Keilim is designed around five policy-building modules: 1. Foundational Elements, 2. Prohibited Conduct, 3. Interaction Guidelines, 4. Organizational Response, and 5. Living Your Policy. While the modules are structured to build upon one another, Keilim is also designed so organizations can begin in the area where the most work is needed.

For organizations seeking to follow the Keilim roadmap:

Foundational Elements helps your organization begin by forming a Committee, as creating an effective Policy requires a committed group of leaders to ensure that Policy-development is a top priority. That group will then consider and articulate your organizational values because the most effective Policy is woven into the fabric of your organization’s culture, which requires deeply considering your values and the culture you wish to create both before and during the policy-writing process. Finally, the Committee will determine the scope of your Policy. We encourage organizations to start with Foundational Elements in order to build the needed infrastructure to write Policy.

The next four modules lead your Committee through the process of writing Policy pertaining to these areas:

Prohibited Conduct outlines categories of behaviors that your organization will prohibit in its Policy, including discrimination, harassment, bullying, other abusive behaviors, and retaliation.

Interaction Guidelines focuses on fostering safer, more respectful, and more equitable relationships within your organization by helping you to create a code of conduct that promotes positive, encouraged behaviors.
Screening guides your organization through creating policies for screening employees and volunteers with a focus on promoting safety.

Organizational Response helps your organization develop the infrastructure needed to effectively, fairly, and compassionately respond to reports of Policy violations.

Living Your Policy helps your organization establish internal structures for sharing your Policy proudly across the organization, maintaining your Policy, and engaging in ongoing review and revision, as well as providing continuing education for your community.
Keep in mind that Keilim’s material is not a legal document and may not take into account all relevant local or state laws. Make sure to ask your attorney to review your finalized policy, employee handbook, and practices.

Module Structure

Each of the six modules leads you through the Policy-writing process. When you select a module, the landing page provides an overview of that module and the main topics to include in your policy.

Each main topic includes the following elements:

Introduction: This is where we prepare you for your Policy-development work by providing key definitions and background information.

Considerations: Here we focus on elements that may impact your Policy’s content such as legal requirements and your organization’s capacity.

Drafting: Here, decisions reached in the preceding steps are codified. Keilim provides sample Policy language for reference as you draft your own.

Supporting Resources: These are items that help support the implementation of your Policy. Resources include sample emails, tip sheets, check-lists, forms, and worksheets.