All resourcesPractical guide

Version instructions and training without losing history

When a revised instruction replaces the previous one, it must not change the meaning of historical confirmations. A person completed training against a specific release, and that connection should remain clear after later changes.

Updated:

Give the source and every release an identity

Separate the document's stable identifier from its release number. The stable identifier joins the history, while the release points to the exact content effective at a given time.

Record publication, effective date, owner and change reason. A version number alone does not explain whether the revision affected how work is performed.

Do not edit published material in place

Training material should have its own release connected to the source. A correction after publication creates a new release rather than silently changing content underneath existing confirmations.

Knowledge questions also belong to the release. A result then retains meaning even when a later check has a different scope or threshold.

  • stable document identifier
  • source release number and date
  • training material version
  • question set version and threshold
  • confirmations assigned to that release

Make an explicit retraining decision

A new release does not need to invalidate every earlier confirmation automatically. The owner should assess impact and decide which groups require another assignment.

Record the rationale, group, deadline and effect on previous validity. This avoids both excessive retraining and leaving a material change without action.

Questions worth asking

Can a typo be fixed without retraining?

Yes, when an impact assessment confirms that meaning did not change. The correction should still remain visible in document history.

What happens to confirmations for a withdrawn version?

Keep them as historical records labelled with the release. Do not move them to the new version without a new action or documented equivalence decision.

We use cookies and similar technologies for optional chat, analytics and page security. Cookie policy