5.1 General correspondence

The Administration unit should assist with the proper handling and management of correspondence with the CO, including mail and filing. Improper and inefficient handling of communications can lead to incomplete records of operational and programming activities, policies and procedures, and donor and government regulations.

All incoming mail should be routed through one designated person, preferably the General Administrative Assistant. This person is expected to:

• date stamp all official correspondence
• maintain a log sheet for tracking incoming mail (see Annex 18.25 for sample)
• photocopy all official correspondence for the master file
• ensure distribution of mail to the appropriate persons
• categorise all communication master files to ensure quick of retrieval of documents.

All outgoing mail should be routed through the General Administrative Assistant who will:

• maintain a log sheet for tracking outgoing mail (see Annex 18.26 for sample)
• place a copy of all outgoing mail in the respective master file.

The majority of correspondence will be by email. While it may not be practical to monitor email messages, some amount of control can be established with the help of the IT Administrator. This is essential for emergency-specific communication from CARE International Members, donors, government agencies, etc. A copy of all critical email communications received that require filing can be directed to centralised electronic folders by each recipient. The General Administrative Assistant will:

• access the centralised electronic folders on a daily basis and make and file a hard copy of incoming and outgoing messages
• maintain separate master files for incoming and outgoing emails.