Critiquing an organization’s policies and practices is often a challenging undertaking that will take a good deal of time. The amount of work will depend on the size of the organization you are critiquing. Larger organizations tend to have more complex and lengthy policies and procedures. Some small businesses might not have any at all. You will need to understand the process and purpose of a critique in order to accomplish this task well.

A Purposeful Critique

Identify why the policies and procedures are being critiqued in the first place. A critique is often requested because of a challenge faced by an organization such as an accusation of sexual harassment or discrimination in promoting practices of internal employees. Sometimes policies and procedures are reviewed simply to ensure that they are up-to-date with the current business climate and laws. For example, a company may decide that they need to add policies and procedures regarding the posting of company-related information on blogs or social networking websites. Knowing your purpose is essential to success.

Identify who you are writing the critique for and what they expect. A CEO of an organization may want a report noting any additions or deletions needed in the company’s policies and procedures. However, the human resources division of an organization may require a line-by-line critique.

Review all current policies and procedures for accuracy. Take notes along the way and ask questions when you do not understand what something means or why something exists.

Research the validity or importance of a policy and procedure if you have any questions about it. Many large organizations have legal departments that can answer questions about why a certain policy exists. If not, speak with a Human Resources professional or contact an outside lawyer if needed to confirm any questions of legality.

Write up your critique once you have finished reviewing current policies and procedures. Include strengths and weaknesses of existing policies along with your recommendations for additions or deletions.

Edit your critique for spelling, grammar and clarity of ideas.

Submit your critique to the individual(s) who requested it.

Tip

Writing a critique is time-consuming, detailed work. Make sure you have enough time to do the job well. Also, it is important to note that few people like to have their work critiqued, so you might run into some opposition when your critique is reviewed. This is to be expected. You should be prepared to answer questions and back your suggestions with your research and findings.