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Revised (Dec 15 2009)
Steps for creating policy
Step 1: initiation
The need for a new policy can emerge from a number of different areas, including:
- a specific incident or issue
- staff, teachers, students, parents or the community
- new legislation or government initiatives
- the creation of new programs (at the provincial level)
- the elimination of programs or services
Opportunities exist to involve stakeholders and the community in:
- better understanding and defining the issues around student achievement
- identifying community values and interests
- creating and evaluating alternatives
- making the decision
Step 2: development
Information is collected, alternatives are evaluated and a decision on overall policy direction is made. Research and community engagement are two key activities that occur during this stage.
Research should be conducted on the issue itself, community and stakeholder values and interests, policies that exist in other jurisdictions and other available background information. Soliciting public input is a key component of policy development and an effective way to collect information on community values, interests and ideas.
The draft policy is then reviewed by a variety of stakeholders to ensure it is clear, meets the required objectives and has no unintended consequences.
Step 3: refinement
A proposed policy may need to be reviewed by various board of education departments and advisors including:
- legal counsel to ensure it is within the board’s mandate and does not impose additional liabilities
- human resources or labour relations to ensure it does not violate employee rights or the collective agreement
- communications to ensure clarity
- superintendent or staff to ensure it can be implemented
Once the policy has been refined and reviewed it should be taken back to the community (or involved stakeholders) to ensure it accurately reflects what was agreed to in the development stage.
Step 4: adoption and implementation
The policy is formally adopted at the board level and forwarded to staff for implementation. Some things to consider when implementing policy include:
- new regulations and procedures that may be required to support the policy
- new equipment and materials that may be required to support implementation
- how to communicate policy details to affected groups
- training
Step 5: evaluation and monitoring
It is important to monitor and evaluate policy implementation to ensure the policy is effective, achieves the desired outcome and does not create unintended problems or outcomes. A formal evaluation should compare the actions and outcomes of the policy against the original intent and objectives.
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Policy setting
