Corporate Intranet

Decisions? Decisions? What decisions? I just want to write policies and procedures. Policies and procedures writers are results-oriented individuals and they are hankering to start the fun stuff, the writing stuff. Unfortunately, they cannot just write unless the company wants policies and procedures that do not work and that do not reflect the opinions and ideas of the targeted audiences of the policies and procedures. There is so much more to just writing.

Develop a Strategy First

A game plan must be developed that addresses more than fifteen decisions about setting up a system of policies and procedures. The end result of these decisions is a Procedure on the subject of Procedures. This document can then be used to guide the research, writing, reviewing, approving, communicating, training, improving, and revising of policies and procedures. The decisions also address the numbering system, the writing format, and the reporting relationships. This document can become known as the Procedure on Procedures. This procedure is the first and the most important procedure in the policies and procedures system

Pivotal Policy and Procedure Decisions to Make

What is the justification for the system of policies and procedures? Do you even have one?
Who manages the policies and procedures department? Who sponsors and funds the program?
How is the policies and procedures department set up? Who manages it? To whom does it report to and why?
What are the qualifications of the policies and procedures writer? Analyst? Manager?
How will ideas for new, or revised, policies and procedures be submitted?
Will the policies and procedures documents be printed and contained in hard copy binders or will they placed on the Intranet?
Will you incorporate a policy statement within the body of the procedural statements or will the policy statements be placed into a separate document and/or binders?
What is the numbering system for the policy and procedure documents?
Who will decide on the content? A cross-functional team? A general team? Or you? Will you be the primary person recommending the content of policies and procedures for approval?
What is the writing format, or the sequence in which content will be put forth that is logical and easy to read?
Who reviews the policies and procedures? A review team? A committee?
Who approves the policies and procedures?
Who distributes the policies and procedures? And in what formats? Hard copy, network, or Intranet, or all three?
Who communicates the policies and procedures?
Who trains and/or mentors the targeted audience?
Who audits the policies and procedures? And how often?
Who monitors the policies and procedures to assure they are always up-to-date? Who revises the policies and procedures?
Who recommends improvements to the policy and procedure content?

These decisions are the primary decisions that must be made before the policies and procedures writers start the process. There may be more decisions to make but I doubt there will be less. The document should incorporate all of these decisions as this document should become the bible for writing and justifying policies and procedures going forward. Without these decisions at least discussed, you are more than likely going to have to rework some of the policies and procedures if, and when, the decisions are finalized.

An Easy Way to Get These Decisions Reviewed and Approved Quickly

The policies and procedures writer, or writers, can team together and create the Procedure on Procedures document and include your recommended answer to each of these decisions. The decisions can become sections within the procedure, e.g., Policy and Procedure Review Process, Numbering System, Writing Format, Distribution, Communication, and so on. Now the draft procedure can be submitted to top management for review and approval. This method can cut weeks, if not months, off the decision process. After all, most policies and procedures are written by policies and procedures writers in advance of review and approval and everything they write represents their recommendations.