# Policy Repository

This directory contains the controlled policy, procedure, standard, guideline, form, exception, and evidence records for the Kell Creations platform.

## Purpose

The purpose of this repository structure is to provide a controlled, auditable, and maintainable lifecycle for business policies and supporting governance records.

This repository supports:

- document creation
- review and approval
- publication to active status
- version control
- retirement of superseded documents
- retention of approval and retirement evidence

## Repository Structure

### `active/`
Contains approved documents that are currently in force.

### `drafts/`
Contains documents being authored or revised before formal review.

### `review/`
Contains documents that are under formal review and awaiting approval, rejection, or revision.

### `retired/`
Contains documents that are no longer active because they were superseded, withdrawn, or retired.

### `templates/`
Contains approved starter templates for controlled documents.

### `register/`
Contains the master document register and supporting control logs.

### `evidence/`
Contains approval records, review records, exceptions, and retirement evidence.

## Lifecycle Model

Controlled documents move through the following lifecycle:

1. Draft
2. Review
3. Active
4. Superseded or Revised
5. Retired

Documents should not skip lifecycle stages without documented approval.

## Document Types

The following document types are supported:

- Policy
- Procedure
- Standard
- Guideline
- Form
- Exception

## Naming Convention

Documents should follow this pattern:

`KC-<TYPE>-<DOMAIN>-<NUMBER>-<short-title>.md`

Examples:

- `KC-POL-GOV-001-document-control-policy.md`
- `KC-PRO-GOV-001-policy-review-and-retirement-procedure.md`
- `KC-STD-MKT-001-social-media-publishing-standard.md`

### Type codes

- `POL` = Policy
- `PRO` = Procedure
- `STD` = Standard
- `GLD` = Guideline
- `FRM` = Form
- `EXC` = Exception

### Domain codes

- `GOV` = Governance
- `OPS` = Operations
- `ECM` = Ecommerce
- `MKT` = Marketing
- `MFG` = Manufacturing
- `FIN` = Finance
- `IT` = Information Technology
- `SEC` = Security
- `PRV` = Privacy

## Required Metadata

All controlled documents must begin with YAML front matter that includes:

- `document_id`
- `title`
- `document_type`
- `domain`
- `version`
- `status`
- `owner`
- `reviewers`
- `approver`
- `effective_date`
- `next_review_date`
- `supersedes`
- `related_documents`
- `related_systems`
- `retention_period`
- `confidentiality`

## Document Control Rules

- All controlled documents must be stored in Git.
- All changes must be reviewed through the approved repository workflow.
- Active documents must have an approver and effective date.
- Superseded documents must be moved to `retired/`.
- Approval and retirement actions must be reflected in the control logs under `register/`.
- Evidence of approval, review, exception, or retirement should be preserved under `evidence/`.

## Registers

### `policy-register.csv`
The master index of controlled documents.

### `document-control-log.csv`
The record of lifecycle changes and status transitions.

### `review-calendar.csv`
The schedule for periodic policy review.

### `exception-register.csv`
The record of approved and tracked exceptions.

## Recommended Workflow

1. Create a new document in `drafts/`.
2. Assign owner, reviewers, and proposed approver.
3. Move document to `review/` when ready for formal review.
4. Approve and move to `active/` when authorized.
5. Update the document register and control log.
6. Move superseded versions to `retired/`.
7. Store supporting approval or retirement evidence in `evidence/`.

## Relationship to Architecture and Operations

This policy repository supports the architecture and workflow documentation maintained elsewhere in the repository, including:

- policy lifecycle workflows
- audit and compliance architecture
- CI/CD workflow documentation
- operating procedures for controlled publication

## Ownership

Unless otherwise specified in a document, repository governance is owned by the Kell Creations business owner.

## Summary

This policy repository is the controlled governance layer for Kell Creations documentation, operational rules, and retained compliance evidence.