Changing internal policies can be an excellent way of effecting change in a variety of areas within your organization, including its mission, case practice, supervision, systems integration, and organizational culture. Because you are working within your organization, you may be able to have more control over the outcome than you would in an externally driven approach, such as legislation or regulations. This section will help you plan your policy initiative. It poses important considerations and questions designed to help make key decisions, design effective strategies, and identify next steps in a comprehensive action plan to promote new or revised internal policies.
This section of the Policy Action Guide will walk you through the key aspects of an internal policy initiative, including:
Reminder: As you proceed, keep in mind your initial policy objectives and how they apply to an initiative to develop internal policies.
Wrap-Up
Carefully thinking through the considerations in each of the preceding sections can help your policy team systematically plan and set the groundwork for a successful internal policy initiative. If you have not done so already, download a copy of the Action Plan Form (PDF - 1.27 MB) for internal policies and complete the fields to create your own tailored plan.
As you proceed with your internal policy initiative, remember that there is not a one-size-fits-all policy process. You should remain flexible in your approach, which will better enable you and your partners to work within an ever-changing social and political environment. Additionally, keep in mind that policy development is only one component in a comprehensive change process and needs to be implemented in conjunction with supportive infrastructure elements. Above all, though, remember the ultimate underlying goal in your policy efforts: improving the lives of children and families.