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Noting Drafting Knowledge
Noting Drafting Knowledge: Power of Effective Noting and Drafting
Noting drafting knowledge is a key component of everyday working of a Government Office. This means that an employee without the appropriate noting drafting knowledge is virtually useless to the government.
This is why if you’ve just entered the Government sector, you need to make sure that you have the right noting drafting knowledge which includes everything from knowing what is noting and drafting to the right way of doing it?
A lot of new government servants aren’t really sure why they should bother to acquire noting drafting knowledge. Some even think that they don’t need to invest time into acquiring noting drafting knowledge because they expect to learn on the job.
However, for most of them, that changes when they learn of the importance of noting and drafting. If you also think that getting noting drafting knowledge will be a waste of you time, the following information may change your mind.
Link between the Initiator of the Note and Higher Competent Authority
A note is usually initiated by an assistant who is also called the dealing hand of a particular case primarily because he is expected to have the most noting drafting knowledge or skills. The assistant is given the responsibility for compiling and studying the case file.
Once the assistant has studied the file, he or she makes a note which contains all the important facts about the case. This is done so that everyone in the hierarchical system is well informed about the case and can take the most effective decision after comprehensive examination.
As the noting on a particular issue travels up the hierarchical chain, every officer records his/her comments and queries up until the final disposal of the case.
Noting and drafting is critical as it assists in the decision making process carried out by the appointed officers (also called competent authorities).
Looked at from this angle, your and others’ noting drafting knowledge provides a tangible and reliable link between every officer in the entire hierarchy up to the level of the competent authority.
If you are just beginning your career in the Government sector, you should consider acquiring more noting drafting knowledge as it is way for you to put forth your view (relevant to the issue) in front of the competent authority. Scared? Don’t be…we’ll show you just how to do it.
Link between Present and Future Officials
Let me ask you a question.
What did you do, when you were handed a file and asked to put up your first noting? Did you know what is noting drafting then? My guess is that you opened up the file and read the previous notes to find out what has been going on in that particular case. Right?
But what if the noting that was done earlier was not done very efficiently or with due diligence? This kind of a situation will only frustrate you.
Officials may come and go, but the Government system, does, must, and will always keep moving forward.
However, what happens when a new officer takes charge?
How can he come to understand the workings of his new seat?
How will he become aware of the details involved in various cases that require action?
Every time an official is replaced by a new one, a crucial link in the chain is broken. Noting drafting knowledge helps establish a system that can absorb such changes without the work getting affected.
Your role here may not seem much on the surface but what you create now will go on to help future employees, the government, and the public in general.
Comprehensive noting drafting knowledge can ensure that there are no lags in the information on that case. This is true even if the people handling the case are replaced as they so often are.
If noting is done properly, anybody can pick up the work from where it was left off. Noting can do this because it contains all the relevant information on a subject that a new officer will ever need for the disposal of the case.
Another very important function noting has is that it sets precedence. This means that they show future officials what action should ideally be taken on a particular matter and the justifications for that action.
In this manner, noting sets precedence and ensures continuity of work in an office. Simply speaking, it forms a link between present officials and officials who may take charge in the future.
Link between Government and Citizens
Transparency between citizens and the Government about internal workings of the public office is paramount and not to be taken lightly. The Right To Information (RTI) Act was a result of this thinking. Any citizen can, by law, request for file notings and other documents by simply submitting an RTI application to the CPIO.
Thus, the importance of noting drafting knowledge was enhanced with the passing of the RTI Act. Since, noting shows the steps that were involved in the decision making process, the need for effective noting became even more pressing.
In the age of RTI, noting not only tells citizens how a matter was dealt with but also states on whose approval or orders the action was taken. Furthermore, it reveals reasons and justifications behind the action in question.
Effective noting not only informs the citizen but also holds the power to safeguard any well-meaning Government official from unnecessary litigation.
The Power of Effective Noting Drafting Knowledge
Even though noting is a routine function of the Government system, it is one of the most crucial. Moreover, noting drafting knowledge may seem like a very dry subject but somebody who understands its importance can never ignore it again.
Thorough and sound drafting knowledge is a crucial part of effective decision making process and hence good governance.
It is the opinion of the lower officials in front of the higher ups.
It is a gift for those who will be in charge in future.
It is the tool to make the Government system accountable and transparent to the ordinary citizen.
It will be a major part of your life for the foreseeable future! So, make it a point to learn more about it!
With your noting drafting knowledge, you’re actually helping the country be better!