This manual focuses on the development of good documentation and communication skills. It is designed to be a comprehensive guide and was developed to support the Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service's (SAfAIDS) training for building skills in documentation and communication.

The manual shares knowledge on how to begin by drawing up a well-structured and well-thought out documentation and communication plan, from which all organisational documentation and communication activities can flow. According to the manual, writers will learn the principles of good writing, as well as skills to enable them to put a variety of key organisational documents together. The manual also discusses the importance of monitoring and evaluating documentation and communication activities, and discovering the value of maintaining a good record-keeping system to support documentation and communication work.

Each chapter covers a different aspect of documentation and communication:

• Chapter 1 - First Step: Development of a documentation and communication plan
• Chapter 2 - Data collection and analysis
• Chapter 3 - The principles of good writing
• Chapter 4 - Writing and putting together different documents and communication
• Chapter 5 - Dissemination
• Chapter 6 - Monitoring, evaluation, and feedback
• Chapter 7 - Records management

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SAFAIDS website on March 12 2009.