Using Trainers as Policy Administrators

Effective policy management, especially with regards to implementing and operating a policy and procedure management software, requires a designated employee to act as a policy administrator for the company. A policy administrator is responsible for leading employees through the entire policy creation process. This includes policy development, policy distribution, compliance training and ongoing policy management.

The policy administrator acts as a policy guide for the other employees. Therefore, it is imperative that this role be occupied by someone with more than just administrative expertise. Having the ability to perform the administrative requirements of this position is vital, but a skilled facilitator or trainer will be much more effective in this role.

What is a policy administrator’s role?

A policy administrator is predominantly in charge of policy and procedure management functions for your company. This employee has extensive knowledge of the organization’s mission, vision and values and ensures that all policies and procedures align with them. They become the main information source for all issues related to policy management and are the go-to for policy related questions.

Policy administrators also oversee the company’s policy and procedure management system. Often, this system is optimized through the use of a policy management software. This system coordinates the policy process from start to finish, and it is the policy administrator’s responsibility to support the operations of this system for an organized and up-to-date policy management strategy.

What are the responsibilities of a policy administrator?

In your company, the policy administrator acts as a guide, taking others through the steps of policy development. They play a pivotal role in each stage.

Policy creation: The policy administrator helps guide the policy committee through the process of developing a sound, relevant policy. At this stage, they provide research support in areas such as regulations and archived policies. They also coordinate with the committee on review and approval of policies and procedures.

Policy distribution: The policy administrator is responsible for publication and notification of new policies and procedures. They ensure that all employees receive new policies, usually by utilizing a policy management software.

Policy implementation: The policy administrator tracks acknowledgement and comprehension of newly introduced policies. At this stage, employees are required to test their understanding of new policy content, and the policy administrator oversees and documents the results.

Compliance training: Compliance training is part of the policy implementation process, but for the policy administrator, it can require a bit more hands-on effort. At this stage, the policy administrator facilitates the testing of policies for compliance and understanding with the assistance of other employees and stakeholders to further individualize the training.

Policy management: This stage of the process is ongoing. Here, a policy administrator’s role constitutes everything needed for proper policy maintenance such as updating policies for compliance, retiring policies for obsoletion and revising policies for comprehension.

Who is the best fit for the position?

Policy administrators do so much more than than just perform the processes of an administrator. They are guides, leaders, teachers and trainers. When considering the right person for the role, leadership skills and commitment to the organization are important factors.

A policy administrator should also have a broad understanding of the company as a whole encompassing issues of workplace safety, employee culture and regulatory compliance. They are vital throughout the process, but there presence is the most essential at the policy implementation stage when testing comprehension and compliance training must be done correctly. Having an employee with experience in facilitation and training will improve this process through engaging and empowering employees to be a part of policy rollout.

When a trainer is a policy administrator, the way the company delivers its compliance training is enhanced. The trainer moves beyond ensuring basic acknowledgement and comprehension of new policies and creates an environment of equal buy-in from all employees and a dedication to compliance. With expansive knowledge of the company, they can deliver personalized compliance training that encourages employee input and lead to a more robust policy.

Make the Job of a Policy Administrator Simpler with ComplianceBridge

A policy administrator knows and understands the complexity of your company’s policies and procedures. At each stage of the process, they have a role to play. Without them, the process – and your company’s continued compliance – would be in jeopardy. Using a policy management software will streamline many processes already performed by a policy administrator and introduce automation into the policy creation process.

ComplianceBridge from ComplianceBridge has the tools and features a policy administrator needs to optimize policy development and distribution. At the policy creation stage, it offers a rich templating system for stakeholders to collaborate on a central version of the policy and revise it when necessary. Collaborative tools include version control, messaging, reminders and notifications. ComplianceBridge also manages distribution and reporting of new policies and keeps records of who has read, tested and acknowledged them. It has over a dozen test metrics you can use to configure your comprehension exams, and you can see and manage the results yourself to assist you in your compliance training efforts.

A policy administrator is the most responsible for guiding others through the policy creation process. ComplianceBridge can streamline this process and allow them to more efficiently fulfill the duties of this role.

ComplianceBridge simplifies the policy process for companies worldwide. Request a demo today and see what our product can do for you!