Scheme vs. Policy — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 25, 2023
A "Scheme" is a detailed plan or program of action, while a "Policy" is a set of guidelines or rules governing behavior or decisions.
Difference Between Scheme and Policy
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A "Scheme" often implies a detailed design or program of action that is meant to achieve a particular outcome. When we speak of a scheme, we are usually discussing the systematic arrangement or method by which something is to be achieved. For instance, a business might introduce a new marketing scheme to attract consumers.
On the other hand, "Policy" suggests a course of action, principle, or rule that has been chosen by an organization, government, or individual to guide decisions. It serves as a roadmap that dictates how certain situations should be handled. For example, a company may have a policy regarding employee vacations or sick leaves.
While a scheme is more about the specific steps or processes to achieve a particular end, a policy lays down the general rules or guidelines that need to be adhered to. For instance, while an organization might have a scheme for training new employees, it would have a policy about treating all employees equitably.
Interestingly, sometimes the terms "Scheme" and "Policy" might be used interchangeably, especially in governmental contexts. A government might introduce a new scheme for healthcare, but this would be based on a broader healthcare policy that outlines the state's approach to health.
Yet, even when they seem interchangeable, the inherent difference remains: a "Scheme" details the "how" or the method, while a "Policy" defines the "what" or the guiding principles.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A detailed plan or program of action
A set of guidelines or rules governing behavior or decisions
Focus
How to achieve something
What should be done or followed
Usage
Often project-specific or goal-oriented
Generally overarching and guiding
Nature
More tactical
More strategic
Examples
Marketing scheme, savings scheme
Privacy policy, return policy
Compare with Definitions
Scheme
A design or program of action
He devised a Scheme to improve neighborhood security.
Policy
A principle guiding decisions
The school's Policy is to prioritize student safety.
Scheme
A formal plan or program by an organization
The new housing Scheme will benefit hundreds of families.
Policy
A set of guidelines or rules
The company's no-smoking Policy was strictly enforced.
Scheme
An ordered system or pattern
The color Scheme of the room was calm and soothing.
Policy
An insurance contract
She took out a life insurance Policy.
Scheme
A systematic plan or arrangement
The company launched a new Scheme to promote eco-friendly products.
Policy
Policy is a deliberate system of principles to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent, and is implemented as a procedure or protocol.
Scheme
A systematic plan of action
"Did you ever carry out your scheme of writing a series of sonnets embodying all the great epochs of art?" (Edith Wharton).
Policy
A course or principle of action adopted or proposed by an organization or individual
It is not company policy to dispense with our older workers
The government's controversial economic policies
Scheme
A secret or devious plan; a plot
A scheme to defraud investors.
Policy
A contract of insurance
They took out a joint policy
Scheme
An orderly plan or arrangement of related parts
An irrigation scheme with dams, reservoirs, and channels.
Policy
An illegal lottery or numbers game
He swore that he had never played policy in his life
Scheme
A chart, diagram, or outline of a system or object.
Policy
A plan or course of action, as of a government, political party, or business, intended to influence and determine decisions, actions, and other matters
American foreign policy.
The company's personnel policy.
Scheme
To contrive a plan or scheme for; plot
Scheming their revenge.
Policy
A course of action, guiding principle, or procedure considered expedient, prudent, or advantageous
Honesty is the best policy.
Scheme
To make plans, especially secret or devious ones.
Policy
Prudence, shrewdness, or sagacity in practical matters
It is never good policy to speak rashly.
Scheme
An artful deviation from the ordinary arrangement of words.
Policy
A written contract or certificate of insurance.
Scheme
(astrology) A representation of the aspects of the celestial bodies for any moment or at a given event.
Policy
A numbers game.
Scheme
A systematic plan of future action.
Policy
A principle of behaviour, conduct etc. thought to be desirable or necessary, especially as formally expressed by a government or other authoritative body.
The Communist Party has a policy of returning power to the workers.
It's company policy that all mobile phones are forbidden in meetings.
Scheme
A plot or secret, devious plan.
Policy
Wise or advantageous conduct; prudence, formerly also with connotations of craftiness.
Scheme
An orderly combination of related parts.
Policy
Specifically, political shrewdness or (formerly) cunning; statecraft.
Scheme
A chart or diagram of a system or object.
Policy
The grounds of a large country house.
Scheme
(mathematics) A mathematical structure that enlarges the notion of algebraic variety in several ways, such as taking account of multiplicities and allowing "varieties" defined over any commutative ring (e.g. Fermat curves over the integers).
Policy
(obsolete) The art of governance; political science.
Scheme
A council housing estate.
Policy
(obsolete) A state; a polity.
Scheme
(internet) Part of a uniform resource identifier indicating the protocol or other purpose, such as
http: or news:.Policy
(obsolete) A set political system; civil administration.
Scheme
A portfolio of pension plans with related benefits comprising multiple independent members.
Policy
(obsolete) A trick; a stratagem.
Scheme
(intransitive) To plot, or contrive a plan.
Policy
(obsolete) Motive; object; inducement.
Scheme
(transitive) To plan; to contrive.
Policy
(law)
Scheme
A combination of things connected and adjusted by design; a system.
