I am developing a draft set of guidelines and policies designed to put in place criteria for a range of development activities--from tuition reimbursement to conference attendance. Have found a lot about the former, very little about the latter. Anybody have anything on criteria organizations use to determine whether to support or reimburse conference attendance?

Why not include that in whatever budget you're allowing for an employee? Why are you thinking of it as a separate activity? Conferences are loaded with learning and development opportunities -- why should that be any different from taking a class?

I worked for one company where the policy, with regard to attending conferences, was that the employee puts in a little and the company puts in a little. The amount an employee received to cover costs was negotiable, but basically, an employee would attend a conference on their 'own time" unless they were giving a presentation related to their job. If you were presenting, the company would pay for your travel and your pay for the day(s) that you present. Other than that, all of the expenses were negotiable.

I've also worked for a government agency that would pay salary, travel, and per diem if you could show that attendance to the conference provided trainng....but then, again, you were only reimbursed for the days that you showed that training was valuable.