secreterial correspondance

8/16/2019 secreterial correspondance

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A REPORT ON ETHICAL DECISION MAKING AND BEHAVIOUR

Submitted by

N.NITHIN

(1BBA!"#$

U%de& t'e guidance )

M&*.V. Ambi+, MBA- M.P'i-

Assistant Professor

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of Bharathiar University, for the award

of Advanced Diploma

in

PERSONALIT/ DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

"!10"!12

GRD INSTITUTE O3 MANAGEMENT

D&.G.R.DAMODARAN COLLEGE O3 SCIENCE

Aut%mu* ,%d ,))ii,ted t t'e B',&,t'i,& U%i4e&*ity

ReA55&edited 6it' 7A8 G&,de e4e by t'e NAAC

A% ISO 9!!1:"!!# Ce&ti)ied I%*tituti%- G&,ded 7A8 by CRISIL

Ci4i Ae&d&me P*t- A4i%,*'i R,d

Cimb,t&e ; 2


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CERTI3ICATE

This is to certify that the project entitled =A REPORT ON SECRETERIAL

CORRESPONDENCE “is a bonafide record of project work done by N.NITHIN

(1BBA!"#$ submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of Advanced

Diploma in =PERSONALIT/ DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS>

of BHARATHAR !"#$R%T&' (oimbatore and the project report has not formed the

basis for the award of any de)ree' fellowship or any other similar titles of any other

institutions*

3ACULT/ GUIDE HOD?DIRECTOR

Submitted )& t'e 4i4,45e e@,mi%,ti% 'ed %

I%te&%, E@,mi%e& E@te&%, E@,mi%e&

2


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DECLARATION

' N.NITHIN hereby declare that the project work entitled as =A REPORT ON

SECRETERIAL CORRESPONDENCE “submitted to +RD nstitute of

,ana)ement' (oimbatore is a record of an ori)inal work done by me under the

)uidance of ,rs*#* Ambika ,BA* ,*-hil' of +RD nstitute of ,ana)ement and this

project work is submitted in the partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of

Advanced Diploma in PERSONALIT/ DEVELOPMENT AND

COMMUNICATION SKILLSand the project report has not formed the basis for the

award of any de)ree' fellowship or any other similar titles of any other institutions*

D,te:

Si%,tu&e ) t'e C,%did,te

Cimb,t&e

C.SHARON OSEPH

(1BBA!


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ACKNOLEDGEMENT

hereby acknowled)e my sincere )ratitude to the ,ana)ement andD&.T.SANTHAM.S5- PGDCA- M.P'i- M.P'i(CS$ P'D.- -rincipal Dr*+*R*Damodaran

(olle)e of %cience' for )ivin) me an opportunity to undertake this project*

e.press my sincere )ratitude to D&.K.K.RAMACHANDRANM.Cm- MBA-

M3T' M.P'i.- PGD3T- P'D' Director' +RD nstitute of ,ana)ement' for his

encoura)ement durin) the project*

record my indebtedness to D&.S.BRINDHA MBA- M.P'i- P'D.- Head of thedepartment' +RD nstitute of ,ana)ement for her valuable su))estions*

wish to e.press my sincere )ratitude to my faculty )uide M&*.V. Ambi+,

MBA. M.P'i- Assistant -rofessor for her enormous encoura)ement and the most

needed

moral support for the completion of this project*

Above all thank the almi)hty and the wholehearted support of my family members

and friends for their love and cooperation durin) the course of my project*

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TABLE O3 CONTENTS:

S.NO CONTENTS PAGE NO.

1. CHAPTER 1 "<

". /*/* "TR0D!(T0"

. /*1* T&-$% 02 %$(R$T$RA3(0RR$%-0"D$"($

#9


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CHAPTER 1

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1.1. INTRODUCTION

A secretary' personal assistant' or administrative assistant is a person whose work

consists of supportin) mana)ement' includin) e.ecutives' usin) a variety of project

mana)ement' communication' or or)ani9ational skills* These functions may be entirely

carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit of more than one* n other

situations a secretary is an officer of a society or or)ani9ation who deals with

correspondence' admits new members' and or)ani9es official meetin)s and events* %ince the

Renaissance until the late /:th century' men involved in the daily correspondence and the

activities of the powerful had assumed the title of secretary*

6ith time' like many titles' the term was applied to more and varied functions'

leadin) to compound titles to specify various secretarial work better' like )eneral secretary or

financial* ;ust


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1.". T/PES O3 SECRETERIAL CORRESPONDANCE

it' t'e Di&e5t&*: As the secretary works as an employee of the company' his letters

to the directors must reflect the due deference* At times the directors may happen to be

ine.perienced and may seek the )uidance of the secretary in matters relatin) to itsmana)ement* $ven in such cases the secretary must behave properly and should not for)et his

subordination* The other occasions when he may have to address the directors are=

• 6hen a director who is absent from the meetin) asks for a report of its proceedin)s*

• 6hen a director proposes in writin) that a particular matter should be placed on the

a)enda and the chairman asks the secretary to do the needful*

• 6hen a director proposes some course of action which is not in the interest of the

company or which is ille)al or ultra virus*

• 6hen writin) the above types of letters the secretary should e.ercise )reat tact and

state nothin) that is likely to offend the director*

it' t'e S',&e'de&*: Amon) the many difficult matters that a secretary has to

deal with are requests from shareholders for information re)ardin) the affairs of the

company* t includes requests for providin) information about a forthcomin)

dividend' the likelihood of a chan)e in its directorate any modification of its business

policy' the possibility of its amal)amation with another company' etc* The draftin) of

replies to such requests call for )reat tact and direction on the part of the secretary*

