Making and reviewing policies

A policy usually contains:

• A purpose statement. This outlines why the organisation is issuing the policy and what it should achieve.
• An applicability and scope statement. This describes who the policy affects and what will be affected by the policy. This statement may include or exclude certain people, organisations, behaviours or activities from the policy requirements.
• An effective date. This states when the policy begins.
• A policy statement. This sets out the specific guideline, regulation, requirement, or modification to people’s and organisational behaviour that the policy is trying to encourage.
• A review and evaluation statement. This explains when and how the policy will be assessed.
• A complaints statement. This sets out the process for how complaints about the content of the policy will be handled, its implementation or impact.
• A communications statement. This talks about how the policy will be communicated to staff, members, the wider community.
• A roles and responsibilities section. This states which people or sections of the organisation are responsible for carrying out particular parts.
• A definitions section. This provides clear meanings for terms and concepts.
• A cultural issues statement. Many Indigenous governance policies contain extra sections setting out cultural issues, goals, values and traditions that the policy recognises and is supporting, protecting, regulating or limiting.

To increase the effectiveness and legitimacy of policies, many Indigenous organisations are also including a cultural enforcement statement in their policies. This sets out practical processes and mechanisms that the governing body has identified as something that might help the governing body, management and staff to implement the policy in the face of challenging cultural pressures.