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Office Procedures

1. Introduction

‘Office Procedure’ consists of two words. The word ‘Office’ is the place where jobs
are performed and the word ‘Procedure’ means the specific way of performing task. In any
enterprises, office activities are performed by a large number of persons having different
posts and responsibilities. The activities of such persons must be systematically organized.
The opinions and suggestions of all the staff should also be taken into consideration in
decision making process. All these things should be done through certain ways and
techniques. In this sense, all the persons working in an organization should participate
in decision making process through certain formal and legal ways and such ways and
techniques are called office procedures. The decisions are taken by the executives and
activities are done by the subordinate officers and assistants. Thus, for making effective
and democratic decisions in an organization, the executives should collect the opinions
and suggestions of the subordinates through certain ways and techniques and such ways
and techniques are known as office procedures.
According to Zone K. Quible, “Office procedure is that way and techniques of collecting the
opinions, views, suggestions and ideas of the staff for the effective decision making.”
According to Carl Heyel, “A procedure is a series of logical steps by which all repetitive business
action is initiated, performed, controlled and finished.”
Thus, office procedures may be defined as the ways and techniques of collecting ideas,
views, experiences, opinions and suggestions from the subordinate staff i.e. officers and
assistants for making effective decisions. By following the various office procedures, the
executive can take decisions according to time and situation and under the prescribed
legal provisions. All the necessary inquiries related with the problems, situations or cases
are made by the lower level staff and they suggest the executives accordingly. It is the best
way for the management to get things done through others with the distribution of right
job to right persons and the appropriate allocation of physical resources. In government
offices of Nepal, “Civil Service Codes and Rules” is the rule for office procedures but
in non-governmental offices, it is as per their own code of practice. Memo, resolution,
report, etc. are some of the important types of office procedures in the Nepalese offices.
They are:

Office Procedure

Tippani Report Resolution

To perform the office procedures, the following points should be considered.

i. Work should be done simply and easily.
ii. Work should be done efficiently.
iii. Work should be done effectively.

8 Aakar’s Office Practice and Accountancy - 10 Office Procedures 9