definition of a note

8/3/2019 Definition of a Note

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1. Definition of a note1. Definition of a note

A note means an officers views in writing

on a file within a prescribed procedural

framework to facilitate the settlement of amatter. A note is designed to help senior

officers in taking a decision. In other words

a note is a statement or description of a

case along with the views of an officersuggesting a decision.



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Object of a noteObject of a note

The object of a note is to assist the senior

officers to take a final decision in the light

of the facts brought out in the note. Thefinal settlement of or decision on a matter

is the end-product of a note.



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When a note is requiredWhen a note is required

A note shall be recorded on a file only in a

case which is to be put up to higher

officers for orders. In such a case theofficer concerned should present the case

in the following systematic form:-



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Constituents / Contents of a noteConstituents / Contents of a note

I. It should bring out the question for consideration and the facts of the case (theofficer may point out any mistake or error ormis-statement of facts in the paper under

consideration or in the notes of otherMinistries and Divisions):

II. Indicate the statutory or customary procedureto be adopted in dealing with the case; i.e.

consultation with other Ministries/Divisionsunder the Rules of Business/ SecretariatInstructions and other GovernmentRules/Orders.



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III. Discuss any reference to rules andregulations having a direct bearing onthe case;

IV. Quote any relevant precedents whichshould be put up, if possible;

V. Point out any other relevant facts andfigures;

VI. Mention the points for decisions; and

VII. Suggest course of action.



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Requirements of a note:Requirements of a note:

I. All notes should be written on the note-sheet. Nonote should be recorded on the receipt itself.

II. If a higher officer has already given any remarks on a

receipt, these should be copied out on the note sheetbefore subsequent notes are recorded.

III. The officer recoding the note should affix hissignature on the right side of the note sheet at end of

the note. His/her name, designation and telephonenumber should be typed or rubber stamped belowhis/her signature.



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When a note is not required to beWhen a note is not required to be

recordedrecorded No elaborate note shall, however, be recorded by the

officer concerned:-

I. On a receipt which he is competent to dispose ofhimself in the light of clear precedent or under thestanding orders delegating specific powers to him todispose of such cases:

II. In case where a line of action has been indicated bya senior officer and he is required to put up a draft.However, if some important point has escaped thenotice of the senior officer, it should be brought to hisnotice for consideration before final decision ororders are conveyed to the concerned quarters.



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2. Objectives of noting2. Objectives of noting

I. It enables the officer to understand andassimilate a specific issue, proposal, problem orquestion, which requires decision;

II. It examines and states relevant facts clearly and

concisely and draws attention to previousdecisions, precedents, communications, rulesand regulations;

III. It specifies the points on which a decision is tobe taken; and

IV. Finally it suggests a positive line of action.



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3. Advantages of noting3. Advantages of noting

A note has the following advantages:

I. It presents various aspects of a matter in a

clear perspective and brings out pros and

cons of the point under consideration.

II. It puts down the views of the writer in black

and white and records the precise reasons for

adopting a particular course of actionconsidered to be the best of all possible

courses.



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III. A note is a record of discussions

leading to a particular decision. It canbe used as precedent for futurereferences.

IV. Recorded notes help in understandingreasons for a particular decision, and infinding out at what level the decisionwas taken.

V. Responsibility for a particular decisioncan be fixed on the basis of recordednote.



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VI. Notes indicate what steps were taken

and what authorities were consulted forfinal decision/settlement of a particularcase.

VII. Notes enable people who comeafterwards to pick up tasks whereothers left.

VIII. A note is a historical record and sourceof information for the cominggenerations.



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General remarksGeneral remarks

If we take policy decision which affect a

particular sector of economy or overall

national interest and reasons and

justification for taking those policy

decisions are recorded in the notes these

are useful for having a better appreciation

of these decisions.



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4. Aspects of noting4. Aspects of noting

Noting has two main aspects viz;

Technical and Linguistic. The first aspect

viz: Technical aspect may also be called

the Technique of note writing.

The second aspect i.e. Linguistic aspect

relates to the correct use of language,proper choice of phrases and words and

covers style, idioms and grammar etc.



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5. Technique of note5. Technique of note--writingwriting

Structure of a note

A note has three main parts:



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1. First part or opening sentence or1. First part or opening sentence or

paragraphparagraph

It brings out the subject matter of the case

or question under consideration:



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2. Second part2. Second part

It contains discussion or examination of

main points;



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3. Third Part3. Third Part

It is the conclusion it may be in the form

of a decision or recommendation orsuggestion.



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First part of the opening sentenceFirst part of the opening sentence

or paragraph of a noteor paragraph of a note

It should straightaway state the matter to

be considered. If a paper under

consideration or a fresh receipt contains alengthy, and complex matter, the opening

paragraph should summaries it, but should

not, in any case, reproduce it. The points

at issue should be clearly stated in achronological manner.



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The second part of the noteThe second part of the note

It is very important. The case is examined in the

light etc., therefore, it may consist of more than

one paragraph, and embodies the main

discussion or examination of the matter and

states all relevant facts, precedents, arguments

or reasons for and against a particular

conclusion or line of action. Great care should

be exercised to ensure that statements made inthe note are correct and properly documented

and referenced.



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Last and third partLast and third part--conclusionconclusion--

decision or Recommendationdecision or Recommendation

It sums up the whole case and contains

the conclusion in the form of a decision or

a recommendation or a suggestion. Itshould, in all cases, be positive, definite

and unambiguous. If more than one

course of action is suggested, each should

be stated precisely with its advantagesand disadvantages.



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6. Bad Note6. Bad Note

It is a common mistake to begin a note by

setting out at length what the writer of the letter

has said in more or less the same words.

