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NASA Procedures and Guidelines |
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This Document is Obsolete and Is No Longer Used.
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| | TOC | ChangeHistory | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4 | Chapter5 | Chapter6 | Chapter7 | Chapter8 | AppendixA | AppendixB | AppendixC | AppendixD | AppendixE | AppendixF | AppendixG | AppendixH | ALL | | |||||
1. Before preparing memos or letters for officials in the Office of the Administrator, study the figures in this appendix. Prepare correspondence for signature of the officials in the Office of the Administrator in a clear, direct, and concise style and confine to one page whenever possible. If additional information is essential, develop it in an enclosure.
a. Letters. Prepare letters in the modified semiblock style, indenting paragraphs five spaces (see Appendix A, Figure A-1). Do not right-justify margins.
b. Memos. Prepare memos in block style, following the general guidelines outlined in Chapter 4: Memorandums (see Figure A-2 of this appendix). Do not right-justify margins.
c. Approval Memos. When requesting approval of officials in the Office of the Administrator, prepare a memo for the official's signature containing the proposed response. See Appendix A, Figure A-3.
d. White House and Congressional Correspondence. See Appendix B, White House and Congressional Correspondence.
2. Stationery. Use Office of the Administrator's letterhead for preparing letters and memos for the signature of officials in the Office of the Administrator. Administrator's letterhead is available from the OCIC or from the GSFC Supply Center through designated code-specific authorizing officials (usually the lead secretary of the code).
3. Type. Use any font for the Administrator's correspondence that is easy to read. Suggested fonts are courier, times new roman, or arial, ranging in sizes from 10 to 12.
4. Reply to Attn of: The Administrator's letterhead does not contain a "Reply to Attn of:" line. Do not show the originating office's code and mail stop on either original memos or letters.
5. Date. Do not date the letter or memo. Correspondence is date stamped in either the Administrator's office or OCIC.
6. Salutation. Appendix E lists models of addresses, including proper salutations. For addresses not listed, or if in doubt as to proper salutation or complimentary close, contact the OCIC.
7. Complimentary Close/Signature Block on Letters. Type the complimentary close and signature block on letters five spaces to the right of the center. See 17. Signature Blocks of this Appendix and also Figure A-1, page A-6, of this Appendix. These examples indicate the proper complimentary close and signature blocks for officials in the Office of the Administrator.
8. Copies.
a. The OCIC requires three file copies:
Yellow official file copy-Showing concurring initials: (NASA Form 1267) OCIC official file copy.
White file copy-OCIC file copy (plain bond).
White file copy (letterhead copy)-Stamped and returned to Action Office as its official file copy; action office uses this copy to reproduce and distribute cc's and bcc's.
b. Original. The OCIC will dispatch the original. Absence of an envelope indicates that the original will be mailed by the Action Office. For addressees outside NASA Headquarters, the Action Office is to include properly addressed envelopes (see paragraph 13.c. of this appendix).
9. Distribution of Copies. Keep reproduction and distribution of information copies to the minimum required.
a. Courtesy Copies (cc). Type cc's on the original only when it is necessary for the recipient of the letter to know who received copies. After signature, the OCIC will return a photocopied original to the action office for distribution to cc's, or if no cc's are required, this photocopy will serve as a record of the signature for the Action Office.
b. Blind Courtesy Copies (bcc). Type bcc's on file copies only. The bcc's include all concurring officials and individuals who received a copy of the incoming document. After obtaining signature, the OCIC will return a file copy to the preparing office for reproduction and internal NASA distribution.
10. Administrator's Control Number and Suspense Date. Show the Administrator's control number and suspense date on all file and internal information copies (bcc's). Do not include any of this identifying information on cc's or copies going outside NASA.
11. Identification of Office, Writer, and Typist.
Example:
BPM/RFJones:pld:12/12/92:4831
If rewritten or retyped:
BPM/RFJones:pld:12/12/92:4831
Rewritten:BFB/JLSmith:ofb:1/4/93:3675
Retyped:BFB/ofb:1/5/93:3675
12. Action Document Summary (ADS).
a. NHQ Form 117, Action Document Summary, summarizes important aspects of the letter or memo submitted for signature. Detailed instructions for preparing the ADS are shown in Figure A-4. The original ADS will be retained by the OCIC, and a copy will be returned to the originator.
