Writing Policies, Procedures and Manuals (CWS-024) Training Course

Writing Policies, Procedures and Manuals

Policies, procedures and manuals tell people what must be done, how to do it and who is responsible. When they are long, vague, inconsistent or difficult to navigate…

5 daysClassroom or online

49Upcoming dates

12Cities

£2,250Fees from

Course overview

Introduction

Policies, procedures and manuals tell people what must be done, how to do it and who is responsible. When they are long, vague, inconsistent or difficult to navigate, staff ignore them, errors increase and the organisation is exposed to compliance and operational risk. Well-written documents, by contrast, make good practice easy to follow.

This Writing Policies, Procedures and Manuals training course gives participants a practical method for producing clear, consistent and usable governance and operational documents. Participants learn how to distinguish policies from procedures, gather content from subject experts, structure documents logically, write precise requirements in plain language, use flowcharts and checklists, and manage review and version control.

Participants work on documents from their own organisations, leaving the course with improved drafts and reusable templates.

Course Objectives

By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:

Distinguish policies, standards, procedures and work instructions
Plan documents around users and their tasks
Gather accurate content from subject matter experts
Structure documents for easy navigation and reference
Write precise, enforceable requirements in plain language
Use flowcharts, tables and checklists to simplify procedures
Build consistent templates and style rules
Manage review, approval and version control

Target Audience

This training course is suitable for a wide range of professionals, including:

Policy writers and governance officers
Quality and compliance professionals
Process owners and operations managers
Technical writers and document controllers
HR and administration professionals
Managers responsible for operating manuals

Training Methodology

The course is workshop-based. Participants review and critique sample documents, interview a colleague acting as a subject expert, draft and redraft policy and procedure sections, create flowcharts and checklists and build a template. Peer review and trainer feedback guide each revision.

Target Competencies

Document type selection
Subject expert interviewing
Plain language requirement writing
Procedure visualisation
Template and style design
Document control

Course outline

1Day One: Purpose and Types of Governance Documents

Why policies and procedures matter for performance and compliance
Policies, standards, procedures, guidelines and work instructions
Common problems in existing documents and their causes
Understanding users and how they use documents
Document hierarchy and cross-referencing
Legal and regulatory considerations in overview
Exercise: critiquing a sample policy and procedure

2Day Two: Planning and Gathering Content

Defining scope, audience and purpose for each document
Interviewing subject matter experts effectively
Observing processes and capturing real practice
Reconciling different views and conflicting practices
Organising content into a logical outline
Agreeing ownership and approval routes early
Workshop: planning a document and interviewing an expert

3Day Three: Writing Clear Policies

Standard policy structure and essential sections
Writing purpose, scope and policy statements clearly
Using must, should and may consistently
Defining roles and responsibilities precisely
Avoiding ambiguity, duplication and loopholes
Plain language techniques for policy writing
Exercise: drafting a policy from rough notes

4Day Four: Writing Usable Procedures and Manuals

Step-by-step procedure writing principles
Writing one action per step with clear actors
Using flowcharts and swimlane diagrams effectively
Checklists, tables and decision aids
Designing manuals for quick reference and search
Screenshots, examples and visual aids
Workshop: converting a dense procedure into steps

5Day Five: Templates, Review and Maintenance

Designing consistent templates and style guides
Peer review and usability testing of documents
Approval workflows and sign-off records
Version control, change logs and archiving
Publishing documents for easy access
Scheduling periodic review and updates
Personal action plan for document improvement

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Writing Policies, Procedures and Manuals course?

The course runs over 5 days of classroom training, usually Monday to Friday.

When is the next Writing Policies, Procedures and Manuals course?

The next public date is 7 - 11 Dec 2026 in Barcelona. There are 49 upcoming dates in total.

Where is this course held?

Upcoming sessions run in Barcelona, Frankfurt, London, Kuala Lumpur, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Cape Town, Geneva, Istanbul.

Can I take Writing Policies, Procedures and Manuals online?

Yes. Every date can also be joined live online in a virtual classroom with the trainer, for £1,280 per participant. Choose "Live online" in the dates table when you register.

How much does the course cost?

Fees start from £2,250 per delegate, depending on the city. Fees include tuition and course materials.

Do participants receive a certificate?

Yes. Delegates who complete the course receive a London Leadership Management Innovation certificate of completion.

Can this course be delivered in-house for our team?

Yes. LLMI can tailor and deliver this course privately for your organisation at your premises or in one of our training cities.

Course information last updated 14 November 2026.

Writing Policies, Procedures and Manuals

Course overview

Introduction

Course Objectives

Target Audience

Training Methodology

Target Competencies

Course outline

Dates and fees

Frequently asked questions

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