Initiates or governs a course of action or conduct
MEMORANDUM
Establishes a reporting requirement
A memorandum is used for informal
communications within and between activities or
Changes supersedes or cancels another directive
between subordinates. It may be directed to one or
Material falling outside the scope of these criteria
more addressees. It is never used to issue directives.
may be issued in the Directives Issuance System as
A memorandum may be prepared on plain bond
notices to obtain quick and controlled dissemination.
paper or on the preprinted form, Department of the
These notice directives may include the following
Navy Memorandum (OPNAV 5216/144A). Informal
actions:
communications within an office may be written on the
Request for comments, approval, or information
memorandum form by hand. A memorandum may also
be prepared on letterhead stationery or on plain bond
Directions for routinely carrying out established
paper, but the word MEMORANDUM is typed in
operations, such as matters pertaining to
capital letters at the left margin, below the last line of
i n d iv i d u a l p e r s o n n e l a c t i o n s o r s p e c i a l
the address in the letterhead (or the equivalent vertical
shipments of material
spacing) or below any security classification.
Informative announcements, such as education
If the subject of an informal memorandum is not
or promotion opportunities, recreation activities,
significant, there is no need to keep a file copy.
work improvement plans, suggestions for
Endorsements for informal memorandums that do not
morale building, or changes in office locations or
require comments may consist of the endorser's initials
telephone extensions
and date next to the via line at the top of the page.
The following types of documents are required to
A memorandum-for is the most formal of all
be exempted from the Directives Issuance System:
memorandum styles.
Navy Regulations
DIRECTIVES ISSUANCE SYSTEM
Top Secret documents
Registered publications
The purpose of the Directives Issuance System is
to promulgate policy, procedures, and informational
Operational plans and orders
r e l e a s e s w i t h i n t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f t h e N av y.
Department of the Navy Directives Issuance System,
It is optional for the following types of docu-
SECNAVINST 5215.1, establishes this system and
ments to be included in, or exempted from, the
gives detailed instructions on the formats for writing
Directives Issuance System:
directives.
Te c h n i c a l a n d r e g u l a t o r y m a n u a l s a n d
This section discusses directive criteria, directive
publications and their changes
types, directive identification symbols, and directive
Issuances with fewer than six addressees,
distribution.
including copy-to addressees
DIRECTIVE CRITERIA
DIRECTIVE TYPES
A document, generally speaking and regardless of
Commands use directives to communicate plans
its physical characteristics, is issued in the Directives
and policies to subordinates. The Directives Issuance
Issuance System as an instruction when it has one of
System has two types of directives: instructions and
the following effects:
notices.
R eg u l a t e s , o r i s e s s e n t i a l t o , e ff e c t ive
administration
Instruction
Establishes policy
An instruction contains authority or information
Delegates authority or assigns responsibility
that is of a continuing reference value or requires
continuing action. It remains in effect until it is
Establishes an organizational structure
superseded by another instruction or is canceled either
Assigns a mission, a function, or a task
by the originator or by higher authority.
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