The )eneral principle is that such information should not be communicated in advance

to the share holders* !ntil it is made available to all shareholders alike' the leaka)e of

this type of information injures the reputation of the company* 0n the other hand'

there is no harm if the secretary supplies information re)ardin) ordinary details of the

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company>s affairs and satisfies the le)itimate curiosity of any shareholder* The

secretary may also receive complaints on various matters such as an unsatisfactory

rate of dividend declared' their failure to patronise a share holder by not acceptin) his

tender' etc* %uch matters are very delicate and the secretary must take every

precaution and ensure that the writer of the complaints is duly convinced of the fact

that the mana)ement has taken a particular step for promotin) the best interests of the

company*

it' t'e O))i5e St,)): A secretary works as the head of the administrative staff

workin) under him* As such it is his duty to see that all members of the staff work

properly' while dischar)in) their duties in the interest of the company* He has to

maintain discipline amon)st them* His correspondence with the staff must' therefore'

be characteri9ed by a note of authority and firmness and decisiveness tempered with

fairness' sympathy and re)ard for their welfare*

it' t'e Rei*t&,& ) 5m,%ie*: The secretary' in his capacity as a responsible

official of the company' has to see that the provisions of the (ompany>s Act are

complied with* n these connections he has to )o throu)h certain formalities and to

submit periodically statements' returns' etc*' to the Re)istrar of companies* He has

also to carry on correspondence with the Department of (ompany 3aw

Administration' +overnment*

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1.. MODERN DEVELOPMENTS

n /?@ %ir saac -itman founded a school where students could qualify

as shorthand writers to


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for youn) British women to come to the !*%* and fill temporary or permanent secretarial

positions* %everal or)ani9ations were created to assist secretaries from forei)n lands'

includin) the %ociety of nternational %ecretaries and the Association of British %ecretaries in

America*

n /:71' ,ary Barrett' president of the "ational %ecretaries Association' (* Fin)

6oodbrid)e' president of Dictaphone (orporation' and American businessman Harry 2*

Flemfuss created a special %ecretaryGs Day holiday' to reco)ni9e the hard work of the staff in

the office* The holiday cau)ht on' and durin) the fourth week of April is now celebrated in

offices all over the world* t has been renamed


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The white space after a para)raph )ives readers a second to absorb the material they

have just read before movin) to the ne.t para)raph* !se pronouns* !se pronouns such as

you' us' and us' when appropriate* -ronouns are more direct and sound like everyday

lan)ua)e* n an instruction memo for job applicants' which sentence is more strai)htforward

All job applicants are encoura)ed to brin) writin) samples to their interviews* 6e encoura)e

you to brin) writin) samples to your interview* !se parallel construction* ,ake sure a series

of words' phrases' or clauses in a list are in the same )rammatical form so that they are

parallel* 2or e.ample' if the first bullet in a list contains a phrase startin) with a verb' all of

the bullets in the list should contain a phrase startin) with a verb*

Avoid unnecessary words* %ome of the most frequently encountered unnecessary

words and phrases' with su))ested improvements' follow= nstead of the present time now

first annual first or inau)ural in the event that if prior to before as a result of because for the

purposes of to reason why reason whether or not whethercertainly* Avoid redundant words or

phrases' both on the occasion when will suffice* 6hen has the advanta)e of bein) shorterC

True fact eliminate alto)ether !se abbreviations and acronyms sparin)ly* Do not introduce

an acronym unless it will be used more than once* Avoid usin) several acronyms in one

document' especially if they are not widely reco)ni9able* "umerous abbreviations slow a

reader because he or she must stop frequently to recall the meanin) of each acronym or findthe e.planation a)ain in the document* +enerally' you should include the full title or name

before introducin) its acronym* However' use common sense* f your memo is aimed at 2DA

employees' you do not need to spell out 2ood and Dru) Administration first before referrin)

to 2DA* 2DA employees know what 2DA means*

-lain 6ritin) Tips to mprove Readability !se white space and other desi)n features

to make a document easier to read* !se bullets or a te.t bo. to help readers absorb the

material* !se headin)s and subheadin)s to or)ani9e information* *solate an idea for

emphasis* Avoid writin) in all capital letters*

&d U*,e

6ord !sa)e (hoosin) the ri)ht word increases the precision of your writin)* Avoid

incorrectly substitutin) similar words that have sli)htly different meanin)sE usin) nouns

incorrectly as verbs' and vice versaE and usin) outdated terminolo)y* Below are some words

commonly used inconsistently or incorrectly

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Do not capitali9e the words con)ressional' members' )overnment' department'

a)ency' local' and nation' e.cept in titles* (apitali9e the standalone word Department only

when referrin) specifically to the !*%* Department of Health and Human %ervices* The !*%*

Department of Health and Human %ervices is the lar)est domestic a)ency* The department

held a discussion on the ener)y crisis' and several members of (on)ress attended the event* o

The Department announced the national prevention initiative last week in the )reat hall*

-unctuation and +rammar Below are tips on punctuation and )rammar* This section

includes information about commas' hyphens' quotation marks' periods' dashes' percenta)es'

titles' pronouns' websites' numbers' dates' state abbreviations' and the abbreviation of !nited

