Fort Belvoir, Va. –
DCAA’s auditors must meet quality standards when they perform audits. These standards are documented in regulations and are required by general accounting principles. To maintain our high standards, DCAA has a Policy and Quality Directorate, which is responsible for management and execution of the Agency’s quality assurance program. In each audit office there is also a Field Audit Office Assistant for Quality (FAQ) position filled by an experienced auditor who helps other auditors in the office maintain quality standards. FAQ John Glynn, Chicago Branch Office explains “It is easy to read the standards, fairly easy to understand them, but it can be difficult to apply to actual situations. Discussions to ensure understanding and application is valuable education in the critical thinking and open mindedness needed to make a fair assessment.”
DCAA’s Policy and Quality Directorate created the Quality Shadow Program two years ago to develop the skills of the FAQs. Each Shadow Program participant is paired with a Quality team for approximately eight weeks. This program exposes participants to the quality review process, analysis performed during quality reviews, and the help, teach, advise, and assist function of Quality personnel. When participants return to their office, they are better able to assist auditors in conducting high quality audits that meet all requirements.
When asked about the most beneficial aspect of the program, Denise Myers, FAQ Northrop Grumman EBS Linthicum Resident Office stated, “conducting a review with the Quality team and having the opportunity to state my opinions and then the Quality team would share ideas and considerations so I could improve my conclusions. This will help me explain my recommendations in more detail to auditors in my office.” Recent program participant Jonnette Porter, FAQ, Atlanta Branch Office stated of the program, ‘this is really a great program for FAQs. The program provides a different mindset from being a supervisor. Interacting and discussing issues or concerns with the Quality auditors and Senior Quality Auditor helped me gain a better perspective of the audit assignment under review.”
The Shadow program is just one of many ways that DCAA invests in its employees to make them successful. Teamwork is essential for high quality audits and the Shadow Program’s is just one aspect of DCAA’s focus on ensuring the highest quality for our customers.