The Privacy and Civil Liberties Policy Development Guide and Implementation Templates encourages the project team to develop guiding statements during the planning process. Guidance is provided for assisting the project team in articulating desired outcomes, identifying a comprehensive purpose, defining core principles, specifying long- and short-term results, and drafting measurable targets for accomplishing the stated goals. The process of drafting these statements, vision, mission, values, and goals and objectives is as important as the statements themselves. The process will help to build team trust and serve as a reference for all team members throughout the effort.

Collectively, the guiding statements compose the project team charter that serves as a reference and resource during the course of the policy development effort. Because all team members participate, present their perspectives, and agree to the final statements, the team charter functions as a valuable resource that keeps the team on target, memorializes the planning efforts and agreements to achieve specific goals, and serves as a historical record of team plans and efforts.

Good planning can focus the project team's attention on common goals, articulate individual responsibilities, identify individual issues and challenges, and provide a timetable for completing tangible products. While development of these various planning tools will take time, in the end, they contribute to more efficient and effective project team operations.