Question asked of us
Our organization desperately needs to establish formal policies, procedures, and standards, but what actually makes up an effective policies and procedures (P&P) program?
Five essential components
The five essential components that ensure an effective P&P program include the
- organizational documentation process
- information plan or architecture
- documentation approach
- P&P expertise, and
- technologies (tools).
Definition of P&P program
A policies and procedures (P&P) program refers to the context in which an organization formally plans, designs, implements, manages, and uses P&P communication in support of performance-based learning and on-going reference.
Description of components
The five components of a formal P&P program are described below:
- An organizational documentation process which describes how members of the organization interact in the development and maintenance of the life span of P&P content
- The information plan or architecture which identifies the coverage and organization of subject matter and related topics to be included
- The documentation approach which designates how P&P content will be designed and presented, including the documentation methods, techniques, formats, and styles
- The P&P expertise necessary for planning, designing, developing, coordinating, implementing, and publishing P&P content, as well as the expertise needed for managing the program and the content development projects
- The designated technologies for developing, publishing, storing, accessing, and managing content, as well as for monitoring content usage.
Implementing components
Every organization is usually at a different maturity stage for their P&P investment. Therefore, before establishing or enhancing a current P&P program, it is important to obtain an objective assessment of the organizational maturity, including where your P&P program is now and where it needs to be in the future. Once the maturity level is established, it is then necessary to develop a strategic P&P program plan. The strategic plan will enable your organization to achieve the necessary level of maturity for each component and ensure that your organization will maximize the value of its P&P investment.
Conclusion
Organizations with informal P&P programs do not usually reap the benefits that formal P&P programs provide. An effective P&P program must include five components. It is essential to have an objective P&P program assessment to determine the existing P&P maturity grade and where it should be. The P&P strategic plan is the basis for achieving a higher level of performance in your P&P program.
Related articles
- Is Your Organization’s Policies & Procedures Investment Ready for an Assessment?
- Assessing the Maturity Grade of P&P Programs
For objective advice and best practices to establish or improve your formal policies and procedures program to enhance organizational performance, contact Urgo & Associates.