policy assignment guide

• Peterborough

How to Write a Policy Assignment

What is a policy assignment, policy critique.

• Policy Brief/Briefing Note

Reading and Analyzing Policy

Writing policy assignments, research and writing process.

Understanding, evaluating, and writing policy documents are important competencies to develop as undergraduate students in a wide range of fields, spanning from Health Care to Environmental Science to Education. Policy is informed by strong research and accurate evidence, often compiled and presented by government and non-governmental organizations. Public policies include formal legislation, official plans, and regulations created by various levels of government. Each of these can act as guiding principles for governmental decision making and program delivery. Non-governmental and para-governmental organizations publish policy briefs, commission reports, and fact sheets to inform policy makers and recommend policy change.

Course instructors often ask students to analyze policy documents to better understand issues and policy alternatives, and students in many disciplines must write policy documents, including critiques and briefs or briefing notes. This guide offers steps to reading policy and keys for effective policy writing.

Types of Policy Assignments

In a policy critique, students are expected to read and critically analyze one or more policy documents that address a common issue. The goal of this assignment is to present an overall assessment of current or proposed policies and their efficacy or potential considering both scholarly theory and real-world, practical application with consideration of environmental, social, or economic contexts.

Proposed structure

• Issue: what is the policy in question?
• Background: where did it emerge? What problem does it try to address?
• Application: so far, based on evidence, how effective has it been?
• Limits: what are limits with the policy? How has it been adapted? What questions remain?
• Evaluation/potential: based on concepts and theories from course materials, what is the potential for this policy to address particular issue/problem?

Policy Brief (Briefing Note)

Policy briefs or briefing notes are documents written by governmental and non-governmental organizations to propose evidence-based policy solutions to a well-defined social, environmental, or economic issue. Briefs present findings from academic and grey literature to demonstrate the scope of an issue and to analyze its context and background. The brief is organized with clear headings and short sections, which are supported by figures or tables.

• Executive Summary: similar to an abstract, briefly explains the goal, findings, and recommendations. Although it is placed first in the document, it is written last.
• Issue Definition: identify and explain the key issue and its scope and significance.
• Policy Background: synthesize evidence to explain the context of the issue – its origins, key stakeholders, overlapping issues, and potential barriers – and any existing policy.
• Best Practices: describe relevant policies from other jurisdictions and introduce specific examples of policy and best practices that reinforce the argument your briefing note presents.
• Policy Options: synthesize your research to present a few policy options; for each option, describe the approach and present advantages, challenges, and potential barriers. Present one policy recommendation from these options.
• References: divide references into sections (e.g., academic sources, grey literature, policy documents etc.)

Each policy document is focused on a specific issue and establishes particular goals; when you read any policy document, you are working to understand and analyze the issue and how the policy addresses the issue. These messages are often presented in different ways. Policy briefs are, well, brief, but other policy documents or commissioned reports can be quite lengthy, so it is important to develop a reading strategy for each new document. Generally, it is best to follow this process: preview, plan, read and take notes, and assess within course context.

Because policy documents vary significantly in form and purpose, it is essential to preview the document prior to reading it: identify its author, its purpose, and its form. Take time to read the executive summary, which presents a short explanation of the issue and purpose of the document. Understand its authorship and the interests of the individual or organizational author.

Make a plan

Identify your goal in reading the document: do you wish to better understand the issue, to identify policy alternatives, to appreciate broader context, or to determine efficacy of policy? How will this document inform your understanding of the issue you are studying? What sections will be most useful or relevant?

Read and take notes

Your preview and plan can direct your reading and notetaking. Read closely to understand the policy or issue, its context, and the evidence used to support it. Identify stakeholders and their interests, the goals of the policy and how those goals are measurable and actionable. You may find it helpful to refer to the table of contents or index (or to use the ‘find’ tool in your browser) to seek out sections that contain relevant keywords in documents spanning more than 100 pages.

Assess policy within course context

Refer to theories, frameworks, and indices that you have discussed in class to assess a policy. Consider whether it follows a particular conceptual framework or achieves particular numerical targets. Compare it to other policies in similar contexts and analyze its parts to assess its adaptability to different contexts. Evaluate its fit to the specific issue and its relevance for various stakeholder needs or values.

Reading an Official Plan

An official plan is often a lengthy document that covers many topics and issues within a set of overarching goals for an organization, like a university, hospital, or municipality. Your aim should be to understand the overarching goals of the plan and its broader context, which are likely laid out in the executive summary and introductory sections. Then you may need to seek out references to a particular topic, issue, or stakeholder; the index, table of contents, or “find” tool can be helpful for this.

Reading a Policy Brief

The goal of a policy brief is to inform and persuade policy makers, so your aim should be to understand the issue the brief identifies and to analyze the policy it proposes. The structure and design of the policy brief will guide your reading. Take time to understand the context of the issue and the policy: who are the stakeholders, what are the goals, what is the process, and what are the barriers? Analyze the policy within the disciplinary concepts you’re learning in class; how does the policy fit particular frameworks, theories, or indices you’ve discussed? What is unique about this policy? How can this policy be adapted to different contexts? What is its potential to address the issue?

Successful policy assignments are focused, well-researched, analytical, organized, and concise. Therefore, it is important to take time to define the issue, understand the context of the issue, and seek out policy alternatives prior to identifying a recommended course of action.

• Focused Issue
• Using Research
• Demonstrating Analysis
• Organized, Concise, and Clear Writing

Focused issue

It is essential that you present a focused and clear issue, and that issue must be at the scale of policy action. For example, policy briefs can address ER wait times or agricultural pesticide use, but issues such as access to health care or the sustainability of food production are too complex for you to address in a short policy assignment. Often, course material and core concepts provide useful direction for you to narrow your issue.

In policy assignments, an issue is clearly defined and contextualized with evidence from scholarly and grey literature. It is important for you to explain how scholars, governments, or NGOs have discussed the issue, and numerical data or figures can demonstrate the scale of an issue or its projected trajectory. Provide details about the issue in its context: be specific about place, time, and stakeholders, and acknowledge any overlapping economic, environmental, or social issues.

Example: Effective issue definition 1

Age-friendly municipalities foster solidarity among generations within communities and reach out to older people at risk of isolation by making them feel socially included and involved (WHO, 2007). It is well documented that these trends are happening across Canada, and evidence suggests that local governments have a key role in enabling older people to live longer. It is unclear to what degree Aurora’s municipal government is prepared to support its expanding ageing population. It is essential to continue to examine new approaches to housing and transportation infrastructure within Aurora in order to improve public policy matters in regards to their ageing population.

• Issue is grounded by focused concept and evidence; writer demonstrates value of municipal policy to address the issue
• Writer precisely identifies the issue to be discussed in brief and the goals of the report

Example: Ineffective issue definition 1

In addition to the infrastructure issue in Peterborough, there is also an issue regarding how spread out the community is. The city is too big for residents to be able to walk the entire city. Amenities are also very spread out; it is unlikely that pedestrians would be able to access the required amenities within walking distance from their house. Ultimately, the main issues surrounding the walkability in the City of Peterborough are the lack of infrastructure and maintenance, as well as the lack of available activities near to peoples’ residences.

• Not grounded in conceptual framework or theory; writer needs to explain why walkability is an issue that a municipality should address
• Lack of precision or evidence to support claims about the size of the city or accessibility to amenities

Using research

Policy is informed by evidence from scholarly literature, government data, and research by various stakeholder organizations. Effective policy assignments synthesize evidence from academic and grey literature to create an accurate account of the issue and policy options. Common forms of evidence in policy writing include numerical and financial data, figures such as graphs and maps, excerpts from existing policies, recommendations from NGOs, and conceptual frameworks.

In policy writing, your goal is to present research both accurately and accessibly, as decision-makers in government and business may not be familiar with terminology or concepts presented by scholars. Make efforts to paraphrase the evidence you use and be sure to include citations in the form requested by your professor (footnotes or author-date systems are common).

One of the key factors in Municipal Cultural Planning is increasing cross-sectoral strategies by building new partnerships “…between the municipality and its community and business partners” (Municipal Cultural Plan, toolkit, 2011, p.21) for long term sustainability. Therefore, municipal cultural planning “…does not look at policy sectorally” (Gollmitzer, 2008, p.18), but instead strengthens and integrates “…cultural resources across all facets of government planning and decision making” (Municipal Cultural Plan Toolkit, 2011, p.21). Building new networks are supported by leveraging the sense of place within a community. Adopting a place-based planning approach allows “…government, community organizations and citizens to explore, measure and asses the values, resources and assets of the community” (Huhtala, 2016, p.66), in order to leverage them for economic prosperity.

• Writer synthesizes academic and grey literature to demonstrate how concepts are applied in policy.
• Writer also demonstrates analysis of evidence and its relevance to the brief’s focused issue.
• Use of direct quotation can feature the language of a policy if the writer wishes to analyze discourse; however, this excerpt relies too heavily on direct quotation, and it would be stronger if this evidence was paraphrased.

Demonstrating analysis

The quality of your policy assignment is closely tied to your analysis of the issue and the policy options you present. It is important to evaluate policy options as you research and to critically analyze how those options address the issue within its particular context. Take time to examine specific factors and parties involved in an issue and consider how these factors may facilitate or challenge each policy option; furthermore, you should also assess the advantages and disadvantages of each policy option and its impacts on these factors or parties.

You may find it valuable to consider theories, concepts, or frameworks from your course to develop your argument and to establish coherence throughout your assignment. If you assess all policy options through the same critical lens or theory, then your message will be clear and consistent throughout your document.

Integrating senior housing into the fabric of the inner core communities could make housing developments viable and situate seniors in settings where they can access these services by foot or nearby transit (Fang, 2013).  This concept can allow seniors, who may be considering downsizing, to remain within their community where they can keep active, live within easy access to medical and community services, and stay close to their support network that they have spent their lives establishing. However, the growing demand for these developments could put major pressure on the municipality.  City officials would have to amend current zoning by-laws to allow commercial and residential uses to be a part of mixed-use development and appropriate provisions need to be provided to ensure compatibility and to minimize potential negative impacts. 

• Writer presents both advantages and challenges of policy option within common concept of healthy aging communities.
• Writer also includes potential impacts and barriers of policy option, which demonstrates their consideration of the issue and its context.

Organized, concise, and clear writing

Policy writing should be well-organized and easy to follow. Use headings and subheadings to create structure and to support your reader. It is common to number sections and subsections to further clarify the order of your ideas. In addition, good paragraph structure also supports organization and clarity, so we encourage you to use specific topic sentences to introduce the main idea of a paragraph.

Well-written policy assignments employ a formal writing style and use third-person voice (e.g., they) rather than first-person (e.g., I, we) or second-person (e.g., you) voice. Further, they avoid jargon, but use specific and clear language. When you revise your draft, take time to consider each sentence and remove repetitive or redundant phrases and words.

Finally, it is important to pay attention to the details. Label any figures or tables in your document; make reference to these figures or tables in the text of your work (e.g., see Figure 1). Also be sure to follow assignment instructions for referencing evidence in your text (e.g., footnotes or author-date system) and in your list of sources, which is often categorized by type of source (e.g., academic, government, NGOs).

There are many ways to approach a policy assignment, but it is important to take time to research and analyze issues and policy options thoroughly prior to writing. Consider the following steps to complete your policy assignment:

• Read assignment instructions closely
• Preliminary research: review course materials, brainstorm, conduct environmental scan or site visit, consider current issues relevant to course concepts
• Define issue: consider questions and frameworks
• Research issue and context
• Research and evaluate policy alternatives in other places
• Analyze policy alternatives and consider fit for current issue and context; select policy options to present
• Outline sections: what evidence goes where? How does evidence work together?
• Write sections (leave Executive Summary until last)
• Revise for organization, analysis, and use of evidence. See Strategies for Revision and Proofreading.
• Edit for clarity, concision, and grammar
• Complete final proof of document
• These examples are not to be reproduced in whole or part. Use of the ideas or words in this example is an act of plagiarism, which is subject to academic integrity policy at Trent University and other academic institutions.

