Miscommunication is usually accidental. Instructions are given or received, and nobody has any questions at the time - but by the end of the job, it's pretty clear that critical information did not get passed along at the right time. We have a lot of structures, checklists and methods for the technical work that we do, and it's easy to identify cause and effect when these are not followed - but we don't have the same frameworks or professional approach to job briefings. The SMEAC method (also known as the [five-paragraph order ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_paragraph_order)) is probably the most widely used structure for briefing a person or team who will need to operate independently; it's designed to catch those small details that a manager or leader doesn't realise they have in their head, and ensure information reaches the people who need it to do their job. There are many variants of the acronym itself - the one I've adapted for surveying is **SMEAC-SQ**: - Situation - Mission - Execution - Administration, Logistics - Control, Contacts, Communication - Safety - Questions Whether you're delivering or receiving the instructions, this is a great method to help double-check your understanding and go into the task with a professional attitude. ### Prepare your briefing Preparing is much more than writing down answers to each question; this is the time to establish your own clear vision of the job, your expectations, the process, and what you want the finished outcome to look like. At the end of this, you should have a script - written down or in your head - with all of the information they might need to know. #### Situation "What's already going on" Tell the story. Give context and any background information. - Where does the story start - does the site have a unique or notable history? Messy changes of ownership, unique consolidations and subdivisions, etc. - Is this our first involvement, or have we done work here in the past? Has someone else done work? - Who's got the money; what's the big picture? Usually this is the owner or the developer - Who has instructed us - are we working for the architect, the engineer, etc? Who else might be using our survey? - What did they originally request? Note that this is different to the quote or proposal, prepared in response to the request. #### Mission "What we're doing" Keep this short and generic by focusing on the outcomes, rather than any particular method of reaching them. - What is our proposal - the accepted quote or contract? - What deliverable items have we promised? Be specific. You might want to include email chains or info from phone conversations that isn't always written down in the quote. - When is the client expecting it? Have we promised a specific date or end of a specific week? - How many hours of work have been priced for this job? #### Execution "How we're going to do it" Focus on the items where a change in plan would affect other peoples' schedules. This leaves everyone with the freedom to complete their own tasks as they see fit, while having an overall plan to avoid confusion. - Who will be doing what, and when and where? Allocate specific responsibilities - Indicate any dependent tasks to be prioritised. Some examples: - Does the cadastral work need to be completed early, because the registered surveyor who'll check it is not in the office every day? - Does someone else need to write a report, and therefore the plan must be finished a week before the nominal delivery date? - If there will be a control traverse to support detail or scanning work, when do those coordinates need to be available? ### Administration, Logistics "What we've got available" Make sure people know what equipment and background support is available to them, particularly if they will need to come up with their own plans for each section of the job. - People (including assistants) - Equipment - Vehicles #### Control, Contacts, Communication "Who's in charge" Clarify which people have which responsibilities, and mention anyone else relevant to the job. - Who's in charge of the job - is it still you, or are you handing the reins to someone else? - Site contacts - Communication - Do we need to check in with someone, or sign in to the site, when we arrive? - Is there mobile coverage over the whole site, or do we need two-way radios? - If someone asks what we're doing, have we been instructed to say something specific? #### Safety Any particular safety issues to be aware of or stay away from - Sun exposure, heat and cold - Long grass and dense bush; snakes, spiders, leeches, ticks etc - Cliffs and flowing water - Discontented neighbours to steer clear of - Heights #### Questions Allow people time to process the information, and ideally enough time to come up with their own plans, before they ask questions.