Policy Assessment: Find the Gaps Before They’re Tested
A gap analysis and prioritized recommendations.
Policy Assessment is built for organizations that already have written policies and want an honest answer to one question: would they hold up if something happened tomorrow? We review what you have against how your organization runs, then hand you a clear, prioritized list of what to fix first. You walk away knowing exactly where your organization is strong and where it is exposed.
What It Includes
- Leadership and staff interviews on how current policies work in practice.
- A full review of your current child protection policies.
- A gap analysis measured against sector standards and your operations.
- A prioritized list of recommendations, ranked by risk and urgency.
What You Will Receive
- A written gap analysis report specific to your organization.
- A prioritized roadmap of recommended next steps.
- A findings debrief session to walk through results together.
What You Will Bring
- A project lead who can gather your current policies.
- Leadership team with the authority to act on what we find.
- Time for a small number of leadership interviews.
Timeframe & Plan
Overall timeframe:
4 to 6 weeks.
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Week 1
Discovery call and engagement kickoff.
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Weeks 1–2
Leadership and staff interviews,
policy document review. -
Weeks 3–4
Gap analysis and drafting of recommendations.
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Weeks 5–6
Findings debrief and prioritized roadmap delivered.
Every engagement starts with a conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the gap analysis commit us to a full policy development engagement?
No. The Policy Assessment is a standalone engagement. You receive a full report and prioritized recommendations whether or not you move forward with a Policy Development project. Many organizations use the findings to make the case internally before deciding on next steps.
What happens if the assessment finds a serious gap?
We tell you directly and rank it by risk, so leadership can act fast if needed. A serious gap does not require an immediate additional engagement. Some organizations address urgent findings internally first and return to YSO Partners for a Policy Development project once they are ready for a full rebuild.
Who at our organization needs to be involved?
You will need a designated project lead to coordinate logistics and a small group of leadership and staff for interviews, typically 3 to 6 people depending on your organization’s size. We have found that executive-level involvement means the organization is more likely to implement the findings.
How is Policy Assessment different from Policy Development?
Policy Assessment reviews what you have and tells you what to fix. Policy Development goes further and includes writing the actual policy manual with your team. Most organizations that need more than a handful of updates move into the fuller engagement.
What sectors does YSO Partners work with?
Community organizations, international aid programs, schools, early childhood education, churches, and camps. We measure your policies against your organization’s specific sector and operations, because a camp and a school face different day-to-day risks in how they supervise children.
Can a Policy Assessment be conducted if we are responding to a recent incident?
Yes, though most organizations recovering from an incident start with Policy Development instead, since a full rebuild is usually what the situation calls for. We will talk through your specific situation on the discovery call and recommend the right starting point.