DEFINITION OF TERMS For you to understand and use the Directives Issuance System to your best advantage, you should know the meaning of the terms used in the system. The following terms and their definitions will aid you in interpreting  directives: All ships and stations. The "To" line of a directive from specified organizations in the Washington, D.C., area to all or most of the components of the Department of the Navy. Change transmittal. The method used to transmit changes  to  an  instruction  or,  under  extenuating circumstances, a notice. A change transmittal describes the change(s) it transmits and gives directions for making the change(s). Check list. A numerical list of effective instructions used to verify the completeness and currency of a master set of instructions. Directives. An instruction (order), a notice, or a change transmittal. A directive prescribes or establishes policy, organization, conduct, methods, or procedures; requires action or sets forth information essential to the effective administration or operation of activities; or contains authority or information that must be issued formally. Directives  Issuance  System.  The  standard procedure and format used to issue policies, procedures, and information as described in SECNAVINST 5215.1C. Distribution  list.  A list of “action” and “information” addressees of a directive. Instruction. A directive containing authority or information having continuing reference value or requiring continuing action. An instruction remains in effect until superseded or canceled by the issuing authority or higher authority. Issuing  authority.  The chief official of an established independent component by whose authority and under whose title a directive is issued. Joint directive. A directive issued jointly by one authority in conjunction with one or more other authorities. Letter-type directive. An instruction or a notice issued in a format similar to a naval letter. Message-type directive. A  directive  transmitted  via the Naval Communications System. Notice. A directive of a one-time or brief nature with a self-canceling provision. It is not permitted to remain in effect for more than 1 year. A notice, while in effect, has the same force and effect as an instruction. Page change. An additional or replacement page for an instruction or notice, transmitted under cover of a change transmittal, for insertion by recipients. Pen change. A change, usually relatively short, which is entered in the basic document in handwriting by the recipient. Directions will state precisely where the change occurs; that is, page, paragraph, line number, and any other pertinent information. Publication-type directive. An instruction or a notice in which its content is best suited to a publication format; that is, parts, chapters, sections, and so on. Revision. Reissue of an existing instruction in completely rewritten form. Special Distribution List. A list of addressees compiled by an issuing authority to meet special recurring distribution needs when use of the Standard Navy Distribution List (SNDL) would be impractical. The list is compiled on the basis of some common denominator, such as the ships under a single type commander. Standard Navy Distribution List (SNDL). The list that provides official addressing and distribution information for the naval establishment. Washington headquarters organizations. Washington headquarters organizatins consist of Navy Department components; the headquarters of the six systems commands; the Communications, Intelligence, Security Group, and Weather Service Command; and the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy. Weekly transmittal sheet. The means by which the Navy Publications and Printing Service makes initial distribution of directives addressed to all ships and headquarters organizations and such other organizations as the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) may determine. UNIT DIRECTIVES SYSTEM A  unit  directives  system  provides  wide dissemination of the policies of the commanding officer and other commands responsible for operating the unit. It also provides the means for subordinates to issue amplifying and supplementary instruction for placing those policies in effect. Finally, it permits integration of the unit directives with those received from outside the unit. That ensures the policies and procedures used in 8-2