Business Services Training Unit of Competency Organise Meetings BSBADM405B Unit Descriptor This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to organise meetings including making arrangements, liaising with participants, and developing and distributing meetings-related documentation. No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement. Employability Skills The required outcomes described in this unit of competency contain applicable facets of Employability Skills. The Employability Skills Summary for the qualification in which this unit of competency is packaged, will assist in identifying Employability Skills requirements. Pre-requisite Units Nil Application of the Unit This unit applies to individuals employed in a range of work environments who organise a variety of meetings. They may provide administrative support within an enterprise, or have responsibility for these tasks in the context of a particular team, workgroup or project. Unit Sector Administration General Administration
Organise Meetings This book supports and BSBADM405B, Organise Meetings in the Business Services Training Package. Copyright Beverley Weynton, 2002 and 2008 This revised edition published October 2008 Author: Beverley Weynton ISBN: 1-74123-739-4 Disclaimer All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, scanning, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, Software Publications Pty Ltd. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and the authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. These learning materials have been prepared for use as part of a structured vocational education and training course and should only be used within that context. The information contained herein was correct at the time of preparation. Legislation and case law is subject to change and readers need to inform themselves of the current law at the time of reading. Publishers Software Publications Pty Ltd (ABN 75 078 026 150) Head office Sydney Unit 10, 171 Gibbes Street Chatswood NSW 2067 Phone: (02) 9882 1000 Fax (02) 9882 1800 Branches Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth Australia Toll Free Numbers Phone: 1 800 146 542 Fax: 1 800 146 539 Web address www.softwarepublications.com.au Published and printed in Australia
Check documentation for accuracy and correct any errors Prepare documentation for meetings 2.2 Check documentation for accuracy and correct any errors Before the sets of documents which have been prepared for the next meeting are dispatched to attendees, each component must be checked carefully to ensure that there are no errors, either of fact or typographical. This may entail proofreading each document and checking it against the master copy or original version to ensure accuracy. The checking should also include making sure that nothing has been omitted or translated incorrectly. If any errors are found, then they must be corrected accordingly. After the corrected sets of documents have been collated and before they are clipped together, each set should be checked in case one or more documents have been inadvertently omitted or placed out of order when the collation was done. It is usual practice in some companies, particularly larger corporations, to attach an itemised list at the front of the sets of the papers so that, should a document be missing from the set, the recipient can easily identify the missing one and take steps to obtain a copy. A component is a part or element of a whole; a constituent. To collate means to gather together and put in order. Inadvertently means as an oversight ; unintentionally. A recipient is a person who receives something. Page 48 BSBADM405B Organise Meetings
Prepare documentation for meetings Distribute documentation to participants within designated time lines 2.3 Distribute documentation to participants within designated time lines The purpose of dispatching the documentation to participants well in advance of the date of a formal meeting is to enable them to record the date in their diaries and to read the various reports, notices of motion and other matters that are to be raised. With a large company, this could comprise a considerable quantity of reading matter. The meeting papers would normally be sent by post or courier, although in the case of participants who are employees of the company the documents might be sent through the internal mail system or even hand-delivered to their offices. Despatching within designated timelines As discussed earlier under Prepare notice of meeting, agenda and meeting papers, page 40, the notice of meeting must be dispatched 14 days before a formal meeting such as a board meeting, shareholders meeting or annual general meeting. The notice of meeting is usually accompanied by the other documents prepared for consideration, such as the minutes of the previous meeting and any reports. With less formal meetings, a week or 10 days notice is the usual advance notice required, although each company will have its own procedures and timelines for dealing with these matters. In the case of informal but regular monthly or weekly meetings, the notice of meeting would be sent as a reminder memo or note to participants a few days in advance of the date. Usually there would be no accompanying meeting papers. 2.4 Prepare spare sets of documents When collating the sets of reports, minutes of the previous meeting and other meeting papers, it is usual practice to prepare several sets more than the number required to be sent out to the regular participants and for filing purposes. These extra copies are made available at the meeting itself so that any visitors may be provided with a set so they can more easily follow the proceedings, and any participants who have neglected to bring their own papers can be given a fresh set to work with. BSBADM405B Organise Meetings Page 49
Prepare spare sets of documents Prepare documentation for meetings Exercise 8 1. What is another word for component? 2. If you were given the task of checking the documents to be dispatched to attendees at the next board meeting, what kind of errors would you be looking for? Name four. 3. What is one word that means gathering together? 4. What is attached to the front of a set of meeting papers and why is this done? Give two reasons. 5. If you did something inadvertently, would you have done it deliberately? 6. Why is it important that individuals who will be attending a meeting receive notice of the meeting and related documentation well ahead of the date of the meeting? Give three reasons. Page 50 BSBADM405B Organise Meetings
Prepare documentation for meetings Prepare spare sets of documents 7. Name four methods of delivering the meeting papers to participants. 8. What are two types of an informal notice of meeting? 9. Why would you prepare several spare sets of the meeting papers? Give two reasons. BSBADM405B Organise Meetings Page 51