Correspondence Register - Inbound | Outbound

Trust Board members use a Correspondence Register to be informed on Governance related inbound and outbound correspondence received and sent.

For Inbound there are three action categories - Review, Decision/Action, Agenda Item for Trustees to peruse.

For our Trust, both Inbound and Outbound have 5 category types to select from, to which the correspondence relates to. In our case 4 of the categories align with elements within the Trust's Strategic Plan and the fifth is a general.

When Governance correspondence is received, whether hard or soft, it is currently reported in a Word table. Columns are headed No., FROM, CONCERNING, DATE REC'D. The correspondence having been saved as a file, is then linked, and allocated to the relevant category type and the appropriate action type applied.

Board Members are then able to open and read at their leisure and can return at any point in time should they wish to further peruse.

Outbound column headings are No., AUTHOR, CONCERNING, DATE SENT.

Board members see responses to Governance correspondence/issues without all having to receive or look for emails. This practice provides greater traceability.

I feel this concept would work well under Documents tab and if a Period Date Filter was added for correspondence, then the selected period could be inserted into the agenda like how the Interest Register is added.

Should you decide to implement this practice then the thing I would change/add would be:

1. for each filtered period retain a sequential number in the agenda commencing from 1.

2. In the Correspondence register record the Meeting Date that was accounted for.

3. When entering correspondence, the administrator should be able to set and name as many categories as needed.

4. The administrator should be able to set and name action category types.

5. When entering correspondence, the administrator should be able to apply and action category type.

6. Utilise the current upload process for attaching files.

7. A PDF Report download should have a period selection filter.

I hope all the above is helpful and can be implemented as I feel it would be a real plus to an already excellent program and tool. Happy for you to contact me further on this.

Regards

Hattie Riwaka