  A minimum of one-half inch (½”) must be allowed on all four sides of a form.

Form Number.  An authorization number will be assigned to each form approved by Records Management. The form number is to be printed in the lower right corner of the form and must appear on all sheets of a multi-page form.

The first segment of the authorization number will be department identification–4 characters.   The second segment will be the form number, consecutive numbering by department–3 characters. The third set of numbers will represent the date of creation or last revision– 2 characters for the month followed by 2 characters for the year.
XXXX.000.MMYY  (formerly XX.YYMM)

Electronic Level 2 forms shall include:

College Logo.  The logo will be placed at the top left corner of the page and must be used in accordance with the ACC Logo Usage Guidelines.  The guidelines may be obtained at the following website:  http://www.austincc.edu/marketing/guidelines/logousage.php.

Identification.  Name of the area responsible for creation of the form will be printed flush right across from the College logo.   The font will be Arial bold, italic type, and no larger than 14 points.

Header Rule.  A horizontal rule (1 point) will be placed immediately under the logo and identification.

Form Title. The title will be centered under the Header Rule and in bold type.  The title should be brief and clearly state the function or purpose of the form.  Avoid using a date in the title. Words such as “form” or “sheet” are not used in the title of a form.   The font will be Arial bold, non-italic type and no larger than 20 points.

Background Color.  The background color will be white.

Electronic Level 3 and 4 forms shall include:

College Logo.  The logo will be placed at the top left corner of the page and must be used in accordance with the ACC Logo Usage Guidelines.  The guidelines may be obtained at the following website:  http://www.austincc.edu/marketing/guidelines/logousage.php.

Identification.  Name of the area responsible for creation of the form will be printed flush right across from the College logo.

Form Title. The title will be centered below the College Logo and identification and in bold type.  The title should be brief and clearly state the function or purpose of the form.

PRINTING

Printed forms shall conform to all purchasing laws and rules, adhere to copyright and patent laws and regulations.

NCR forms in quantities of 10 to 500 will be reproduced by HBC Central Duplication. Quantities over 500 are subject to the bid process and must be coordinated with the Purchasing Department.

PROCEDURES FOR PRINT-BASED, ELECTRONIC LEVEL 1 AND 2 FORMS

Requesting a new form:

1. Purpose and content. Before considering the design, it should be determined if the form is actually necessary.  The real cost of forms is the labor cost of staff who read, complete, and process forms.  The form owner should work with the appropriate staff on content. What information is needed?  How will the information be used?  How will the information be distributed?   Who needs the information?
2. Processing Time. Provide sufficient time for all phases. Use the following time allowances as a guide to determine the amount of lead time needed so that your form is ready when you need it.
   1. Production and design – 1 week
   2. Committee review – where applicable
   3. Central Duplication – 3-5 days*
   4. Outside printing – 4-6 weeks*
      *Coordinate printing requirements with Central Duplication or Purchasing.
3. Layout and Design. The purpose of forms design is to facilitate the collection and use of data. The form owner prepares a draft of the form or obtains professional assistance from Records Management staff with the layout and design of the form. The form should be developed and reviewed by the people who will use, complete and process it.
4. Form Design/Revision Request. Complete a Form Design/Revision Request, attach a draft copy of the form, and forward it to Records Management.
5. Forms Creation/Review. As appropriate Records Management staff will prepare a proof of the form for the requestor’s review and approval.
6. Form Approval. Upon approval, Records Management will assign a form number, produce a camera-ready copy for Duplication or Purchasing, and post a copy of the form to the official College forms website. The form posted to the College’s forms website will serve as the official version.
   A request may be disapproved for the following reasons:
   1. It is not required to conduct official College business.
   2. It cannot be produced and distributed in time to serve its purpose.
   3. It duplicates information that is available from another source.
   4. It modifies or revises a form owned by another department.

Note:  If a department wishes to list forms on their web site, Records Management will provide the appropriate links to the official College forms website.

Printing.  After approval, Records Management will forward a printable master to Duplication or Purchasing.   The form owner is responsible for completing the Duplication Services Request or a Purchase Requisition.  Consult Central Duplication or Purchasing for printing and distribution guidelines.

Requesting a Form Revision:

Note:  Please consider the amount of stock on hand before requesting revisions.

1. Form Review. The form owner decides whether an existing form needs to be revised, replaced by a new form, or eliminated.
2. Form Design/Revision Request. Complete a Form Design/Revision Request, attach a copy of the current form with revisions marked in red, and forward it to Records Management.
3. Forms Creation/Review. As appropriate, Records Management staff will prepare a proof of the form for the requestor’s review and approval.
4. Form Approval. Upon approval, Records Management will assign a form number, produce a camera-ready copy for Duplication or Purchasing, and post a copy of the form to the official College forms website. The form posted to the College’s forms website will serve as the official version.
   Note:  If a department wishes to list forms on their web site, Records Management will provide the appropriate links to the official College forms website.
5. Printing. After approval, Records Management will forward a printable master to Duplication or Purchasing.  The form owner is responsible for completing the Duplication Services Request or a Purchase Requisition.  Consult Central Duplication or Purchasing for printing and distribution guidelines.

PROCEDURES FOR ELECTRONIC LEVEL 3 AND 4 FORMS

Contact Information Technology-Programming for procedures on requesting Electronic Level 3 and 4 forms.

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