Prepare a communication pack for a policy change
Explain an approved policy update to the teams it affects. Prepare practical messages and FAQ drafts that stay tied to the new wording.
How this works
Explain an approved policy update to the teams it affects. Prepare practical messages and FAQ drafts that stay tied to the new wording. Use this when one approved policy change needs different explanations for managers and affected employees. The pack should preserve the actual decision while making responsibilities, dates and unanswered questions clear.
Compare the previous and new approved versions, identify affected roles, and draft messages from one change ledger. Separate confirmed policy content from suggested rollout language so the assistant cannot accidentally create a new rule through an FAQ answer.
Before you start
Approved policy versions
Obtain previous and new versions with effective dates and approval status.
Audience map
Identify affected roles, managers, locations and existing communication channels.
Policy owner
Name the person who can resolve ambiguous wording and authorize release.
Prepare the inputs
- old_policy
- Required
versioned text
Keep original section identifiers for comparison.
- new_policy
- Required
approved text and effective date
Draft proposals must not be described as active policy.
- audience_requirements
- Required
roles, impacts and accessible formats
Use role-level needs without unnecessary personal data.
- rollout_constraints
- Required
deadlines, channels and owner decisions
Distinguish approved commitments from suggested timing.
Implementation, step by step
Build the change ledger
- Compare policy sections and classify additions, removals and altered obligations.
- Retain before-and-after references and identify changes with operational consequences.
Checkpoint: One factual ledger anchors all drafts.
Map audience impacts
- Connect each change to affected roles and required actions.
- Flag uncertain applicability instead of assuming the rule covers every location.
Checkpoint: The impact map identifies who needs what explanation.
Draft the announcement
- Explain what changes, when it starts and what employees should do.
- Use the approved effective date and avoid adding consequences absent from the policy.
Checkpoint: A concise announcement matches the ledger.
Prepare manager and FAQ materials
- Draft manager talking points and likely employee questions.
- Answer only supported questions; label unresolved questions for the policy owner.
Checkpoint: The pack separates factual answers from pending decisions.
Review consistency and release state
- Cross-check all versions against the same change ledger.
- Prepare channel-specific drafts and record approval status; publishing requires the requested release action.
Checkpoint: Every artifact has a version and owner.
Decisions along the way
Policy is not approved
Label the pack draft and avoid language implying implementation.
Different locations have exceptions
Create explicit audience variants linked to their governing sections.
FAQ answer would create a new rule
Route the question to the policy owner and leave it unanswered.
What you will produce
policy-change-pack.md
MarkdownCoherent drafts for the approved audiences.
Include: announcement · manager_notes · faq · actions · effective_date
policy-change-ledger.csv
CSVA traceable record preventing contradictory messages.
Include: section · old_rule · new_rule · audience · source_ref · question
Check the result
- Verify dates and obligations against the approved policy.
- Compare answers across audiences for accidental contradictions.
- Ensure each requested employee action follows from a documented change.
- Check unresolved questions are visible and no draft is labeled published.
When something goes wrong
Old version unavailable
Describe the new policy without claiming a complete change comparison.
Owner changes a rule mid-draft
Update the ledger first and regenerate affected messages.
Audience list is incomplete
Keep distribution planning pending and provide role-level drafts.
A worked example
SYNTHETIC EXAMPLE · NOT A REPORTED BUSINESS RESULT
Request
Synthetic: prepare a travel-policy update.
Inputs
Old rule allowed booking after manager email approval. New approved rule requires a request ID before booking from 1 November. Emergency exceptions are not described.
Expected result
Synthetic result: announcement and manager notes use 1 November and the request-ID requirement. The FAQ 'What about emergencies?' is marked pending policy-owner clarification, not answered with an invented exemption.
Run a small pilot
Start small
Prepare one change pack for two affected audience groups.
Record the baseline
Record review rounds and factual corrections in the current process.
Agree success criteria
Agree consistency and comprehension checks before reusing the format.
Stop or revise
Stop release preparation if approval status or effective date is unresolved.
Keep the scope clear
- Communication drafting cannot amend policy or authorize new exceptions.
- Preparing messages does not send announcements or change employee obligations.
Check before using
The policy owner checks interpretations, effective dates and distribution scope.
Business activities
- Support and develop employees
- Maintain shared company knowledge
FROM A RECIPE TO YOUR WORKFLOW
Bring the company context together.
This workflow needs reliable inputs before it needs a better prompt. Moat8 Vault brings working information into a readable archive for the AI tools you use.
For this recipe: Previous and approved policies · Affected roles · Effective date
Start with one recurring task, agree which sources to use, and review the first result with your team.
Discuss this workflow