Defense Logistics Agency Audit Readiness Team leaders are ramping up efforts to promote audit readiness across agency lines. In a series of upcoming roadshow events, Simone Reba, deputy director of DLA Finance and program manager for audit readiness, will be meeting with senior leaders and employees in DLA field activities to encourage awareness of the agency’s audit readiness efforts.
“I want to ensure that they understand the director's intent, why audit readiness is important, and what it means to them. Audit readiness is everyone's responsibility, so all employees need to understand how they can help,” Reba said. “Better awareness of audit readiness at the individual employee level starts the cultural transformation that enables DLA to achieve audit readiness.”
The roadshows, similar to all-hands town hall meetings, are meant to field any questions, advise leaders on their roles and responsibilities, and prepare leaders for what’s coming and how to interact or socialize that with the workforce, Kavanzo Holland, Human Performance Audit Readiness Team lead, said.
“The roadshows are very effective because we can put a lot of the rumors to rest and move everyone in the same direction,” Holland said. “The intent of the roadshows is to first talk to senior leadership, then transition into the workforce and meet with the local audit readiness team members that are assigned to the field. The push is for overall awareness of audit readiness from the top down.”
As one of DLA Director Navy Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek’s “Big Ideas,” audit readiness is a top priority for the agency. A July 16 blog post from Harnitchek stressed the importance of individual responsibility when it comes to audit readiness.
"It involves the procedures we do in DLA – things like writing contracts, accounting for property, moving material in the defense transportation system, accounting for inventory, determining inventory requirements, paying contractors, et al.," Harnitchek wrote. "So, if you do any of these, you're a part of this effort."
Harnitchek also emphasized key tips employees can use to help achieve audit readiness.
"Start documenting your operating procedures. Don’t throw out the documents that show why a purchase was needed and who approved it. Make sure that those documents customers use to purchase material or services are clearly filled out, specific as to what they’re buying, and are signed by the appropriate approving officials. Figure out where those documents reside so that they can be quickly retrieved. Make yourself immediately available to help your local audit readiness team members when they ask you what you do or need your help in fixing something that won’t pass audit standards."
DLA Vice Director Ted Case backed up those points in a memo signed Sept. 11.
“‘Audit’ may lead you to believe it is strictly a financial function; it is not!” Case wrote. “Your daily functions impact our financial statements; this means YOU play a vital role in DLA’s goal in becoming audit ready. If you travel; receive/ship inventory; create, or approve a purchase request, or a purchase order; award contracts; submit supply requests; or submit print requests; these all impact our financial statements.”
With an agency goal of being audit ready by fiscal 2015, a shift in culture is one of the biggest hurdles the agency faces, Reba explained in the July/August 2012 issue of Loglines magazine.
“Following the rules shouldn’t be something we do if we have the time; it needs to be a way of life,” she wrote. “Audit readiness needs to become a cultural norm.”
With additional communication and training for employees expected in the near future, the roadshows are the first step in reaching out to field employees. For those unable to attend Reba’s briefing, video teleconferencing and recordings are available, Holland noted.
“At each location where the facility can’t hold everyone or there’s a geographic issue, they will broadcast via video teleconference and then videotape it so it can be played back at a later time after she departs,” Holland said.
With four roadshows in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia already completed, several others are confirmed for September and October. Future confirmed locations include:
-- Sept. 17, New Cumberland/Mechanicsburg, Pa. (DLA Distribution and DLA Document Services).
-- Sept. 25, Richmond, Va. (DLA Aviation).
-- Oct. 3, Fort Belvoir, Va. (DLA Strategic Materials at McNamara Headquarters Complex).
-- Oct. 5, Columbus, Ohio (DLA Land and Maritime/DLA Transaction Services).
Questions about the roadshows or audit readiness can be directed to auditreadinesshelp@dla.mil.