Operational Planning

The planning for daily operations, or work, is called operational planning. This type of planning is very routine, and much of it is repeated. Much of this type of planning can be done with policies and procedures – a basic part of operational planning. Policies are the planned answers to reoccurring questions. Procedures are the planned step-by-step operation to follow to accomplish a regular task. The writing of policies and procedures fits into the task of planning, because the leader is really planning a response to a future
situation when he writes policies and procedures.

Policies

 A policy is a standing answer to a recurring question. It is a definite course of action selected from alternatives in the light of given conditions to guide present and future decisions. A policy is a simple decision meant to guide organizational behavior out of a number of alternate decisions. Usually a policy is set by someone at a higher level in an organization to give guidance to those at lower levels making decisions. Policies reflect what the boss wants the organization to do.

 A process of policy development has evolved:

• A problem, or question, arises repeatedly and is brought to the attention of people who can develop policy.
•  Alternate courses of action considered, the probable effects of each alternate are considered, and finding the best alternative makes a policy decision.
•  Documentation of all alternatives, conditions, and reasons for final decisions are preserved for future reference.
•  Finally, the policy statement is communicated to all who need it, and is then used in making decisions.

 Policies are needed for personnel matters, weddings, use of buildings and equipment, nursery use and nursery workers, purchasing, special offerings, school admission, and many other things. A written policy allows the leader to make a decision ahead of time, make a decision without personalities (like deacons) being involved, and have a consistent answer to the same
question for different parties at different times.

Church policies should be:

a. Written clearly enough to be understood by everyone
b. Publicized
c. Reviewed and updated periodically
d. Followed or enforced
e. Seldom not followed
NOTE: Policies are rules to be followed and not rules to be broken.

 Written policies require the church leadership to think clearly and consistently through the guides to action. As the guides are written down, the leaders should discover any conflicts, contradictions, discrepancies, or inconsistencies, which can be corrected. If the written policies are different from the unwritten operating structure, then problems in implementing the policies can be expected. The writing of policies should begin by determining the current operating structure. It may need to be changed, but it should be considered. Some leaders are afraid to put their policies in writing because they don’t want to be committed to a particular standard. These leaders want to have the freedom to make a decision based on the personalities, and not the principles. Policy that is “understood” but not written down is more flexible and can easily be adjusted to different circumstances. However, written policies insure uniformity of decision-making and make it much easier for subordinates to perform their work.

 These written policies also serve an educational purpose. Without them the pastor or other staff members must assume the responsibility of carrying on a continuous educational program that will be repetitive. The value is not only in making the policies clearly understood, but also a certain value is inherent in putting them in writing. What people read they retain for a longer time than what they hear. A manual is therefore superior to a lecture for many reasons.

 Major policies should be made by, or at least approved by, the pastor and his chief advisors. These policies will have the effect of limiting the decision-making range of personnel charged with managing the work of the church. The function here is to sanction in advance decisions made by the leaders in lower positions of authority in various situations as long as they stay within the guidelines. Policies may be written at any level in an organization, and not just the top level. Policies will guide and govern persons and operations at levels either identical with or below the level at which the policymaking occurs.

 Procedures

A procedure is a step-by-step process that has been standardized to accomplish a particular task. Procedures give a definite course of action, instead of a puzzle to be solved. Procedures detail the exact manner and the chronological order of job performance. When a leader writes procedures for accomplishing a job, he should be designing the best way to complete a task in a regular definite order.

Procedures are needed for such things as changing addresses on members and prospects, distributing the mail, purchasing supplies, counting the offering, receiving new members, locking and unlocking the building for services, and such events that lend themselves to a step-by-step procedure for accomplishing them. Procedures that are carefully prepared and followed will insure that the best sequences of events are followed, and that nothing is left out that needs to be done to accomplish a specific task. Procedures are especially helpful to a new employee.

These written policies and procedures should be brought together in a policy and procedures manual. This kind of reference manual can be referred to whenever needed and will eliminate frequent time consuming conferences on routine matters. This will allow leaders at various levels to make certain decisions without constantly bombarding others with questions or seeking of opinions. The manual should be designed to help make the church more effective and efficient, and should not be overly negative, restrictive, or legalistic. Some degree of flexibility, with limits, should be written into the policies.