Policy Briefs

What this handout is about.

This handout will offer tips for writing effective policy briefs. Be sure to check with your instructor about their specific expectations for your assignment.

What are policy briefs?

Imagine that you’re an elected official serving on a committee that sets the standards cars must meet to pass a state inspection. You know that this is a complex issue, and you’d like to learn more about existing policies, the effects of emissions on the environment and on public health, the economic consequences of different possible approaches, and more–you want to make an informed decision. But you don’t have time to research all of these issues! You need a policy brief.

A policy brief presents a concise summary of information that can help readers understand, and likely make decisions about, government policies. Policy briefs may give objective summaries of relevant research, suggest possible policy options, or go even further and argue for particular courses of action.

How do policy briefs differ from other kinds of writing assignments?

You may encounter policy brief assignments in many different academic disciplines, from public health and environmental science to education and social work. If you’re reading this handout because you’re having your first encounter with such an assignment, don’t worry–many of your existing skills and strategies, like using evidence , being concise , and organizing your information effectively , will help you succeed at this form of writing. However, policy briefs are distinctive in several ways.

In some of your college writing, you’ve addressed your peers, your professors, or other members of your academic field. Policy briefs are usually created for a more general reader or policy maker who has a stake in the issue that you’re discussing.

Tone and terminology

Many academic disciplines discourage using unnecessary jargon, but clear language is especially important in policy briefs. If you find yourself using jargon, try to replace it with more direct language that a non-specialist reader would be more likely to understand. When specialized terminology is necessary, explain it quickly and clearly to ensure that your reader doesn’t get confused.

Policy briefs are distinctive in their focus on communicating the practical implications of research to a specific audience. Suppose that you and your roommate both write research-based papers about global warming. Your roommate is writing a research paper for an environmental science course, and you are writing a policy brief for a course on public policy. You might both use the exact same sources in writing your papers. So, how might those papers differ?

Your roommate’s research paper is likely to present the findings of previous studies and synthesize them in order to present an argument about what we know. It might also discuss the methods and processes used in the research.

Your policy brief might synthesize the same scientific findings, but it will deploy them for a very specific purpose: to help readers decide what they should do. It will relate the findings to current policy debates, with an emphasis on applying the research outcomes rather than assessing the research procedures. A research paper might also suggest practical actions, but a policy brief is likely to emphasize them more strongly and develop them more fully.

To support these changes in audience, tone, and purpose, policy briefs have a distinctive format. You should consult your assignment prompt and/or your professor for instructions about the specific requirements of your assignment, but most policy briefs have several features in common. They tend to use lots of headings and have relatively short sections. This structure differs from many short papers in the humanities that may have a title but no further headings, and from reports in the sciences that may follow the “IMRAD” structure of introduction, methods, results, and discussion. Your brief might include graphs, charts, or other visual aids that make it easier to digest the most important information within sections.  Policy briefs often include some of these sections:

• Title: A good title quickly communicates the contents of the brief in a memorable way.
• Executive Summary: This section is often one to two paragraphs long; it includes an overview of the problem and the proposed policy action.
• Context or Scope of Problem: This section communicates the importance of the problem and aims to convince the reader of the necessity of policy action.
• Policy Alternatives: This section discusses the current policy approach and explains proposed options. It should be fair and accurate while convincing the reader why the policy action proposed in the brief is the most desirable.
• Policy Recommendations: This section contains the most detailed explanation of the concrete steps to be taken to address the policy issue.
• Appendices: If some readers might need further support in order to accept your argument but doing so in the brief itself might derail the conversation for other readers, you might include the extra information in an appendix.
• Consulted or Recommended Sources: These should be reliable sources that you have used throughout your brief to guide your policy discussion and recommendations.

Depending on your specific topic and assignment, you might combine sections or break them down into several more specific ones.

How do I identify a problem for my policy brief?

An effective policy brief must propose a solution to a well-defined problem that can be addressed at the level of policy. This may sound easy, but it can take a lot of work to think of a problem in a way that is open to policy action.

For example, “bad spending habits in young adults” might be a problem that you feel strongly about, but you can’t simply implement a policy to “make better financial decisions.” In order to make it the subject of a policy brief, you’ll need to look for research on the topic and narrow it down. Is the problem a lack of financial education, predatory lending practices, dishonest advertising, or something else? Narrowing to one of these (and perhaps further) would allow you to write a brief that can propose concrete policy action.

For another example, let’s say that you wanted to address children’s health. This is a big issue, and too broad to serve as the focus of a policy brief, but it could serve as a starting point for research. As you begin to research studies on children’s health, you might decide to zoom in on the more specific issue of childhood obesity. You’ll need to consult the research further to decide what factors contribute to it in order to propose policy changes. Is it lack of exercise, nutritional deficiencies, a combination of these, or something else? Choosing one or another of these issues, your brief would zoom in even further to specific proposals that might include exercise initiatives, nutritional guidelines, or school lunch programs.

The key is that you define the problem and its contributing factors as specifically as possible so that some sort of concrete policy action (at the local, state, or national level) is feasible.

Framing the issue

Once you’ve identified the problem for yourself, you need to decide how you will present it to your reader. Your own process of identifying the problem likely had some stops, starts, and dead-ends, but your goal in framing the issue for your reader is to provide the most direct path to understanding the problem and the proposed policy change. It can be helpful to think of some of the most pressing questions your audience will have and attempt to preemptively answer those questions. Here are some questions you might want to consider:

What is the problem?

Understanding what the problem is, in the clearest terms possible, will give your reader a reference point. Later, when you’re discussing complex information, your reader can refer back to the initial problem. This will help to ‘anchor’ them throughout the course of your argument. Every piece of information in the brief should be clearly and easily connected to the problem.

What is the scope of the problem?

Knowing the extent of the problem helps to frame the policy issue for your reader. Is the problem statewide, national, or international? How many people does this issue affect? Daily? Annually? This is a great place for any statistical information you may have gathered through your research.

Who are the stakeholders?

Who does this issue affect? Adult women? College-educated men? Children from bilingual homes? The primary group being affected is important, and knowing who this group is allows the reader to assign a face to the policy issue.

Policy issues can include a complex network of stakeholders. Double check whether you have inadvertently excluded any of them from your analysis. For example, a policy about children’s nutrition obviously involves the children, but it might also include food producers, distributors, parents, and nutritionists (and other experts). Some stakeholders might be reluctant to accept your policy change or even acknowledge the existence of the problem, which is why your brief must be convincing in its use of evidence and clear in its communication.

Effective policy-writing

This handout has emphasized that good policy briefs are clear, concise, and focused on applying credible research to policy problems. Let’s take a look at two versions of the introduction to a policy brief to see how someone might write and revise to achieve these qualities:

A “not-so-good” policy brief

Adolescents’ Dermatologic Health in Outlandia: A Call to Action

The Report on Adolescents’ Dermatologic Health in Outlandia (2010), issued by Secretary of Health Dr. Polly Galver, served as a platform to increase public awareness on the importance of dermatologic health for adolescents. Among the major themes of the report are that dermatologic health is essential to general health and well-being and that profound and consequential dermatologic health disparities exist in the state of Outlandia. Dr. Galver stated that what amounts to a silent epidemic of acne is affecting some population groups–restricting activities as schools, work, and home–and often significantly diminishing the quality of life. Dr. Galver issued the Report on Adolescents’ Dermatologic Health as a wake-up call to policymakers and health professionals on issues regarding the state’s dermatologic health. (“ Not so good policy brief ,” Reproduced with permission of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.)

This paragraph introduces a relevant and credible source, but it fails to use that source to explain a problem and propose policy action. The reader is likely to be confused because the word “acne” does not appear until the middle of the paragraph, and the brief never states what action should be taken to address it. In addition to this lack of focus, the paragraph also includes unnecessary phrases like “among the major themes” that could be removed to make it more concise.

A better policy brief

Seeing Spots: Addressing the Silent Epidemic of Acne in Outlandia’s Youth

Acne is the most common chronic disease among adolescents in Outlandia (Outlandia Department of Health, 2010). Long considered a benign rite of passage, acne actually has far-reaching effects on the health and well being of adolescents, significantly affecting success in school, social relationships, and general quality of life. Yet large portions of the state’s population are unable to access treatment for acne. The Secretary of Health’s Report on Adolescents’ Dermatologic Health in Outlandia (2010) is a call to action for policymakers and health professionals to improve the health and wellbeing of Outlandia’s youth by increasing access to dermatologic care (“ A Better Policy Brief” , Reproduced with permission of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.)

This paragraph is far more focused and concise than the first version. The opening sentence is straightforward; instead of focusing on the source, it makes a clear and memorable point that is supported by the source. Additionally, though the first version was titled “a call to action,” it did not actually say what that action might be. In this version, it is clear that the call is for increased access to dermatologic care.

Keep in mind that clarity, conciseness, and consistent focus are rarely easy to achieve in a first draft. Careful editing and revision are key parts of writing policy briefs.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Smith, Catherine F. 2016. Writing Public Policy , 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press.

Young, Eoin, and Lisa Quinn. n.d. “The Policy Brief.” University of Delaware. Accessed June 24, 2019. https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blog.lrei.org/dist/c/104/wp-content/uploads/sites/346/2009/11/PolicyBrief-described.pdf .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments

• Annotated Bibliography
• Analyzing a Scholarly Journal Article
• Group Presentations
• Dealing with Nervousness
• Using Visual Aids
• Grading Someone Else's Paper
• Types of Structured Group Activities
• Group Project Survival Skills
• Leading a Class Discussion
• Multiple Book Review Essay
• Reviewing Collected Works
• Writing a Case Analysis Paper
• Writing a Case Study
• About Informed Consent
• Writing Field Notes
• Writing a Policy Memo
• Writing a Reflective Paper
• Writing a Research Proposal
• Generative AI and Writing
• Acknowledgments

A policy memo is a practical, professionally written document that can vary in length from one page to over twenty-five pages. It provides analysis and recommendations directed to a predetermined audience regarding a specific situation, topic, or issue. A well-written policy memo reflects attention to the policy problem. It is well organized and structured in a clear and concise style that assumes the reader possesses limited knowledge of, as well as little time to conduct research about, the topic of concern. There is no thesis statement or overall theoretical framework underpinning the document; the focus is on describing one or more specific policy recommendations and their supporting action items.

Bhasin, Tavishi and Charity Butcher. “Teaching Effective Policy Memo Writing and Infographics in a Policy Programme.” European Political Science 21 (2022): 1-17; Davis, Jennifer. Guide to Writing Effective Policy Memos. MIT OpenCourseWare, Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Planning in Developing Countries, Spring 2004; Judge, Andrew. "Designing and Implementing Policy Writing Assessments: A Practical Guide." Teaching Public Administration 39 (2021): 351-368; Pennock, Andrew. “The Case for Using Policy Writing in Undergraduate Political Science Courses.” PS: Political Science and Politics 44 (January 2011): 141-146.

How to Approach Writing a Policy Memo

Benefits of Writing a Policy Memo

Writing a policy memo is intended to support the following learning outcomes:

• Helps students learn how to write academically rigorous, persuasive papers about a specific “real-world” issue;
• Teaches how to choose and craft a document’s content based on the needs of a particular audience [rather than for a general readership];
• Prepares students to write an effective position paper in non-academic settings;
• Promotes researching, organizing, and writing a persuasive paper that emphasizes presenting evidence-based recommendations rather than simply reporting a study's findings;
• Teaches students to be client-oriented and to better anticipate the assumptions and concerns of their targeted readership;
• Encourages reflective thinking about the cause and consequential effect of a particular recommendation and to anticipate what questions stakeholder groups may have; and,
• Enables students to create original work that synthesizes policy-making research into a clearly written document advocating change and specific courses of action.

Do not approach writing a policy memo in the same way as you would an academic research paper . Yes, there are certain commonalities in how the content is presented [e.g., a well-written problem statement], but the overarching objective of a policy memo is not to discover or create new knowledge. It is focused on providing to a predetermined group of readers the rationale for choosing a particular policy alternative and/or specific courses of action leading to positive social and political change within society. In this sense, most policy memos possess a component of advocacy and advice intended to promote evidence-based dialog about an issue.

