In digital governance projects I am often asked what is the ideal number and range of policies to ensure digital integrity. The answer varies and is specific to the organization, since each organization is unique. In general, the range is 7-10 for a small organization just starting to implement digital policies, and upwards of 35-40 for a larger organization that has already mapped out its requirements. Multinational organizations with mature digital practices that address regulatory and legal risks, as well as the opportunities and competitive advantages of digital, will often exceed 40 policies.

Which digital policies you choose to create and adopt depend on variables particular to your organization:

• Business sector: Commercial, B2B, governmental, or not-for-profit
• Vertical industry: Financial or insurance organizations will have different requirements than those of pharmaceuticals.
• Geographical location of users: Country-to-country and regional regulations and legal requirements differ, impacting the type and scope of policies.
• Digital platforms: Websites, mobile applications, customer relationship management, social media, chatbots and others each have their own requirements which translate into their own policy statements.
• Organizational status: If you are the global parent organization with national subsidiaries or joint ventures, you might delegate authority for policy definition and dissemination which will likely decrease the number of policies required at the global level and increase the overall number of policies in the ecosystem.
• Risk tolerance level: The lower your organization’s threshold for risk exposure, be it brand, legal/regulatory, fiscal, or market place positioning, generally the more control you will want to exert over what can and cannot be done with digital, and thus the higher the number of policies.

So before anyone can answer the question of what is the ideal number and range of policies to ensure digital integrity in your organization, a proper analysis and assessment will need to be made using all indicative factors.

Photo by Pierre-André Roy