Cambridge
Academy
In London

High-quality policies and SOPs create clarity, consistency, compliance, and operational efficiency. Policy and procedure leads must produce documents that are easy to follow, auditable, and aligned to governance requirements—while ensuring adoption across teams. This advanced program equips participants with practical methods to write, structure, and manage policies and SOPs, including standards, controls, and implementation tools.

Course Objectives

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

·        Write clear, consistent, and auditable policies and SOPs using modern documentation standards

·        Design document structures, control points, and workflows that reduce risk and errors

·        Align policies and SOPs with governance requirements, regulations, and organizational standards

·        Build supporting tools: forms, checklists, templates, and process maps

·        Establish review cycles, version control, and evidence practices for audit readiness

·        Create implementation plans to ensure adoption, training, and continuous improvement

Target Audience

This course is designed for:

·        Policy and procedure leads, governance officers, and compliance coordinators

·        Quality management and internal control professionals

·        Process owners and SOP writers across operations and support functions

·        Risk, compliance, and internal audit professionals supporting documentation standards

·        PMO and transformation professionals standardizing ways of working

Course Outlines

Day 1: Policy & SOP Foundations and Documentation Standards

·        Policy vs. procedure vs. SOP vs. guideline: purpose and appropriate use

·        Document governance: ownership, approvals, and decision rights

·        Writing standards: clarity, plain language, consistency, and accessibility

·        Document structure: scope, definitions, roles, controls, steps, and records

·        Activity: Document quality self-assessment + rewrite of a sample policy section

Day 2: Advanced Policy Writing Techniques

·        Defining scope and applicability: avoiding ambiguity and unintended gaps

·        Designing rules and requirements: “must/should/may” language discipline

·        Integrating risk and controls: control objectives, control points, and evidence requirements

·        Exceptions and non-compliance handling: escalation, approvals, and consequences

·        Workshop: Draft a complete policy (scope + requirements + roles + exceptions + records)

Day 3: SOP Design, Process Mapping & Work Instructions

·        Process mapping for SOPs: SIPOC, flowcharts, and role-based swimlanes

·        SOP step design: inputs, steps, decision points, outputs, and quality checks

·        Embedding controls: approvals, segregation of duties, and verification steps

·        Tools and attachments: checklists, forms, templates, and job aids

·        Practical activity: Build an SOP pack (process map + SOP + checklist + form)

Day 4: Version Control, Records Management & Audit Readiness

·        Version control: change logs, document numbering, and controlled distribution

·        Review cycles: triggers, periodic reviews, and policy refresh governance

·        Records and evidence: retention schedules, access controls, and audit trails

·        Testing compliance: walkthroughs, sampling, and effectiveness reviews

·        Case study: Audit finding from weak SOPs—fixing documentation and controls

Day 5: Implementation, Training & Continuous Improvement

·        Adoption planning: stakeholders, communications, and training design

·        Embedding SOPs: onboarding, competence checks, and manager accountability

·        Monitoring and exceptions: compliance KPIs, issue logs, and corrective actions

·        Continuous improvement: feedback loops, lessons learned, and document maturity roadmap