Essential Elements of an Effective Policy Memo Focus and Objectives The overall content of your memo should be strategically aimed at achieving the following goal: convincing your target audience about the accuracy of your analysis and, by extension, that your policy recommendations are valid. Avoid lengthy digressions and superfluous narration that can distract the reader from understanding the policy problem. Note that your target audience is defined in two ways: by the decision-makers who can advocate for or implement change and by individuals and groups most likely impacted by your policy recommendations should they be implemented. Professionally Written Always keep in mind that a policy memorandum is a tool for decision-making. Keep it professional and avoid hyperbole and clever or indeterminate language that could undermine the credibility of your document. The presentation and content of the memo should be polished, easy to understand, and free of jargon. Writing professionally does not imply that you can’t be passionate about your topic, but your policy recommendations should be evidence-based and grounded in solid reasoning and a succinct writing style. Evidence-based A policy memo is not an argumentative debate paper. The reader should expect your recommendations to be based upon evidence that the problem exists and understand the consequences [both good and bad] of adopting particular policy alternatives. To address this, policy memos should include a clear cost-benefit analysis that considers anticipated outcomes, the potential impact on stakeholder groups you have identified, clear and quantifiable performance goals, and how success will be measured. Accessibility A policy memo requires clear and simple language that avoids unnecessary jargon and concepts of an academic discipline. Do not skip around. Use one paragraph to develop one idea or argument and make that idea or argument explicit within the first one or two sentences. Your memo should have a straightforward, explicit organizational structure that provides well-explained arguments arranged within a logical sequence of reasoning [think in terms of an if/then logic model--if this policy recommendation, then this action; if this benefit, then this potential cost; if this group is allocated resources, then this group may be excluded]. Presentation Style The visual impact of your memo affects the reader’s ability to grasp your ideas quickly and easily. Include a table of contents and list of figures and charts, if necessary. Subdivide the text using clear and descriptive headings to guide the reader. Incorporate devices such as capitalization, bold text, and bulleted items, but be consistent, and don’t go crazy; the purpose is to facilitate access to specific sections of the paper for successive readings. If it is difficult to find information in your document, policy makers will not use it. Practical and Feasible Your memorandum should provide a set of actions based on what is actually happening in reality. Do not base your policy recommendations on future scenarios or hypothetical situations that could be interpreted as unlikely to occur or that do not appear possible because you have not adequately explained the circumstances supporting these scenarios. Here again, your cost-benefit analysis can be essential to validating the practicality and feasibility of your recommendations. Explicit Transparency Provide specific criteria to assess either the success or failure of the policies you are recommending. As much as possible, this criteria should be derived from your cost/benefit analysis or framed as a SWOT [Strengths-weaknesses, opportunities-threats]. Do not hide or under-report information that does not support your policy recommendations. Just as you would note the limitations of your study in a research paper, a policy memo should describe issues of weakness of your analysis. Explain why they may arise and why your recommendations are still valid despite these issues. Be open and straightforward because doing so strengthens your arguments and it will help the reader assess the overall impact of recommended policy changes.

NOTE: Technically, it would not be wrong for your policy memo to argue for maintaining the status quo. However, the general objective of a policy memo assignment is to critically examine opportunities for transformative change and to highlight the risks of on-going complacency. If you choose to argue for maintaining the current policy trajectory, in whole or in part, be concise in identifying and systematically refuting all relevant policy options. Again, it must be rooted in an evidence-based cost/benefit analysis. Whether maintaining current policies is short-term or long-term [and these need to be clearly defined], you must explain concisely why each possible outcome of maintaining the status quo would be preferable to any alternative policy options and recommended courses of action. If your argument for maintaining the status quo is short-term, explain what factors in the future could trigger a policy-related course correction.

Herman, Luciana. Policy Memos. John F. Kennedy School of Government. Harvard University; How to Write a Public Policy Memo. Student Learning Center. University of California, Berkeley; Policy Memo. Thompson Writing Program, Writing Studio. Duke University; Policy Memo Guidelines. Cornell Fellows Program. Cornell University; Memo: Audience and Purpose. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Policy Memo Requirements and Guidelines, 2012-2013 edition. Institute for Public Policy Studies. University of Denver; Thrall, A. Trevor. How to Write a Policy Memo. University of Michigan--Dearborn, 2006; Mastro, Oriana Skylar. "Teach What you Preach: A Comprehensive Guide to the Policy Memo as a Methods Teaching Tool." Journal of Political Science Education 17 (2021): 326-340; Writing Effective Memos. Electronic Hallway. Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs. University of Washington; Writing Effective Policy Memos. Water & Sanitation Infrastructure Planning syllabus. Spring 2004. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Structure and Writing Style

The contents of a policy memo can be organized in a variety of ways. Below is a general template adapted from the “Policy Memo Requirements and Guidelines, 2012-2013 edition” published by the Institute for Public Policy Studies at the University of Denver and from suggestions made in the book, A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem-Solving [Eugene Bardach. 4th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2012] . Both sources provide useful approaches to writing a policy memo in the event your professor does not provide specific guidance. Overall, the tone of your writing should be formal but assertive. Note that the most important consideration in terms of writing style is professionalism, not creativity. I.  Cover Page Provide a complete and informative cover page that includes the document title, date, the full names and titles of the writer or writers [i.e., Joe Smith, Student, Department of Political Science, University of Southern California]. The title of the policy memo should be formally written and specific to the policy issue [e.g., “Charter Schools, Fair Housing, and Legal Standards: A Call for Equal Treatment”]. For longer memos, consider including a brief executive summary that highlights key findings and recommendations.

II.  Introduction and Problem Definition A policy memorandum should begin with a short summary introduction that defines the policy problem, provides important contextual background information, and explains what issues are being covered. This is followed by a short justification for writing the memo, why a decision needs to be made [answering the “So What?” question], and an outline of the recommendations you make or key themes the reader should keep in mind. Summarize your main points in a few sentences, then conclude with a description of how the remainder of the memo is organized.

III.  Methods This is usually where other research about the problem or issue of concern is summarized. Describe how you plan to identify and locate the information on which your policy memo is based. This may include peer-reviewed journals and books as well as possible professionals you interviewed, databases and websites you explored, or legislative histories or relevant case law that you used. Remember this is not intended to be a thorough literature review; only choose sources that persuasively support your position or that help lay a foundation for understanding why actions need to be taken.

IV.  Issue Analysis This section is where you explain in detail how you examined the issue and, by so doing, persuade the reader of the appropriateness of your analysis. This is followed by a description of how your analysis contributes to the current policy debate. It is important to demonstrate that the policy issue may be more complex than a basic pro versus con debate. Very few public policy debates can be reduced to this type of rhetorical dichotomy. Be sure your analysis is thorough and takes into account all factors that may influence possible strategies that could advance a recommended set of solutions.

V.  Proposed Solutions Write a brief review of the specific solutions you evaluated, noting the criteria by which you examined and compared different proposed policy alternatives. Identify the stakeholders impacted by the proposed solutions and describe in what ways they will benefit from your proposed solution. Focus on identifying solutions that have not been proposed or tested elsewhere. Offer a contrarian viewpoint that challenges the reader to take into account a new perspective on the research problem. Note that you can propose solutions that may be considered radical or unorthodox, but they must be realistic and politically feasible.

VI.  Strategic Recommendations Solutions are just opinions until you provide a path that delineates how to get from where you are to where you want to go. Describe what you believe are the best recommended courses of action [i.e., "action items"]. In writing this section, state the broad approach to be taken, with specific, practical steps or measures that should be implemented. Be sure to also state by whom and within what time frame these actions should be taken. Conclude by highlighting the consequences of maintaining the status quo [or if supporting the status quo, why change at this time would be detrimental]. Also, clearly explain why your strategic recommendations are best suited for addressing the current policy situation.

VI.  Limitations As in any academic paper, you must describe limitations to your analysis. In particular, ask yourself if each of your recommendations are realistic, feasible, and sustainable, and in particular, that they can be implemented within the current bureaucratic, economic, political, cultural, social, or other type of contextual climate in which they reside. If not, you should go back and clarify your recommendations and provide further evidence as to why the recommendation is most appropriate for addressing the issue. It does not necessarily undermine the overall recommendations of your study if the limitation cannot be overcome, but you must clearly acknowledge this. Place the limitation within the context of a critical issue that needs further study in concurrence with possible implementation [i.e., findings indicate service learning promotes civic engagement, but there is a lack of data on the types of service learning programs that exist among high schools in South Central Los Angeles].

VII.  Cost-Benefit Analysis This section may be optional but, in some cases, your professor may ask you to include an explicit summary analysis of the costs and benefits of each recommendation. If you are asked to include a separate cost-benefit analysis, be concise and brief. Since most policy memos do not have a formal conclusion, the cost-benefit analysis can act as your conclusion by summarizing the key differences among policy alternatives and recommended courses of action.

NOTE:   A feature found in many policy memos is the inclusion of text boxes or sidebars that are separate from the main body of text. A text box contains a useful checklist, case study, summary, example, quotation, definition, or expansion of an idea that is located close to the text it supports. A sidebar is a type of exclamation located beside or within the main content that brings further attention to a key point or is used to encourage the reader to pay particular attention to that section of the memo. A sidebar often contains a quotation or brief statement lifted from the main text. Both features are appropriate to use in your policy memo, but don't overdo it. Limit the use of a text box or sidebar to only the most essential text that expands or adds value to understanding content in a specific section of the policy memo, in particular, in the issue analysis section or when describing your strategic recommendations.

Bardach, Eugene. A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem-Solving . 4th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2012; Herman, Luciana. Policy Memos. John F. Kennedy School of Government. Harvard University; How to Write a Public Policy Memo. Student Learning Center. University of California, Berkeley; Policy Memo Guidelines. Cornell Fellows Program. Cornell University; Memo: Audience and Purpose. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Pennock, Andrew. “The Case for Using Policy Writing in Undergraduate Political Science Courses.” PS: Political Science and Politics 44 (January 2011): 141-146; Policy Memo Requirements and Guidelines, 2012-2013 edition. Institute for Public Policy Studies. University of Denver; Text Boxes and Callouts. Australian Government Style Manual; Thrall, A. Trevor. How to Write a Policy Memo. University of Michigan--Dearborn, 2006; Sajedinejad, S., et al. From Research to Impact: A Toolkit for Developing Effective Policy Briefs . Toronto, Ontario: Policy Bench, Fraser Mustard Institute of Human Development, University of Toronto, 2021; What Are Policy Briefs. FAO Corporate Document Repository. United Nations; Writing Effective Memos. Electronic Hallway. Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs. University of Washington; Writing Effective Policy Memos. Water & Sanitation Infrastructure Planning syllabus. Spring 2004. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Proofreading the Memo

Problems to Avoid

The style and arrangement of an effectively written memo can differ because no two policies, nor their intended audience of readers, are exactly the same. Nevertheless, before you submit your policy memo, be sure you proofread the document so that you avoid these common problems. If you identify one or more of these problems, you should rewrite or re-organize the content accordingly.

1.  Acknowledge the Law of Unintended Consequences . No policy analysis is complete until you have identified for whom the policy actions are supposed to benefit and identify what groups may be impacted by the consequences of their implementation. Review your memo and make sure you have clearly delineated who could be helped and who could be potentially harmed or excluded from benefiting from your recommended policy actions. As noted by Wilcoxen, this is also important because describing who may or may not benefit can help you anticipate which stakeholder groups will support your policy recommendations and which groups will likely oppose it. Calculating potential "winners" and "losers" will help reveal how much it may cost to compensate those groups excluded from benefiting. By building this compensation into your policy recommendations, you are better able to show the reader how to reduce political obstacles.

