Information Nation: Seven Keys to Information Management Compliance, Second Edition

Chapter 8. Making Good Policies and Procedures

In the last chapter we looked at the need for Information Management policies and procedures. In this chapter we will look at strategies that organizations can use to make good policies and procedures that address their IMC needs.

Create a Policy and Procedure Structure

In smaller organizations, a single policy document may be enough to address most Information Management issues. However, most medium and large organizations will require a number of different policy and practice documents to adequately address the Information Management needs of different departments and different operations.

As such, organizations need to make sure that they not only have the right policies and procedures, but also that these various documents work together as seamlessly as possible. This can be challenging in complex environments where there are many departments with diverse needs.

Each organization will take a different approach to Information Management policies and procedures, based on a number of factors, including the nature of its business, its organizational culture, and its regulatory environment. In other words, there is no standard, one-size-fits-all policy.

Records Management Policies and Procedures

There are several ways to structure the policies and procedures of a Records Management program, but there are also many consistent elements. For example, they should start with broad, high-level policies that govern the entire organization. Here are ...