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Memorandum (also more commonly '''memo''') is a brief written record or Communication , used in an Office , whether business, Government , Education Institution or Legal Office . The plural form is either memoranda or memorandums. A memo has a specific format but may be specific to a single office, level of government, or other institution. Very specific memoranda in legal settings are Memorandum Of Understanding , Memorandum Of Agreement , Memorandum Of Association , Private Placement Memoranda , and Confidential Offering Memoranda .


FORMAT

A memorandum is written using a specific format, usually a format accepted by the office in which the memorandum is to be used. The usual structure for a memorandum includes some or all of the following:


MEMORANDUM


TO: The person receiving the memorandum


FROM: The person writing the memorandum


DATE: Usually a formal manner of writing the date, for example 20 April 2004


SUBJECT: A short title descriptive of the topic in discussion in the memorandum






Introduction: explaining why the memorandum has been written and what topic the memorandum will discuss.


Body: discussing the topic in detail--explaining what exactly and itemizing when possible.


Conclusion: explaining what will or should happen next, when the follow-up will occur and why the date is important.






Regardless of what a memorandum is about, each memo should be about a single idea, subject, or report . This is the accepted format of a memo so that when a memo is actioned the single sheet of paper, or in the electronic office a single email can be filed in the most appropriate location, and the action can be recorded on the memo in some way to indicate completion of that item. In addition, some offices restrict the size of a memo to just one page , although this is difficult to handle in an electronic office; in those settings memos are often restricted to 500 words or less .


BODY

Organization features of a memorandum tend to vary according to the context. For example, one of the ways to organize a legal memo would feature an organization as follows:


  • Heading

  • A summary of relevant facts

  • Succinct identification of legal issues

  • A discussion of law relevant to the legal issues, and application of that law to the facts

  • A conclusion that is responsive to the legal issues.



On the other hand, {Link without Title} Gerson and Gerson, Technical Writing: Process and Product, 5e, give some general advice in structuring memoranda. For Dobel et. al., there are three important steps every memo must display for good organization and embedding a strong argument: first, the subject must be introduced and any Terms that may not be clear should be Defined , second, The Argument needs to be laid out step-by-step so that the Reasoning can be followed, and third, connect the ideas and bring the text to a Conclusion .


LANGUAGE

There are a number of writers in Educational Settings who give Law Students , those entering the armed forces , students of journalism , advice on the type of language to be used in memoranda. In summary, the language in memoranda should be:

  • Directed to your Audience - memos are usually directed at Decision Makers and usually you write for an individual or a group to help them make a decision. To Influence decision makers you need to give considerable thought to who they are and what they understand and what powers they have to be able to take action relating to your memo.


  • Simple and direct - complex Sentence Structure and organization is a sure sign of confusion or a Hidden Agenda . A well-written memo will state your case in simple steps; even if you have a very complex Argument , or the subject is highly Technical and you are writing for Managers , you need to use the simplest words and state your case in simple sentences.


  • Word choice - often the simpler and more common words are going to get good action. Quasi -technical terms need to be Eliminated : so instead of using "facilitate" you could use "help" or "assist", and "indicate" could be simpler with "say" or "show".


  • Clearly assign action and responsibility — Bureaucrats are notorious for obscuring responsibility by using words like the Imperial "we" or passive voice: e.g. "We have always argued that rapid transit is the best long-run solution to urban transportation problems, given finite energy resource. In the short run, though, we are faced with the immediate problem of how to accommodate the city to the automobile." Notice how the first "we" communicates what the writer thinks, and the second "we" to implicate the reader in a point of view.


Most decision makers , who are the was written with little thought, poor direction to your reading audience and little to no Proof Reading .


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