Policy is a set of ideas or plans that serve as the basis for making decisions, especially in politics, economics, and business. A company’s policies set the rules and guidelines for how employees should behave and operate, as well as what actions are considered unacceptable. A government’s policy is their attitude and actions towards a country or issue.
Clear policies allow employees to understand what is expected of them and help support a positive work culture. They also ensure compliance with laws and regulations. Managing policies effectively is key to their success, and can be achieved through developing clear and concise documents, communicating them efficiently, ensuring consistency, and reviewing them on a regular basis.
Typically, a policy document includes the following elements:
1. Definitions, which include clear and unambiguous explanations of terms and concepts found in the policy document. 2. A responsibilities section, which lists the parties and organizations that are responsible for carrying out each individual policy statement. 3. A background or context section, which provides the rationale and/or history behind the policy, along with any relevant ethical considerations and intentions. This information can be particularly valuable when the policy is being evaluated or used in ambiguous situations, and is often helpful for interpreting the intent of an organization’s laws.
It can be challenging to manage and communicate policies for decentralized colleges or departments, or those with remote workforces. Policy management solutions such as PowerDMS can help by allowing you to easily create, manage, distribute, and track policies from a single, searchable, platform.