A policy sets forth a decision agreed upon by two or more of the forums or provides the parameters within which a decision will be made, thereby providing guidance and helping to manage expectations of the groups vis‐a‐vis each other. Policies encourage a degree of consistency in decision making and promote investment by groups in long‐range thinking and planning. When a policy is under development, it can be helpful for the participating forums to establish a joint task force to develop a draft of the policy.
Policies are living agreements. It is important to review policies from time to time to ensure that they continue to serve the purposes for which they were established. Major changes in circumstances all warrant prompt review of existing policies to ensure that they remain appropriate and effective.