Writing Effective Policies

and Procedures

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Reasons for
Writing Policies and Procedures

 Help make instructions and guidelines clear

 Provide quick settlement of misunderstandings
 Help reduce the range of individual decisions
 Set boundaries for jobs so that each employee knows in
advance what response he or she will get from others
when taking actions, making decisions, and giving
responses
 Provide protection in the event of an audit

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Examining the TITLE
of this Presentation
“Writing Effective Policies and Procedures”
Dissection of Key Words

 WRITING

 EFFECTIVE

 POLICIES and PROCEDURES

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WRITING
Effective Policies and Procedures

 What “Writing” IS?

 More than typing words on a page; it involves
1. research,
2. writing a draft,
3. reviews,
4. approvals,
5. publishing,
6. distributing,
7. communications, training,
8. maintenance, improvements
9. and revisions
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WRITING
Effective Policies and Procedures

A writer is someone who

 understands how to gather the
information,
 document a process,
 present the words in a logical fashion,
 and publish and train the audience to
ensure the content is understood
 Also, to write consistently using a
consistent writing format

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WRITING
Effective Policies and Procedures

 What “Writing” ISN’T?

 Writing content without involving the

users and customers in the writing and
reviewing processes

 Buying canned content, attaching a logo,

and calling it your own without sanitizing
it to assure it aligns with our
environment, culture, and resources

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Writing EFFECTIVE
Policies and Procedures

 Effective Writing?
 End result: Users can understand and apply
the policy/procedure content to their work
processes

 Usershave clear job responsibilities and

know what’s expected of them,

 Users can make better decisions,

 Policiesand procedures are consistent,

accurate, and reliable
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Writing EFFECTIVE
Policies and Procedures

 Not Effective?
 Users ignore policies and procedures for a
variety of reasons including:
 Author is not a credible source
 Poor writing
 Complex content
 Unclear purpose or title
 Communications and training efforts are weak
 Documents conflict with one another
 Policies/procedures change every other week

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 Writing Effective
Policies and Procedures
(Definitions)

 Policies:
 Describe the “What,” the “Who,” and the
“Why”

 Are a course of action established as a guide

toward accepted objectives

 “Policies are guidelines dictated by

executives and/or extracted from
regulations”

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 Writing Effective
Policies and Procedures
(Definitions)

 Procedures:
 Describe the “How” and are generally methods
by which policies are accomplished.
 Are a combination of one or more processes
 Identify the
 people,
 places,
 processes,
 forms,
 and actions

 NOTE: Procedures that address a single process

such as how to complete a form “Work 11

Instructions”
A Framework for
Writing Effective
Policies and Procedures

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Importance of the
Writing Format
(FIRST AGREEMENT)

 Heart of a policies and procedures system

 A writing format is a way to:

 Present your content in a logical and easy-to-read sequence .

 Ensure consistency.

 A writing format contains a specific number of section

headings and never changes after the writing format is
approved for use 13
Body of the policy & procedure
Purpose:
 A statement explaining the reason for the
policy/procedure.
 Should be short and to the point.

Policy Statement
 Describes How the Purpose will be Achieved

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Body of the policy & procedure
Definitions:
 Define only those words, titles, or statements which
must be defined for clearer understanding of the
policy.

Procedure:
 Series of steps to be followed apply the policy.
 The Who, the How, the When, the Where.

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Body of the policy & procedure
Responsibilities:
 Who is responsible

Associated Forms:
 If the policy/procedure supports a form the form
must be attached.

References:
 published mandates by accrediting agencies,
MOHP, or accepted practice guidelines.

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Body of the policy & procedure
Reason for Revisions:
 If you are revising a policy, you must include the
reason.

Page Number:
 Page numbers should be placed in the footer

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Quick Ways to
Write Policies and Procedures
from Canned Content

Best Method: Assign at least one writer and/or form a

cross-functional team, do research, use canned
content for reference purposes only, interview
users, brainstorm ideas, write a draft document, get
it reviewed and approved, publish it, and
communicate and train

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 Where We Are Now
 We have learned:
 Writing Effective Policies and Procedures is NOT as
simple as borrowing content, adding a logo, and
calling it your own
 Policies and procedures writers don’t just write
and edit but they are also responsible for
researching, writing, reviewing, approving,
publishing, communicating, training, improving, and
revising
 Incorporating a consistent writing format will:
 Help the reader understand content quicker
 Ensure consistent and accurate policies and
procedures from one document to the next
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 Techniques to
Ensure Success
 Management commitment to write policies and
procedures
 Qualified writers
 Same writing format template used every time
 Communications issued in multiple media
 Training offered in a variety of formats
 On-The-Job Training
 Ensuring legal review of all policies/procedures
 Auditing
 Every two years policy/procedure reviews
 Adding policy and procedure understanding as a
percentage on an employee’s evaluation plan
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Questions & Answers

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Teams

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