Definition: Rules developed by an agency or organization that guide its work, including the mission, goals, roles, responsibilities, use of resources, case practice, human resources, and administration.
Example: Policy developed by the Jefferson County (CO) Department of Human Services regarding confidentiality and sharing client information among agency employees (PDF - 2,340 KB)
Why you may want to consider an internal policy:
- Can introduce, encourage, or standardize best practice within the agency or organization
- Gives staff and clients a sense of what can be expected from the agency or organization, as well as what is expected of them
- May offer more control over the content than a policy approach such as legislation, for which the final decisions may be made outside your organization
Why you may not want to consider an internal policy:
- Limited in scope to one particular agency
Other points to consider:
- Determine whether your proposed policy changes will be allowable under higher level policies, including Federal or State legislation, or if those higher level policies need to be amended prior to the internal change