Difference Between a Notice and an Agenda

Notice vs Agenda

The words “notice” and “agenda” are commonly used in the corporate meetings. People generally misunderstand these two words and use them in place of each other, which is not a correct practice as both the terms have different meanings and usages.

Notice

“Notice” is an announcement which is used to communicate all of the desirable members to attend a meeting. In a notice, all the required information such as the date, time and the venue of the meeting is given for the meeting. In order to allow the members to be prepared for the meeting, the notice should appropriately be sent at least seven days in advance to the date of the meeting.

In the case of educational institutes, important information such as the changes in school or college times, information about a function, or some other important event as a vacation or examination are normally given by drafting a notice to let the students know about the event. Issuing a notice to the employees is also a common practice to get their explanation for any theft or fraud. Issuing a notice to a party in a judicial matter is also essential to give him an opportunity to defend himself.

Agenda

A list, an outline or a plan of matter to be discussed or things to be done in a meeting is called the agenda of the meeting. The topics or agenda of the meeting are arranged in order of preference indicating which point is to be discussed first. An agenda in advance, is mandatory for the success of any meeting. Without proper planning and a well laid out agenda, there is always a possibility of confusion and chaos during the meeting. During the election process, political parties also declare their agenda. In the agenda they declare the policies they follow and programs they plan, to educate the electorate so they can cast votes accordingly. An agenda is also set for a UN meeting.

Summary:

  1. A notice is a statement about a meeting or an event while an agenda is a collection of things to be done in a meeting.
  2. For the board meetings  of companies, a notice is issued to all eligible members indicating the venue, date, and time of the meeting while an agenda has a list of topics to be discussed in that  meeting.