Talking Papers
Senior and master chiefs are often called upon to
speak publicly or to prepare a talking paper for someone
who will speak at an informal event. Rather than
speaking on an issue from memory or "off the cuff," a
talking paper should be used to keep your speech
organized and to the point. The talking paper serves as
a memory tickler or quick reference outline. The
following guidelines will help you prepare a talking
paper:
Keep your talking paper to one page.
Specify the issue.
Use a bulleted format.
Double space.
Avoid details and chronologies.
Write a background paper to
talking paper, if necessary.
Say what to avoid talking about.
accompany the
SUMMARY
The proper operation of the Navy depends to a great
extent on the effective administration of every Navy
ship, activity, and unit. Various command levels
establish policies and procedures by which the Navy
operates. These policies and procedures are often issued
as directives-orders, instructions, regulations, notices,
and so forth.
The Department of the Navy Directives Issuance
System, SECNAVINST 5215.1C, sets forth policy and
rules for issuing, filing, and maintaining Navy
directives.
Every Navy unit should have a directives system
that provides wide dissemination of chain of command
policies that affect the unit. This unit directives system
must be fashioned according to the Department of the
Navy Directives Issuance System. To do otherwise
would cause confusion and inefficiency as people come
and leave the unit.
Because directives are used to tell people what the
policies and orders of executives to subordinates are,
they must be clear, concise, and easily understood.
Each directive issued in the Navy is assigned a
standard subject identification code (SSIC) as
prescribed by the Department of the Navy File
Maintenance Procedures and Standard Subject
Identification Codes (SSIC), SECNAVINST 5210.11D.
This instruction contains the single, standard system of
number and letter symbols used in the Navy to
categorize, subject classify, and identify directives,
forms, and reports. SSICs also provide a standard
system for filing directives, messages, forms,
correspondence, reports, and so forth.
The Consolidated Subject Index (CSI),
NAVPUBNOTE 5215, is an important part of the
directives system. It is a numerically indexed,
subject-categorized listing used to help identify current
naval instructions issued by Washington, D.C.,
headquarters organizations.
Telecommunications, or naval messages policies
and practices, are given in the Telecommunication Users
Manual, NTP 3(H). The NTP 3(H) must be strictly
followed when you originate, draft, or release naval
messages.
As a senior or master chief, you maybe tasked to
investigate situations and submit reports. Reports are
written to transmit information accurately, to serve as
records for later reference, and to provide an efficient
way to inform people.
A staff study report addresses a problem and
presents several possible solutions. This study can be
presented in three patterns: a single best possible
solution, a combination of possible solutions, or a single
possible solution.
Point papers and talking papers are simple reports
that bring a single subject to the attention of superiors.
They are short, to the point, and concise.
REFERENCES
Department of the Navy File Maintenance
Procedures and Standard Subject Identification Codes
(SSIC), SECNAVINST 5210.11D, Office of the
Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C., 1985.
Directives Issuance System Consolidated
Checklist, NAVPUBINST 5215.3Z, Office of the
Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C., 1987.
Directives Issuance Systems, SECNAVINST
5215.lC, Office of the Secretary of the Navy,
Washington, D.C., 1970.
Disposal of Navy and Marine Corps Records,
SECNAVINST 5212.5C, Office of the Secretary of the
Navy, Washington, D.C., 1985.
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