Guide to Successful Executive Correspondence Actions
This guide is to help each office prepare correspondence and
reports that are clear, concise and timely. It is not exhaustive,
as it is meant to be a quick guide for preparers and reviewers of
controlled correspondence. The staff of the Office of
Communications/Executive Affairs (EA) is committed to excellence in
correspondence. The office’s experts are available to answer
questions and offer advice to all who prepare controlled
correspondence.
Those preparing or reviewing controlled correspondence should have the following reference materials:
Getting started: Have a plan before you start writing.
- Are you writing a memorandum or a letter?
If you are communicating outside of DOC/NOAA or writing a thank you
letter to someone within NOAA, then a letter is appropriate. Any
official communication within DOC/NOAA requires a memorandum. In
many cases, correspondence going to DOC and/or NOAA leadership requires
an additional transmittal memorandum from the NWS AA or the Under
Secretary requesting NOAA or DOC leadership to sign the correspondence.
- Who is your audience?
The end user of the document is the reader, not the signer. Use
language and tone appropriate for the reader.
- Why
are you writing this? Can you explain, either with incoming
correspondence or a point paper, or by the use of the discussion and
background section of the correspondence cover sheet (see below) why
this letter needs to be written and signed.
- When does this correspondence have to arrive at the addressee? Timeliness, accuracy, and quality are vital attributes of a well executed piece of correspondence. Generally allow four working days from the time you submit the
correspondence package to EA until signature. The quality and
length of the original package presented to EA can either speed up the
process or slow it down. If you need additional time for
delivering the document, you should take this extra time into account
and submit the correspondence to EA earlier.
- Do you have the proper “buy-in”?
Make sure all necessary clearances have been acquired before submitting
to EA for the AA’s or DAA’s signature. If there are other
signatures at a lower level they should sign before submitting to the
AA or DAA. If the document concerns funding, either future or
past, then the CFO should clear on it. If there are legal
implications then NOAA General Counsel should clear. All
addressees for an EA action should clear.
Writing the correspondence:
The Correspondence Handbook (NWSM 1-801) has many tips on successful
writing. Common errors are described later in this document, but
some important ones to keep in mind are:
- Keep
letters and memorandum to one page if at all possible. If you
need to provide additional information use an “enclosure” (for letters)
or “attachment” (for memoranda).
- Get to the point of the correspondence as soon as possible.
- Avoid long sentences.
- Avoid repeating information.
Packaging the Correspondence: The better a package is put together, the faster EA can process it and get it signed.
- Use a current Correspondence Cover Sheet (see Attachment #2), noting all required clearances.
- Use
the BACKGROUND, DISCUSSION, and RECOMMENDATION blocks in the
Correspondence Cover Sheet to provide information to the signer on why
they should sign. If additional information, such as policy
documents, is needed, attach documents as background to the inside left
cover, identifying each document on a separate page and tabbing each
document (e.g. Document #1 NAO 123B)
- Make sure the date due to EA, NWS, and, if applicable, NOAA are noted.
- The
executive officer or designee will e-mail the most current/final
electronic version of the to the NWS HQ Executive Affairs address, at nws.executive.affairs@noaa.gov. Do not send to an EA individual’s address.
- Subject of the e-mail must include the EA tracking number, or the phrase “Internally-Generated Action”
- cc the Office or Staff Office Director, or applicable Regional Director
- The electronic document must be in final, not showing track changes
- The
inside left-hand side should have the Correspondence Checklist (See
Attachment #1), background and the EA tracking sheet.
- Have
all clearances (e.g. e-mails from signatories, if signatories were
unable to sign clearance form) stapled to the right inside with a blank
cover sheet labeled “clearance.” On top of these should be the
document to be signed (with the clear protective executive
correspondence cover) and any enclosures or attachments.
Delivering the Correspondence Package:
Place the package in the EA mail slot outside of cubicle 18100.
Do not put package on the desks or chairs of the EA staff as this may
delay processing. If you have any e-mail correspondence, make sure
you forward it to the NWS HQ Executive Affairs address, at nws.executive.affairs@noaa.gov. If the package needs to be
returned to you for changes, it will be returned to the XO of your
office. Once changes have been made, the action office should
return the package to EA.
Returning the Signed Correspondence:
We will notify your office when the package is ready to be picked up,
or we will bring the completed package to you so you may distribute the
document.
The package will also contain a
copy of the EA scoring sheet with comments. The scoring sheet is
part of our 360 degree quality control program. EA will post the
original draft document and the final document with track changes into
NZone. In order to see the changes, make sure to click on
“Open” instead of “View” when you open the document in NZone.
Packaging: Keep it simple and clear (re: NWSM 1-801, Section 7)
Outside |
Inside Left |
Inside Right |
Answer the following:
- What is it?
- Who has seen it?
- What do you want the signer to do?
Use:
- Correspondence Clearance Sheet (EA Actions)
|
Background (e.g., incoming, background paper, referenced documents)
Not a “file”; include what is necessary for signer to know.
Think - What do the reviewers need to know to understand/explain the material on the right side |
Outgoing ( what-goes-in-the-envelope); Document for approval
Generally one tab only for e-mail clearances (i.e., those not signed on the outside sheet)
Think - Write for the audience, not the person signing |
- Use RED folders for NOAA actions (i.e., WebCIMS); use manila for all others
- Tabs (re: NWSM 1-801, Section 7.4, Note (1))
Coordination: (re: NWSM 1-801, Section 2.2.4)
- If a person’s name is in it, they should clear on it.
- Strategic
Planning and Policy and Legislative Affairs clear on congressional;
International Activities for international.
Attachment #1 NWS Correspondence Preparation Checklist
Attachment #2 Correspondence Control Sheet
Attachment #3 Plain Language Checklist |
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