Have You Outlined Your Policy and Procedure Committee Responsibilities?

Policy and procedure committees exist in many different types of organizations, from universities to nonprofits and large corporations. You may even have one of these committees yourself, but without effective structures and guidance, this policy management tool could become more of a hindrance than an asset. Because of this, it’s important that you outline the policy and procedure committee responsibilities right off the bat. By doing this, you can help prevent things from slipping through the cracks and ensure that the policy lifecycle runs as smoothly as possible.

What Is a Policy and Procedure Committee?

What is a policy and procedure committee? It’s not as complicated as it sounds; it’s simply a group of individuals charged with developing, reviewing, and maintaining an organization’s policies and procedures. This committee is responsible for ensuring that the organization’s policies are up-to-date and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and is usually made up of senior staff members who have a lot of experience with the inner workings of the organization. 

The Purpose Of A Policy And Procedure Committee

The Policy Committee develops policies and procedures to assist the organization in executing its duties in an ethical and legal manner. The purpose of this committee is to make sure that everyone is following the same rules and procedures, and to make sure that these rules are updated as needed. 

A strong policy and procedure committee will be able to do the following:

• Facilitate policy development: If a company has a committee of stakeholders who are intimately familiar with its values, mission, and vision, they will be able to create policies that align with the company’s long-term goals and are timely enough to address present needs.
• Organize communication: The committee will ensure that all decision-making and problem-solving processes are centralized and well-organized.
• Keep policy updates on schedule: An effective committee with an engaged chairperson and diverse stakeholders will be able to provide the necessary knowledge and expertise to streamline the policy development process.
• Perform continued policy management: It will be easier to prevent duplicate or obsolete policies if the people in charge of managing them are familiar with their lifecycle.

Why Policy Committees Fail

There are a few key reasons why policy committees fail. The first is a lack of clarity around the policy and procedure committee responsibilities and purpose. Without a clear sense of why the committee exists, it’s difficult to maintain focus and momentum. Second, committees can fail when there is no clear division of labor. If everyone on the committee is responsible for everything, it’s hard to get anything done. Another way that policy committees fail is when members get caught up in overly technical discussions and lose sight of the bigger picture. Finally, committees can fail when they become bogged down in the process or when they don’t receive enough input from stakeholders outside of the committee who could provide different perspectives. 

Any one of these situations (among others) could cause the downfall of a promising policy committee, but by addressing them proactively, you can set your committee up for success.

How To Make A Policy And Procedure Committee

In order to create a highly effective policy and procedure committee, you’ll first need to choose the right people for the job. These committees typically consist of a chairperson, a vice chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer. Depending on the size of the organization, there may be additional members as well. 

The policy and procedure committee responsibilities for each member are as follows: 

• Chairperson: Oversees the policy and procedure committee and ensures that it is functioning properly. 
• Vice Chairperson: Assists the chairperson and takes over their duties in their absence. 
• Secretary: Keeps minutes of meetings and distributes them to members. 
• Treasurer: Manages the budget for the policy and procedure committee.

In addition, there should be a representative from each department on the committee to ensure every segment of the company has a voice—no one knows what policies the accounting department needs better than the people working in accounting every day. 

Policy And Procedure Committee Responsibilities

Beyond each contributing member’s duties, there is a wide range of policy and procedure committee responsibilities for the team as a whole to manage. The responsibilities of your company’s policy and procedure committee will depend on the industry you are in, the type of work that you do, the legal boundaries you operate in, etc.—the following list of committee duties is merely an example:

• Stay up to date with relevant laws and regulations to ensure the company is always in compliance.
• Analyze issues and trends (global security, political, technological, budgetary, etc.) that may affect the business activities and performance of the company.
• Review, monitor, and recommend changes to the Company’s ethics and corporate social responsibility programs.
• Review the Company’s public relations and advertising strategies and how the company presents itself to the world.
• Provide oversight and recommendations for the company’s environmental policies and programs. 
• Check and review the Company’s policies and practices with regard to human rights and health and safety, providing suggestions and recommendations where necessary.
• Review and oversee the Company’s community relations and how it supports charitable organizations.
• Evaluate the committee’s own performance on an annual basis
• Take on additional responsibilities as required. 

Give Your Policy Committee The Resources They Need

Managing organizational policies and procedures is no small feat, especially as the number of policies and procedures grows. So, give your team the resources they need to handle their policy and procedure committee responsibilities with ComplianceBridge. Our software offers automations and collaboration tools to streamline policy creation, targeted distribution to ensure the right people gain access to important documents, and version control to keep documents in your centralized library organized. With all of this (and more), ComplianceBridge has everything your team needs to manage the policy and procedure lifecycle. Ready to get started? Request a demo of ComplianceBridge today!