2.  Anticipate the Reader's Questions . Examine your recommended courses of action and identify any open-ended, declarative, indeterminate, or ambiguous statements that could lead the reader to have to ask further questions. For example, you declare that the most important factor supporting school choice among parents is distance from home. Without clarification or additional information, this could lead the reader to ask numerous questions, such as, why or by what means do you know this, what distance is considered to be too far, what factors contribute to parent's decision about school choice and distance from schools, or what age group does this most apply to. Clarify these types of open-ended statements so that your policy recommendations can be more fully understood and accepted as valid.

3.  Be Concise . Being succinct in your writing does not relate to the overall length of the policy memo or the amount of words you use. It relates to your ability to provide a lot of information clearly and without superfluous detail. Strategies include r eviewing long paragraphs and breaking them up into parts, looking for long sentences and eliminating unnecessary qualifiers and modifiers, and deleting prepositional phrases in favor of adjectives or adverbs. The overarching goal is to be thorough and precise in how your ideas are presented and to avoid writing that uses too many words or excessively technical expressions.

4.  Focus on the Results . While it is important that your memo describe the methods by which you gathered and analyzed the data informing your policy recommendations, the content should focus on explaining the results of your analysis and the logic underpinning your recommendations. Remember your audience. The reader is presumably a decision-maker with limited knowledge of the issue and who has little time to contemplate the methods of analysis. The validity of your findings will be determined primarily by your reader's determination that your policy recommendations and supporting action items are realistic and rooted in sound reasoning. Review your memo and make sure the statement about how you gathered the data is brief and concise. If necessary, technical issues or raw data can be included in an appendix.

5.  Minimize Subjective Reasoning . Although the memo should be persuasive, avoid emphasizing your personal opinion about the topic. A policy memo should be written in a professional tone with recommendations based upon empirical reasoning while, at the same time, reflecting a level of passion about your topic. However, being passionate does not imply being opinionated. The memo should emphasize presenting all of the facts a reader would need to reach their own conclusions about the validity of your recommendations.

6.  Use of Non-textual Elements . It is common for policy memos to include data, statistics, and other types of information that require visualization. Review all tables, charts, figures, graphs, photographs, and other non-textual elements and make sure they are labeled correctly. Examine each in relation to the text, making sure they are described adequately and that they relate to the overall content of your memo. If these elements are located in appendices, make sure descriptive references to them within the text are correct [i.e., reference to Figure 2 is actually the table you want the reader to look at].

Bardach, Eugene and Eric M. Pataschnik. A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem-Solving . 5th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2016; Herman, Luciana. Policy Memos. John F. Kennedy School of Government. Harvard University; How to Write a Public Policy Memo. Student Learning Center. University of California, Berkeley; Memo: Audience and Purpose. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Policy Memo Requirements and Guidelines, 2012-2013 edition. Institute for Public Policy Studies. University of Denver; Wilcoxen, Peter J. Tips on Writing a Policy Memo. PAI 723, Economics for Public Decisions Course Syllabus. Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University.

Writing Tip

Difference Between a Policy Memo and a Policy Brief

A policy memo and a policy brief share much in common. They both describe the rationale for choosing particular policy alternatives or courses of action, they both contain persuasive language, and both documents are written for non-experts, such as, practitioners, politicians, non-governmental agency workers, lobbyists, and others who work on or regularly make decisions about the issue addressed in the document. Both documents are free of jargon or technical terminology and focus on communicating the practical implications of prior policy research to a specific audience based on available evidence.

Ironically, however, a policy memo is typically shorter in length than a policy “brief.” A policy memo usually ranges from one to twenty-five pages, while a policy brief can be anywhere from twenty to more than a hundred pages in length depending on the complexity of the topic. Therefore:

• A policy brief is commonly produced in response to a request from a decision-maker concerning an issue that requires more thorough information to address the underlying policy problem or they are produced by an advocacy group or organization for the purpose of influencing a specific policy, often in an urgent tone. Non-textual elements , such as, figures, charts, graphs, or diagrams, are often included.
• A policy memo is concisely written and presents information, ideas, and recommendations clearly so the reader can quickly scan the document for the most relevant points. Policy memos focus on brevity and often synthesize existing evidence in language that is direct, specific, and with minimal background information or historical context. Non-textual elements are only included if necessary.

Guide to Writing an Effective Policy Memo. Leadership for Educational Equity, New York; Policy Briefs. The Writing Center, University of North Carolina;  Policy Memo. Writing Studio, Duke University; Manny, Karoline. What is a Policy Brief/Memo? Grace Doherty Library, Centra College; Sajedinejad, S., et al. From Research to Impact: A Toolkit for Developing Effective Policy Briefs . Toronto, Ontario: Policy Bench. Fraser Mustard Institute of Human Development, University of Toronto, 2021.

Another Writing Tip

Citing Sources

Policy memos generally do not include extensive footnotes, endnotes, further readings, or a bibliography. However, if you use supporting information in a memo, cite the source in the text. For example, you may refer to a study that supported a specific assertion by referencing it in the following manner: "A study published in 2012 by the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling showed that public opinion towards China was....” However, some assignments may require a formal list of references. Before writing your memo, be sure you are clear about how your professor wants you to cite any sources referred to in your analysis.

Policy Memo. Thompson Writing Program, Writing Studio. Duke University.

Yet Another Writing Tip

Using Non-Textual Elements

Policy memos are not just text-based but frequently include numeric tables and charts or other non-textual elements, such as photographs, maps, and illustrations. However, it is important that you use non-textual elements judiciously and only in relation to supplementing and clarifying arguments made in the text so as not to distract the reader from the main points of your memo . As with any non-textual elements, describe what the reader is seeing and why the data is important to understanding the policy problem.

Still Yet Another Writing Tip

Including Appendices

The purpose of an appendix is to provide supplementary material that is not an essential part of the main text but which may be helpful in providing the reader with more complete information. If you have information that is vital to understanding an issue discussed in the memo, it can be included in one or more appendices. However, if you have a lot of information, don't write a five page memo and include twenty pages of appendices. Memos are intended to be  succinct and clearly expressed. If there is a lot of data, refer to the source and summarize it, or discuss with your professor how it should be included.

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Azure Policy: Starter Guide

My coworkers and teammates often reach out to me with similar questions regarding the best practices for creating and applying Azure Policy . That tendency encouraged me to compile this starter guide for Azure Policy, which is based on my practical experience in multiple projects and covers the 20% baseline that allows you to implement 80% of typical use cases, aka the Pareto principle .

Learn the topic

RTFM stands for “read the fucking manual,” bro.

Seriously, I mean, read the Microsoft Azure Policy docs first. Microsoft is doing a great job with documenting their services and solutions recently, and without knowing the basic Azure Policy principles, it will be really hard for you to grasp the concepts. After investigating what Azure Policy is for, I suggest looking through the list of built-in policies to get an idea about typical use cases for different Azure service types.

The two most important points to pay attention to initially are understanding Azure Policy effects and Azure Policy deployment scopes . The effects will give you some insights into what you can actually do with the policies. At the same time, the deployment scope will save you time for troubleshooting why you cannot assign a policy deployed at the subscription level to another subscription.

The evaluation of logical conditions in policy rules, I would say less critical. It might cause you some headache initially, but as soon as you understand how the double negation works, you shall be fine.

Although Azure policies can modify the configuration of existing Azure resources and even deploy new resources, I suggest starting with auditing resource configuration (Audit and AuditIfNotExists effects) and putting some guardrails (Deny effect) in your environment as the latter ones are easier to learn and understand.

Apart from the official documentation, I definitely recommend watching a few learning courses about Azure Governance on Pluralsight :

• Mastering Microsoft Azure Governance by James Bannan
• Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer: Implementing Infrastructure Control and Compliance by John Savill

They are just a few hours long and can provide you with a really good starting point to advance your Azure Policy learning.

Make an assessment

“Think first before you act.” An unknown guru.

Before making any changes in your environment, i.e., assigning a new Azure Policy to your subscription, it is worth knowing first what policies are already in effect and their compliance results. Besides, assigned policies are evaluated in a specific order you should be aware of. Otherwise, it is easy to mess up your Azure environment: policies usually control something on a global scale (a whole subscription or management group), therefore impacting lots of resources.

In 80 percent of use cases, using the Azure portal to assess what existing policy and initiative assignments are and their compliance state will be the right choice – when there are only a few policies applied, no need to overcomplicate things.

In more advanced scenarios, when an organization already deployed dozens of custom Azure Policy definitions and extensively uses them at the management group level and on the individual subscriptions, manual assessment is somewhat complicated. Here I can suggest using AzGovViz – a community build solution (a PowerShell script) that can help you quickly create a comprehensive report in different formats containing all the details about Azure Policy configuration in your environment and more. You can event integrate AzGovViz with Azure DevOps pipelines to document the policy configuration as part of your deployments.

Create your policy

“Let’s roll up your sleeves and get to work!” A motivational speech.

Even though Microsoft already provided us with lots of useful built-in ready-to-use policies, I encourage you to not hurry on assigning them left and right. You will never understand how Azure Policy works to the full extent until you learn how to create and manage your custom policies.

A typical antipattern to avoid is dozens of individually assigned policies when they should be applied as a group via a policy initiative.

Firstly, you can look into the source code of built-in Azure policies (check the last column with the links to GitHub) and use it as a draft for your custom policy or initiative definitions. Alternatively, you can go straight to the Azure Policy Samples repository on GitHub , clone it, and explore with your coding tools.

Probably, the best coding experience with Azure Policy as of now is to use Visual Studio Code with Azure Policy extension for it . Additionally, I suggest installing the ARM Tools extension . It will significantly help you with syntax validation, snippets, and auto-completion if you decide to define your policies in ARM templates to make your deployment experience more consistent.

Recently, Microsoft has updated its docs with some ARM snippets for policy definitions , policy set definitions (aka policy initiatives), and their assignments . Still, those articles miss many nuances and details, and I suggest checking out my work on Azure Policies and my repository for sample Azure Policies on GitHub .

For more advanced cases, check the recent updates to Azure Policy on AzPolicyAdvertizer . As documenting new policies usually takes some time, AzPolicyAdvertizer closes that gap by providing short information about policies and recent changes to them.

A common use case is to duplicate a built-in policy logic in your custom definition completely. The reason for that is the way how Azure Policy engine handles updates to the existing definitions. When you update a definition, all existing policy assignment of it will automatically be using the new definition. Although there are some controls for backward compatibility, and Microsoft usually doesn’t introduce breaking changes in the existing definitions, many teams prefer to have full control over their configuration.

“Damn it! I said, test it first!” A senior developer, fixing a bug in production.

I honestly must warn you that testing Azure Policy is not an easy task. Nevertheless, I strongly encourage you to test your policy work before putting it into use. Considering the usual scope the policies are applied and the effects they can make (change configuration, deploy new resources), the results of careless policy assignments can be quite devastating to your environment.

First of all, you need to ensure that the syntax of your policy or initiative is correct. Whether you define your definitions in JSON policy format or ARM templates, the Visual Studio Code extensions mentioned above should help you find and fix basic syntax errors. If you stick with the ARM template option , you can use Test-Az*Deployment Azure PowerShell cmdlets to validate your templates’ syntax against Azure Resource Manager APIs. Unfortunately, the policy-related cmdlets in the Az.Resources module don’t support any testing options yet.

As a matter of caution, set the policy ‘enforcementMode’ parameter into the disabled state when creating assignments for your tested policies so you can safely audit their work results.

Secondly, be aware that Azure Policy assignments don’t come into effect immediately. There is a policy evaluation delay , which is around 30 minutes or so. Also, auditing your resources might take some time as the Azure Policy engine needs to evaluate all resources against policy rules within the assigned scope. In other words, you cannot test the results of your policy work immediately. Apart from that, the delay effectively complicates automated tests for Azure Policy.

Although there is an option to initiate an on-demand evaluation scan , it still won’t make the whole process much faster if a policy needs to process thousands of resources.

Due to all the complications, I would say that the testing process for your policies will be manual or semi-manual in most cases. You will validate the syntax, deploy the definitions into a test environment, i.e., a dedicated subscription, assign them to a test scope, deploy some resources to test the expected policy behavior, and check results on the portal . In the end, the code for Azure Policy is not something that is often updated, and manual testing can be a reasonable tradeoff to creating automated test cases.

