administrating and operating the unit are in keeping with plans and polices of the Navy Department and of fleet and type commanders. Establishing a Unit’s Directives System Four steps are necessary to establish a unit’s directives system so that it will comply with the Directives Issuance System: 1. 2. 3. 4. A unit instruction is published that prescribes what directives are to be issued, responibilities of originators, functions of directives control points, instructions for departmental and divisional use of the system, and standards for reproduction. A second unit instruction is published issuing distribution lists. Directives binders and instructions for their use and maintenance are prepared for distribution. Unit members are educated in the proper use of the system. This is probably the most difficult step, but it is essential to ensure the system will function  effectively. Integrating Directives From Higher Authority Many  policies  and  procedures  affecting administration and operation of a unit are issued as instructions by the CNO, the various bureaus and systems commands, and fleet and type commanders. Usually they apply to the overall administration or operation of the unit. The commanding officer may have to interpret or amplify these instructions before they can be used by the unit. The commanding officer then must provide for their issuance and ensure they are available for ready reference by personnel. When a command receives enough copies of an outside directive, it should route a copy to each department for filing in the departmental current directives binder. If only a few copies are received, one copy, after it has been routed, should be filed in the department primarily concerned with its subject matter. One copy of each directive received is filed in the directives control point. Integrating Publications From External Commands Many manuals and publications issued by higher authority  contain  material  concerning  personnel administration, tactical information, communications, and equipment operation. Such information should be issued throughout the unit. Directives Control The Directives Issuance System requires units to establish directives control points to control the issuance of directives. In small units where the number of directives issued is limited, one directives control point can keep the directives system in order. However, in large units, the handling of all directives in, for example, the captain’s office, may place too great a burden on that office. In such cases, these large units often establish separate directives control points for each department in addition to the unit’s directives control points. The captain’s office is normally designated as the control point for all directives signed by the commanding  officer  or  the  executive  officer.  A department head’s administrative assistant or senior yeoman usually performs the functions of the directives control point for instructions and notices issued or received within the department. Division directives should also be cleared through this point to ensure standardization within the department. The functions of this control point are independent of those of the unit’s control point, but they are performed parallel with the functions of the department. The system’s operations within the organization are evaluated on a continuing basis at the directives control point. Directives are analyzed and recommendations are made for improvements when appropriate. Besides this general function, the following specific tasks are performed at the directives control point: • Each directive is reviewed for compliance with directives standards before it is signed. Directives are checked for proper signature, clearances, format, identification,   security   requirements,   editorial standards,  subject  numbers,  and  references.  The currency, need, completeness, and possible overlap of or conflict with other directives are also determined. Consecutive numbers are assigned to new instructions after signature, and dating is ensured before final issuance. • The proposed distribution of each directive is reviewed to find out if it is appropriate and accurate. That avoids overdistribution and ensures adequate stocking of directives to ensure efficient initial and reserve stocks. • Master up-to-date sets of incoming and outgoing directives (or locator cross-reference sheets when 8-3