There are several things that the secretary needs to know before a meeting, most of which can easily be found out by asking the person due to chair the meeting.

The most important are:

• Who is expected to make the arrangements for the meeting, including finding a venue and arranging for suitable refreshments and any AV facilities? (This is often the administrative professional).
• Who is responsible for preparing the agenda?Each chair will have their own preference, but this is also usually the responsibility of the administrative professional, working with the chair. There may be other people who have a right to add items to the agenda.
• The administrative professional has a role in making sure that the agenda is not overloaded, which may include discussing with the chair and others what could be postponed to a later meeting, and what could be covered in a written report.
• What type of notes or minutes are required? Do they need to be formal minutes that set out who said what, or brief notes that record the agreed actions?
• How quickly do notes or minutes need to be produced and circulated after the meeting?
• What is the process for clearing the notes for publication?Some chairs like to approve minutes before they are sent further, while others prefer them to be circulated to several key attendees at the same time.
• If you are new to your role as the administrative professional, it is also worth finding out who is expected to attend, the organisations that they represent, and some of the issues which have been raised at previous meetings. This will help you understand what’s going on. You can do this by looking at past minutes of meetings and asking the chair what is likely to be discussed.
• The administrative professional is responsible for sending out the papers for the meeting.This will include, but is not limited to, the agenda, the minutes of the last meeting, and any papers for discussion or information.