In order to fulfill the commitments of its public policy mission, the Board of Direction of ASCE established procedures for its members to develop a consensus on professional, technical and educational issues of concern to the civil engineering community.  Policy documents produced by this process are the basis for any statements made on behalf of the Society to government bodies such as Congress and federal regulatory agencies, media and to the public.

The Policy Review Committee (PRC), consisting of six Board members, acts as the oversight body of the policy development process, and is responsible for coordinating proposed Policy Statements, Position Papers and Resolutions from the originators to the Board of Direction.  Final approval of all ASCE policies is the responsibility of the Board of Direction.  The Board will decide on policy issues to set broad direction for the Society.  Policies should generally dwell on the "what" - the value, belief, philosophy, position - rather than the "how."

A policy document must be written in one of three standard formats: a policy statement, a position paper or a resolution.  Prior to developing a new proposal, members should examine existing policies to determine whether a new policy document is needed, whether it conflicts with existing documents, and whether it is an issue of broad concern to civil engineers.  The purpose of the document and the intended length of its life will determine which of the three formats should be followed:

The Board of Direction has established national policy committees that report to the Board through the PRC.  The committees are composed of at least five members, appointed by the President, who have professional expertise relative to public policy issues of national concern to the civil engineering profession.  These committees are the:

• National Energy and Environmental Policy Committee
• National Engineering Practice Policy Committee
• National Infrastructure and Research Policy Committee
• National Transportation Policy Committee
• National Water Policy Committee

In addition to national policy committees, individual members, district councils, professional, educational, or technical divisions, directors and national officers may and should be participants in the policy development process.  Along with the ASCE staff, PRC will make every effort to ensure that every appropriate component of the Society has an opportunity to comment on proposed policy documents.  However, the PRC must balance the desire to provide an opportunity for comment with the need for timely consideration of an issue.

After approval by the originating committee, the proposed policy documents are sent to the PRC.  The PRC makes the determination whether a proposed Policy Statement, Position Paper or Resolution should be presented to the Board of Direction. 

The Board of Direction may reject the policy proposal, remand the proposal to the originating entity for further work, approve the substance of the proposal as official policy while returning it to the PRC for further editorial review, or approve the proposal as presented.  The Board of Direction has independent authority over the policy process and may rescind any existing Policy Statement, Position Paper or Resolution. 

An important function of the PRC is the ongoing reassessment of existing Policy Statements, Position Papers and Resolutions on 3 year, 2 year and 1 year cycles respectively.  The PRC routinely refers policy documents to the committee of origin for review of the continued relevance of the subject and for recommendation for possible recision, revision, clarification, or incorporation into a new policy proposal.  This review process enables the Society to respond to the changing needs of the profession in a timely manner.

Occasionally a pending issue of vital importance requires a response or public statement by the Society on short notice.  The PRC may accelerate the review and approval process by submitting the approved policy statement to the Executive Committee of the Board which has authority to act when the full Board is not in session.  Executive Committee actions must be ratified by the full Board at its next meeting.

Once the Board of Direction approves a Policy Statement, Position Paper or Resolution, it must be formally announced to the membership and made known to the public.  A brief summary of Board-adopted policy documents is published in ASCE News.  The title of a new Policy Statement, Position Paper or Resolution also is added to the "Index of ASCE Policies" published in the annual Official Register. 

The Government Relations Department maintains a permanent file of all ASCE policy documents.  A compilation of the full text of all ASCE policies is available in the Policy Document Book, which is published in May and updated in the fall.  This book is distributed to the Board of Direction, to members of policy committees and to any individual submitting a request.  In addition, a booklet, "Policies and Priorities," that summarizes all policies is updated and issued each January.  Full texts of all policy documents are also posted to the ASCE Web Page.

The Government Relations staff monitors all areas of public affairs in which the Society might appropriately issue statements or positions.  When an opportunity arises for the Society to present the professional and technical judgment of its members, the staff refers to the Society's official policy documents for guidance.  All statements, testimony, and submissions made on behalf of the Society must be consistent with Board approved policies. 

The Government Relations staff is guided in these activities by the Committee on Government Affairs, which is responsible for coordinating the government affairs activities of national significance to members of the profession.  The Committee also develops an annual priority issues agenda, which is submitted to the Board for adoption each year.  Subsequently, the PRC works with the Government Relations staff to compare this list of issues with existing ASCE policy documents to determine which policies need revisions or recisions, and when new policies need to be developed on specific issues.  After this review, the PRC refers the existing policy to the originating committee for further work and refers new issues to the appropriate entities for policy development.  The Committee on Government Affairs completes the process by promoting policies and developing strategies for accomplishing Board-adopted policy goals.