Policy – ACIPC Microsoft Teams Environment

Please contact the office, office@acipc.org.au, for any questions or requests related to our Teams environment.

Purpose

This policy establishes governance settings and administrative controls for the use of Microsoft Teams within the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC). The objective is to ensure secure collaboration, clear ownership, appropriate access control, and alignment with ACIPC’s governance framework..

Scope

This policy applies to the Board, Committees, Special Interest Groups (SIGs), Working Groups, and ACIPC staff.

Policy Statement

• Each Committee and Special Interest Group (SIG) may have a dedicated Microsoft Teams environment to support governance and operational functions.
• All Teams are set to Shared by default.
• Membership must align with formal appointments and approved committee or SIG structures.
• Chairs and SIG Conveners may request membership changes through the Office.
• Teams are reviewed annually in line with changes to committee and SIG structures, Board decisions, and governance updates.
• Redundant or inactive Teams may be archived or removed.
• New Microsoft Teams must be approved by the Executive Manager prior to creation.
• Ad-hoc or informal Teams are not permitted without approval.

Channel Governance

• The standard General channel is the only default channel visible to all members of the Team.
• Committee Chairs and SIG Conveners may create additional channels within their Team.
• All additional channels must be set to Shared by default.
• Membership of shared channels must align with operational need and governance requirements.
• Public channels (visible to all Team members) are limited to the General channel unless otherwise approved by the Executive Manager.

External Access

External guest access or shared channel access requires prior approval from the Executive Manager. Any cross-organisation collaboration must comply with ACIPC confidentiality, information governance, and data protection requirements.

Ownership and Accountability

• Each Team must have at least one ACIPC staff member as an Owner.
• The relevant Committee Chair or SIG Convener should also be an Owner where appropriate.
• Team Owners are responsible for maintaining appropriate conduct, ensuring structured use of channels, and escalating governance concerns where necessary.

Compliance

Failure to comply with this policy may result in removal of unauthorised channels, restriction of access, or review by the Executive Manager.

Policy Review

This policy will be updated as the ACIPC Teams environment develops.