How to Get Policies and Procedures ‘Done’

You can never have ‘done’ policies and procedures; it evolves over time to adapt to changes in the organization. The only ‘done’ document is an organizational guideline to help in the creations of policies and procedures for departmental activities.

Creating a Template

A standard organizational template serves as an example for any team working on developing policies and procedures, with details and specifics for different functions and departments. The template should cover all topics and considerations that must apply in organizational policies and procedures. Some of the topics include:

Organization of Documents

In the creation of policies and procedures, you need to identify organizational preferences for documents and the hierarchy you will use with the documents. In such a guidance, you may require that every policy has enough supporting procedures with instructions and specific descriptions. Often, the complexity of the organization will guide the decision you make. 

Format of Documents

Creating a format policy and procedures development teams can follow helps save time, while also helping employees and other stakeholders read and understand easily the requirements stipulated in the document. You can use a professionally pre-designed template as a starting point and adapt it gradually to suit your organizational needs.

Subject Matter Experts

At the heart of creating policies and procedures is a team of experts who guide the content, and edit the document for accuracy. Often, experts are from the board or top-level management with experience in building an organization. You can also include people who interact with the activities whose procedures you are trying to create on a regular basis, for example, a plant engineer.

Review of Documents

The review process should include experts with authority and knowledge in the subject matter to check for details and accuracy. This may also include organizational heads and legal experts to ensure the policies and procedures remain true to organizational practices and comply with legal requirements.

Approval of Documents

Employee compliance relies on the approval of an authority figure such as a CEO and other organizational leaders.

Publication of the Document

Publication of a policy or procedure dictates the time and procedures required for the document to become effective.

Distribution of the Document

You must ensure the document is available, understood and implemented by all employees.