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. 8-21