the municipal secretary desktop reference manual - Southwestern ...

NOTES
CONTROLLING AND MANAGING RECORDS
A. Correspondence Management.
(1) Reducing volume - The real problem here is the determination of necessity.
Sometimes tradition or custom is considered sufficient justification. The
determination of necessity is a matter of judgment for which rules cannot be stated,
but there are guides.
(a)
Elimination
i
ii
iii
iv
v
So-called Acourtesy@ replies which serve no useful purpose.
Acknowledgment of receipt of papers already covered by some other
form of receipt.
Reply or acknowledgment of the same document at different official
levels. (Sounds fantastic but it has been observed. Why? Because
each one did not know that the person above or below was also
replying!)
Letter or memo type of confirmation of telecommunications.
Any communication that does not contribute, with reasonable
directness, to prompt completion of processing, or promote or protect
the interests of the government, of the interested party or of third
parties. (This is often the best test of necessity.)
(b)
Substitution - Can something other than a letter or memo be used?
i
ii
iii
Printed notice, announcement, instructions, informational pamphlet
without covering transmittal or with original communication
informally annotated.
Self-explanatory form (for applications, registration, etc.)
Postal card.
(c)
Copy control. - Practical control of copies demands careful attention and is an
essential part of work simplification and procedural planning.
i
ii
Who will use each copy?
How will it be used?
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