You need the following pieces of equipment for filing:

• Files (hanging folders or ringbinders)
• A filing cabinet, shelves or something to keep your files in
• A date stamp to put the date on letters you receive – or write the date and sign it
• An A4 size hard-covered book that you call a ‘day-book’

When you start a filing system you need to decide how you want to file. Do you want to file in alphabetical order (for example, using surnames) or in date order (according to the months in the year), or according to issues (such as grants, HIV/AIDS, housing development, etc). Each organisation is different. You should keep your filing system simple and easy for all to operate. Within a file you should file in date order – with the latest documents on top.