meshing of operations between commands or within a
command.
Staff coordination promotes cooperation, reduces
friction and decreases the number of differences
requiring command decisions. Your thorough
knowledge of all actions taken or proposed is essential
to assure unity of action. The correlation of all staff
activities depends, chiefly, upon the free interchange of
information among the divisions.
Make Recommendations and Decisions
A well-oriented staff takes much of the burden of
decision-making off the commander. Its members make
decisions where authority exists for the action, or where
the decision is in agreement with command policy.
Since responsibility for action cannot be delegated,
staff officers should realize they are not acting for them-
selves, but for the commander.
Decisions made by staff officers are generally of a
routine or technical nature. For example, although the
commander may make the decision as to the nature and
scope of the operational training program, the
operations officer generally makes all decisions
regarding such items as scheduling and phasing. At all
times, the staff officer should inform the commander of
any significant decisions made for him or in his name.
Normally, a commander delegates authority to his
PAO to make routine news releases. The PAO, within
the limits of authority delegated to him, makes routine
decisions daily, as he checks security aspects, edits
releases for propriety, accuracy, timing and policy and
considers the overall impact on the public.
When a news story contains information in a
sensitive or questionable area, a conscientious PAO
verifies the facts, prepares a statement and then seeks
the commander’s approval. With experience, you will
know when it is appropriate to prepare the statement.
Prepare and Transmit Directives
Decisions made by an individual staff officer, by
detailed coordination of the entire staff, or by the
commander on the spot, require implementation. On
smoothly operating staffs, implementation is made
possible through clear, concise directives. These
directives may take the form of operation orders, letters,
standard operating procedures (SOPs), notices,
instructions, regulations or any other means suitable to
the occasion.
Usually, a staff section prepares a directive, coordi-
nates it with other staff sections and submits it to the
commander for approval. The directive must state the
intentions of the commander and contain the
instructions needed to carry out the action. Then, if the
commander concurs with the recommendation, all he
needs to do is sign the directive, it can be published and
promulgated.
The PAO prepares the public affairs portion of an
operations order, an administrative instruction for the
operation of a headquarters on a continuing basis, a
special event or of an accident or disaster plan. The
objectives of the public affairs action to be taken and the
responsibilities for reporting and accomplishing the
mission are stated within the directive.
Public affairs directives are basic to the accom-
plishment of the public affairs mission, which is to
inform external and internal publics. A directive
establishes relationships and responsibilities within a
command so that the public affairs function of the
command reflects the commander’s desires and
leadership.
Maintain Control Through Supervision
Staff responsibilities go beyond the issuance of
directives. Staff members make sure directives are
understood and carried out according to the intentions
of the commander. They also recommend changes to
directives to improve efficiency when practice indicates
that an existing directive is inappropriate.
Control is a two-way process. In contacts with
subordinate units, staff officers determine whether the
standards, policies and procedures established in
directives are realistic and effective. They also verify
reports to determine whether the staff is getting
complete data and that only necessary information is
being reported. If better ways of accomplishing the
mission can be found, they are adopted.
STAFF RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
FLAGSHIP
The relationship between the staff and the flagship
is governed by Navy Regulations. Except for matters of
general discipline, which are subject to the internal
regulations and routine of the ship, staff officers have
no administrative connection with the flagship. Staff
enlisted personnel are assigned to the flagship for
administration and discipline. (At shore complexes,
where there is a concentration of several large staffs, a
1-4
