Catalog of Sample Policies for Pennsylvania's Conservation Districts

Simple Guides for Developing Policy

Too often policies are created to make sure a bad decision made in a crisis is never repeated. Proactive policymaking is recommended for situations that are common to your conservation district or may result due to the programs you administer. Conservation districts that practice proactive policymaking can save themselves a great deal of anguish in a crisis situation that demands instant response.

Making policy does not have to be onerous. Although district policies should always be written to conform to legal, moral and ethical mandates, most policies dealing with how a conservation district conducts business on a day-to-day basis can be developed through a series of simple questions:

1. For which district situations, issues, programs or procedures do we need a policy establishing clear guidelines and procedures?
2. Do we have any legal or programmatic guidance on how these issues, programs or procedures should be handled?
3. What do we intend this policy to do?/ What outcomes do we expect to see?/ What is the purpose of this policy?