Learning path · I'm changing a form, notice, or policy

Policy, form, or notice change

You are preparing a policy, form, notice, or letter and want to make sure it is clear, accessible, and workable for the people who will use it.

By the end, you will have a clear record of the change, its effect on people, access needs, sources, follow-up responsibilities, and a review date. You can usually complete routine changes with these resources and ask the policy owner or your Equity Director about high-stakes questions or conflicting Official sources.

Policies, programs, budgets, forms, and services

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Your path

Six steps to work through in order

Consider access and impactUse Ask to work through plain-language, access, and process questions. If you need a statute or rule, the answer will be clear about whether an official source is available.Ask a question
Consider community contextIf relevantIf the change may affect particular Minnesota communities more heavily, read the relevant brief for language, naming, and access considerations.Explore Minnesota Communities
Choose practical resourcesUse the change-planning guide, plain-language checklist, language access checklist, and equity impact questions as needed.Form, notice, or letter change guide · Plain language and accessible documents · Language access checklist
Draft your change and access notesRecord who will be affected, access needs, the effort the process asks of people, source labels, follow-up responsibilities, and a review date. Use the downloaded checklist to write your answers in a tool you normally use. This page does not save them.
Review your workConfirm that every source is clearly labeled, access needs and process barriers are specific, and the next steps have responsible people and dates.
Find the right person when neededIf another perspective would help, use Find the right person to identify the responsible role or office. Staff consultation request forms are closed.Find the right person or office

Make the work meaningful

What a useful result looks like

Still needs work:

A general statement that equity was considered without any language, access, or process details
A statute cited from memory

Ready to use:

Specific notes about barriers and access
Sources are clearly labeled
Unanswered policy questions are taken to the policy owner

Privacy: No individual accommodation case details; general access needs only. This page does not save your answers or progress. Notes saved through an earlier version may still be in this browser's site data; this page does not show or delete them.

Published checklist

Change impact notes and access checklist

Browse and download only. This published checklist is not a form. Staff notes are not saved here.

Browse and download only. This checklist is published from the knowledge base. Staff notes are not filled in or saved on this page.

Form, notice, or policy nameIn the published checklist
What is changing.
Who receives this and what they will need to doIn the published checklist
Consider who may not be able to complete the steps and what happens then.
Language and access notesIn the published checklist
Is this a vital document? Which languages are needed? Has it had a plain-language review? Are accessible formats and phone or in-person options available?
Time, steps, and other barriersIn the published checklist
Consider deadlines, required documents, and return methods. Note anything that can be removed or simplified.
Sources and their authority labelsIn the published checklist
Label each source Official, Guidance, or Outside source; check before use. If you cannot find a source, note that you asked the policy owner.
Who reviewed this before releaseIn the published checklist
Consider communications, language access, accessibility, and the policy owner.
What you chose not to assumeIn the published checklist
Note the assumptions you avoided about the people receiving this.
Who will address each barrierIn the published checklist
Add one line for each barrier, including the action and the person responsible.
Next review dateIn the published checklist

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Policy, form, or notice change

You are preparing a policy, form, notice, or letter and want to make sure it is clear, accessible, and workable for the people who will use it.

Six steps to work through in order

Consider access and impactUse Ask to work through plain-language, access, and process questions. If you need a statute or rule, the answer will be clear about whether an official source is available.Ask a question

Consider community contextIf relevantIf the change may affect particular Minnesota communities more heavily, read the relevant brief for language, naming, and access considerations.Explore Minnesota Communities

Choose practical resourcesUse the change-planning guide, plain-language checklist, language access checklist, and equity impact questions as needed.Form, notice, or letter change guide · Plain language and accessible documents · Language access checklist

Draft your change and access notesRecord who will be affected, access needs, the effort the process asks of people, source labels, follow-up responsibilities, and a review date. Use the downloaded checklist to write your answers in a tool you normally use. This page does not save them.

Review your workConfirm that every source is clearly labeled, access needs and process barriers are specific, and the next steps have responsible people and dates.

Find the right person when neededIf another perspective would help, use Find the right person to identify the responsible role or office. Staff consultation request forms are closed.Find the right person or office

What a useful result looks like

Still needs work:

A general statement that equity was considered without any language, access, or process details

A statute cited from memory