%tates* (ommas a common mistake is the use of commas in compound sentences* 6hen a

conjunction joins two independent clauses clauses that can each stand on their own as a

complete sentenceC' a comma must precede the conjunction* 6hen a conjunction joins an

independent clause with a dependent clause a clause that cannot stand on its own as a

complete sentenceC' there is no comma* (orrect= The a)ency published the re)ulation' and it

will closely monitor the impact of the re)ulation on access to health care*

C&&e5t: The a)ency published the re)ulation and will closely monitor the impact on access

to health care*

I%5&&e5t: The a)ency published the re)ulation' and will closely monitor the impact on

access to health care*

$nclose parenthetic or nonessential e.pressions between commas* "o comma

should separate a restrictive or essential element* (orrect= After passin) the House' which

voted unanimously in favour of it' the bill advanced to the %enate* ncorrect= t passed' by a

unanimous vote in the House' before advancin) to the %enate*

Always use a comma before a conjunction in a series of three or more* (orrect the

initiative will improve health care access' quality' and affordability* ncorrect missin)

comma after qualityC= The initiative will improve health care access' quality and affordability*

!se a hyphen between two words that form a compound modifier when that modifier

immediately precedes the noun it modifies* 6hen a compound follows the noun it modifies'

hyphenation is usually unnecessary*

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P&%u%*= The antecedent of a pronoun must be unambi)uous* Avoid draftin) confusin)

sentences such as the followin) e.ample' in which it is not clear whether them refers to dirt

and blood or to )lass vessels* o ncorrect= Dirt and blood cannot penetrate )lass vessels' nor

does heat affect them*

A rule of thumb to remember= (ommas separate elements that are both numbers or

are both words' and a comma must follow the year if it includes three date elements*

1.0. C&&e*%de%5e

(orrespondence 0verview $veryone who writes to the Department deserves a

prompt' accurate' and courteous reply* 6hen the %ecretary receives a letter' the 0ffice of the

%ecretary>s $.ecutive %ecretariat $.ec %ecC assi)ns it to the appropriate operatin) or staff

division divisionC to prepare a response* $.ec %ec desi)nates letters to the %ecretary in one

of two ways when assi)nin) them to a division* %ecretarial %i)nature letter= A %ecretarial

si)nature letter is one the %ecretary will si)n*

2or these letters' the division prepares the response' and the division head approves

the draft* This ensures the accuracy' responsiveness' and quality of responses' as well as their

adherence to Administration policy*

After reviewin) a draft to ensure it meets the appropriate standards' $.ec %ec puts

%ecretarial si)nature letters into Departmental clearance* (hapter : describes the clearance

process for these letters* 6hether you are draftin) or clearin) a %ecretarial si)nature letter'

always remember that a letter from the %ecretary carries hu)e wei)ht* 2or e.ample' the

media may quote the letter' an or)ani9ation may post the letter on its website' or members of

(on)ress may refer to the letter durin) con)ressional hearin)s* Direct Reply letter= A “direct

replyJ letter is a letter the %ecretary receives in which a division will both draft and si)n theresponse*

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+enerally' the head of the operatin) or staff division or a desi)nated senior official

si)ns direct reply letters* $.ec %ec does not put direct reply letters into Departmental

clearanceE the division preparin) the response reviews it internally* ,any direct reply letters

are from individual Americans seekin) assistance from the Department* %ome

correspondents may be in dire situations' needin) help with a child support case' a health

insurance problem' a domestic violence situation' or a relative dia)nosed with mental illness*

$.ec %ec assi)ns these letters to HH% divisions that can directly address each individual>s

concerns* The responses should communicate the Department>s empathy' and each division

should answer these letters as dili)ently as letters for the %ecretary>s si)nature*

Timeliness The %ecretary places )reat importance on timely responses to

correspondence* The e.pectation is that the Department will answer %ecretarial si)nature

letters in three weeks' which includes time to prepare and clear the response* %ee the chart

below for a complete breakdown of the three week timeframe* 2or direct reply letters' the

deadline is two weeks / business daysC*

f e.traordinary circumstances cause you to e.pect a delay at any sta)e of the

authorin) or clearance process for %ecretarial si)nature letters' notify the appropriate policy

coordinator in $.ec %ec before the deadline passes with a detailed e.planation for the delay*

The Department>s $.ecutive %ecretary and the (hief of %taff will receive notifications of all

e.planations*

%ecretarial %i)nature (orrespondence Timelines n Business DaysC Day / Document

received in $.ec %ec and sent to authorin) a)ency Days 1 thru 8 Document draftedIcleared

internally by authorin) a)ency five daysC Days @ thru : Document cleared in Department

three daysC Day / thru /1 Document revised three daysC Day /4/5 Document released in

Department two daysC Day /7 Document sent up for si)nature

2orms of Address for 3etters ,any hi)hlevel officials are referred to as

theHonorable not HonorableC in the address on letters and envelopes* These officials include'

but are not limited to= The -resident' #ice -resident' (abinet and %ub(abinet members

Deputy %ecretaries and Assistant %ecretariesC Hi)hlevel officials in the $.ecutive 0ffice of

the -resident such as the !*%* Trade RepresentativeC ,embers of (on)ress ;ustices of the

%upreme (ourt and other jud)es %tate and local elected officials )overnors' mayors' state

le)islatorsC

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1.2. De5i*i% Mem*

Decision ,emo 0verview A decision memo asks the %ecretary to si)n a document or

approve a proposed action* A decision memo mi)ht ask the %ecretary to=

• *Approve and si)n a draft re)ulation

• *,ake a policy decision on how to implement a new law

•

*%i)n letters transmittin) a report to (on)ress• *Authori9e your division to reor)ani9e in a certain way