However, in advanced scenarios, when you need to create and maintain more than a handful of simple policies, creating automated Azure Policy tests as part of your CI/CD pipeline is a must. I’m planning to cover this topic in detail in a separate post as it requires quite a lot of explanation not explicitly tied to Azure Policy.

“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Master Yoda to young Skywalker.

As I already mentioned, before actually deploying your custom policy or initiative definitions, you should clearly understand what the deployment scopes are. Besides, you should also understand how Azure Policy inclusions, exclusions, and exemptions work. Apart from that, you should have a clear distinction between a policy/initiative definition and its assignment: you should deploy the definition and assign it to your scope to make your Azure policy work.

Technically, you can deploy policies and create assignments using any supported method: the portal, Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, Azure REST API, etc . It’s really up to you to choose which one o them fits your configuration management and deployment practices.

When I started working with Azure Policy myself, I was a bit frustrated with the default programming experience of maintaining two separate files for each definition and came up with a solution on how to deploy Azure Policy with ARM templates . However, things have changed since then, and now the policies are defined in a single file . A slight improvement, but the Azure PowerShell cmdlets still require lots of additional parameters that should be duplicated on their usage.

Optionally, you can try using the AzOps deployment framework, which could be a good choice for large environments when you run your Azure Governance as a separate project.

Just be consistent in the way you do your deployments and preferably manage Azure Policy as a part of your CI/CD pipelines .

Check the results

“A man reaps what he sows” A proverb.

Finally, your first policy is deployed, the assignment is created, and it’s time to see what we have got.

Remember about the time it takes for policy to come into effect and evaluate your resources .

Using the Azure portal to get Azure Policy compliance results would be the most obvious and probably the most reasonable choice at the beginning – it won’t heart to keep things simple.

For advanced scenarios, when you are already proficient with managing Azure Policy from deployment pipelines, you might want to check how you can get Policy insights with code to evaluate them in your test cases. Also, take a look at the Az.PolicyInsights PowerShell module, and what kind of data you can extract with it.

In conclusion

Just reading this guide won’t make you an expert in Azure Policy. For that, you need to have some practice too. So, give it a try – look into your Azure infrastructure, find some areas you can improve with Azure Policy (trust me, there is always something that can be improved 😉), come up with a solution, test it, apply and reap the benefits!

If you have any questions about this topic, put them in the comments below 👇.

Written by:

Andrew Matveychuk

Member discussion:.

How to Write a Policy for Your Business and Employees

By Owen McGab Enaohwo | October 26, 2017

By Owen McGab Enaohwo | January 17, 2024

Last Updated on May 31, 2024 by Owen McGab Enaohwo

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Feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of policy writing? Need help communicating your ideas effectively and bringing clarity to the chaos? Fear not! Our comprehensive guide is here to ease your pain and equip you with the tools you need to master the art of policy writing. 

Policies help promote consistency and productivity while fostering an organized working environment. From startups to well-established industry giants, the unique art of policy writing is a highly underestimated skill.

Well-crafted policies are key to unlocking your workforce’s potential and fostering a positive organizational culture. This article highlights the key steps and best practices for creating comprehensive policies that your fantastic workforce can easily embrace. These policies will embody your organization’s vision and values and breathe some life into your pursuit of excellence. You can  sign up  to SweetProcess right now to create yours!

Table of Contents

Writing the Policy: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Use SweetProcess for Policy Writing

Getting started with policy writing: how to prepare, policy writing tips and best practices, implementing your new policy, policy writing samples to learn from, template for writing a policy, final thoughts, frequently asked questions, guidelines for writing the policy.

Here’s the step-by-step guide for writing the policy.

Step 1: Perform internal research

Thorough internal research is essential before creating policies. Understand the organization’s mission, values, and objectives. Identify existing policies to avoid duplication or contradictions.

Review relevant data, statistics, and past incidents to grasp the context and potential risks associated with the policy you plan to create. Engage with relevant stakeholders, such as department heads and employees, to gather insights and consider their needs.

Step 2: Identify the policies you want to create

Based on the research, identify the policies that need to be established or updated. Categorize them into clear and distinct areas, such as human resources, cybersecurity, data protection, or workplace safety. Prioritize policies based on urgency, importance, or legal requirements. Start with critical policies before moving on to those of lesser significance.

Step 3: Include the key elements in the policy

Each policy should have specific elements to ensure clarity and effectiveness. These typically include:

a. Policy Purpose and Scope

Clearly state the policy’s purpose and define its scope. Explain why the policy is essential and who it applies to within the organization. This section sets the context for the entire policy.

b. Responsibilities

Outline the roles and responsibilities of individuals or departments involved in implementing and enforcing the policy. This section helps avoid ambiguity and ensures accountability.

c. Policy Statement

Present the policy’s primary principles and rules concisely. Use clear language to avoid misinterpretation and make it easy for readers to understand.

d. Procedures and Guidelines

If necessary, include detailed procedures or guidelines that help employees adhere to the policy effectively. Use bullet points or numbered lists to improve readability.

e. Compliance and Consequences

Explain the consequences of policy violations and the organization’s steps to ensure compliance. This section emphasizes the policy’s importance and encourages adherence.

Step 4: Create content for each element of the policy

For each identified policy document, develop content that addresses the key elements. Be precise and concise, and avoid ambiguous language. Use clear terminology and avoid jargon. Ensure that the policy is aligned with the organization’s culture and tone. Seek feedback from subject matter experts and relevant stakeholders to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Step 5: Add more information to clarify the policy for stakeholders

While conciseness is crucial, certain policies may require additional information or context to ensure stakeholders fully comprehend their implications. Create supplementary materials like FAQs, examples, or implementation guidelines. These supporting documents can help employees understand how the policy applies to specific scenarios, promoting better compliance.

Step 6: Revise, review, and format the policy

Once the initial draft is ready, conduct a thorough review. Look for inconsistencies, ambiguities, or potential gaps in the policy. Seek feedback from different departments and levels of the organization to gain diverse perspectives. Revise the policy accordingly and ensure it aligns with the organization’s language and style.

Consider formatting the policy in a user-friendly manner. Use headings, bullet points, and numbering to enhance readability. Employ a logical flow that makes it easy for readers to navigate the policy.

Step 7: Approve and publish

Before finalizing the policy, obtain necessary approvals from relevant stakeholders or management. Ensure that all changes and feedback are incorporated into the final version. Once approved, communicate the policy effectively to all employees and relevant parties. To ensure maximum visibility, use multiple channels such as emails, internal communication apps, intranet, or company-wide meetings.

SweetProcess  is a powerful tool that can streamline and simplify the process of policy writing and management for businesses and organizations. This section will explore three aspects of using SweetProcess: manual policy writing, automatic policy generation with SweetAI, and the management of existing policies.

We will provide step-by-step instructions, screenshots, and video walkthroughs to help you understand how to use SweetProcess effectively.

Using SweetProcess to Write a Policy Manually

You may decide to write your policy manually using SweetProcess. Our tool offers a user-friendly interface that makes the process seamless.

Step 1: Log in to SweetProcess

Create a new SweetProcess account if you don’t have one before now, or log in to the account if you already have one.

Once logged in, you’ll be taken to the dashboard; click the “Policies” tab.

Step 2: Create a New Policy

Click the “+ Create Policy” button to create a new policy.

Give the policy a title.

Add the policy to one of your teams or more.

Click the “Continue” button.

Click on the space beneath to edit the policy.

Step 3: Define Policy Steps

Click on the “Add Step” button to add the first step to your policy.

Give the step a title and a brief description that explains what it entails.

You can also add images, videos, or documents to clarify the step further.

Step 4: Review and Publish

Review your policy once you’ve completed all the necessary steps.

When drafting the policy document, click “Approve” in the upper right corner of the page to approve it and make it live.

You can request permission by clicking the “Request Approval” button, as shown below, even if you cannot approve the policy.

Note: Any process or policy you create in SweetProcess may be embedded on any website you choose, and any changes you make will be instantly updated.

Using SweetAI to Generate Policies Automatically

SweetProcess offers an exciting feature called SweetAI, which utilizes artificial intelligence to automate policy writing based on predefined templates and guidelines. You may generate your policies in five easy steps.

Step 1: Click on the “Policies” tab on the dashboard

Step 2: Click on the “Create Policy” button

Step 3: Enter the title of the policy

Step 4: Select “Write with SweetAI”

Step 5: Manual Review and Editing

Even though SweetAI does an excellent job of drafting a policy automatically, manual review and editing are essential to ensure accuracy and relevance.

Make all necessary changes to the policy before publishing. Find below a video guide on using SweetAI:

https://www.sweetprocess.com/kb/8LBTequD/article/L7cxfDp4L/how-do-i-use-sweetai-artificial-intelligence-to-create-a-policy/

Note: One sweet feature of SweetAI is its ability to suggest  policies and procedures  for you based on your industry.

This makes your work easier and saves you the hassles of thinking through policies required for your industry. 

What Exactly Is a Policy?

Policies are like guidelines that define how every employee should act and make decisions. It involves staying consistent, following the organization’s rules or regulations, and staying true to its goals. These policies highlight several issues, including employee behavior, how crucial data should be handled securely, how finances should be managed, and more. You know, all that good stuff!

Setting up policies makes them serve as guiding lights for all employees, ensuring they know what is expected of them. This helps create a friendly work environment. Plus, they help manage risks and legal stuff, keeping everything in check.

These policies are penned down or typed, printed, and shared with every employee involved. This places all employees on the same page. However, the business world is always dynamic; therefore, these policies require regular reviews and updating to stay effective.

Bottom line : Policies are like the compass determining how things should be done in an organization. They are created to ensure everyone’s on track and completes their tasks correctly. It’s all about keeping things organized and productive for everyone.

Why Is Policy Writing Important for Your Company?

Policy writing is crucial for your company for several reasons. Firstly, company policies are the rules or guidelines that determine the behaviors of employees. According to the  U.S. Justice Department , a company needs rules and procedures to fulfill the requirements of an efficient compliance program. Clear policies promote a positive work environment by reducing misunderstandings and conflicts.

Secondly, policies help mitigate risks and ensure compliance with laws and regulations. By outlining procedures and protocols, employees can safeguard the company from legal liabilities and potential financial losses.

Effective policy writing also enhances organizational efficiency. Understanding an organization’s expectations from employees is like the secret sauce to success. This helps streamline processes and reduces the need for constant supervision.

Furthermore, policies contribute to building a reputable brand image. They demonstrate employees’ commitment to ethical practices, data privacy, and safety, fostering trust with customers and stakeholders.

Lastly, policies aid in adapting to changing circumstances. Reviewing and updating policies regularly enables employees to stay current with industry trends while ensuring the organization stays highly responsive to evolving challenges.

Policy writing is essential for creating a harmonious, compliant, and successful business environment.

Using SweetProcess to Manage Policies

After creating policies,  managing them efficiently  is vital to keep them up-to-date and ensure organizational compliance. Managing your policies is very easy with SweetProcess. The platform is flexible and allows for edits and updates.

Step 1: Select the policy you wish to edit

Step 2: Click the “Edit” tab to edit the policy.

Step 3: Click on the “Actions” tab on the top right corner of your screen if you intend to perform other actions

Step 3: Select from the drop-down the action you wish to perform

You may edit tags, add to folders, teams, or export. 

Success Stories

Some of SweetProcess’s customers have expressed satisfaction with  using SweetProcess to create, implement, and manage policies . Notable among them are as follows.

TechQuarters, a dynamic technology solutions provider, recognized the challenges posed by tribal knowledge within its organization.  Tribal knowledge  refers to information and expertise known to only a few individuals, making it difficult to share and retain vital information across the team. TechQuarters implemented SweetProcess, a powerful  process documentation  and management tool, to address this issue and enhance operational efficiency.

Using SweetProcess, TechQuarters successfully eliminated the reliance on tribal knowledge and  created a more organized, efficient, and collaborative work environment . They now enjoy seamless policy documentation and sharing. The company empowered its team members with the information they needed to excel in their roles, resulting in increased productivity, enhanced knowledge retention, and improved overall performance.

