Current best practice (BCP) is a widely accepted method for drafting guidance documents, subject to change as best practices develop. It is used in various businesses and has a specific meaning in the IT community. The Internet Engineering Task Force uses BCP documents to recommend the most effective way to perform various Internet and networking-related tasks. BCP is not a mandate but represents the best-known way to do something, based on industry experience and research. Deviations from BCP require documentation and may trigger exception clauses in liability insurance.
A current best practice (BCP) is a method generally accepted as the most appropriate and effective when drafting guidance documents, although these may be subject to change as best practices develop. This can be used to refer to a variety of businesses and also has a specific meaning in the information technology community. The Internet Engineering Task Force has a set of current best practice documents that it uses to recommend the most effective way to perform various Internet and networking-related tasks, and uses them both as guidelines and requests for comment from the public.
In a current best practice paper, the preparer will discuss the method and approach and can provide reasoning as to why it appears to be the most suitable at any given time. This document is dated, to provide insight into when this was current best practice. This can avoid confusion as to which document is up-to-date, as newer versions supersede each other. There may also be a version number in the document to provide more information.
This guideline is not a requirement or mandate, although regulations can be developed with current best practices in mind and could turn them into legal mandates. Instead, the document represents the best-known way to do something, whether it’s cleaning a cooling tower at a power plant or setting up an office network. The paper is based on the experiences of people in the industry, research, and what key industry insiders are doing.
In terms of Internet standards, current best practice guidelines help developers of information technology and Internet architecture stay on the same page. They can search documents to determine the most logical approach to a problem. These documents are also periodically updated and phased out as appropriate. Information technology professionals may submit comments and suggestions that may be incorporated in future releases to improve current best practices.
If a business feels the need to deviate from current best practices, they may need to provide insight into why and how. This documentation can be maintained with the documents associated with a project. People with questions can look into it to determine why the project deviated from the norm. If the deviation does not appear reasonable or logical, questions may arise about your suitability to perform such work in the future. Such errors can also trigger exception clauses in liability insurance and other insurance coverage, an issue companies should consider before deciding to abandon current best practices.
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