The appearance and outward scheme of things.
Such a scheme of things as shall at once take in time and eternity.
Arguments . . . sufficient to support and demonstrate a whole scheme of moral philosophy.
The Revolution came and changed his whole scheme of life.
Policy
A contract of insurance.
Scheme
A plan or theory something to be done; a design; a project; as, to form a scheme.
The stoical scheme of supplying our wants by lopping off our desires, is like cutting off our feet when we want shoes.
Policy
A document containing or certifying this contract.
Your insurance policy covers fire and theft only.
Scheme
Any lineal or mathematical diagram; an outline.
To draw an exact scheme of Constantinople, or a map of France.
Policy
(obsolete) An illegal daily lottery in late nineteenth and early twentieth century USA on numbers drawn from a lottery wheel (no plural)
Scheme
A representation of the aspects of the celestial bodies for any moment or at a given event.
A blue silk case, from which was drawn a scheme of nativity.
He forms the well-concerted scheme of mischief;'T is fixed, 't is done, and both are doomed to death.
Artists and plans relieved my solemn hours;I founded palaces, and planted bowers.
Policy
A number pool lottery
Scheme
To make a scheme of; to plan; to design; to project; to plot.
That wickedness which schemed, and executed, his destruction.
Policy
(transitive) To regulate by laws; to reduce to order.
Scheme
To form a scheme or schemes.
Policy
Civil polity.
Scheme
An elaborate and systematic plan of action
Policy
The settled method by which the government and affairs of a nation are, or may be, administered; a system of public or official administration, as designed to promote the external or internal prosperity of a state.
Scheme
A statement that evades the question by cleverness or trickery
Policy
The method by which any institution is administered; system of management; course.
Scheme
A group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole;
A vast system of production and distribution and consumption keep the country going
Policy
Management or administration based on temporal or material interest, rather than on principles of equity or honor; hence, worldly wisdom; dexterity of management; cunning; stratagem.
Scheme
An internal representation of the world; an organization of concepts and actions that can be revised by new information about the world
Policy
Prudence or wisdom in the management of public and private affairs; wisdom; sagacity; wit.
The very policy of a hostess, finding his purse so far above his clothes, did detect him.
Scheme
A schematic or preliminary plan
Policy
Motive; object; inducement.
What policy have you to bestow a benefit where it is counted an injury?
Scheme
Form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner
Policy
A ticket or warrant for money in the public funds.
Scheme
Devise a system or form a scheme for
Policy
The writing or instrument in which a contract of insurance is embodied; an instrument in writing containing the terms and conditions on which one party engages to indemnify another against loss arising from certain hazards, perils, or risks to which his person or property may be exposed. See Insurance.
Scheme
An artful or secret plot
She uncovered their Scheme to defraud the investors.
Policy
A method of gambling by betting as to what numbers will be drawn in a lottery; as, to play policy.
Policy
To regulate by laws; to reduce to order.
Policy
A line of argument rationalizing the course of action of a government;
They debated the policy or impolicy of the proposed legislation
Policy
A plan of action adopted by an individual or social group;
It was a policy of retribution
A politician keeps changing his policies
Policy
Written contract or certificate of insurance;
You should have read the small print on your policy
Policy
A course of action adopted by an organization
The government's foreign Policy was under scrutiny.
Policy
A statement of aims or ideals
Their environmental Policy focused on reducing carbon emissions.
Common Curiosities
Are Policies always formal?
While many Policies are formal, especially in organizational contexts, they can also be informal guidelines.
Can a Scheme be long-term?
While Schemes are often short-term or project-specific, they can also be long-term, depending on the objective.
What is the primary difference between a Scheme and a Policy?
A Scheme is a detailed plan or program, while a Policy is a set of guidelines or rules.
Can a Scheme exist without a Policy?
Yes, a Scheme can exist independently, but often it's based on or guided by a Policy.
Which is broader in scope, Scheme or Policy?
Typically, a Policy is broader, setting guidelines, while a Scheme focuses on specific actions or methods.
Is every insurance contract a Policy?
Yes, in the context of insurance, an agreement is typically referred to as a Policy.
Do governments have both Schemes and Policies?
Yes, governments often introduce Schemes based on broader Policies.
Is "Scheme" always used in a positive context?
No, "Scheme" can be neutral, positive, or negative, depending on context.
Can a company have multiple Schemes under one Policy?
Yes, a company can introduce various Schemes that align with a single overarching Policy.
What dictates the creation of a Policy?
Policies are often dictated by an organization's or individual's values, goals, or regulatory requirements.
Is a Scheme always about deception?
No, while "Scheme" can mean a deceptive plan, it often refers to a systematic plan or arrangement.
Are Policies static?
Policies can be updated or changed over time, based on evolving needs or insights.
Can a Policy be unwritten?
Yes, while many Policies are documented, some can be unwritten but understood guidelines.
Which comes first, Scheme or Policy?
Typically, a Policy (the guiding principle) would come first, followed by a Scheme (the plan of action).
Can one Policy contradict another?
Ideally, no. However, inconsistencies can arise, necessitating reviews and updates to Policies.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
