TC Community, Please read and advise (dept. operations)

[LaVonna Funkhouser <lffunkhouser -at- HALNET -dot- COM>]

Technical communicators:

The Tech. Comm. Dept. at my company is changing
(for the better).  Knowing that the Internet and
the persons on this list are valuable sources of
information, my management has asked that I use this
forum to seek information (on a very complex subject).

THE QUESTIONS
Please provide information (or point me to a source of
information) on the following:
    *  Technical Communication Department structures,
       processes, and operations

For example,
* How do you define the mission of your tech comm. dept?
* What process do you use to move from concept to finished
  product?  What are the steps involved?
* How do you do
  -- needs analysis
  -- documentation planning
  -- project management
  -- use teams to solve problems and create documents

THE SITUATION
Before the "new management" says, "This is how we are going to
do things," they want find out what the tech. comm. community
at large has to say on the subject.

Whereas the "old management" thought that Internet use was
something to distract me from my projects, the "new mngmnt" has
asked me to research this question on this list during work hours.
(Quite a change!)  The catch is that I only have about 24 hours
to find this information, so please compose a reply and blast it
to me or techwr-l as soon as you can.  My address is
              lffunkhouser -at- halnet -dot- com

I would really like to be able to demonstrate the usefulness of
this forum by receiving many valuable replies.

WHAT I NEED
Any info relating to my questions above is welcome; this can range
from "here's how we do it" to dissertations on what scholars say on
these matters.

Feel free to comment on only one or all of the topics -or- to
comment on a related topic.

I also welcome recommended readings from journals or proceedings and
suggestions as to how I should conduct my quick research.

If any info on exists in an archive somewhere, please
point me in the right direction.

Techwr-l may mark this down as "the post that launched a thousand
threads," but even so, I await your replies.  You've never let me
down before!

Thanks a zillion!

LaVonna Funkhouser
lffunkhouser -at- halnet -dot- com

Halliburton Energy Services
Duncan, Oklahoma      phone:  405/251-4582   fax:  405/251-3008

ps:  Feel free to pass this request to friends or other lists.