Training Module
Training Module
Policy Management
Build a coherent, auditable policy framework that aligns with strategy, scales across entities, and stays current without bureaucracy.
Understand
Implement
Manage
Audit
Training module overview
Many organisations accumulate policies faster than they can maintain them. The result is policy sprawl, unclear ownership, conflicting versions, and “policy intent” that is hard to apply in daily decisions. In audits and internal reviews, this typically shows up as inconsistency, weak approval evidence, and poor traceability of what is current and applicable.
This full-day foundation module provides a structured approach to designing and operating a policy framework that remains coherent over time. Participants learn how to define a policy hierarchy, draft clear and testable policy statements (without turning them into procedures), assign lifecycle responsibilities, manage change and exceptions, and harmonise group-wide policies with justified local variation.
Many organisations accumulate policies faster than they can maintain them. The result is policy sprawl, unclear ownership, conflicting versions, and “policy intent” that is hard to apply in daily decisions. In audits and internal reviews, this typically shows up as inconsistency, weak approval evidence, and poor traceability of what is current and applicable.
This full-day foundation module provides a structured approach to designing and operating a policy framework that remains coherent over time. Participants learn how to define a policy hierarchy, draft clear and testable policy statements (without turning them into procedures), assign lifecycle responsibilities, manage change and exceptions, and harmonise group-wide policies with justified local variation.
Target audience
Management system implementers and coordinators
Compliance and assurance managers responsible for policy sets
Information security, quality, environmental, continuity, and AI managers with policy ownership responsibilities
Documentation or knowledge managers who need to interface with policy owners (without owning policy governance)
Internal audit managers seeking manager-side understanding of policy governance evidence expectations (not audit craft)
Management system implementers and coordinators
Compliance and assurance managers responsible for policy sets
Information security, quality, environmental, continuity, and AI managers with policy ownership responsibilities
Documentation or knowledge managers who need to interface with policy owners (without owning policy governance)
Internal audit managers seeking manager-side understanding of policy governance evidence expectations (not audit craft)
Agenda
What policy management actually covers
Policies as governance instruments (not operational work instructions)
Typical failure patterns: sprawl, conflicts, outdated versions, unclear applicability
What auditors and internal reviewers usually look for in policy governance evidence (manager-side view)
Policy architecture and hierarchy
Corporate / group policies vs. management system policies vs. topic policies
Scope, applicability, and “where policy stops” (avoiding procedure creep)
Structuring a policy set so it stays navigable as it grows
Roles and approvals for the policy lifecycle
Defining policy owner, approver, reviewer, and maintainer roles
Approval authority and periodic review expectations (pragmatic, not bureaucratic)
Evidence expectations: what to record and why (without overengineering)
Drafting clear, testable policy statements
Writing for clarity: obligations, boundaries, and intent
Making statements testable without prescribing operational steps
Linking policies to supporting procedures / controls / records (interface only)
Lifecycle control: change, review, and retirement
Creation and change workflow: triggers, review cadence, and decision capture
Versioning and “current vs. superseded” handling
Retirement rules and consolidation to reduce duplication
Exceptions and justified deviations
When exceptions are legitimate vs. when they signal a policy problem
Minimum content of an exception request and decision record
Time limits, renewal, and closure
Harmonisation across entities
Group minimums vs. local addenda: keeping one policy intent with controlled variation
Handling translations and jurisdictional constraints (governance perspective)
Preventing divergence through structured review points
Practical maintenance: keeping policies usable over time
Operating a policy register and review log as a living control
Simple consistency checks across a policy set (terminology, duplicates, overlaps)
Workshop: draft a mini policy framework (hierarchy + register + lifecycle workflow)
What policy management actually covers
Policies as governance instruments (not operational work instructions)
Typical failure patterns: sprawl, conflicts, outdated versions, unclear applicability
What auditors and internal reviewers usually look for in policy governance evidence (manager-side view)
Policy architecture and hierarchy
Corporate / group policies vs. management system policies vs. topic policies
Scope, applicability, and “where policy stops” (avoiding procedure creep)
Structuring a policy set so it stays navigable as it grows
Roles and approvals for the policy lifecycle
Defining policy owner, approver, reviewer, and maintainer roles
Approval authority and periodic review expectations (pragmatic, not bureaucratic)
Evidence expectations: what to record and why (without overengineering)
Drafting clear, testable policy statements
Writing for clarity: obligations, boundaries, and intent
Making statements testable without prescribing operational steps
Linking policies to supporting procedures / controls / records (interface only)
Lifecycle control: change, review, and retirement
Creation and change workflow: triggers, review cadence, and decision capture
Versioning and “current vs. superseded” handling
Retirement rules and consolidation to reduce duplication
Exceptions and justified deviations
When exceptions are legitimate vs. when they signal a policy problem
Minimum content of an exception request and decision record
Time limits, renewal, and closure
Harmonisation across entities
Group minimums vs. local addenda: keeping one policy intent with controlled variation
Handling translations and jurisdictional constraints (governance perspective)
Preventing divergence through structured review points
Practical maintenance: keeping policies usable over time
Operating a policy register and review log as a living control
Simple consistency checks across a policy set (terminology, duplicates, overlaps)
Workshop: draft a mini policy framework (hierarchy + register + lifecycle workflow)
Course ID:
HAM-PM-1
Audience:
Manager
Domain:
Agnostic
Available in:
English
Duration:
7 h
List price:
CHF 550
Excl. VAT. VAT may apply depending on customer location and status.