• *Approve a media campai)n on an important health topic

• *%i)n letters invitin) outside )uests to a special Departmental event

• *Dele)ate authority for a particular pro)ram to your division A decision memo must

accompany nearly every document you ask the %ecretary to si)n* The one e.ception is

you do not need a decision memo for a draft letter that the %ecretary will si)n in

response to an incomin) letter*

-rocess 0nly division heads may send a decision memo to the %ecretary* 0nce your

division head si)ns a decision memo' send the ori)inal memo and accompanyin) documents'

with two hard copies' to the appropriate policy coordinator in $.ec %ec* -lease also send an

electronic version* $.ec %ec clears all decision memos at the Departmental level before they

are sent to the %ecretary for si)nature* !pon receipt' the policy coordinator will send the

decision memo and documents to other operatin) and staff divisions for review and comment*

Timeliness f you need the %ecretary>s approval on a decision memo by a certain date'

send the decision memo and associated documents to $.ec %ec in enou)h time to allow the

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necessary clearance process* The $.ec %ec policy coordinator can provide )uidance in

advance on the appropriate amount of clearance time necessary for a )iven document* 2or

len)thier documents' such as re)ulations and reports to (on)ress' reviewers may take one to

three weeks to review the packa)e and comment* The documents may then need revision and

reclearance* Therefore' for important or len)thier documents' try to allow at least one month

for clearance and si)nature* %ubmit short decision memos askin) the %ecretary to si)n a

routine document within two weeks of the time you hope to )ain approval*

Decision memos to the %ecretary should focus on necessary and relevant information*

-ut yourself in the %ecretary>s position= 6hat would you need to know to make an informed

decision on the topic n )eneral' stay out of the weeds* 2or e.ample' the %ecretary does not

need to know all the details of every re)ulationE she needs to know its key and controversial

provisions' whether it is new or an adjustment to an e.istin) re)ulation' and the known and

likely concerns of the re)ulated community or other stakeholders* Throu)hout the memo'

address the %ecretary directly by usin) the second person youC*

f you are e.plainin) a hi)hly technical or scientific issue in a memo' try to distill the

information as much as possible* The decision memo must present information in a lo)ical

way that is easy to read and understand* To achieve this )oal' always start the memo with the

introductory section presentin) the issue' and end the memo with the closin) section

presentin) the final recommendationsC* 0ther than that' however' you have fle.ibility to use

different subheadin)s in the body of the memo' dependin) upon the content* The standard

format uses the followin) subsections to or)ani9e the content= *ssue= Briefly state what you

are requestin) the %ecretary to do' e*)*' si)n a certain document or approve a particular

re)ulation* This introductory section )enerally is only one or two sentences lon)*

*Back)round= -rovide the necessary back)round information about the subject of the memo*

This may be several para)raphs lon)* *Discussion if neededC= Discuss why you are

recommendin) a particular action in the memo* f the memo is about a policy issue' for

instance' you may discuss the reasons why you are recommendin) a particular option rather

than those considered but dismissed* *Recommendation= Briefly state your recommendation

to the %ecretary*

Types of Decision ,emos %tandard,emos ,ost decision memos ask the %ecretary to

approve a sin)le document or action* 0r)ani9e the content in a basic format' such as above*

Below is a template and e.ample of this type of memo* ,emos with ,ultiple -olicy 0ptions

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f you want the %ecretary to make a policy decision involvin) two or more options' you may

need to prepare a lon)er' more comple. memo* This type of memo presents more Than one

policy option for the %ecretary to consider and includes the followin) information= *-ros and

cons under each option *$stimated bud)et impact of each option within the pros and cons

anticipated stakeholder reaction within the pros and cons *Relevant statutory or other

deadline' where applicable below is a template and e.ample of this type of memo* ,emos on

Re)ulations %ome decision memos ask the %ecretary to approve and si)n re)ulations* This

type of memo includes the followin) information about the re)ulation= *-urpose *(han)es to

current practices or pro)rams *!nderlyin) law the re)ulation implements if a statutory

requirementC *%tatutory deadlines for issuance' if applicable *(onsequences of disapproval

*$conomic andIor bud)et implications*

$.pected stakeholder reaction below is a template and e.ample of a re)ulations

memo* ,emos on A)ency Reor)ani9ations %ome decision memos seek approval from the

%ecretary for an operatin) or staff division to reor)ani9e its offices or functions* This type of

memo describes the proposed chan)es and why they are preferable over the current

or)ani9ation* Attached to these memos are= *(urrent or)ani9ational chart or charts *(hart or

charts of the proposed or)ani9ation *Draft 2ederal Re)ister notice announcin) the

or)ani9ational chan)e The 0ffice of the Assistant %ecretary for Administration>s0ffice of Business ,ana)ement and Transformation A%AI0B,TC can provide assistance

in preparin) a reor)ani9ation memo andIor the 2ederal Re)ister notice* (onsult with the

0ffice of the Assistant %ecretary for 2inancial Resources A%2RC to confirm whether your

reor)ani9ation needs %ecretarial approval* A%2R will also prepare and clear notification

letters about the proposed reor)ani9ation to the relevant House and %enate Appropriations

%ubcommittee (hairs and Rankin) ,embers*

$.ec %ec will clear the reor)ani9ation memo at the Departmental level and then

present it' with attachments' to the %ecretary for approval* 0nce the %ecretary approves

reor)ani9ation' $.ec %ec notifies A%2R' which sends the notification letters to (on)ress* A

