Policy is a high level statement of principles that guides the decisions and actions of an institution. It articulates institutional values and goals, and defines the limits of acceptable behavior and monitoring. It is usually written in a clear, simple manner to minimize the risk of misinterpretation and to make compliance easy for employees. It is typically updated regularly to reflect changes in the institution’s philosophy, mission, or to address new risks or challenges.
When developing a policy, the most important step is getting buy-in from management. This is especially critical for policies that affect daily operations and will be implemented by staff. Once that is done, the process can begin.
Begin by identifying the purpose of the policy and who will need to know about it. Doing this can help determine if the policy is necessary and if it would be better addressed by a procedure instead (i.e. a policy on requesting leave may be superseded by an existing procedure outlining how to track and manage employee time off requests).
Specify the allowed and prohibited activities, and provide examples to illustrate each point. This makes the policy more useful and less likely to be interpreted in different ways, which can reduce adherence. Include representatives from departments to ensure that the policy is relevant and easily understood by the entire university community.
Make sure to link the policy to related procedures, and don’t create a policy without creating the associated procedure(s). This can lead to confusion and maintenance issues down the road.