Clients have continuously achieved tremendous results with SweetProcess. Another such client is Michel Coutu, the president of Location Accès Crédit. Location Accès Crédit helps clients access vehicle loans in Canada. Michel needed help with his employees following stipulated work policies. His major pain point was the need for more documentation. His employees needed help accessing work-related policies. 

In his search for a solution, he found SweetProcess, where he could document his policies and ensure adherence. Since then, Location Accès Crédit has enjoyed  standardized business operations , seamless employee onboarding and training, and remote access to work documents. 

Next7 IT, a leading IT services company, recognized the need for greater consistency in its operations to deliver top-notch services and solutions to its clients. Next7 IT implemented SweetProcess to address this challenge and streamline its processes. By leveraging SweetProcess, the company achieved significant improvements in consistency throughout its operations.

In summary, Next7 IT achieved  greater operational consistency  by leveraging SweetProcess as a powerful process management tool. The platform helped the company standardize procedures, improve communication, enhance collaboration, and optimize performance, ultimately leading to more reliable and exceptional service delivery for its clients.

To experience seamless workflow and manage your policies effectively,  sign up  for a 14-day free trial to learn more about our services.

Pros and Cons of Writing a Policy

Writing a policy has some benefits as well as drawbacks you should know. This section discusses the pros and cons of policy writing, arranged in no particular order.

Pros of Policy Writing

Clarity and Consistency : Policies generally provide crystal-clear guidelines or rules that help ensure consistency when making crucial decisions or taking certain actions within an organization. When everyone knows and follows the policies, it reduces confusion and promotes a unified approach to various issues.

Legal Compliance : Well-written policies help organizations comply with legal and regulatory requirements. They can address specific legal obligations, industry standards, and ethical considerations, reducing the risk of legal disputes and penalties.

Risk Management : Policies help mitigate potential hazards, making them essential for managing risks within a business establishment. They typically cover several areas: security, safety, financial, and data protection. They also help prevent adverse events.

Accountability and Transparency : Policies set the expectations and standards for an organization’s responsibilities, roles, and behavior. They excellently promote accountability among employees while ensuring transparency in every decision-making process .

Efficient Decision-Making : Policies establish a pretty solid framework for decision-making. Managers, as well as employees, make quick and highly informed choices confidently using policies.

Employee Guidance : Policies provide workers with a reference point for their benefits, rights, and obligations within the company. They can address issues like leave policies, performance evaluations, and grievance procedures, helping to create a positive and supportive work environment.

Organizational Culture : Policies can reflect the organization’s values and promote a positive culture. They support diversity and inclusion efforts, ethical conduct, and other initiatives that align with the organization’s mission and vision.

Resource Allocation : Policies can help allocate resources effectively by defining priorities and providing guidelines for resource distribution. This ensures that resources are utilized productively and strategically.

Conflict Resolution : When conflicts arise within an organization, policies are the reference point for resolving all disputes objectively and impartially. This prevents favoritism or bias during decision-making .

Adaptability and Growth : Policies are generally not set in concrete or stone. They evolve as the organization expands or grows over time. Regularly reviewing and updating policies allows organizations to adapt to new challenges and opportunities.

Stakeholder Confidence : Policies enhance the utmost confidence of company stakeholders, such as partners, investors, and customers, as they demonstrate that the organization functions with structured and responsible approaches.

Cons of Policy Writing

Policy writing has its share of challenges. Some of the cons of policy writing include the following:

Complexity and Length : Policies often require detailed explanations and can be lengthy, leading to potential confusion for employees or stakeholders needing help understanding the policy’s intricacies.

Bureaucracy : The policy development process can be bureaucratic and time-consuming. Multiple levels of approval, revisions, and consultations may slow down the implementation of necessary policies.

Lack of Clarity : Poorly written policies may result in confusion, misinterpretation, and ineffective implementation, undermining the policy’s goals.

Resistance to Change : Employees may resist new policies, especially if they perceive them as burdensome or constraining. Resistance can hinder effective implementation and adherence.

Responsibilities of Policy Owners

The policymaker has several key responsibilities to ensure the effective implementation and adherence to organizational policies. These responsibilities are crucial for maintaining a compliant working environment.

Here are the primary duties of policy owners:

Policy Development : Policy owners are accountable for creating and formulating new or updated policies. They must conduct thorough research, gather relevant information, and involve relevant stakeholders to ensure policies are comprehensive and aligned with the organization’s goals.

Policy Communication : Policy owners are responsible for effectively communicating policies to all relevant parties. They must ensure employees understand the policies, purpose, and implications. Clear communication helps minimize misunderstandings and ensures consistent adherence throughout the organization.

Implementation : Policy owners play a pivotal role in implementing policies effectively. They must collaborate with various departments to seamlessly integrate policies into their workflows and operations.

Compliance Monitoring : Regularly monitoring policy compliance is crucial to identify deviations or potential issues. Policy owners should establish mechanisms for tracking adherence and conduct periodic reviews to assess the effectiveness of policies.

Training and Education : Policy owners must  provide employees with adequate training  and educational resources to ensure successful implementation. This helps raise policy awareness and equips staff members with the knowledge and skills to follow them.

Documentation : Properly documenting policies, their development process, and any changes made are essential. Policy owners should maintain comprehensive records to track the policy lifecycle and facilitate auditing and reporting.

Revisions and Updates : Policies should be revised and updated over time. This is essential so they reflect the prevailing changes in organizational requirements. Policy owners should go through them regularly. If needed, give those policies a little shake-up to match the latest trends and changes.

Policy writing is crucial to any organization or business. To start writing policies, here are some significant do’s and don’ts, including things you should consider before writing your organization’s policy.

Do’s and Don’ts of Policy Writing

What to Consider Before Writing a Policy

Before writing a policy for your organization, you need to consider the following:

Policy Objective : Clearly outline the primary goal of the policy. What problem does it seek to address? What outcomes are expected?

Scope and Applicability : Define the scope of the policy—which departments, processes, or individuals does it cover? Determine whether it applies organization-wide or to specific divisions.

Communication and Training : Plan how the policy will be communicated to employees and stakeholders. Consider providing training to ensure understanding and compliance.

Timeline : Set clear timelines for policy implementation, review, and updates.

Resources and Implementation : Consider the resources required for effective policy implementation, including training, technology, and personnel.

Risks and Impact Assessment : Evaluate the potential risks associated with the policy and assess its impact on different stakeholders.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance : Ensure the policy aligns with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.

Guidelines for Writing a Policy

The following are the guidelines you should follow when writing a policy for your organization:

● Title: Choose a clear, descriptive title reflecting the policy’s purpose.

● Policy Statement: Begin with a policy brief statement that clearly states the purpose and objectives of the policy.

● Definitions: Include a section that defines any specific terms or concepts used in the policy.

● Policy Content: Present the policy in a logical and organized manner. Use headings and subheadings to break down complex sections.

● Responsibilities: Clearly outline the responsibilities of individuals or departments involved in implementing and enforcing the policy.

● Procedures: If necessary, include detailed procedures or steps for compliance.

● Review and Approval: Specify the process for policy review, approval, and any amendments.

● Formatting and Accessibility: Ensure the policy is presented consistently and is easily accessible to all relevant parties.

A well-structured policy document is crucial for clear communication and effective implementation. It should begin with a concise title that reflects the policy’s purpose.

Format of a policy document

A standard policy typically consists of the following sections:

● Introduction: Provides an overview of the policy’s intent and importance.

● Scope: Defines the boundaries and applicability of the policy.

● Policy Statement: Clearly states the policy’s objectives and the expected behavior or actions.

● Procedures: Describes the step-by-step process for compliance or implementation.

● Responsibilities: Outlines the roles and duties of individuals or departments involved.

● Compliance and Enforcement: Specifies consequences for non-compliance and mechanisms for enforcement.

● Definitions: Clarifies any technical terms or jargon used in the policy.

● References: Includes citations to laws, regulations, or other relevant policies.

● Revision History: Include a record of changes made to the policy over time.

● Contact Information: Provide details for individuals or departments that can address questions or concerns related to the policy.

Design and Layout of a Policy Document

Having gotten the format correctly, the next thing is to design the policy document. A well-designed policy document should be:

● Clear and Readable: Use a legible font, appropriate font size, and ample white space to enhance readability.

● Organized: Utilize headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break down information into manageable sections.

● Consistent: Maintain a uniform format throughout the document for a professional look.

● Visually Appealing: Incorporate relevant images, graphs, or charts to illustrate key points and make the document engaging.

● Accessible: Ensure the document can be easily accessed in various formats, including digital and print.

● Branding: Adhere to the organization’s branding guidelines, including color schemes and logos.

● Table of Contents: Include a highly detailed table of contents for easy navigation.

Writing Style for a Policy

What writing style should you adopt? Writing style is crucial to ensure policy documents are understandable and user-friendly. There are different writing styles, but ensure that whichever you choose, take note of the following.

● Use simple and unambiguous language. Avoid passive voice, jargon, and technical terms when possible.

● Write formally, maintaining a consistent voice throughout the document.

● Be precise, leaving no room for interpretation.

● Use short sentences and paragraphs; keep them concise.

● Use active voice to make the document more direct and engaging.

● Address the audience directly, using words like “you” and “your” to convey responsibilities.

● Be inclusive and considerate of diverse audiences.

More Policy Tips and Best Practices

● Involve relevant stakeholders in policy development to gain valuable insights and ensure buy-in.

● Regularly review and update policies to align with changing laws, regulations, and organizational needs.

● Ensure consistency across all policies within the organization.

● Provide training and resources to help employees effectively understand and comply with policies.

● Use real-life examples or scenarios to illustrate policy application.

● Make the policy accessible by publishing it on internal platforms or intranet sites.

● Implement a feedback mechanism for employees to raise questions or seek clarifications regarding the policy.

● Consider seeking legal advice and review for critical policies, to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Following these policy writing tips and best practices will result in well-structured, user-friendly, and effective policies that support organizational goals and ensure compliance.

Implementing a new policy within an organization involves three key steps: policy implementation, policy compliance management, and considerations related to policy legalities.

Let’s explore each of these aspects:

Policy Implementation Process

● Policy Development: This is the stage where the policy is formulated. It involves identifying the need for a new policy, conducting research, and involving relevant stakeholders in its creation.

● Policy Documentation: The policy must be documented clearly, outlining its purpose, scope, objectives, and the responsibilities of individuals and departments involved in its implementation.

● Communication: Once the policy is finalized, it is crucial to communicate it effectively throughout the organization. This includes sharing the policy document, providing training sessions or workshops, and ensuring all employees understand the policy’s importance and implications.

● Resource Allocation: Adequate resources must be allocated to implement the policy successfully. This may include budgetary considerations, personnel, and technological resources.

● Piloting and Testing: In some cases, piloting the policy in a smaller, controlled environment to identify any potential issues or areas of improvement before a full-scale implementation is beneficial.

● Rollout: The policy is officially launched across the organization, and all relevant parties are expected to adhere to it.

● Policy Review and Updates: Policies should be reviewed periodically, and updates may be required to keep them aligned with changing circumstances, regulations, or organizational needs.

Policy Compliance Management

● Training and Education: Employees should receive proper training and education on the policy’s requirements and implications to ensure they understand their responsibilities and the importance of compliance.

● Monitoring and Auditing: Regular monitoring and auditing—i.e., internal and external assessments—should be established to assess compliance levels.

● Enforcement and Consequences: A clear framework for enforcement and consequences for non-compliance should be established. This could range from corrective actions and retraining to disciplinary measures, depending on the severity of the breach.

● Continuous Improvement: Based on monitoring and feedback, adjustments to the policy or  compliance management processes  should be made to improve effectiveness. Remember that your organization may be liable for outdated or inconsistently enforced policies.

Policy Legalities

● Legal Review: Before implementing a policy, it is of utmost importance to scrutinize it thoughtfully by seasoned legal experts. This prudent step ensures its complete adherence to all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards.