/7day waitin) period be)ins after sendin) the notification letters' after which HH% can

announce the reor)ani9ation in the 2ederal Re)ister* (ontact $.ec %ec for an e.ample of a

reor)ani9ation memo*

,emos on Dele)ations of Authority %ome decision memos request that the %ecretary

Dele)ate authority currently vested in the %ecretary to a particular operatin) division* These

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decision memos set out the specifics of the potentially dele)ated authority and the rationale*

Attached to these memos are= *,emo puttin) the dele)ation into effect *$.cerpt of the public

law allowin) the redele)ation or other back)round information if applicableC andIor a draft

2ederal Re)ister notice informin) the public that the dele)ation has been made if

applicableC* A%AI0B,T can assist in preparin) a dele)ation of authority* (ontact $.ec %ec

for an e.ample of a dele)ation of authority memo*

$.ample of %tandard Decision ,emo "ote= This is not a real e.ample*C

De5i*i% I**ue

request your si)nature on a letter to %mall Business America to thank them for their

participation in the rollout of the Department>s new prevention initiative and their continued

partnership in educatin) the small business community about the important benefits of

prevention*

B,5+&u%d

The 0ffice of nter)overnmental and $.ternal Affairs is workin) to educate and

en)a)e tar)eted constituencies on the benefits of the prevention initiative* %ally Brown' #ice

-resident of -olicy and %trate)y at %mall Business America' joined you durin) the press

conference at Bob>s Hardware when you made the announcement on the prevention initiative*

This letter will reco)ni9e the continuin) efforts of %mall Business America as they work to

educate communities about the benefits of prevention* t is critical that we continue to

en)a)e %mall Business America because they are a key partner* This thank you letter will

convey our appreciation for their collaboration and will ensure a continued partnership

movin) forward* -rovide a recommendation for the su))ested course of action' if

appropriate* f you have no preference for one option over the othersC' please indicate that

you have no recommendation*

De5i*i%

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f the %ecretary is considerin) more than one issueE list each recommendation with

appropriate approvalIdisapprovalIneed more information lines below* Approved

Disapproved "eed ,ore nformation (on)ress appropriated N7 million for the

demonstration for fiscal year 1//* The Administration on A)in) plans to allocate funds this

summer* %tates andIor localities will have an opportunity to test a variety of ways to boost

nutrition and e.ercise amon) seniors*

2or e.ample' )rantees may sponsor pro)rams at senior centres to educate participants

about wise nutrition choices* %enior centres could sponsor field trips to take seniors to

farmers> markets for fresher and lower cost foods* +rantees may provide more nutritious

foods throu)h e.istin) con)re)ate meal sites or throu)h mealsonwheels pro)rams* +rantees

could also use these same venues to teach older people simple and basic e.ercises for keepin)

a)ile and fit* These are just a few ideas for carryin) out the )oals of the demonstration*

The -reventive Health Act )ives you the discretion to determine how to distribute

funds* The authori9in) committees )ave HH% wide latitude for desi)nin) the pro)ram* After

conferrin) with 0+(' AoA has determined that HH% may allocate funds either throu)h a

competitive )rant pro)ram or a formula )rant pro)ram* $ither way' the Act requires an

independent evaluation of the results of the demonstration* This memo presents you with two

options for distributin) the funds*

Oti%*

0ption 0ne= Distribute the funds equally amon) all 7 %tate A)encies on A)in)*

Request that each state join in a consortium with one or more of their Area A)encies on

A)in) to carry out the pilot project* %tates would have fle.ibility to decide how to choose

localities for participation in the pilot project* %tate A)encies on A)in) favour this option*

%everal have contacted AoA to ur)e equal distribution of funds amon) states* !nder this

option' each state would receive N/ million to launch the pilot in the first year* -ros= *HH%

could distribute funds quickly because the Department would not have to develop a

competitive )rant pro)ram' announce the availability of funds' and review )rant

applications* *%tates want )uaranteed fundin) and would favour this option* *%tate A)encies

on A)in) have close ties with their Area A)encies on A)in) and mi)ht be able to ascertain

quickly which a)encies in their states would be most interested in O and most capable of O

operatin) a pilot project* (ons= *%ome %tate A)encies on A)in) may have little interest in theobjectives of this demonstration and may put little effort into desi)nin) a thou)htful

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demonstration* *if states choose to allocate funds to their Area A)encies on A)in) throu)h a

competitive )rant process' the allocation of the funds would not occur faster than if operated

a competitive )rant process*

0ption Two= Announce a competitive )rant process throu)h which %tate A)encies on

A)in)' Area A)encies on A)in)' and (ounty 0ffices on A)in) across the nation could apply

for funds to operate a demonstration project* HH% would encoura)e entities to form

consortia to operate pilot projects to test various approaches for meetin) the )oals of the pilot*

This option would )ive states and localities an equal opportunity to apply for funds* t would

also )ive HH% the fle.ibility to fund either a )reater number of O or a smaller number of O

pilots' dependin) upon the proposed si9e of the demonstrations* -ros= *Because of the

necessary work to develop an innovative and winnin) proposal' only those state and local

a)encies )enuinely interested in operatin) a demonstration would apply* *HH% would have

the opportunity to review proposals ahead of time and ensure that the fundin) tests a variety

of innovative approaches* *HH% would have the fle.ibility to provide more fundin) to

demonstrations coverin) a lar)er )eo)raphic area and less fundin) to smaller areas* Thus'

