SOPs

Did you get to use all the colored markers you bought on your mind map? Are you now an expert at flowcharting and want to flowchart everything? Super, well now it’s time to translate those pictorial representations of your process to paper. Yes, finally we’re going to start writing. Before you open that word processor file or click that pen, let’s remember what our P-D-C-A (Plan-Do-Check-Act) model suggests — plan the work. For the writing task we need to have an approach for how we’re going to write our SOP.

Our approach will be to write SOPs from the perspective of the user. They are responsible for performing the work, so the SOP should be written with them in mind. One of the most effective ways of writing for the user is to write using action steps. The action step makes up the basic element of the SOP. An action step provides the direction to do a particular activity.

Writing Action Steps
The basic element of any action step is the imperative sentence i.e., a sentence that gives a direct command to perform a specific action. An action step answers the question "what is to be done?" Additional elements, such as cautions and condition statements, are used to increase the precision with which instructions can be communicated. There are a number of commonly accepted principles used to write action steps. Five of the most important principles are presented here and another five will be presented in the next article.

Principle 1: Use Simple Command Statements

Begin the action step with a singular present tense action verb, such as “open.”

• Poor:    The reading shall be recorded on the Data Collection Form.
• Better:    Record reading on Data Collection Form.

Next precisely describe the direct object of the verb. In the example above that is “reading.” Complete the basic action step with supportive information about the action verb and the direct object. Supportive information includes further description of the object and the recipient of the object. The supportive information in the example above is “on Data Collection Form.” Acceptance criteria, referencing, and branching are other types of supportive information and are described later.

Consider omitting the subject “you” because it is implied in the imperative or command structure. Unnecessary articles such as “a,” “an,” or “the” may be omitted, unless needed for clarity.

The words will, should, and must, which are often found in SOPs, are not part of the structure of an action step. The command form of the verb is equivalent to “shall,” so their use should be avoided.

Principle 2: Keep Action Steps Simple
Write action steps using words that are easily understood by the users. Where a word is used that requires a definition, the definition of the word will be included as (a) part of that action step, or (b) as a note that immediately precedes the action step that uses the defined word.