● Risk Evaluation: Embark on a comprehensive risk assessment journey to identify potential legal pitfalls entwined with the policy. Armed with these insights, policy owners can deftly navigate the landscape and apply appropriate measures to mitigate such risks effectively.

● Privacy and Data Protection: Should the noble policy encompass the handling of sensitive data, it becomes essential to uphold relevant data protection and privacy laws dutifully. Safeguarding the personal information entrusted to any organization is a sacred responsibility to embrace.

● Employee Rights: The policy should exquisitely respect the inherent rights of every valued employee. No provision should infringe upon employment laws or collective bargaining agreements, fostering an environment of harmony and mutual understanding.

● Public Policy Considerations: Policies should align with broader public policy objectives and not conflict with societal norms or values.

● It’s crucial to involve relevant stakeholders from the early stages of policy development to ensure buy-in and cooperation.

Below are some policy writing samples that can be examples for readers.

[Your Organization Name]

[Policy Name]

Version: [Version Number]

Effective Date: [Effective Date]

Last Updated: [Last Updated Date]

[Policy Introduction]

[Briefly explain the purpose and scope of the policy. Describe the key goals and objectives it aims to achieve.]

[Policy Section 1]

[Policy Description]

[Provide a detailed explanation of the policy, including the rules, guidelines, or  standard operating procedures  that employees, contractors, or other relevant parties must follow. Use clear and concise language to ensure easy understanding.]

[Policy Compliance]

[State the consequences of non-compliance with the policy. This may include disciplinary actions or penalties.]

[Policy Responsibilities]

[Clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of individuals or departments involved in implementing the policy. This section should identify who is accountable for ensuring compliance and enforcing the policy.]

[Policy Section 2]

[Repeat the structure for each subsequent policy section, as needed.]

[Policy Review and Updates]

[Explain the process for reviewing and updating the policy. Include information about how often the policy will be reviewed, who is responsible for updates, and how changes will be communicated to the relevant stakeholders.]

[Policy Approval]

[List the individuals or departments that have approved the policy. Include names, positions, and dates of approval.]

[Policy Acknowledgment]

[Mention how employees or relevant parties must acknowledge and understand the policy. This may involve signing a form or completing an acknowledgment process.]

[Contact Information]

[Provide contact details for individuals or departments that employees can contact if they have questions or need clarification about the policy.]

[Policy Document Control]

[Explain how the policy will be stored, accessed, and version-controlled to ensure the most current version is readily available to all relevant parties.]

[Policy Related Documents]

[List any related documents, procedures, or guidelines employees should refer to when implementing the policy.]

[Policy Revision History]

[Keep a log of changes made to the policy, including version numbers, dates of updates, and brief descriptions of changes. Make sure to follow your organization’s existing style guide and formatting standards.]

These policy writing samples and case studies demonstrate the versatility and efficiency of SweetProcess in managing policies effectively across various organizations and scenarios.

SweetProcess offers you a free policy templates handbook. This contains 53  policy and procedure templates . However, here is an excellent template for writing a policy:

[Your Organization/Company Name]

[Policy Number]

Effective Date: [Date]

Policy Statement

[Provide a clear and concise statement outlining the policy’s purpose and intent. This statement should define the scope of the policy and the desired outcomes.]

[Explain the rationale behind the policy and its significance within the organization. Describe why the policy is implemented and how it aligns with the organization’s goals and values.]

[Specify the extent and boundaries of the policy. Define who or what the policy applies to within the organization. Mention any exceptions or exclusions if applicable.]

Policy Details

[Present the specific policy details in a clear and organized manner. Use bullet points or numbered lists to break complex information into easily understandable sections.]

4.1. [Policy Subsection 1]

[Explain the first aspect or subsection of the policy. Include any rules, guidelines, or procedures related to this subsection. Provide clear instructions on how to comply with the policy manual.]

4.2. [Policy Subsection 2]

[Explain the second aspect or subsection of the policy. Repeat the same format as above, providing clear instructions and guidelines for compliance.]

4.3. [Policy Subsection 3, and so on…]

[Continue with additional subsections as necessary.]

Responsibilities

[Outline the responsibilities of different individuals or organizational roles regarding implementing, enforcing, and monitoring the policy.]

5.1. [Role 1]

[Specify the responsibilities of the first role and how they contribute to the policy’s effectiveness.]

5.2. [Role 2]

[Specify the responsibilities of the second role and how they contribute to the policy’s effectiveness.]

5.3. [Role 3, and so on…]

[Continue with additional roles and their corresponding responsibilities.]

[Explain the steps individuals or entities must take to comply with the policy. Include information about reporting mechanisms, training requirements, and any potential consequences for non-compliance.]

Review and Revision

[Describe the process and frequency of policy review to ensure it remains up-to-date and effective. Specify who is responsible for conducting the review and any mechanisms for seeking stakeholder feedback.]

[Indicate the names and titles of individuals or bodies responsible for approving the policy. Include the date of approval.]

Related Policies

[List any other relevant policies related to or impacted by this policy. Provide references and cross-links to these policies if available.]

[Provide contact information for individuals or departments that can answer questions or provide assistance regarding the policy.]

[Include any necessary attachments or appendices that support the policy, such as forms, guidelines, or legal references.]

Remember to tailor the policy template to your organization’s needs and requirements while maintaining clarity and coherence throughout the document.

Do you want to avoid grappling with disorganized policies that lead to confusion and inefficiency within your organization? It’s time to streamline your operations and drive success with SweetProcess. Take the first step toward a more organized and thriving business.  Sign up  for SweetProcess today and witness its positive impact on your organization’s growth and prosperity. Your path to streamlined success awaits.

What does a company policy look like?

A company policy’s specific content and structure may vary depending on the organization’s size, industry, and specific needs. However, here are some common elements in a typical company policy: policy title, statement, scope, definitions, objectives, responsibilities, procedures, compliance, and reporting mechanisms.

What is the difference between a policy and a procedure?

A policy guides an organization, setting goals and direction with clarity. A procedure outlines specifics and provides roadmaps for tasks. Combining policies and procedures ensures streamlined operations and consistency, effectively propelling the company toward its goals.

How long should a policy be?

The length of a good policy should be concise and clear, focusing on conveying essential information. Avoid unnecessary details and use straightforward language to ensure comprehension. Aiming for one to five pages is generally ideal, but it ultimately depends on the complexity and scope of the policy.

34 thoughts on “ How to Write a Policy for Your Business and Employees ”

I need help about an organisational policy that is effective please can you show me

Can you share more details about this on the comment or if you prefer to send an email to [email protected]

Great info. However, I find the very thin font extremely straining on my eyes with the white background.

Thanks for your feedback. We have made improvements.

i got very interesting evidence thanks

Good to know.

The information was insightful Thank you

Glad you found our article insightful.

I am appointed as a new HR and charge with policy development for a hospitality company, can you help with any template? [email protected]

Thanks for reaching out, we sent you an email and looking forward to your response.

Hi! This is a great and helpful guide given how detailed it is, most especially to those who has no background yet on how to create a policy. However, may I ask if I can have this article in a PDF format so I could print and take note of the highly important parts? Would greatly appreciate if it’s possible. Thank you.

Glad you like our article. Simply use the print function of your browser to print the entire article and yes you can choose the option to save to PDF.

I am a newly appointed HR in a restaurant in charge of developing policies. what kind of template can i use?

A starting point will be to Google “restaurant policies and procedures” you might get some templates which you can build upon.

Please l really need to know the procedures or step in writing up policies and the policies write-up samples.

Great question! When documenting a procedure for the first time, focus on keeping it simple and then collaborating with your employees afterward to improve upon it.

We will be glad to show you how our software SweetProcess makes documenting procedures, processes, and policies so easy. Email [email protected] for a demo.

well done, easy to understand and practical for anyone to start writing their own policies

Thanks Priscilla, glad you approve.

I am tasked to come up with the laboratory proficiency testing approach for my lab, any advice please

Hullo…this was really helpful. I need a template too. Thanks in advance

This is really helpful, thanks so much

Thanks a lot. You made my task easier with the guides that you have shared.

I need your company to help prepare a good policies and procedures , for nursing staffing agency .please help me out.

thanks for the helpful guide. can you help me with a structure of drafting a new policy for an NGO…. youth policy

Hi Michael, you can use our SweetAI to generate any policy you are working on. Once the content is generate you can edit and improve upon it.

This is a great guide for writing policies! I’m new to this and this guide has been very helpful.

Glad you like it and thanks for your compliment.

I have added some knowledge today well explained on how to write a policy

Glad you found value in our article.

I’ve recently been appointed to develop different policies for point of sales managment and for damaged goods. Can you help me put these together

Yes we can! Specifically you can use our artificial intelligence SweetAI to document your policies. Sign up for a free trial of SweetProcess to see for yourself.

Great article. Do policies need a document number as well as a version number? Thanks!

It depends on your specific needs.

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Research Guides

Citc12h3: city structures and city choices: local government, management, and policy making.

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• Writing Policy Assignments

Writing Policy Assignments Guides

• Writing Effective Reports - Preparing Policy Briefs (FAO) The detailed documents helps you to:  identify two types of policy briefs (advocacy and objective);  describe the characteristics of a policy brief;  describe the structure and contents of a policy brief; and  conceptualize a policy brief about a food security issue.
• How to Write a Policy Assignment (Trent University) In this guide you will discover: What is a policy assignment? Types of policy assignments Policy Critique Policy Brief/Briefing Note Reading and Analyzing Policy Writing Policy Assignments Research and Writing Process
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Social Work

Policy investigation assignment.

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Policy Assignment Resources

Google search for searching several government websites at once, find government reports and laws

• site:.gov (food stamps OR SNAP OR supplemental nutritional assistance program)
• ourdocuments.gov
• SocINDEX One of the best databases for looking at social work, research articles.
• America's Newspapers Find information from other 2,000 newspapers including by state.
• ALICE Catalog Searching for books and government reports on your law/problem o ex. Search keywords in any field: Food stamps OR SNAP
• Nexis Uni Especially good for news, legal sources, and business.

ArticlesPlus - first green tab on library's main page . Can search by topic and find books, newspapers, videos, articles , etc. on topic. You will get a lot of results, but you can narrow down to specific kinds of information.

Important questions to consider for a policy analysis and where to look to answer them:

Hint... the resources are above ;)

1. What is the social welfare problem? How much of a problem was it- did it affect a lot of people? Who?

• Answer this question using books, research articles, news at the time, and government reports.

2. What was happening just prior to the passing of this law that tries to address the social welfare problem? What or who were the influencers? What biases are at play?

3. How did the law try to address the social welfare problem? What were the goals of the law?

• Find the original law using Smart Google or ProQuest Congressional or Lexis Uni. Research articles may also help.

4. Was the law effective? Did the law create programs that helped people? Did it have side effects? Who/what did it hurt?

• Answer this by looking at research articles, books, and government reports. What are scholars saying about the ripple effects?

5. Has the law changed since being enacted? In what way? Why?

• Look to current legislation to see if amendments have been made

Instructions

• Below is your lesson for module 5 that must be completed before you start your policy analysis assignment below.
• Once you have completed the lesson, review the " Policy Assignment Resources" box for policy analysis resources and tips for success. You can use these suggested resources to complete your assignment.
• This activity is designed to prepare you for your policy analysis paper/presentation and how to research. If you have any questions, refer to your Blackboard course.

If you have a hard time navigating the library's website, finding full text, or knowing how to search databases effectively, review videos 2 and 3 on the homepage of this guide (Library 101 Tutorials)

Social Policy Development & Analysis: Lesson for Module 5

Make sure you have reviewed the Assignment Resources on the left before continuing through the Policy Investigation Assignment.

This investigation will task you to perform a mini policy analysis on the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA). You will need to use the Policy Assignment Resources to guide you to where to search for evidence and answers to this assignment. Throughout the investigation, as you move from one question to the next, you will be given example answers. These are just examples as you should be using your own words and sources.

For your grade, you will need to upload your ' Certificate of Completion' to Blackboard . Your certificate will be displayed after your results table which will break down your answers and compare them to my example answers. A passing grade is 86% or above.

