What are the differences between policy and practice?

Policy is a plan that are made for present or future use 

But practice is a habitual action that is being performed from past

Policy:

When an individual, organization, government or different parties prepare a plan of actions for their project, business or work it is called Policy. They are strict to their policies and their whole work running on that straight guideline.

Practice:

To perform a specific job with following rules and guidelines mentioned at the base. The knowledge, laws, plans and strategies are followed to execute the profession to achieve the positive goals.

The two terms are NOT interchangeable at all!Policy defines the value systems and guiding principles of an organization. These represent the durable approach of the organization on any issue of interest to the organization,Procedure on the other hand is the way how the policies will be translaed in to reality.Policy describes the stance of the organization on any issue and the procedure details the actions stipulated to translate an abstract stance into a visible, concrete reality!

Policy and Practice has to be same, there should be no differences or gaps. What is planned by an organization has to be practiced. Yes policies are updated, when required.

In principle practice should reflect policy. Any company or country or association prepares a certain policy that is expected to be applied by citizens or employees or members of an association. But sadly many times pratice comes different from policy. As long as the practice is abiding by the major lines in a certain policy no problem. for example a company's policy to start work at eight in the morning. If the employees comes at eight past five no problem. On a larger scale , all countries in the world agreed back in1948 that all humans are equal and should be treated in the same manner. In practice, many countries and under different reasons do not abide by the policy approved back in1948 instead practice murder and killing. Bottom line is that policy is theory on papers and in books and practice is action. In the field of companies, in order to have proper application of a certain policy, higher administration should have sessions to promote and explain to its employees about its policy. Many employees work for years and forget the existence of a policy or rule to be applied.

A policy is a document of insurance / security.

Practice is to do something habitually in order to acquire skills....

1. Policies are formulted in advance for a better control.

2. practices follow the policies with minor variations for the sake of operating convenice.

Eg. During Elections there is a general guideline to ear-mark your left hand thump with ink to avoid the chance of a second vote. But for a person who has no left thump lost due to accident or something, the pointer finger will be marked instead......it was first followed as a practice to effect  necessary change in the future)

Sir I just want to add if there is a huge difference between policy and practice then the firm looses its credibility and cannot work for long.

Practice:-  Repeated performance of activity in order to learn or perfect a skills

Policy:- Policy is a statement of intent , and is implemented as a procedure or protocol.

 Practice is the organised way in which an individual or a group carries out a particular activity. Although it may be more or less tightly framed by guidelines or even laws

Policy is a set of statements about how a particular goal is to be reached. It seeks to structure and shape specific areas of practice of a large number of people.