Administrative Policy Development Process

Flow chart depicting the Administrative Policy Development Process

There are five main steps in creating a new policy or modifying an existing policy.

First, a policy owner or responsible officer will identify a policy need or change and discuss with their managers or senior leaders. The Policy Program director can assist with research.

Second, the new policy owner can draft the policy and consult with key constituents or groups. They will revise as needed based on the feedback from consulting. The Policy Program Director will review a final draft and convene the Policy Advisory Committee to review the documents. The Policy Advisory Committee will decide whether the changes are considered major. If the change is major, the President’s Policy Committee will review the policy.

Third, is approval of the policy. If a change is major, the President’s Policy Committee will approve the policy and then the Policy Program Director will post a draft version online for public comment for 30 days. After 30 days, the policy owner can make recommended changes or bring back the matter to the President’s Policy Committee. If the changes were all considered minor, then the 30 day comment period is not necessary, and the Policy Program Director will post the changes directly on the Policy website.

Fourth, is implementing the policy. The policy owner is responsible for communicating and educating targeted audiences on the updated policy and procedure. The Policy Program Director will broadly communicate the policy through newsletters and in the U of M Brief.

Finally, is maintaining the policy. The policy owner should monitor compliance with the policy, evaluate feedback, and review regularly. The Policy program director will facilitate the required comprehensive review schedules and make updates as requested.