3. Planning - Although policy development is a form of planning, you need to be strategic. Know where you are and envision where you are going (in one year and in five years). Set goals and determine the processes needed to get there.

4. Appropriate governance structures are needed for good management. Consider the importance of a strong board, a nominating committee and even an audit/finance committee. The agency must clarify how the board will be managed before establishing any operating systems.

5. Make sure everyone understands who does what. As decision-makers, the board members must understand their role and that of the volunteers, learners, and paid staff.

6. Define the issues, problems and opportunities, then prioritize which policies you actually need. Draft a table of contents to start your list. Not all policies are needed by all agencies. Decide where to start and then set realistic time lines to bite off one piece at a time.

7. Decide who will actually research, develop and write the necessary policies. How will this be done? What are the terms of reference from which the group or individual will work? Ensure that any important terms and conditions specified by the board are contained in the policy.Any of the following groups, alone or in combination, may be given the responsibility of policy development:

• board of directors (full board or sub-committee)
• policy-writing specialists, consultants or facilitators external to the organization (paid or unpaid)
• staff
• a partnership effort with similar agencies in your community (to be later fine tuned for your specific agency)
• stakeholders who are affected by the policies (i.e. focus groups for learners, volunteers).

8. As policies are written, build in an ongoing commitment to maintain them through compliance, regular review and evaluation. Be sure you keep in mind what the purpose and intentions of your policies are.