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Noting & Drafting

This document provides guidance on noting, drafting, and summarizing documents within a government organization. It outlines conventions for: - Abbreviations and file management - When noting is and isn't required - The sequence and structure of notes - Guiding principles for writing clear, concise notes - Drafting communications - Writing summaries, including for higher-level officials like the Chief Minister and Cabinet - Noting procedures within districts The overall aim is to provide officials with standards for presenting essential information and recommendations in a structured yet succinct manner using plain language.

Uploaded by

Saleem Shaikh
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
1K views

Noting & Drafting

This document provides guidance on noting, drafting, and summarizing documents within a government organization. It outlines conventions for: - Abbreviations and file management - When noting is and isn't required - The sequence and structure of notes - Guiding principles for writing clear, concise notes - Drafting communications - Writing summaries, including for higher-level officials like the Chief Minister and Cabinet - Noting procedures within districts The overall aim is to provide officials with standards for presenting essential information and recommendations in a structured yet succinct manner using plain language.

Uploaded by

Saleem Shaikh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Noting & Drafting

Muhammad Issa Memon


Director Research TMR wing, SGA&CD
Sequence of presentation

 Abbreviations
 File Management
 Noting
 Drafting
 Summaries

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Frequently used Abbreviations
 PUC
Paper Under Consideration
 DFA
Draft for approval
 AD
Administrative Department
 Corr.
Correspondence
 PP
Previous Papers
 NFA
No Further Action
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File Management
 Every file shall consist of two distinct parts:
 the correspondence part; and
 the Notes part

 For the correspondence part, the thick cardboard covers be


used and for noting the thinner folded file covers shall be
used

 Subject and number of file shall be written on both

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Noting- when it is required
 Notes shall ordinarily be recorded on cases to be submitted
to higher officers for orders

 The objective of a note is to submit the relevant information


required for the disposal of a PUC in the most concise and
clear form

 All notes should be legibly written on note sheets

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Noting- cases when it is not required
 When officer is competent to dispose of the
matter in light of:
 Rules/policy, or
 under the standing orders delegating specific
powers to dispose of certain types of cases
 a case where the line of action has been indicated
by higher officer and he is required to put up a
draft

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Sequence of Note
 A note shall be in the following sequence:
 The question under consideration
 circumstances with brief background and facts of the case
 point out any errors or misstatement of facts of other
departments
 Any rules, regulations, precedents or policy having a bearing on
the case
 points for decision; and

 suggestions for action

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Guiding Principles for Noting
 When a case is submitted to a higher officer, it shall always be
assumed that the PUC will be read by the officer
 Paraphrasing of the contents of the PUC should be avoided

 A précis may be made if PUC is of great length and


complexity

 Notes should be broken up, as much as possible, into short


connected paragraphs, each dealing with a particular point

 Long sentences and a rambling style should be avoided

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Guiding Principles for Noting
 All notes shall be temperately worded and shall be free from
personal remarks
 If apparent errors are to be pointed out, or if an opinion has
to be criticized, it shall be done in sober and appropriate
terms
 Special care should be taken in making observations on notes
on senior officers and Ministers
 The officer recording the note should affix his signatures and
date on the right side of the note sheet at the end of his note
along with his full name in type/print
 designation of the officer to whom a case is submitted should
be indicated on the left side of the note
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Guiding Principles for Noting
 When the higher officer agrees with the note or
recommendation, he may merely append his signature
 To facilitate the expeditious disposal of cases, full use should be
made of personal discussion between officers in the same
department
 Page numbers shall be entered on all pages of correspondence
in the corner of each page
 Paragraphs of notes shall be numbered continuously from the
beginning onwards
 Reference to notes shall be as : para 10/N

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Choice of words in Noting & Drafting
 An official communication stilted by pompous language or whose
meaning is confused by a bad selection of words, creates a poor
impression
 Use no more words than are necessary to express your meaning
 AVOID – excessive use of adjectives and adverbs e.g., unduly,
relatively, comparatively, considerable, appreciable, etc.
 AVOID circumlocutory prepositions, e.g., „with regard to‟, „in
the case of‟, „in relation to‟, „in connection with‟, „as to‟, etc. and
use in their place simple prepositions such as „in‟, „on‟, „about‟,
etc.
 Use familiar words rather than unusual and unnecessary long
words

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DRAFTING

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Drafting
 A draft of a communication, proposed to be issued may be
prepared at any stage
 In routine cases DFA may be submitted at the time of submission
of the case
 Draft communication should convey the exact intention of the
orders passed
 language used should be clear and simple, long sentences and
repetitions should be avoided
 Draft should show the enclosures which are to accompany
 The officer over whose signature the communication is to be
issued, should initial the draft in token of his approval

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Writing a Summary
 When a file/ case is submitted to the Governor or the Chief
Minister it should invariably include a concise but self-contained
and properly referenced summary of the case
 The Summary shall be signed by Chief Secretary, Additional Chief
Secretary, Secretary or Special Secretary (as the case may be) and
placed in a flying cover titled “Summary for the Chief Minister” or
“Summary for the Governor”
 If the space left at the end of a Summary is less than one third of a
page, a spare sheet should be added
 Only those papers which are actually referred to in the Summary,
should be attached as Annexures

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Summary for the Cabinet
 A summary for the Cabinet shall be prepared in accordance with rule
38 of the Rules of Business, 1986
 60 copies are required to be furnished to the Cabinet Section,
SGA&CD
 The Summary shall be in the following form:
 i. Heading: “Summary for the Cabinet”
 ii. Minister In-Charge (if any).
 iii. Secretary In-Charge.
 iv. Contents:
 a. History and background of the case with relevant facts.
 b. Issues involved.
 c. Points for consideration.
 d. Views of the Department and of any other department concerned.
 e. Specific recommendations with reasons.
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SUMMARY FOR CABINET

Minister Incharge

Secretary of the Department

Date of Cabinet Meeting:

SUBJECT:

(Name)

Secretary
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Noting in Districts

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Thanks

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