HH% could more easily fund lar)er urban demonstrations' alon) with smaller rural ones*

(ons= *it would take lon)er to allocate funds because HH% would need to develop the )rant

criteria' announce the availability of funds' and review )rant applications* %tate A)encies onA)in) do not want to have to compete for funds and will be unhappy with this approach*

D%(!%%0" 0ption one provides the fastest way to distribute funds* (hoosin) option one

would also please %tate A)encies on A)in) because this would )uarantee N/ million in funds

each* However' would have no ability to ensure that funds are ultimately )oin) to consortia

of state and local a)encies with innovative and thou)htful proposals for pilot projects*

t is the more traditional approach for operatin) a demonstration pro)ram and would

allow HH% to have control over the quality of proposals bein) funded* 6ith only si. months

to allocate funds' however' HH% would need to announce the availability of funds within two

months in order to allow sufficient time for applicants to develop and submit their

proposals*Believes that it can meet the two month deadline for announcin) the availability of

funds* As such' AoA recommends option two because we believe it has the )reater chance of

producin) successful and innovative demonstration results*

nformation ,emo 0verview nformation memos educate the %ecretary in writin)

about an important issue or action where the subject matter does not warrant a facetoface

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meetin) with the %ecretary* They do not require the %ecretary to take any action* nformation

memos may focus on= *2indin)s of a key study *-ro)ram initiative by a division *,edia

campai)n to hi)hli)ht an important health issue *!pdate on a critical court case *new

collaboration with another federal a)ency or a)encies *(orrective action taken to solve a

major problem

3ike decision memos' the head of the division preparin) the memo must si)n the memo*

!nlike decision memos' $.ec %ec does not need to run a Departmental clearance for

information memos' and the memos do not require any approval or response from the

%ecretary* The operatin) or staff division should always send a copy of the information

memo to the appropriate $.ec %ec policy coordinator* A template and e.ample are below*

nformation Alert 0verview nformation alerts educate the %ecretary about an ur)ent matter*

They describe the issueIproblem' why it is critical for the %ecretary to have the information

now' and what the Department is proposin) to address the problem* +enerally' they are only

one pa)e with bullets and are sent to the %ecretary>s 0ffice' throu)h $.ec %ec' by email*

They do not require the %ecretary to take any action*

They may focus on= *imminent public health or safety problems *!pdate on an issue of major

concern to the Administration *nformation about a Departmental action that will become public within a few days *%ensitive news story scheduled for release shortly nclude a concise

description of the issue and why the %ecretary needs to know the information*

BA(F+R0!"D nclude information about the ori)in and back)round of the issue'

report' study' initiative' or problem* This section sets the conte.t for the information in the

memorandum*

D%(!%%0" discusses the issue' report' study' initiative' or problemE describe the

implications for the DepartmentE and present the division>s ne.t steps* f relevant' include

information about public reaction' includin) the e.pected reaction from (on)ress'

stakeholders' media' and others* f the Department will pursue a new pro)ram' initiative' or

course of action' includes information about any opportunities for %ecretarial involvement' if

appropriate*

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CHAPTER "

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SUMMAR/ O3 ISSUE AND DEPARTMENT RESPONSE?ACTIONS

-la)uerelated deaths of prairie do)s and a suspected fatal case of bubonic pla)ue in a

1? yearold male occurred today in (olorado %prin)s* 6hile pla)uerelated prairie do)

deaths alon) (olorado 2ront Ran)e are not unusual' a human death is cause for concern* The

(olorado %prin)s +a9ette plans to report in tomorrow>s edition that health officials are

investi)atin) the death of a man who lived near the prairie do) colony* ("" has inquired

about the incident* 6e e.pect covera)e on toni)ht>s news the local health department is

takin) appropriate measures to reduce risk of human e.posures* (D( will collaborate with

local and state public health authorities to respond to this outbreak by sendin)

epidemiolo)ists to (olorado %prin)s toni)ht*

Briefin) ,emo 0verview 0n any )iven day the %ecretary participates in numerous

meetin)s' events' and phone calls with both internal and e.ternal participants* Briefin)

memos provide the %ecretary with the information necessary to successfully complete each

en)a)ement* This chapter provides uniform )uidance for the operatin) and staff divisions

preparin) briefin) memos for the %ecretary* -rocess $very 2riday' the briefin) coordinator in

the %ecretary>s %chedulin) 0ffice sends out an email summari9in) the %ecretarial events'

meetin)s' and phone calls for the comin) week* The email assi)ns a point of contact for each

event* The briefin) point of contact is responsible for collectin) all information relevant to

the %ecretary>s participation' writin) the memo' and submittin) it on time*

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Fey -oints*%ubmit ,emos on Time= ,emos must be submitted on time* Briefin)

materials are )enerally due at noon the day before the eventImeetin)Icall* f there are

si)nificant updates after submittin) the memo' contact the briefin) coordinator and the person

staffin) the eventImeetin)Icall to discuss the best way to provide updated information to the

%ecretary0 "ote= nformation memos on policy discussions will be due 5? hours prior to

the eventImeetin)Icall so that the %ecretary>s counsellors have an opportunity to review them*

