| 1. |
To ensure that fax services at Head Office (Grand Central Towers and Golden Acre Building) and EMDCs run smoothly, fax machines have been allocated to the various components.
|
| 2. |
However, problems such as the following are still encountered at Head Office:
Fax numbers are engaged.
Faxes do not arrive at their destinations.
Enquiries that are directed per fax are not answered.
Fax facilities are not used for their intended purpose, namely the receiving and sending of urgent official correspondence.
Faxes are too long. This is time-consuming and causes that the telephone line to which the machine is connected, remains engaged for long periods of time. This leads to congestion, delays and unnecessary enquiries.
The information can be sent via ordinary post or priority mail which is more effective.
Most information can be sent via e-mail.
Fax facilities are used for private purposes.
Less urgent information which could have been delivered via the messenger services is faxed between the offices at Head Office.
No record is kept of incoming/outgoing faxes.
|
| 3. |
To ensure the effective and economical application of fax services, and to improve service delivery, the following measures are effective immediately:
|
| 3.1 |
|
Only faxes to a maximum of 5 pages may be sent henceforth. If a message exceeds this limit, it must be approved by an assistant director or an official with an equivalent or higher rank.
|
| 3.2 |
|
Officials must plan their work in such a way that faxes are sent only as an emergency measure.
|
| 3.3 |
|
In cases where legislation or policy requires the submission of original documents, it must be communicated as such by the applicable directorate to the client.
|
| 3.4 |
|
The general registry on the 6th Floor of Grand Central Towers is responsible for general fax facilities at Head Office and must be informed regarding movements and rotations in order to avoid unnecessary delays in the delivery of faxes. In the case of EMDCs this information must be provided to the chief registry clerk who is responsible for general fax facilities (particulars below).
|
| 3.5 |
|
The instructions on the attached approved form for fax messages (WCED-33) must be strictly adhered to, i.e. only black ink and block letters must be used. Only officials with a rank equivalent to or higher than senior officer may approve messages.
|
| 3.6 |
|
Receivers of fax messages must print their names below their signatures in a register.
|
| 3.7 |
|
Instead of faxes, the existing messenger service must be used to send urgent messages between the different directorates at Head Office.The departmental express service can also be used for this purpose.
|
| 3.8 |
|
The financial implications of fax messages must be considered before approval is granted for the dispatch thereof. (The unit cost of fax messages is calculated on the same basis as that of telephone calls.).
|
| 3.9 |
|
The attached pro forma register must be completed by the section responsible for the dispatch/receipt of faxes for record, control and enquiry purposes. This register must at all times be available for inspection by the audit and record management components.
|
| 3.10 |
|
All faxes received or sent must be recorded on the WCED Issue Management System (IMS) by the relevant directorate.
|
| 4. |
This circular replaces Logistical Services Minute 0023/2004 of 2 November 2004.
|
| 5. |
Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all concerned.
|
| 6. |
Any enquiries in the above regard may be directed to Ms M Fick 021 467 2758 or Ms F Manie 021 467 2756.
|
SIGNED: L.J. ELY
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2005:08:16
|