Policy toolkit: alpha

Defining policies

A policy can describe both the goals and intent of an authority, like government, Cabinet, a department or an organisation.

• Policies establish overarching principles and rules to guide decision-making and behaviour.
• Policy also refers to the specific tool, instrument or approach used to achieve those goals and objectives.

Policy outcomes can be achieved through various paths, but compliance with mandatory policies requires a clear understanding from those implementing the policy and those effected.

There are a range of tools and instruments that apply to policy work.

Choose the right instrument

The 5-phase process introduced in this toolkit will help you determine the most appropriate instrument to address the problem.

Beyond the type of instrument, the level of endorsement or approval should be considered in line with the problem or objective to be addressed, this will depend on the ‘needs’ of the solution.

Endorsement and approval levels may range from Cabinet, Ministerial, head of agency or CEO.

Policy categories and approval

In practical terms, policies can be categorised as:

• Whole-of-government policies: apply to all government agencies, organisations and entities. They are often broad in scope and require Cabinet-endorsement.
• Portfolio, sector or area policies: apply to agencies or organisations within a specific portfolio or sector and policies that are relevant to a particular area. For example, the digital delivery policies available on the Australian Government Architecture (AGA) website. The close connection to digital delivery means these types of policies will be more flexible and, in some cases, more suitable than a Cabinet-endorsed policy.
• Organisation or agency level policies: these policies are internal to entities and guide internal decision-making, while aligning to broader whole-of-government policies. They often relate to human resources, such as governing travel and remote work. They may also cover topics like technology, risk or internal governance.

Standards

Standards can be mandatory or voluntary. They use measurable and enforceable requirements and set clear rules that ensure consistency and compliance.

Standards are usually narrower and more specific than policies and less flexible than guidance.

Guidance

Guidance includes recommendations or best practice advice that tells the user how to meet a policy, standard or other instrument. Guidance can be wider in scope than policies or standards. 

They are not endorsed or authorised at a high level, so they can be more flexible and are often easier to update.  

Frameworks

Frameworks set our clear principles, roles and processes for how something should be done, without setting rigid requirements. 

Supportive policy instruments  

Depending on the problem you want to solve, different actions may be needed. This may include changing laws, improving processes or strengthening skills and resources.

• Legislative amendments: Used to modify existing laws to address a problem.
• Administrative changes:  Improve workflows or processes to solve operational problems.
• Capacity building: Includes training and resources to enhance agency capability and understanding.