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• Policy Manual

Policy Writing Guidance

Departments should follow the recommended writing guidance below when drafting a new or revising an existing university policy.

General Writing Guidance

• Keep it simple. Policies should be written in plain language – not legalese. The policy should be easily understood by the entire university community.
• Keep it general. Policies cannot contemplate all possible situations. Policies should be written broadly but with enough clarity to apply to varying circumstances. Detailed guidance can be provided in FAQ’s or in detailed process guidelines or standards.
• Make it relevant. The policy should clearly tell the audience why it exists, who it affects, major conditions and restrictions, when and under what circumstances it applies, and how it should be executed. “Terms of Art” should be clearly defined for the reader under the “Definitions” section.
• Check for accuracy and compliance. Ensure the draft policy complies with all State Board of Education policies, governing university policies or bylaws, current federal and state laws/regulations, and industry requirements.
• Ensure the policy can be enforced.  A policy written without intention to enforce it, or written committing to obligations without ensuring proper resources, should not be written.
• Clearly state who does what. Clearly articulate the roles and responsibilities of departments and individuals. Ensure the policy states who is authorized to make certain decisions and who is responsible for carrying out certain duties.
• Less is more. A policy need not be lengthy. In many instances, shorter is better. The goal of the policy is to clearly convey important information concisely and in a clear manner. Longer policies can be difficult to understand, interpret, and apply.

Use the University Policy Template

Use the University Policy Template (MS Word format) when drafting or revising your policy.

Following the template is important for consistency and accessibility. The policy template is designed to help ensure access to people of all abilities.

All policies should be drafted using Arial font for headers and Garamond 12 pt font for paragraph text.

Write for Your Audience

The audience for most policies is the entire university community. The language must be understandable to the entire audience, not just subject matter or technical experts.

• Assume readers have basic knowledge of the campus and university community but no knowledge of specific policies or procedures.
• Write with clarity using precise words, short sentences, and understandable terminology. If technical terminology or words with specialized meaning are used, define them under the “Definitions” section of the policy. Be consistent with terminology using the same words throughout the policy.
• Use “must” instead of  “shall” and be intentional when using “should,” which implies a suggestions rather than a requirement. Remember university policies are generally enforcing requirements, not communicating permissive guidelines or suggestions.

Use Plain Language

Plain language helps ensure the policy is clear, concise, and understood by the entire university community. A helpful resource is the  Federal Plain Language Guidelines  developed to promote the use of plain language for all government communications.

• Use active voice to clearly state who does what. Passive voice obscures who is responsible for what. In active voice, the department or individual acting is the subject of the sentence. In a passive sentence, the person or item that is acted upon is the subject of the sentence (e.g., write “the Associate Vice President must….” instead of “it is the ultimate responsibility of the Associate Vice President to…..”; write “notify applicants who were not selected for an interview….” instead of “applicants who were not selected for an interview must be notified…”). In limited instances, passive voice is appropriate when one action follows another as a matter of law, and there is no actor other than the law itself.
• Use simple and direct language avoiding jargon and qualifiers (e.g., totally, completely, definitely, etc.).
• Avoid sentences with multiple clauses.
• Minimize abbreviations. Abbreviations can interrupt the reading process requiring the reader to look back in the policy, or consult the definitions, to remember the abbreviation. In cases where an abbreviation has a common usage, don’t define them. It takes up space and annoys the reader. Examples include: PhD, ADA, CIA, ATM.
• Use proper punctuation and grammar to help your audience understand the policy.
• Use “must” to indicate requirements rather than “shall.” The use of “shall” is imprecise and can indicate either an obligation or prediction. Instead of using “shall,” use: – “must” for an obligation, – “Must not” for a prohibition, – “may” for a discretionary action, and – “should” for a recommendation.

Use Gender-Inclusive Language

Policies must be written using gender-neutral and gender-sensitive language.

• Do not use masculine or feminine pronouns as the default; use “they” or “the individual.”
• Avoid using gendered-nouns such as chairman, man, mankind. Instead, use gender-neutral nouns such as chair, department head, coordinator, humanity, individual, or person.
• A helpful resource is the The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s web-based handout,  Gender-Inclusive Language .

Follow the University’s Style Guide

• Use consistent terminology through the policy (e.g., do not use “institution” and “university” interchangeably).
• Use Boise State University and Boise State on a second reference. Do not use BSU.
• Do not capitalize “university” except when part of an official name.
• Do not capitalize “college” except when used as part of an official title.
• Do not capitalize job titles (president, provost, dean) except when used as a formal title before a name.
• Do not capitalize “department” except when using the formal title, as in Department of History.
• Website is one word and http:// is deleted from web addresses except when needed for a direct link.

For additional style guidance, consult the  Boise State University Style Guide .

Avoid Complex Tables, Visual Aids, and Graphics

Tables and other graphics can make complex information easier to understand; however, they can pose accessibility issues for persons with disabilities. Tables and other graphics should not be the primary means of communicating information or policy requirements, and complex tables and graphics are discouraged. If they are used to aid in understanding, they must be accessible.

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[Examples] Set parameter values for Policy Assignments

This page describes how to set custom parameter values for Policy Assignments created by the module.

By default, the module will create Policy Assignments with parameter values set to recommended defaults. These defaults usually come from the defaultValue set within a Policy Definition. For policies which require a parameter value to be specified (or where our recommended setting differs from the default), the module automatically sets the value based on various inputs to the module. We refer to these as "managed Policy Assignments", and these typically cover scenarios where the output of a resource created by the module must be used as an input to a Policy Assignment.

An example of this is the Deploy-MDFC-Config Policy Assignment, which takes a number of parameter values from either user-specified inputs (e.g. emailSecurityContact ) or from resources created by the module (e.g. logAnalytics ).

Customers wanting to create additional or change existing Policy Assignment parameter values should consider the following options:

• Setting a defaultValue for parameters within a Policy Definition template View Policy Definition templates included with the module
• Setting a value for parameters within a Policy Assignment template View Policy Assignment templates included with the module
• Setting parameter key/value pairs within an Archetype Definition template View Archetype Definition templates included with the module
• Setting parameter key/value pairs within the archetype_config_overrides or custom_landing_zones input variable

NOTE: The module will set values based on the above options in order. As you move down the list, each of the above options will take precedence over the others. If you want to change one parameter value for a specific Policy Assignment, you must set all required values using the preferred option or the assignment will revert to the defaultValue specified within the Policy Definition template. If the parameter doesn't have a defaultValue within the Policy Definition and you don't provide a value, creation of the assignment will fail. This is particularly important to consider if changing the value of parameters for a "managed Policy Assignment".

Before overriding the parameters, you need to know three properties:

• Policy Assignment name to override (e.g. Deny-Subnet-Without-Nsg ).
• The scope where the policy assignment is deployed. This could be either the archetype_id (e.g. es_corp , es_landing_zones , etc.) or the Management Group (e.g. corp , landing-zones , etc.).
• The parameter name(s) you would like to change (e.g. effect or ACRPublicIpDenyEffect ) and their corresponding value(s).

The following sections provide examples showing how to update parameters using each of the available options.

Option: Policy Definition template

Please refer to the Microsoft documentation for setting a defaultValue for parameters within a Policy Definition template.

This approach can be used when adding new custom Policy Definitions to a custom lib folder, as specified by the library_path input variable.

NOTE: Whilst possible, we don't recommend using this approach if you want to set different values for custom Policy Definitions provided by the module.

Option: Policy Assignment template

Please refer to the Microsoft documentation for setting a value for parameters within a Policy Assignment template.

This approach can be used when adding new custom Policy Assignments to a custom lib folder, as specified by the library_path input variable.

NOTE: Whilst possible, we don't recommend using this approach if you want to set different values for custom Policy Assignments provided by the module.

Parameter values set at this scope will override those set within a Policy Definition template.

Option: Archetype definition template

When you create a custom archetype definition, you can set parameters within the archetype_config.parameters object.

Parameters are grouped by Policy Assignment name .

In the following example, you can see we define a custom archetype definition called my_archetype . Within this archetype definition, we create a Policy Assignment for Deny-Resource-Locations and set a custom value for the parameter listOfAllowedLocations :

NOTE: The parameters must correspond to a Policy Assignment created at the same scope. This is why the example includes this policy in the policy_assignments list.

If you want to expand an existing archetype , you can also use the same format.

In the following example we use the archetype extension approach to set the effect parameter for the Deny-Subnet-Without-Nsg Policy Assignment to Audit for the default es_landing_zones archetype definition:

Parameter values set at this scope will override those set within a Policy Definition template or Policy Assignment template.

Option: archetype_config_overrides input variable

Parameters of Policy Assignments included with the module can be changed with the archetype_config_overrides input variable.

In this example, we will update parameters for the Deny-Subnet-Without-Nsg and Deny-Public-Endpoints Policy Assignments.

Let's say you would like to update the policy effects for those policies. First, it's important to understand where the policy is assigned. If the policy is assigned to landing zones, the landing-zones archetype needs to be overwritten. When the policy is assigned to corp, the corp , archetype needs to be overwritten.

The following shows how you would do this using the archetype_config_overrides input variable:

Option: custom_landing_zones input variable

In case you define a custom_landing_zones block, you can update the parameters in the following way:

This wiki is being actively developed

If you discover any documentation bugs or would like to request new content, please raise them as an issue or feel free to contribute to the wiki via a pull request . The wiki docs are located in the repository in the docs/wiki/ folder.

Azure landing zones Terraform module

• Getting started
• Module outputs
• Module permissions
• Module variables
• Module releases
• Module upgrade guidance
• Provider configuration
• Archetype definitions
• Core resources
• Management resources
• Connectivity resources
• Identity resources
• Video guides
• Deploy default configuration
• Deploy demo landing zone archetypes
• Deploy custom Landing Zone Archetypes
• Deploy connectivity resources (Hub and Spoke)
• Deploy connectivity resources (Virtual WAN)
• Deploy identity resources
• Deploy management resources
• Assign a built-in policy
• Create and assign custom RBAC roles
• Set parameter values for Policy Assignments
• Deploy multi region networking with custom settings (Hub and Spoke)
• Deploy multi region networking with custom settings (Virtual WAN)
• Deploy with Zero Trust network principles (Hub and Spoke)
• Deploy identity resources with custom settings
• Deploy management resources with custom settings
• Expand built-in archetype definitions
• Create custom policies, initiatives and assignments
• Override module role assignments
• Control policy enforcement mode
• Policy assignments with user assigned managed identities
• Deploy using module nesting
• Deploy using multiple module declarations with orchestration
• Deploy using multiple module declarations with remote state
• Frequently Asked Questions
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Microsoft.Authorization policyAssignments

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Bicep resource definition

The policyAssignments resource type is an extension resource , which means you can apply it to another resource.

Use the scope property on this resource to set the scope for this resource. See Set scope on extension resources in Bicep .

The policyAssignments resource type can be deployed with operations that target:

• Resource groups - See resource group deployment commands
• Subscriptions - See subscription deployment commands
• Management groups - See management group deployment commands

For a list of changed properties in each API version, see change log .

Resource format

To create a Microsoft.Authorization/policyAssignments resource, add the following Bicep to your template.

Property values

Policyassignments.

IdentityUserAssignedIdentities

UserAssignedIdentitiesValue

This object doesn't contain any properties to set during deployment. All properties are ReadOnly.

PolicyAssignmentProperties

NonComplianceMessage

ParameterValues

Parametervaluesvalue.

ResourceSelector

Quickstart templates

The following quickstart templates deploy this resource type.

ARM template resource definition

Use the scope property on this resource to set the scope for this resource. See Set scope on extension resources in ARM templates .

To create a Microsoft.Authorization/policyAssignments resource, add the following JSON to your template.

Terraform (AzAPI provider) resource definition

Use the parent_id property on this resource to set the scope for this resource.

• Resource groups
• Subscriptions
• Management groups

To create a Microsoft.Authorization/policyAssignments resource, add the following Terraform to your template.

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