Can you advise on a good e:mail protocol for a small Parish Council

Question

There are several examples of e:mail protocols on the web, ranging from those where every communication goes through the clerk who then decides on distribution, to others where there is a communication network between councillors and the clerk, with each councillor contributing their individual knowledge and skills. What, in your opinion, is the most appropriate for a rural parish council with seven councillors and can you give examples?

Is it necessary to include the protocol in Standing Orders or is it best maintained as an informal process with some flexibility for individual councillors?

Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

Well, fortunately, you ask for an opinion - I've no idea what would be a correct answer!

Looking at a few email policies, they seem very much over the top to me. The only points that seem to me worth making are that for most practical purposes, email is to be treated in the same way as written correspondence, and that it is rather less secure and very easily broadcast.

There might be other policies that would be relevant to email, amongst other mechanisms, such as a press relations policy, or a council publications policy.

Perhaps if the council is providing computers for councillors, some further policies might be needed, but my inclination would be to keep them very simple. It is pretty obvious that the law shouldn't be broken and that communications should be courteous and so on.