References:
This issue serves to clarify the background and role of Scientology Policy Directives. Specifically, it addresses how SPDs originated, and their role with respect to LRH policy for Scientology organizations.
LRH personally advised and directed Church management to create “Scientology Policy Directives” as an issue type. Scientology organizations are corporations and have certain legal obligations. In accordance with LRH policy, particularly HCO PL 15 August 1960, DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS and HCO PL 31 January 1964, CORPORATION COORDINATOR, corporate boards are responsible for maintaining these obligations.
LRH insisted that the Church establish a distinct issue type for policy for such matters. This occurred during the time of the 1982 corporate reorganization to establish the structure of the Church--the structure which LRH advised to lead Scientology stably into eternity.LRH recognized, as part of this, that Church management would need their own type of policy issue in the years to come.
Scientology Policy Directives are used to set forth internal administrative or Church policy. They are not senior to HCO PLs or HCOBs, or any other LRH issue type, and may not cancel any LRH issue. Indeed, SPDs do not even cover the same subjects as the LRH issues.
The purpose and approval lines for SPDs, as well as the policy for their review and appeal line, are fully covered in the first Scientology Policy Directive, 23 February 1982R, Revised 15 November 1987, A NEW ISSUE TYPE, SCIENTOLOGY POLICY DIRECTIVE.