works. When a person is new in an assignment, many things that are done may appear strange and some  may  even  seem  to  be  pointless.  However, a wise manager will not react to first impressions but will study the situation before making sweep- ing  changes.  The  reasons  for  performing  a  task in a particular fashion maybe seen as sound once the   total   system   has   been   studied   and   is understood. Planning must be flexible because sometimes the best of plans have to be revised. If a devised system  fails  to  work  as  efficiently  as  it  should, a  change  may  be  in  order.  The  alert  supervisor monitors  the  system  to  see  whether  the  plan  is working, and makes adjustments if necessary. An efficient  supervisor  also  watches  for  changes  in function,  personnel,  or  working  conditions  and modifies the system to meet the changing situa- tion.  A  practice  should  not  be  continued  just because  “it  has  always  been  done  that  way.”  If it is clear that there is a better way to complete a  project,  then  the  necessary  changes  should  be made. If  plans  are  realistic  and  carefully  prepared  in detail,  it  will  be  easier  to  implement  them. Chaplains  will  find  such  plans  easier  to  under- stand  and  will  be  more  likely  to  approve  them. Office  personnel  will  also  find  them  easier  to  carry out. While   the   supervision   of   others   is   clearly a  managerial  function,  all  supervision  involves the  wise  use  of  time.  The  RPC  or  RP1  cannot “look   over   the   shoulder” of  all  assigned personnel  all  the  time.  The  wise  supervisor will  ensure  that  assigned  personnel  are  time conscious  and  that  the  work  load  is  planned to   ensure   the   most   time-efficient   operation of  the  office  of  the  chaplain. PRIORITIZING.— Establishing  priorities  for the  tasks  to  be  performed  will  help  ensure  that staff members fulfill their primary responsibilities. It will further enable the leading RP and assigned personnel to meet deadlines and will make it easier for  everyone  to  complete  all  tasks  in  a  timely manner. The   work   to   be   done   in   the   office   of the  chaplain  should  be  divided  into  categories, and   priorities   should   be   established.   The office  work  might  be  divided  into  the  following categories. Priority   I.   This   is   work   that   should   be completed   daily.   For   some   of   these   tasks there   is   little   or   no   opportunity   to   calculate in  advance  the  amount  of  time  or  work  that will  be  required  to  complete  them;  therefore, advance  preparation  is  not  possible.  Priority  I tasks   may   include   typing   correspondence, posting   office   receipts,   processing   incoming and outgoing mail, routing messages, and super- vising  working  parties. Priority  II.  This  is  work  in  which  advance preparation is possible. Most of these tasks have established  deadlines.  Priority  II  tasks  may include  procuring  and  stowing  office  supplies, scheduling  training,  and  preparing  reports. Priority III. This is work of a routine nature that  can  be  accomplished  as  time  permits.  Priority III  tasks  may  include  filing  correspondence  and reports  and  entering  changes  to  publications. The  examples  given  above  may  not  necessarily be the priorities every leading RP will establish. The priorities of a particular office will be deter- mined  in  large  measure  by  local  operations.  When establishing priorities, the leading RP will have to   bear   in   mind   the   requirements   that   the command  chaplain  will  place  on  the  office. Money Each  fiscal  year  (FY),  Congress  allocates  a certain  amount  of  money  for  command  opera- tions.  The  command  will  designate  a  specified amount for functions of the Command Religious Program (CRP). The RPC or RP1 will assist the chaplain in the formulation of the budget and the management  of  the  CRP  allocation.  Financial management of the CRP will be covered in depth in  chapter  4  of  this  manual. Materiel Appropriated funds will be available each FY with  which  to  buy  materiel  necessary  for  the operation  of  the  CRP.  Some  supplies,  such  as chaplains’ vestments, may last many years; con- sequently,  control  of  these  items  should  be relatively  simple.  Other  materiel,  such  as  office supplies,  are  consumables  that  may  need  to  be restocked  often  and,  therefore,  require  rigid control  by  the  RPC  or  RP1.  RP  3  &  2,  module 3-4