What you get
Learning outcomes
Design a policy hierarchy that distinguishes corporate/group, system, and topic policies and defines clear applicability boundaries
Draft clear, testable policy statements that express intent and requirements without turning into procedures
Define policy lifecycle roles and approval responsibilities that are workable and auditable
Operate policy lifecycle control for creation, change, periodic review, retirement, and version traceability
Manage policy exceptions and deviations with structured decision records and renewal/closure rules
Harmonise group-wide policies across multiple entities while allowing controlled, justified local variation
Apply structured, AI-assisted consistency checks to identify duplicates, conflicts, and outdated wording
Design a policy hierarchy that distinguishes corporate/group, system, and topic policies and defines clear applicability boundaries
Draft clear, testable policy statements that express intent and requirements without turning into procedures
Define policy lifecycle roles and approval responsibilities that are workable and auditable
Operate policy lifecycle control for creation, change, periodic review, retirement, and version traceability
Manage policy exceptions and deviations with structured decision records and renewal/closure rules
Harmonise group-wide policies across multiple entities while allowing controlled, justified local variation
Apply structured, AI-assisted consistency checks to identify duplicates, conflicts, and outdated wording
Learning materials
Slide deck
Participant workbook
Certificate of completion
Slide deck
Participant workbook
Certificate of completion
Templates & tools
Policy statement template (purpose, scope, responsibilities, applicability, controlled links)
Policy register (owner, applicability, status, versions, entities, jurisdictions, translations)
Review & approval log (periodicity, triggers, decision capture)
Exception / deviation request form and decision record
Example group minimum + local addendum model
AI prompt set for policy consistency checks (duplicate detection, terminology consistency, change summarisation)
Policy statement template (purpose, scope, responsibilities, applicability, controlled links)
Policy register (owner, applicability, status, versions, entities, jurisdictions, translations)
Review & approval log (periodicity, triggers, decision capture)
Exception / deviation request form and decision record
Example group minimum + local addendum model
AI prompt set for policy consistency checks (duplicate detection, terminology consistency, change summarisation)
Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites. The module assumes general familiarity with how organisations document governance expectations and operate management systems.
Helpful background includes:
Basic understanding of management system documentation (policies, procedures, records)
Familiarity with organisational roles and approval practices
No formal prerequisites. The module assumes general familiarity with how organisations document governance expectations and operate management systems.
Helpful background includes:
Basic understanding of management system documentation (policies, procedures, records)
Familiarity with organisational roles and approval practices
Strongly recommended preparatory modules
Leadership & Policy Foundations: Management Commitment and Policy Direction in Practice
Understand leadership responsibilities in management systems and how top management sets clear policy direction and accountability
7 h
Leadership & Policy Foundations: Management Commitment and Policy Direction in Practice
Understand leadership responsibilities in management systems and how top management sets clear policy direction and accountability
7 h
Leadership & Policy Foundations: Management Commitment and Policy Direction in Practice
Understand leadership responsibilities in management systems and how top management sets clear policy direction and accountability
7 h
Continuous learning
Follow-up modules
Follow-up modules
After completion of this module, the following modules are ideal to further deepen the participant's competence.
After completion of this module, the following modules are ideal to further deepen the participant's competence.
Ready to achieve mastery?
Bring ISO requirements into everyday practice to reduce avoidable issues and strengthen the trust of your customers and stakeholders.
Ready to achieve mastery?
Bring ISO requirements into everyday practice to reduce avoidable issues and strengthen the trust of your customers and stakeholders.
Ready to achieve mastery?
Bring ISO requirements into everyday practice to reduce avoidable issues and strengthen the trust of your customers and stakeholders.