CHAPTER 1
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE MANAGEMENT
There are many senior JO assignments in the Navy
in which you may be called upon to manage your own
shop. A JO1 at a small shore installation, for example,
may be the managerial backbone of a collateral duty
public affairs officer (PAO) who can devote only a
fraction of his time to public affairs. The same JO1 may
perform in an independent duty billet where he will be
expected to perform the duties and assume the
responsibilities of a PAO. Practically every senior JO is
called, at one time or another, to take charge of the office
when the PAO is absent.
As a JO1 or JOC, you must be ready to step in and
effectively manage a public affairs office, either as the
lone administrator or as the PAO’s assistant.
Managing a public affairs office entails several
things, such as administration and file maintenance, per-
sonnel training, and even developing standard
procedures for telephone etiquette and taking mess-
ages. It is a subject so broad that this manual cannot
adequately cover it all in one or two chapters. However,
the following pages provide the basic tools and
knowledge for you to grow as a public affairs office
manager and leader.
MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Learning Objective: Recognize the administrative tools
of managing a public affairs office.
Whether you serve in an independent duty billet or
work for a full-time 1650 PAO, the following three
essentials are necessary for you to set up a successful
public affairs office:
. The authority to do the job
. The support of the officer in command and his
staff
. The resources to do the job
AUTHORITY
Your primary authority for doing the job is Depart-
ment of the Navy Public Affairs Policy and Regulations,
SECNAVINST 5720.44A. (This publication will subse-
quently be referred to by its short title, PA Regs.)
PA Regs has been issued as an instruction from the
Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) who, by law and
regulation, is responsible for relationships with the
Navy’s publics. It not only provides policy guidance, but
also outlines regulations and recommends general
practices and procedures for the conduct of a public
affairs program. It contains much of the authority you
need to perform your job, and in addition, it provides a
wealth of information and practical guidance.
Furthermore, there are usually instructions issued
by area, fleet or force commanders which implementor
supplement the basic provisions in PA Regs.
RESOURCES
As the office manager or administrative assistant to
the PAO, you will be responsible for managing
resources-manpower, funds, supplies and equipment–
that are budgeted for public affairs.
Although your authority to do the job originates
from outside the command and is delegated to the officer
in command, the means for you to do the job must come
from within. Individual commands must use their own
funds for supplies, equipment and the
personnel engaged in public affairs work.
STAFF ORGANIZATION
payrolls of
Learning Objective: Identify the organization of a Navy
staff and its functions.
A large percentage of public affairs assignments for
senior JOs is with major staffs. You should become
familiar with basic staff organizational procedures and
the duties of key staff officers and divisions. You must
know how the PAO and his staff fit into a command
organization.
The modern staff organization is the evolution of
centuries of experience of military commanders.
Activities are divided into functional areas. Responsi-
bilities and relationships are refined so that most
military staff organizations today conform to a similar
pattern.
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