Policies and procedures software is bought as one thing and has to run two lifecycles, and applying one cycle to both is the most common configuration error in the category. Policies change rarely and are approved by somebody senior. Procedures change often and are approved by whoever does the work. Give them the same review interval and the same approver and you get either wasted senior time or a stale half. This page sets out how to run both in one register.
Different intervals, set per document
A code of conduct genuinely does not need annual attention; a procedure that depends on a system which was upgraded twice this year does. Setting the interval per document rather than per register is what makes the total survivable: on the worked example, 48 procedures at one review a year is 120 hours, and every unnecessary annual cycle is 2.5 of them.
Different approvers, and it matters more than the interval
A policy change is a decision for whoever owns the risk. A procedure change is a decision for the person who does the work. Requiring the senior approver for both is the fastest available way to make procedure updates stop happening, because the person who noticed the document was wrong will not chase a director twice.
One register, with the link recorded
They belong in the same place, linked, so a reader can see which policy a procedure serves and which procedures a policy implies. Splitting them across two systems removes both answers and guarantees that a policy change leaves procedures behind that nobody knows about.
One attestation model, scoped
Both need a signature against a version, and both need scoping so that people are asked to read what applies to them. The worked example is 1,152 signatures and $6,566.40 a cycle at 40% scope; sending everything to everybody is 2,880 and reads less, not more.
Questions people ask about policies and procedures software
Should policies and procedures share a review cycle?
No. Set the interval per document. Policies rarely need annual attention and volatile procedures often need more.
Who should approve a procedure change?
The person accountable for the work, not the director who approves policies. Requiring a senior approver stops updates happening.
Should they live in the same system?
Yes, and linked. Splitting them means a policy change silently leaves procedures behind.