b. ADS guidelines:
1. Type legibly (neat corrections are acceptable).
2. Type on the original form or on a reproduced copy.
3. Limit to one page. If it is necessary to use two pages, use plain bond for the second page.
4. Write in active voice.
13. Assembly for Signature.
a. When the letter is ready for final review and signature, assemble it as outlined below.
b. The following mandatory supplies should be in good condition:
1. One lavender folder (to be used only for signature packages for the Office of the Administrator).
2. ADS, NHQ Form 117.
3. Signature and Incoming Tab, NASA Form 422.
4. Concurrence and Background Tab, NASA Form 423.
5. Enclosure(s) Tab, Form 1658.
6. Executive Correspondence Cover.
7. Four binder clips.
For instructions to assemble signature packages containing directives, Click Here
c. Preaddressed envelopes (appropriate size) are included in the package to mail the original to addressees outside NASA. Address envelopes properly with office code of signer indicated in the top left corner (e.g., Codes A, AE, AI).
d. If the letter has enclosures, attach an extra set to the official file copy.
14. Routing. The Action Office is responsible for hand-carrying Administrator's signature packages between all offices for concurrences and, ultimately, to the OCIC. The package should not remain in any one office for more than 24 hours and should reach the OCIC prior to the suspense date.
15. Control of Office of the Administrator's Correspondence. The OCIC screens, controls, assigns, and distributes all correspondence addressed to or signed by officials in the Office of the Administrator. Each Headquarters Office has the following responsibilities:
a. Establishing and maintaining a control system for flow of the Office of the Administrator correspondence.
b. Reviewing incoming documents to ensure that action has been assigned to the appropriate person or office.
c. Ensuring that response deadlines are appropriate and are met.
d. Reviewing the signature package to ensure that all the guidelines of this Appendix have been met.
e. Hand-carrying documents to the OCIC for signature and dispatch.
16. Coordination of Assigned Actions.
a. Reassigning Action. If an action has been incorrectly assigned, contact the Code-specific analyst immediately to determine proper action reassignment. The action transfer can then be coordinated by the respective CCL's.
b. Extending or Canceling Suspense Requirements. Immediately upon receipt, review the action document to determine if the suspense date can be met. If an extension is required, telephone the OCIC or state the reasons for the extension on a routing slip (NASA Form 26) and forward to the OCIC for concurrence.
c. Interim Reply. Whenever a delay in responding to an incoming letter is anticipated, prepare an interim reply from the appropriate official, acknowledging receipt of the incoming letter and stating when a final reply can be expected. A new suspense date should be established. A copy of the interim reply must be furnished to the OCIC prior to the expiration of the original suspense date.
d. Telephone Reply. When a reply to a letter is handled by a telephone conversation, forward a routing slip (NASA Form 26) or e-mail your analyst stating the following: "Handled by telephone conversation between (NASA official) and (addressee) on (date)," then give a brief summary of the telephone conversation.
e. Change in Designation of Signing Official.
1. If a reply may be signed by an official outside the Administrator's office (e.g., head of a Headquarters office), request a change of signature level in writing or by telephone from the OCIC.
2. When a reply is sent from a Headquarters office, send a "bcc" with the Administrator's identifying control number to the OCIC. The Action Office prepares and sends all required copies.
The following examples show the placement of signature blocks for some of the Officials in the Office of the Administrator.
Always consult the Correspondence Management Web site on the HQ Home Page at http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codec/codeci/mailcor/cormgt.html to see the most current listings of NASA officials and the latest edition of the HQ Directory to ascertain full names and titles before preparing correspondence and distribution lists.
| Principal | Complimentary Close/Signature Block
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| Administrator | Sincerely,
(insert current incumbent's name)
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| Deputy Administrator | Sincerely,
(insert current incumbent's name)
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| Assistant Deputy
Administrator |
Sincerely,
(insert current incumbent's name)
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| Chief Engineer | Sincerely,
(insert current incumbent's name)
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| Executive Officer
(to the Administrator) |
Sincerely,
(insert current incumbent's name)
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| Executive Officer
(to the Assistant Deputy Administrator) |
Sincerely,
(insert current incumbent's name)
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Examples of Placement of Signature Blocks
| TOC | ChangeHistory | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4 | Chapter5 | Chapter6 | Chapter7 | Chapter8 | AppendixA | AppendixB | AppendixC | AppendixD | AppendixE | AppendixF | AppendixG | AppendixH | ALL | |
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