Codes, Policies and Guidelines

Our Policies and Guidelines are a key element of our corporate responsibility. They define how we want to conduct business, what we expect of ourselves and our business partners throughout the world.

Our Policies contain governing principles and procedures to effectively manage a topic and are broadly applicable. They are updated every three years on average. Our Guidelines are subsidiary to Policies, where they exist, and to Code of Ethics topics otherwise. Guidelines clarify and amplify important principles and are based on best practices or mandatory rules. They are generally updated on an annual basis.

Governance and oversight for our Policies, Guidelines and Positions is the responsibility of the Global Policies & Positions Committee, chaired by the Chief Ethics, Risk & Compliance Officer and Head of Litigation. This group meets quarterly to:

Oversee the systematic review, upgrade, alignment, and simplification of the Novartis Policy and Positions landscape
Ensure clear ownership of each Global Policy, Guideline, and Position
Ensure the consistent quality of all Global Policies, selected Guidelines, and Positions according to the approved Quality Standards
For Global Policies and selected Guidelines, ensure an effective training, implementation, and monitoring plan is in place prior to release and communication