Types of Communication
(1) Letter: This is used
for correspondence generally.
(2) Office Memorandum: This is generally used for correspondence with other Divisions
or in calling for information from or conveying information to employees. This
is also used in communicating instructions/decisions in certain cases. It is
written in the third person and bears no salutation except the name and
designation of the officer signing it.
(3) Demi-Official letter: It is also called DO letter or DO. (It is not Dummy
Official letter)
(a)
This is generally used in correspondence between Officers to supplement or
explain matter which has been referred officially or is proposed to be referred
officially.
Demi-official
correspondence may also be used not merely to supplement, but in place of
official
correspondence,
in cases of extreme secrecy, where it is considered necessary to run no risk
and in certain classes of personal questions, and occasionally in cases of
urgency or importance for inviting the personal attention of the Officer
concerned;
(b) It
is to be written in the first person in a personal and friendly tone and it
should be addressed by an officer who is ordinarily not more than one or two
levels below the Officer to whom such communication is addressed. Such letters
should not be more than a page or two in 1.5 space.
(c)
When instructions, which should be on record have been given in the first
instance demi-officially, they should be supplemented by an official letter.
Similarly, when a demi-official letter has been used instead of an official
letter because of urgency, a supplementary official communication should be
sent if the information is ought to be an official record. This procedure must
invariably be complied with;
(d)
Demi-official correspondence should not be quoted in official communications or
be noticed officially in any way;
(4) Inter-departmental note: This is generally used for obtaining advice, views, concurrence
or
comments
of other Divisions/Sections or Departments on a proposal or in seeking
clarification of the existing rules, instructions, etc. This form can be used
in either of the following ways:-
(a) by
sending the file itself with a note recorded thereon; or (b) by sending a
self-contained note or memorandum.
(5) Memorandum: This is used
for conveying information, calling for explanation, etc. not amounting to an
order to subordinate authorities. This system is particularly applicable to
urgent cases.
(6) Office order: This
is normally used for issuing instructions meant for internal administration,
e.g., grant of regular leave, distribution of work among officers and sections,
holidays and other orders of general nature.
(7) Order: This is
generally used for issuing certain types of financial sanctions and for
communicating
Orders in disciplinary cases, etc., to the officials concerned.
(8) Notification: This
is mostly used in notifying the promulgation of statutory Rules and
Orders,
election of Members, vacation of seats, appointments and promotions etc., through
publication.
(9) Endorsement: (a) This is
made use of when a paper is returned in original to the sender or is
referred
to another department or subordinate office for information, remarks or
disposal, or where a copy of a communication is to be forwarded to others in
addition to the original addressee.
(b)
Copies of financial sanctions where required to be communicated to the audit
authorities are also sent by means of an endorsement.
(10) Telegram: This is used for communicating with out-station offices/parties
in matters of
urgency
demanding prompt attention, when fast airmail, speed post, telex and E-mail
services are not available.
(11) Express letters/savingram: This is used in communicating with out-station offices and
parties
in matters warranting urgent attention at the receiving end but not justifying
the expense of a telegram. It is worded exactly like a telegram but transmitted
through a post office instead of a telegraph office.
(12) Fax: This mode of
communication is used when copy of the signed ommunication is required to be
sent so urgently that it cannot await postal service. This facility is
available only for addresses who have fax facilities and it enables
transmission of the letter/communication like a photo-copy at the other end. It
is particularly useful in conveying drawings, diagrams, etc. or where an
individual’s writing or signatures need to be transmitted. It is also now
increasingly being used in order to reduce the typing work involved in telex/E-mail
but this should not be encouraged when Telex or E-Mail is possible as fax to
outstation locations uses STD lines and is a comparatively expensive mode of
communication.
(13) E-Mail: Email
facility uses computers and the users are linked through satellite.
Transmission is Instantaneous. It can be availed free of cost. E-mail of
routine communication is now-a-days encouraged as a replacement for written
communication.
(14) Telephone: (a) appropriate
use of telephone may be made for intra and inter-departmental consultation and
for communication of information between offices, and parties situated locally.
(b) In
matters of urgency, one may communicate with out-station offices/organisations
also over the telephone. Fixed line, Land line, mobile phones are varieties.
(c)
Some organisations use Radio Telephones (R/T).
(15) Press Communiqué/Note: This is used when it is proposed to give wide publicity to a
decision
or an event. It is more formal in character than a Press note
and is expected to be reproduced intact by the Press. A Press note, on the
other hand, is intended to serve as a handout to the Press, which may edit,
compress or enlarge it, as deemed fit.
(16) Circular: This is used
when important and urgent external communications received or
important
and urgent decisions taken internally have to be circulated within the organisation
for information and compliance by employees.
(17) Advertisement: This
is used for communicating with public in General.
(18) Notice: This is used
for communicating to Members regarding meetings of the Committees.
