How do you write a procedures manual?

In short

Start with the five highest-stakes procedures (procurement, spending, revenue, recruitment, payment). For each: purpose, actors, steps in order, documents produced, control points and lead times. Have it validated by those who apply it, circulate it, then check application and update it every year.

1. Map the processes

List the organization’s processes and rank them by stakes: money committed, legal risks, volume. This ranking sets the order of writing.

2. Describe actual practice

Interview those who carry out the procedure and describe what really happens before improving it. A procedure written from an office, without the operators, will not be applied.

3. Build in controls

Separate incompatible tasks (commit, verify, pay), state who approves what and at which threshold, and plan back-ups. A flowchart per procedure makes it readable.

4. Keep the manual alive

Circulate, train, then check application by sampling. Every audit, complaint or regulatory change triggers a dated update.

Our organization and procedures services →Management

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to write a manual?

A few weeks for the five priority procedures; several months for a complete manual, depending on the size of the organization.

Which format should you choose?

One sheet per procedure with a flowchart, actors, steps and controls; all accessible online and dated.

Who approves the manual?

Management, after review by the heads of the departments concerned and, where it exists, by internal audit.