The 6eek Ahead +uidance schedule will reflect early due dates*

Define the %ecretary>s Role= Above all' the memo should clearly define the

%ecretary>s role in the eventImeetin)Icall* 6hat is e.pected of her 6hat does her

participation involve 6hy is she participatin) in this event

The len)th of the memo should be proportional to the %ecretary>s involvement* The

amount of information included in a memo should reflect the amount of time she is spendin)

on the eventImeetin)Icall* 2or e.ample' a memo preparin) the %ecretary for an hour lon)'

openpress roundtable with members of (on)ress and a diverse )roup of stakeholders should

include a )reater de)ree of detail than a memo in which the %ecretary is deliverin) openin)

remarks on a press call and then han)in) up without takin) questions*

C'e5+ t'e ee+ A'e,d Guid,%5e:

$very 2riday' check to see if you have any memos due the followin) week* f you

notice an error in the 6eek Ahead +uidance assi)nments' please contact the %ecretary>s

briefin) coordinator to seek clarification*

D&,)t t'e mem:

The person listed on the 6eek Ahead is responsible for collectin) all information

relevant to the eventImeetin)Icall and is responsible for draftin) the memo*

Re,5' ut t t'e& e&,ti% ,%d *t,)) di4i*i%*:

,ost eventsImeetin)sIcalls are not limited to one policy area* t is the memo

drafter>s responsibility to reach out to other operatin) and staff divisions to make sure any

information pertainin) to the eventImeetin)Icall is included in the memo* ,ake sure

information' numbers' and facts comin) from a crosssection of divisions match* 6hen

appropriate' include information that is topically related to the events or of particular interestto the audience*

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2or e.ample' if the %ecretary is doin) an event on obesity' please include recently

announced or upcomin) )rants related to obesity* The0ffice of the Assistant %ecretary for

-ublic Affairs A%-AC and the 0ffice of the (hief of %taff can help provide information for

memos or help connect the memo drafter with appropriate operatin) and staff divisions*

Submit t'e mem % time:

%ubmit the memo by noon the day before the meetin)I eventIcall or an earlier

deadline set by the briefin) coordinatorC*

Ud,te t'e mem:

f there are si)nificant edits to the memo after its submission' contact the %ecretary>s

briefin) coordinator and the person staffin) the eventImeetin)Icall to coordinate providin) the

%ecretary with an update*

$.ample= The purpose of the press call is to announce the awardin) of new

(ommunity Transformation +rants and to draw attention to the Administrations work on

addressin) health disparitiestomorrow' you will visit a pharmacy on the south side of

(hica)o* Durin) your visit' you will tour the store with pharmacy leadership' receive your

seasonal flu vaccination' and participate in a press conference with local media* The visit was

scheduled after you accepted an invitation from -harmacy AB( -resident and ($0 Bill

%mith* The purpose of your visit is to see firsthand strate)ies -harmacy AB( is usin) to

address issues ran)in) from food deserts to preventive health services* &our visit will also be

an opportunity to promote the importance of flu vaccination* This is your third meetin) with

-harmacy AB( leadership in the past year*

$.ample= *Bill %mith' -resident and ($0' -harmacy AB(* Bill %mith has served on the

company>s board of directors since 1:* &ou last met with Bill %mith on ,ay 1 at HH% to

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discuss -harmacy AB(>s efforts to improve access to healthy foods and preventive services

in underserved communities* A)enda nsert a)enda here* Do not copy and paste the entire

event a)enda* nstead' include only the information relevant to the %ecretary>s participation*

Thin)s to consider= *6ill we announce )rants or reports in conjunction with this

eventImeetin)Icall Has HH% awarded any other )rants to the )roupIor)ani9ation *6hen

was the last time the %ecretary met with this person' )roup *is this eventImeetin)Icall part of

a 6hite House initiative *6hat is the )roupIor)ani9ation>s position on the issue

$.ample= This is the first time you are visitin) the pharmacy' althou)h you met with

Bill %mith in ,ay as noted above* The visit is part of your initiative to increase public

awareness about flu and the importance of receivin) a flu shot each year* t also offers an

opportunity for you to observe and increase public awareness about the increasin) role

pharmacies can play in offerin) important health screenin) services in the communities they

serve* 2inally' the pharmacy>s interest in promotin) healthy foods is consistent with the 2irst

3ady>s initiative to fi)ht obesity and improve nutrition* Attachments nclude additional

documents crucial to the %ecretary>s participation* f the whole document is not necessary'

summari9e the important information rather than attachin) a lot of information that is not all

critical to the %ecretary>s participation*

Ce,&,%5e P&5e**

(learance -rocess 0verviewthe Department must clear all letters and decision memos

for the %ecretary>s si)nature* This means that other operatin) or staff divisions review these

documents to ensure their accuracy' quality' le)ality' and conformance with Administration

policy and messa)e* The 0ffice of the %ecretary>s $.ecutive %ecretariat mana)es the

clearance process for most documents for the %ecretary>s si)nature* -olicy coordinators in

$.ec %ec work with specific operatin) and staff divisions to clear any documents these

divisions send to the %ecretary* -olicy coordinators receive documents from their divisions'

determine who should review them' and then send them for review to the appropriate

operatin) and staff divisions throu)h a special computer system called %62T*

The documents )o to each division>s e.ecutive secretariat' which distributes them to

appropriate staff to review* 6hen reviewin) a document in clearance' divisions have three

options (oncur (lear the document without any chan)es* *(oncur with comments 0ffer

substantive or editorial chan)es that you believe would improve the document* *"onconcur=

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%i)nal that $.ec %ec should not send the document to the %ecretary for si)nature until the

authorin) division makes si)nificant chan)es* f a division nonconcurs with a document in

clearance' the authorin) a)ency must revise the document and then reclear it with the non

concurrin) division* "o document can move forward for si)nature until all divisions concur

or concur with comments*

6hen your division comments on a document' your division>s e.ecutive secretary

will send the comments back throu)h %62T to the appropriate policy coordinator in $.ec

