Hands-On Workshop

Workshop 2: The Policy Translator

10-12 minutes Transform a dense policy into formats employees will actually read

The Scenario

You are the Procurement and Compliance Manager at Blueridge Coastal Community College (BCCC).

Your CFO, Dr. Renee Callahan, has asked you to solve a recurring problem: front-line employees keep violating the P-card policy — not because they're careless, but because the 4-page policy document is written in legal and procurement language nobody reads.

Last month alone, the business office flagged:

"Can you give me a one-page version regular employees will actually read? And maybe a checklist or FAQ so it sticks?"
— Dr. Renee Callahan, CFO

You have 20 minutes before your next meeting. This is a job for AI.

The Source Document

Below is the P-card policy excerpt you'll work with. This is fictional but realistic — modeled on actual community college procurement policies. Click Copy Policy to grab it for your AI tool.

Blueridge Coastal Community College
Purchasing Card (P-Card) Policy and Procedures
Policy Number: BUS-2019-04 | Effective Date: July 1, 2019 | Last Revised: August 15, 2024

I. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines governing the issuance, use, and reconciliation of Purchasing Cards (hereinafter "P-Cards") issued to authorized employees of Blueridge Coastal Community College (hereinafter "the College"). This policy applies to all full-time and part-time employees who have been designated as Cardholders or Approving Officials pursuant to the procedures set forth herein. This policy shall be interpreted in conjunction with applicable federal, state, and institutional regulations, including but not limited to North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 143, Article 8, and the North Carolina Community College System Accounting Procedures Manual.

II. AUTHORIZED USE

Cardholders shall utilize P-Cards solely for the procurement of goods and services directly related to official College business, as defined in Section V of this document. Single transaction limits shall not exceed $2,500.00 unless prior written authorization has been obtained from the Vice President of Business and Finance. Monthly cycle limits shall not exceed $10,000.00 unless similarly authorized. Under no circumstances shall Cardholders artificially subdivide or "split" purchases for the purpose of circumventing single transaction limits; such action constitutes a material violation of this policy and may result in immediate revocation of P-Card privileges, disciplinary action up to and including termination, and potential referral to the State Bureau of Investigation.

III. PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS

The following transactions are strictly prohibited and shall not, under any circumstances, be processed using a College-issued P-Card: (a) personal purchases of any kind, regardless of intent to reimburse; (b) cash advances, ATM withdrawals, or money orders; (c) alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or controlled substances; (d) meals and entertainment expenses, except when pre-approved for documented business purposes pursuant to Section VII; (e) gift cards, gift certificates, or stored-value instruments; (f) any goods or services of a capital nature exceeding $5,000.00 in aggregate value; (g) travel-related expenditures, which shall be processed through the College's designated travel management system.

IV. RECONCILIATION AND DOCUMENTATION

All P-Card transactions shall be reconciled within ten (10) business days following the close of the monthly billing cycle. Cardholders are responsible for obtaining and submitting itemized receipts for all transactions, regardless of dollar amount. Receipts shall include, at minimum: (1) vendor name and location; (2) date of transaction; (3) itemized description of goods or services purchased; (4) total amount charged including applicable taxes and fees. Summary receipts, credit card slips lacking itemization, or screenshots of online confirmations without corresponding vendor invoices shall not be deemed acceptable documentation.

V. CARDHOLDER RESPONSIBILITIES

Each Cardholder shall: (a) safeguard the physical P-Card and associated account information against unauthorized use; (b) report lost, stolen, or compromised cards to the Program Administrator within twenty-four (24) hours of discovery; (c) complete mandatory P-Card training annually and maintain current certification; (d) retain all transaction documentation for a period of not less than five (5) years pursuant to state records retention schedules; (e) cooperate fully with any audit, inquiry, or investigation related to P-Card usage.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Open your AI tool and paste the policy

2 minutes

Start a new conversation in your AI tool of choice:

M365 Copilot ChatGPT Claude Gemini

Click the Copy Policy button above, then paste the full policy into the chat. Don't prompt anything yet — just drop the text in.

Why this approach: Giving the AI the source material first, then giving it instructions, helps keep the AI focused on your document rather than a generic policy from its training data.
2

Ask for the plain-language version

2 minutes

Now send this prompt in the same conversation:

You are a communications specialist who translates complex policies into plain language for employees at a community college. Rewrite the P-card policy above for a front-line employee with no procurement background. Use: - A 9th-grade reading level - Short sentences - A friendly but clear tone - Plain English — no legal jargon, no statute references - Bullet points and short sections instead of dense paragraphs Keep it under one page. The goal is for someone to actually read it and understand their responsibilities.
Notice: Same policy. Same rules. Completely different document. You didn't rewrite anything — you described the audience and format, and AI handled the translation.
3

Ask for an FAQ version

2 minutes

In the same conversation, send:

Now take that same policy and turn it into a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. Write 8-10 questions a real employee might actually ask — things like "Can I use my P-card to buy coffee for a team meeting?" or "What happens if I lose my receipt?" Write each question in casual language. Give each answer in 2-3 sentences, clear and direct. Include specifics from the policy (dollar limits, timeframes, consequences).
Notice: Same source material. Entirely different format. The FAQ lens forces the information into a question-and-answer shape that matches how people actually think about policies — "what about this situation?"
4

Ask for a quick-reference checklist

2 minutes

In the same conversation, send:

Now create a one-page quick-reference checklist employees can keep at their desks. Structure it as three sections: ✅ Always Do (5 essential habits) ❌ Never Do (5 things that will get you in trouble) 📋 Before I Submit (a 4-item pre-reconciliation checklist) Keep it scannable. Use short phrases, not sentences.
Notice: You now have the same policy in FOUR forms — the original legal version, a plain-language rewrite, an FAQ, and a checklist — and it took you under 6 minutes total.
5

Pressure-test with a tough question

2 minutes

Now let's see how well the AI actually understood the policy. Send:

An employee asks: "I need to buy $4,200 worth of office supplies from Staples. Can I just split it into two purchases of $2,100 each to stay under the limit?" Based on the policy above, write a short, friendly but firm response to this employee explaining what they can and cannot do.
Notice: This isn't writing — this is reasoning. The AI should recognize this as a "split purchase" violation (explicitly called out in Section II) and explain the correct path forward (requesting written authorization from the VP of Business and Finance). This is the moment you realize AI can apply policy to situations, not just format it.
6

Reflect with your table

2 minutes

Discuss with your table:

  1. Which format would you actually share with your employees?
  2. What would you change or verify before distributing it?
  3. What other policies at your college would benefit from this same treatment?
  4. Did the AI catch the split-purchase violation correctly?

What You Just Learned

A note on real-world use: When you do this with a real policy at your own college, use your institution's enterprise AI tool if one is deployed (M365 Copilot, etc.) — policies are often internal documents. Always have the subject matter expert verify the AI's plain-language version before publishing it. AI simplifies well, but it can occasionally soften an important requirement. Keep the original authoritative version — plain-language versions are companion documents, not replacements for the official policy. You are still the author. AI drafts; you approve.

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