This is quite wrong , as it must be presumed that

the officer will read the fresh receipt. But if the

letter is long or confused, it may well be

desirable to analyse it and to bring out clearlywhat are exact point for order, for example it

may be summarised as:



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In a long report on the difficultiesexperienced in setting up the new Mission

at Buenos Aires the Ambassador to

Argentina has made the following five

proposals for strengthening hisorganization and asked for early orders of

them. However some of the factors which

spoil the note are:



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I. Excessive noting is an evil:

Reproduction of PUC, which

unnecessarily adds to a note, should beavoided. It is a sheer waste of time and

energy. It should be assumed that the

paper under consideration or the fresh

receipt will be read by the officer.



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II. Un-necessary detail and unwanted

information in a note make it a badnote. Similarly, digressions from the

main point of issue should be avoided in

a note.III. Sandwiching of routine matter in a note

being recorded in proper sequence also

makes a note defective. This detractsfrom the main issue and disturbs the

thought process.



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IV. In case it is absolutely unavoidable to

include an important piece of

information/statistical data in a note it is

advisable that a separate statement or

appendix embodying the information orthe statistics should be placed on the

file below the note and it should be

properly flagged.



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V. If an incorrect statement is made or an

unauthenticated fact or superficial

argument is given in a note there is a

possibility of a wrong decision being

taken on the basis of this incorrectstatement. Thus, the decision-making

authority may be placed in an awkward

situation.



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7. Tenor of Note7. Tenor of Note

All notes should be temperate, objective

and free from personal remarks. If an

argument pointed has to be criticised or

the inaccuracy of the statement pointedout, great care should be exercised to

choose proper words and phrases for

expressions so that criticism does not

amount to an arrogant and impolite

outburst.



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8. Qualities of a Good Note8. Qualities of a Good Note

Broadly speaking, a good note has thefollowing qualities;-

I. It should be temperate, objective and

free from personal remarks.

II. It should embody all the relevant

material about a case concisely, but

should not repeat facts, arguments,

words and phrases.



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III. It would indicate the statutory or customaryprocedure to be adopted in dealing with the

case.

IV. It should be properly documented andreferenced.

V. All previous papers, precedents, rules andregulations far as possible, be put up with itand referenced clearly indicated in themargin.

VI. The facts narrated in the note should berelevant to the points at issue. No statementshould be made without verification.



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VII. There should be sequence in narration.

The points which should appear in theend, must come at the end. A disjointedstatement of facts will confuse thereader and tax his mind. A logical

arrangement of ideas is the product ofcoherent thinking a habit that can beacquired through constant andconscious effort. An incorrect thought

process may produce bad and confusedwriting



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VIII. The expressions should be clear,

precise and simple. The temptation touse long-winded and bombastic

phrases and words should be avoided.

Similarly, phrases or idioms foreign to

English language should be avoided, asfar as possible.

IX. Paragraphs of notes should be

numbered continuously from the

beginning onwards.



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9. The Conclusion of a Note9. The Conclusion of a Note

The conclusion of a note is very important

as it sums up the whole case. It should be

free from confusion and vagueness and

should clearly bring out the point for

decision. The recommendation or the

decision or the suggested course of action

should be stated precisely and accurately.



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10. Hints to ensure that the note is10. Hints to ensure that the note is

correctcorrect

I. Read the incoming letter/note carefully.

II. Know the facts of the case before you

are going to write a note.

III. Review any pertinent file relevant to the

case under consideration.

IV. Note what policies should underline

your note



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V. Check every statement in your note.

VI. Review grammar, spelling mistakes,

and punctuation for correctness.

VII. Never sign a note without first reading it

carefully.



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11. Instructions contained in the11. Instructions contained in the

Secretariat Instructions regardingSecretariat Instructions regarding

recording of notes on files.recording of notes on files.

I. As a rule, not more than two officers

(excluding the Secretary) shall note

upon a case before its final disposal,

except where more than one Sections

may have to be consulted.



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II. When the higher officer agrees with the

note or the recommendation, he maymerely append his signature.

III. In cases which can be disposed of

directly by an officer, no elaborate noteneed to be recorded.

IV. Where only a perusal of PUC is

sufficient to enable a higher officer totake a decision, there shall be no notingbeyond a brief suggestion for action.



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No.2030/DS(IA-III)/2010

Prime Ministers Secretariat (Public)

October , 2011

Additional Secretary

Phone 92000000. Subject: -------------------------------------------

Dear

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With warm regards,

Yours sincerely,

---------------------,

Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sindh, Government of Sindh,

Karachi.



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PRIME MINISTERS SECRETARIAT (PUBLIC)

ISLAMABAD

Subject: ------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(--------------------)

Joint Secretary

Capital Administration and Development Division

(Mr. Junaid Iqbal Chaudhry, Secretary), Islamabad. PMs Sectt. u.o. Note No. 1(1)Estab/2012, dated 16-10-12.



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SENTENCES FOR SUBMISSIONSENTENCES FOR SUBMISSION

OF FILESOF FILES

Submitted for consideration/ perusal/

order/ signature/ concurrence please

Submitted for advice/ instructions/modification please

Submitted as desired please

The file is submitted as verbally directed

by the principle



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Draft for approval please

Retyped draft

Draft tender is submitted please

Draft showcause notice is submitted

please

Ordered or solicited

Brief reasons for delay are submitted

please



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First sentence of official letterFirst sentence of official letter

I am directed to say/ state/ forward/

request/ refer/ enclose/ inform/ submit

I have the honour to say/ submit/ in form/enclose/ request/ forward

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt

of your letter

I have the honour to invite your attention



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