Post # 2

I interviewed Brice McKoy, Branch Chief, NW Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Division. He informed me that 90% of his communications were with other related agencys requiring specialized technical knowlege and written in formal format using specific technical terms and verbage. The most important correspondence, he noted, are those between government agencys and the public. This type requires technical information to be "translated" into layman's terms which are both understandable and informative and used in outreach, events and speaking engagements or public presentations. At all times, the correspondence must be written so as to stand up to legal scrutiny, especially in the case of official reports, documentation and advisory responses and recommendations.
Regarding beneficial preparation, Mr. McKoy recommended learning to solidify in a concise manner the desired action or outcome of the communication. He advised learning the proper format for a business letter, proficiency in the use of Power Point and the use of e-mail (which he said was important for internal, i.e.: "in-house", communication and for efficient time management.

Post # 1

As per Webster's dictionary:
technical - of, relating to,or derived from technique or technology; of, or using technical knowlege; specialized
writing - to create and put down on paper; to communicate by writing; to send a communication

As pertains to my profession, which is Wildlife Biology, "technical writing" would refer to the combination of all of the above definitions. A biologist will need to be able to document specialized data collected, communicate with other professionals using technical knowlege and proper verbage thereof, and be able to translate technical and specific information in such a way as to be understandable to the layperson.