Building an IT policy for your organization is not an easy task. There isn’t a blanket set of rules that can fit your needs and requirements. Each organization serves a different purpose and the efforts involved in achieving an objective or guaranteeing compliance will definitely vary. This is the case even for businesses that work within the same industry.
However, an effective IT policy can be established by observing best practices. To make the task as simple as possible, here are a few ideas you can use.
Support from Senior Leaders
A policy cannot be developed without support from the people at the top. It is necessary that you seek the guidance of directors, managers, and senior executives while formulating an IT policy. You need to get their valuable inputs and perspectives on things. Make sure you get an official statement from the higher ups regarding the implementation of the policy. Also, make sure they’re the ones presenting the policy, in order for it to be taken seriously within the organization.
Involved Concerned Teams
Formulating an IT policy is pointless when it does not involve concerned groups or teams. You need to get everyone involved in order to build a consensus. Ideally, the people involved should be the policy owner, policy users, subject matter experts, and individuals who represent the groups that will be affected by the policy. You must also consult your organization’s legal, financial, and human resources departments.
The purpose of getting everyone involved is to collect recommendations on the impact of the policy, while also discussing its legitimacy and viability. Plus, you get to educate everybody about the policy and gain their support.
Research before Preparing
While developing the policy, you will need to carry out research on issues that exist within and outside the company. This includes getting a good picture of areas involving state/federal IT laws, policies followed by other businesses, documentation, and existing policies etc.
You need to know how your business actually functions in order to create an apt IT policy. It must fit the business model and make it easier for everyone to adopt, while still securing the organization.
KeeFORCE is a leading corporate IT service provider offering a one-stop shop for all of your IT needs. To find out more about how we can help your business, give us a call today at (270) 366-0553.
