---
name: Policy Document Template
description: Generates a compliant, consistently structured policy or procedure document with required governance sections, drafted in Microsoft 365 Copilot for review and approval.
---

# Policy Document Template

> **TL;DR:** This skill generates a structured policy or procedure document in your organisation's standard format, with required sections from document control through to approval, ready for governance review.

## How do you draft a compliant policy document?

The skill produces a policy or procedure document that follows a consistent structure and tone, ready for governance review and approval. Drafted inside Microsoft 365 Copilot as the host, it applies the RACE prompt-engineering framework: the Role is a policy author, the Action is to draft each required governance section, the Context is the policy topic and any source material, and the Expectation is a numbered, formally worded document in plain Australian English. Every policy statement is numbered and uses neutral, declarative language so the rules are unambiguous when they reach the governance forum.

## When should you run this skill?

- "Create a policy document"
- "Draft a procedure"
- "Write a standard for X"

## Required sections

1. **Document control** — title, version, effective date, owner, review date
2. **Purpose** — why this policy exists
3. **Scope** — who and what it applies to
4. **Definitions** — terms used in the document
5. **Policy statements** — the rules themselves, numbered
6. **Roles and responsibilities** — who does what
7. **Exceptions** — how exceptions are requested and approved
8. **Related documents** — links to standards, procedures, and supporting material
9. **Version history** — table of revisions
10. **Approval** — name, role, date

## How this skill works, step by step

1. Ask for the policy topic if not provided.
2. Generate the document using the section structure above.
3. Use formal, plain Australian English.
4. Number all policy statements (e.g. 5.1, 5.2).
5. Include a version control block at the top.
6. Save as a Word document or Markdown depending on the user's preference.

## Output format

Plain Markdown by default; Word when requested. Each top-level section as an `##` heading. Document control and version history as tables.

## Scope and safety

This skill does NOT:

- Make policy decisions or interpret regulations.
- Approve documents (governance forum approval required).

## Licensing and permissions

### Licences and add-ons

| Capability used | Minimum licence |
| --- | --- |
| Drafting the policy document in Microsoft 365 Copilot chat | Microsoft 365 Copilot licence (or a Claude licence) |

### Least-privilege roles

- No administrator role is required. The skill only generates content from the topic and any source material the author already supplies.

### Microsoft Graph permissions (read-only)

- None. This is a content-generation skill that drafts text inside the Copilot host; it does not call Microsoft Graph or read tenant directory data. The author must already have access to any source material they paste in.

## Sources and compliance

- Output in Australian English.
- Use neutral, declarative language ("must", "must not", "should") consistently.
- Avoid Americanisms (license to licence, organisation, and so on).
- Reference: [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-copilot-overview](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-copilot-overview)