The article presents with thoughts on the ontological status of good practices, their criteria and the role they play in social policy. The authors describe good practices in three dimensions: as an action aiming at solving a particular problem; as an element of knowledge produced by the organisation; as communication produced by the organisation; The authors review defi nitions of good practices and their criteria on the basis of secondary sources. They propose to select general and specifi c criteria of good practices. Specifi c criteria of good practices are discussed using the example of actions towards social cohesion, taken within the framework of local and regional public policies towards the elderly people. Conceptualizing social cohesion is done with reference to the concept of society for all ages. The authors also propose their own scheme for describing good practices that is meant to ensure their dissemination. The article is concluded with thoughts on the role of good practices in social policy on the micro- and macro-scale.