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Policies, Procedures, Guidelines – A Documentation Guide


Documentation

Overview


If you are creating or managing documents for your organization, you may have encountered the terms, policies, procedures, and guidelines. These are common types of documents that serve different purposes and audiences. In this blog post, we will explain what each term means, how they differ, and how to write them effectively.

 

Types of Documentation

 

Policies are high-level statements that reflect an organization's goals, values, and vision. They provide a framework for decision-making and actions and set the boundaries and expectations for the organization's activities. Policies are usually written by senior management or board members and apply to the entire organization or a specific department or function. Policies are often mandatory and enforceable and may have legal implications if not followed. They answer questions such as "what", "why", and "who".

 

Procedures are detailed instructions that describe how to implement a policy or perform a task. They outline the steps, roles, responsibilities, and resources involved in a process and provide guidance for achieving a desired outcome. Procedures are usually written by subject matter experts or process owners and target the employees or stakeholders who are directly involved in the process. Procedures are often required and compliance-oriented and may have quality or safety implications if not followed. They answer questions such as "how", "when", and "where".

 

Guidelines are recommendations or best practices that support a policy or procedure. They provide additional information or advice on performing a task more effectively or efficiently. Guidelines are usually written by experienced practitioners or consultants and target users who need more flexibility or discretion in their work. Guidelines are often optional and advisory and may have performance or improvement implications if not followed. They answer questions such as "how much", "how often", and "under what circumstances".

 

In addition to these three categories, other types of information security documentation can support or supplement them, such as:

  • Best practices: Examples or case studies demonstrating successful or proven practices or methods for information security.

  • Checklists: Lists of tasks or items that need to be completed or verified for information security.

  • Templates: Predefined formats or structures that can be used to create or fill in information security documents.

  • Forms: Documents that collect or record specific data or information for information security purposes.

  • Reports: Documents summarizing or analyzing the results or outcomes of information security activities or processes.

 

Hierarchy


Information security is the practice of protecting information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, or destruction. It is essential for any organization that handles sensitive data, such as personal information, financial records, intellectual property, or trade secrets. Information security can help prevent data breaches, cyberattacks, identity theft, fraud, and other threats that can harm the organization and its stakeholders.

 

One of the key aspects of information security is documentation. Documentation is the process of creating, maintaining, and updating written records of the information security policies, procedures, standards, guidelines, and best practices of an organization. Documentation can help:

  • Establish a clear and consistent framework for information security management

  • Communicate the roles and responsibilities of information security personnel and stakeholders

  • Provide evidence of compliance with legal and regulatory requirements

  • Educate and train employees and users on information security awareness and skills

  • Monitor and measure the performance and effectiveness of information security controls

  • Identify and address gaps and weaknesses in information security processes

  • Support continuous improvement and innovation in information security practices

 

Example of Documentation


There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the documentation; however, the following snapshot sort of illustrates the set of documents to begin the documentation with.




documentation

Conclusion

 

Documentation is not only a legal requirement but also a valuable tool for information security. It can help you communicate your policies and procedures, demonstrate your compliance, identify and mitigate risks, and improve your performance and efficiency.


Watch the policies and procedures training and learn more about documentation. You can always contact us if you need help with your documentation.

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