Crafting a Plain-English Financial Policy By Merrill King
sometimes inadvertently use specialized concepts or language, or make incorrect assumptions about how much a non-expert knows about a given topic.
Financial policies are critical in setting criteria for acceptable and unacceptable courses of action, government operations, and fiscal performance. When Identify Your Audience crafted well, they are of great benefit in guiding (and It’s critical to identify your audiences from the outset. With explaining) important financial decisions. But sound financial policies, there is always more than one. Writing principles alone are not enough. with these diverse audiences in Policies must be communicated mind will help guide the policy’s effectively and accurately in order development. A financial policy should be to be of practical use to end users accessible to everyone in its and governing boards. The first group to consider is elected audience, especially those who don’t officials and other policymakers, have the same depth of knowledge as After a financial policy is including all applicable governing developed, it must be adopted and boards (e.g., councilmembers, the person or people who created it. implemented, and communicated appointed committee/board to a wide variety of people (who members, and, potentially, elected have varying degrees of expertise) along the way. The policy officials from oversight agencies at a state or regional should be accessible to everyone in its audience, especially government level). Keep in mind the current professions and those who don’t have the same depth of knowledge as the backgrounds of these individuals whenever possible. person or people who created it. In fact, it’s ironic that the deep knowledge one needs to create a financial policy can in Another important segment of your audience is taxpayers fact be a roadblock to clear communication. Experts and the general public. It’s important to understand
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SOUTH DAKOTA MUNICIPALITIES