%ec* -olicy coordinators mana)e revisions to the document and reclear it' if necessary* 0nce

a document is ready for si)nature' the policy coordinator moves it forward to the %ecretary

for consideration* n addition to clearin) documents internally' policy coordinators also work

with other federal a)encies' the 6hite House' and the 0ffice of ,ana)ement and Bud)et to

clear documents such as re)ulations' )uidance documents' and 2ederal Re)ister notices*

Ti* )& Ce,&i% D5ume%t* :

Review the document carefully 3ook for factual errors' consistency with

Administration statements and policy' any le)al concerns' and technical accuracy* %tyle edits

are helpful' but substantive si)noff is much more important* *(heck to see if others should

clear the document* Advice the $.ec %ec policy coordinator immediately if you believe $.ec

%ec should add a critical operatin) or staff division to the clearance process* *%ettle policy

disputes early*

Discuss si)nificant concerns with a document early with the authorin) division* f

possible' do so before submittin) a nonconcurrence* &ou may either contact the authorin)

division directly' or you may contact the appropriate $.ec %ec policy coordinator* The policy

coordinator can set up a conference call or meetin)' as necessary* *Be specific* ,ake sure

your comments are clear and specific* #a)ue comments are difficult to understand and to

incorporate* f you have a question about a policy issue in a decision memo' be precise in

presentin) your question to the authorin) a)ency* f you think wordin) in a letter is unclear'

su))est specific chan)es to make it clearer*

,eet deadlines* -articularly for hi)hpriority correspondence for the %ecretary>s

si)nature' you have three business days to clear a letter* 2or other documents' the policycoordinator will provide the necessary timeframe for your comments* Build in time for

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internal review if your division>s leadership must approve your comments* f you are unable

to meet the deadline for any reason' inform the appropriate policy coordinator as soon as

possible before the deadline passes with a detailed e.planation for the delay* The

Department>s $.ecutive %ecretary and the (hief of %taff will receive notifications of all

e.planations* *%end comments back throu)h the %62T system*

%end your comments to your division>s e.ecutive secretary' who will send them to the

Department>s $.ecutive %ecretariat via the %62T document mana)ement system* !se this

process even if you are simply concurrin) without comment* Do not send a hard copy or e

mail unless the policy coordinator specifically requests this because of timin) concerns*

*Fnow who clears what* 6hile $.ec %ec mana)es many clearance processes for the

Department' other parts of the 0ffice of the %ecretary also mana)e clearance processes' as

detailed on the followin) chart*

De5i*i% mem* )& t'e Se5&et,&y:

Re)ulations and )uidance documents requirin) Departmental review

(orrespondence for the %ecretary nformation memos and alerts Reor)ani9ation proposals

Reports to (on)ress for authori9in) committees All re)ulatoryI)uidance documents sent to

review by the includin) the "ational %ecurity %taff and 0ffice of ,ana)ement and Bud)et

Assistant %ecretary for 2inancial Resources A%2RC

Assistant %ecretary for -lannin) and $valuation A%-$C

Assistant %ecretary for 3e)islation A%3C

Budet &*,*:

Bud)et proposals and documents related to the development and issuance of the

bud)et' includin) the Bud)et in Brief and the Bud)et Reference Book communications with

and responses to House and %enate appropriations committees (on)ressional testimony

before appropriations committees and follow up questions for the record Reports to (on)ress

for appropriations committees Reor)ani9ation proposals %pecial fundin) opportunity

announcements requirin) Departmental review Demonstrations Departmental review of

le)islative proposals submitted by 0peratin) Divisions for inclusion in the HH% annual

bud)et communications with O and responses to O House and %enate authori9in) committees

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33/35

CHAPTER

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CONCLUSION

The most fascinatin) challen)e facin) the office secretary is the usa)e of his talents

and skills for the prospects of the or)ani9ation* Rather than just bein) content with his routine

responsibilities and duties he must be aware that he is the backbone of the e.ecutive* An

office secretary who lacks these abilities and skills would not be of much help to the

e.ecutive and or)ani9ation* 6hitehead /:@@C notes that the office secretary is the power

behind the work of many e.ecutives' as he does more to promote the efficiency of the

or)ani9ation than any other occupation* His work is felt in all aspects of the or)ani9ation

because he is the key link between the e.ecutives or top mana)ement' board members'

panels' or committees and the other workforce and the public*

The pro pacts and success of any or)ani9ation' whether it be business' )overnment or

non)overnmental depend on the leadership of the or)ani9ation* A dynamic' resourceful'

creative and intelli)ent leadership does not operate in a vacuum* He needs a superb assist ant'

a confidant' an or)ani9er who is the )raduate office secretary to make him succeed and

ensure the or)ani9ational pro)ress and )rowth in the ri)ht direction* His level of trainin) is

the most distin)uishin) characteristic* t marks him out from other secretarial hands* t is

therefore incumbent on the hi)her institutions of learnin) which' train )raduate office

secretaries to be alive to their responsibilities* Their trainin) cannot be left in the hand of

charlatans otherwise the office secretary>s profession will also be infiltrate by charlatans and

this would impact ne)atively on the ima)e of the profession* $mployers> of office secretaries

must recruit the ri)ht calibre )raduatesC in order to ensure that they contribute ma.imally to

their or)ani9ations> success*

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secreterial correspondance

Documents