CHAPTER 6 DIRECTIVES ISSUANCE SYSTEM The   Department   of   the   Navy   Directives Issuance   System, SECNAVINST   5215.1, provides  the  method  of  issuing  directives  for all   activities   in   the   Navy. According   to SECNAVINST   5215.1,   a   directive   prescribes or  establishes  policy,  organization,  conduct, methods,  or  procedures;  requires  action  or  sets forth   information   essential   to   the   effective administration  or  operation  of  activities concerned;   or contains authority   or information  that  must  be  issued  formally. This  chapter  gives  you  information  about the  directives  issuance  system.  You  will  be dealing  with  the  directives  issuance  system  on a  daily  basis  in  your  work.  Become  familiar with  it;  it  will  pay  handsome  rewards. DIRECTIVES   ISSUANCE   TERMS The  following  terms  and  their  definitions will  help  you  understand  the  material  in  this chapter: DIRECTIVE.   An   instruction,   notice,   or change transmittal. It prescribes or establishes policy,    organization,    conduct,   methods,   or procedures;   requires   action   or   sets   forth information essential to   the   effective administration  or  operation  of  activities;  or contains authority or information that must be passed  formally.  The  types  of  directives  used in   the   Directives   Issuance   System   are instructions,  notices,  and  change  transmittals. INSTRUCTION.  A  directive  containing authority   or   information   having   continuing reference  value  or  requiring  continuing  action. It   remains   in   effect   until   superseded   or otherwise  cancelled  by  the  originator  or  higher authority. NOTICE.   A   directive,   effective   for   one time  only  or  for  a  brief  period,  that  has  the same   force   and   effect   as   an   instruction. Usually,  it  will  remain  in  effect  for  less  than 6  months,  but  is  not  permitted  to  remain  in effect     for     longer     than     1     year. Any requirement  for  continuing  action  contained  in a  notice,  such  as  the  submission  of  a  report, use   of   a   form,   or   following   a   specified procedure,  is  considered  to  be  cancelled  when the  notice  is  cancelled,  unless  the  requirement is incorporated into another suitable document. A  notice  has  a  self-cancelling  provision.  The cancellation  date  is  always  stated.  When  the exact  length  of  time  a  notice  is  to  remain  in effect  cannot  be  determined  at  the  time  of issuance,  the  specific  date  for  record  purposes is  set  far  enough  in  the  future  to  allow  all necessary   use   of   the   notice. Cancellation determinations  are  indicated  at  the  top  right corner   (Cane   frp:)   or   as   the   last   paragraph preceded   by   the   words  C a n c e l l a t i o n Contingency. CHANGE   TRANSMITTAL.   The   medium used  to  transmit  changes  to  an  instruction  or, under   extenuating   circumstances,   a   notice. Each  transmittal  describes  the  nature  of  the changes  it  transmits  and  gives  directions  for making  them. CHECKLIST. A   numerical   list   of effective    instructions. This  list  is  used  to verify   the   completeness   and   accuracy   of   a master  set  of  instructions. CROSS-REFERENCE   SHEET.   A   sheet distributed  with  a  directive,  and  filed  in  the directives binder, to assist users in locating the directive  when  filed  separately. DISTRIBUTION   LIST.   A   list   of   action and  information  addressees  of  a  directive. ISSUING    AUTHORITY. The   chief official of an activity, command,   or 6-1