CANDIDA T.

GACUTAN
State Auditor V

Technical Skills and Training Services

Professional Development Sector
COA

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 EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
 Bachelor of Science in Education
- Major in English
- Masters in Management, PCU
- SEDP Graduate

 Work Experience
- 10 years classroom teaching
- 29 years in COA
- 39 years in government service

 Skills
- Written communication
- Feature writer/contributor (magazine for women published in Sweden)
- Oral communication
Presentation Skill
- Office Administration work
- Coordination/Training Programs

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 Session 1: THE WRITING
ENVIRONMENT
 Learning Objective:
At the end of the session, the
participants should be able to –

Become aware of the writing culture

of the organization

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 The Writing Environment

Overview of the Session

 Organization

 Vision/Mission
 Laws/rules
 External/internal policies
 Other external/internal influences

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Organizational writing
culture
 Influenced by:
 Mandate
 Structure

 Tall/flat
 Hierarchical
 Highly structured

Others:
Environmental/geographical factors
Political influences

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 Examples of
organizational writing
 Executive/judiciary, etc. branches
 Format, language, tone and style in
writing is greatly influenced by the
structure

 Words usage: legalese terms

 Approach: “exactness” of words used
 Tone: formal, distant, detached

Media/entertainment/advertisement, etc.

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 Examples of organizational
writing
 Memoranda
 For the Secretary from the Internal
Auditor thru the OIC-Director of the
concerned Office

Observations:
1. Structure becomes “mid-tall”- the
highest official of the organization
receives information “direct” from the
(original) writer.

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 . . . Your organizational
writing
 Format: varies, depends on the style of the
sender
FROM : Hon. RUDY CAMARO PLA-PLA
Secretary
Attention : Jean Celebes
OIC-Director, IYAS
FROM : Bianca Senaking
Internal Affairs Auditor
DATE :
SUBJECT :

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 . . . Your organization
writing style
 Choice of words- easy to understand by the reading
public

 “ We have audited. . .
 “ We conducted our audit in accordance with. . .
 “ As presented in Comment and Observation
No. 1 . . .
- “ As stated in Comment and Observation No.2 . .
- “ In Comment and Observation No. 3, we noted .
- “ In our opinion . . .

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 Your organizational
writing style
 Use of numerical – enumeration
facilitates reading
 1. Overstatement of Cash in Bank
Account by at least . . .
 1.1.
 1.2.
 1.3

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Aim to simplify
presentation
 A.
 B. Supplementary Findings &
Recommendations
B. 1.
B. 1.11.
i
ii
iii

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Writers follow their own
writing style
 The over used of words like
“only”, “already”, for emphasis
 The use of different fonts may
attract and/or distract reader’s
attention
 The use of bold prints to
emphasize key points
 The use of italics to present
recommendation
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 Continuation of your
writing style
 The overused “wh”-clauses
 which can generate instant results
 whom we interviewed and found
out to be . .
 who is presently processing
another request
 Wherein upon inspection revealed
that . . .

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 Continuation of your
writing style
 Negative/declarative statements
 “. . .claimed cash & car promo tickets

were mingled with the lotto cash

sales. . .”
 “ the shortage was caused by unofficial

withdrawal of travel allowance by Mr.

Piolo Pascual from the Fund when he
travelled on official business. . .”
 “ all internal audit functions are assumed

and dischargeed by only one staff.

Hence, the delay in the processing of
transactions. . . “
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 However. . .
 Is there a prescribed format as to: font
style, marginal “alignment”?
 Is there a prescribed format as to:
presentation of findings - go ahead in
numerical, sequential, etc. then after all
findings have been written, only then
the corresponding recommendations
are likewise given? (not so reader
friendly)

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 Letters
 Memoranda
 Circulars
 Decisions
 Endorsements
 Resolutions
 Office Orders
 Reports

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Inter-active group
discussion
 Intructions:

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