Who Is a Compliance Technical Writer?
Every person has the right to personal data protection. There are the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) for EU or federal and state-level privacy regulations in the US, for example. Such data security standards were created to protect personal data. Nowadays it is crucial as the world faces the threat of data breaches and cyberattacks. To ensure that companies remain compliant with privacy regulations, they should employ the help and assistance of compliance technical writers.
Compliance technical writers produce high-quality documentation that complies with the regulations and security standards according to the industry they work in. They ensure an organization remains compliant so that business operations can continue to run efficiently. Among the responsibilities of compliance technical writers are:
- developing,
- writing,
- editing,
- and managing a wide range of documents, such as policies, SOPs, manuals, and the like.
These technical communicators consult or work closely with relevant authorities to remain current on all regulatory agency requirements in their chosen industry. The governing principles of processing personal data are the foundation of technical writing, that is:
- Clearly explaining complex information
- Presenting information to a target audience
- Utilizing accessible, easy to comprehend plain language.
A tech writer with a legal background can be an asset, for such a writer can describe complex processes and guide you through the different regulations and standards.
The potential advantages of having a technical writer tackle the GDPR for your business are the following:
- Education. The very basis of technical writing is informing someone on how to do something, therefore tech writers can customize effective employee development plans to improve knowledge of GDPR compliance in the workplace.
- Training. Documentation writers can create eLearning programs, training workshops, and manuals to help employees to improve their knowledge of GDPR compliance and processing operations. Also, tech writers can streamline any existing training materials for consistency and clarity.
- Feedback. Tech writers can help create a knowledge base, online help systems, email surveys, and questionnaires, which increase employee engagement, productivity, and customer satisfaction while also reducing operational issues. The more feedback tech writers receive, the more they can improve compliance documentation.
- Data Protection Impact Assessment. DPIA is a living document made up of policies, processes, procedures, and more. Technical writers are trained to manage these high volumes of technical documentation. They have the skills to work with a variety of software and automated tools that can make document creation quick, simple, and time-saving. Most importantly, these technologies are compliant with many regulatory agencies.
- Compliance audits. A technical writer can produce professionally written audit documentation, which makes it easier for businesses to prove their compliance if any legal action is taken against them. Also, audits are valuable information that helps employees examine and determine their progress at a company. A technical writer will know the appropriate style guide, organizational methods, and documentation formats to express the daily operations of your business for an audit.
Today’s market grows rapidly and compliance with different data protection regulations is essential for every business. A compliance technical writer can help businesses and their employees to understand the regulatory requirements, therefore executing better data protection practices, that add to avoiding penalties and fines, and improving business operations.
Stay well!
Amrit.
“Follow the river and you will get to the sea.”
