By Leesha Furse
MANAGEMENT Audit Branch will assess 495
leave records of Service personnel in coming months to ensure
the accuracy of data entered on PMKeyS.
Each Service will represent one-third of the total, or 165 random
files each.
MAB Financial Management Director Ray Wilken said records selected
would range from members with only a few months’ service
to more than 30 years’ service across Australia and may include
members serving overseas. The audit will cover the leave period
of July 1999 to June 2004.
“The audit will advise management of the accuracy of the
recording of annual leave in PMKeyS,” Mr Wilken said. “A
high error rate could promote further reviews of current processes
for processing leave applications by each Service, lead to a wider
audit of leave and maintain the [Australian National Audit Office]
qualification.
“ANAO tested the accuracy of Navy, Army and Air Force annual
leave data and could not give assurance as to the accuracy and
completeness of that data. Leave is therefore an issue being examined
by Project Resolve.”
Mr Wilken said only MAB staff would review members’ leave
records and every effort would be made to maintain privacy.
“Errors identified by MAB will be first discussed with the
relevant Service PMKeyS managers who will investigate and confirm
any discrepancy as an error before any adjustment is done in PMKeyS.
If no adjustment [is needed], then members will be unaware their
record has been audited.”
Mr Wilken said MAB appreciated the efforts of personnel gathering
leave data because it was an additional burden on many bases that
were short-staffed and/or had heavy operational commitments.
“However, the audit is necessary to meet Defence’s requirement
to accurately report liabilities in the balance sheet, and give
assurance to members that their leave is accurately recorded,”
he said.
He said annual leave liability of ADF members represented more
than $1 billion of liabilities.
The audit is not expected to finish before the end of the year.
