The community information network will need to develop written policies that include a statement of ethics for users, management, partners, hosting institutions, the public, funders, board members, employees, and volunteers. Therefore strategies have to built carefully into procedures that will maintain ethical, legal, fiscal, administrative, professional, and political accountability. Several definitions have been put forward by Howard Schaeffer with regard to the operation of organizations such as community information networks. It does not define the specific ways that these will be achieved. Standards are the specific performance expectations which then guide the defining of procedures that maintain the standards and permit evaluation and control of performance.
Procedures state the specific sequence of actions to be carried out, by whom, and how.
They indicate how the standards will be accomplished and maintained. The primary focus of this guide will be toward policy, with the intent that it informs and guides the development of standards and procedures. Policies have to address a wide range of issues. One of particular importance is that of commercial use. For community information networks which participate in Missouri Express, this policy is required as a minimum.