Policy Development & Review Process

After the policy work is approved, the Policy, Planning & Strategy (PPS) team will reach out to offer support based on the type of policy and the policy developer’s needs.

Executive Committee Approved Policies

The PPS team will invite the those involved in the policy work to a Teams channel to allow for collaboration on policy documents. All policy research, editable documents, and templates will be uploaded to this channel. Additionally, the PPS team will organize a 30-minute policy overview meeting to get an understanding of the policy requirements and required levels of support. After the meeting, the PPS team will provide a policy scan with an overview of similar policies at other post-secondary institutions.

EdCo Approved Policies

The PPS team will provide the EdCo Policy Subcommittee with the appropriate templates for the policy work, as well as editable versions of existing policy documents where applicable.

Using the policy scan provided by the PPS team, begin reviewing similar policies at other post-secondary institutions. Comparing similar policies can help with determining the policy scope as well highlight gaps and provide inspiration.

After the outline is complete, it’s time to start drafting the documents using the appropriate CNC policy and procedures templates. Policies may be written as part of a team or by an individual, either way it is helpful to get feedback to ensure multiple perspectives and lenses are considered. This process can be time consuming, however planning ahead and staying in close communication with the policy’s Executive Sponsor or EdCo Policy Subcommittee can help keep things on the right track.

Please review the Policy Toolkit & Resources page for more in-depth guidance and resources including a policy writing guide, guidelines for plain language, and accessibility principles.

Once the drafts are ready, the PPS team will review the documents providing feedback on content as well as reviewing the documents for plain language, accessibility, and formatting.

After the PPS team review, the Executive Sponsor(s) or EdCo Policy Subcommittee will review the drafts and decide if the policy documents are ready to circulate to stakeholders.

There are a variety of ways to engage with policy stakeholders. These could include sending the policy documents out for review via email, information sessions, focus groups, one-on-one meetings, or surveys. When deciding on the type of engagement, it is important to consider how many positions and departments the policy will affect, the complexity of the policy, potential risks should the policy not be followed, if the policy is a departure from previous practices, and whether this is a new or significantly revised policy.

Along with stakeholder feedback, some policies need to be reviewed by specific committees. For example, some Administrative policies must be reviewed by EdCo. Many committees meet on a regular schedule, so it is best to identify review requirements early in the process to make sure that you meet their submission deadlines. The Executive Sponsor or EdCo Policy Subcommittee should be consulted on which committees will review the draft policy documents.

Once the stakeholder and committee feedback has been received, it is presented to the Executive Sponsor or EdCo Policy Chair, along with recommendations on whether to incorporate the feedback or not. The PPS team can provide support with this process. The policy documents are then revised, as necessary.

Executive Committee Approved Policies 

The policy is submitted to the Executive Committee along with a cover sheet that gives additional background information as well as a communications and training plan for the policy changes. The Executive Committee will review the policy submission and either return for further edits, make edits, or approve the policy.

EdCo Approved Policies 

The policy is submitted to Education Council via the EdCo Administrative Assistant. EdCo members will review the policy submission and either return for further edits, make edits, or approve the policy.

Once the policy has been approved by the approving body, the PPS team will assign a policy number (if it is a new policy) and post the documents to the CNC Policies webpage.