The purpose of an agenda is to let participants in a meeting know what business is going to be discussed and in what order. It often indicates who will be at the meeting and shows which items require action. Usually it's important for the agenda to be distributed ahead of time. An agenda also stands as an official record for an organization and any discussion of an item can be challenged if it was not included on the agenda. Thus it's important that the agenda be complete and specific. If you write the agenda for a meeting, confer with the person running the meeting to be sure you include the important items and in the right order. You may be asked also to include a suggested time limit for discussing each item.


Some Suggestions :


• In the heading, include the official name of the organization and the day, date and time of the meeting. It is better to use the official Letter-Pad.


• Set forth the order of business, starting with the call to order, approval of the agenda and approval of minutes from the previous meeting.


• Number the items.


• List any committee reports next, followed by items for discussion. This order is flexible, however, depending on participants' schedules and needs.


• Conclude with a call for follow-up on old business and any new business and finish with adjournment.


• Put items in the list in parallel form.


• Indent subtopics.


• Leave space between items.


• Keep the format readable.