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New system to change how AF inspections conducted

  • Published
  • By Jeffrey Haakinson
  • 90th Missile Wing Plans and Programs chief
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  Anyone who has been in the Air Force for any length of time knows the one constant has been change. At F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., we have changed from 90th Space Wing to 90th Missile Wing, Air Force Space Command to Air Force Global Strike Command, and we have seen the retirement of the Peacekeeper ICBMs.

The most recent change involves Air Force Instruction 90-201, the Air Force Inspection Program. Historically, the command Inspector General would declare a date and time to conduct a specified inspection, such as a Compliance Inspection or a Nuclear Surety Inspection. The wing would build a preparation plan to pass the upcoming inspection and keep the preparation actions contained within the wing. A person could dust off any associated inspection binders or programs and have them ready just before the inspection. On the date and time specified, the IG would show up and get a "snapshot" of the wing during the inspection and give a rating based on that snapshot.

The new Air Force inspection system has completely changed the concept of inspections.

Inspections are conducted using two methods: internal and external. The internal inspections are conducted by the wing IG and external inspections are conducted by anyone outside the wing.

The wing must be inspection ready at all times by implementing a two-prong Wing Commanders Inspection Program.

The first prong is when the wing commander relies on each group and squadron commander to implement internal self-assessments and report potential deficiencies. The second prong is when the wing IG conducts inspections across the wing.

The main tools used to implement the new AF Inspection System are the web-based programs called the Management Internal Control Toolset and Inspector General Evaluation Management System.

The MICT program contains all the self-assessment checklists a unit needs to complete a self-assessment. The new program can be viewed by all levels of command and will give a status of the unit at any given time.

Dusting off the books just before an inspection is now a thing of the past. MICT also allows the unit to develop a plan to correct any deficiencies and track progress on obtaining full compliance. The wing IG can use the information from MICT to get a picture of the unit prior to conducting an internal inspection on the wing. The IGEMS program is the tool used by the wing IG to report all deficiencies found when conducting an internal inspection. Any deficiencies found during the internal inspection will be captured by the IG in the IGEMS program. The deficiencies are verified and released to the units to track corrective actions required to become compliant.

The MICT and IGEMS deficiencies will also be used during an external inspection.
Prior to an external inspection, the command IG can pull reports from the MICT and IGEMS programs to see the overall "health" of a specified program, organization or group and adjust the inspection team footprint at the wing. To minimize the external team footprint, there are a few keys to ensuring an adequate MICT inspection program.

The first key is to ensure all the applicable checklists have been downloaded and assigned to the organizations in the MICT. The goal is to eliminate the latent system of books full of checklists sitting at someone's desk. The MICT will allow those assigned to the program instant access to the checklist, allow them to run a checklist at any time and keep a history of self-assessments. The program will also show all the measures the unit has taken to correct deficiencies discovered.

The second key to the system is to answer the checklist questions honestly and openly identify problems. Discovering discrepancies at the organizational level is one of the cornerstones of this program. Having the personnel who perform the work discover problems and be involved with corrective actions will improve the organization and allow for action where duty is performed.

The third and final key to the system is to run the self-assessments on a regular basis. As AFIs change or programs are updated, functional areas in Headquarters Air Force are required to update the checklists in the MICT and ensure each operational unit has the most current guidelines to run their program.

As with any new program, there are some bumps in the road expected and things to learn. The quicker everyone embraces it, the easier it will be to move forward to persevere. If you want to learn more about the Air Force Inspection System, and your role in it, please stop by your wing IG office. The 90th Missile Wing IG office is in room 153 of Building 250, and the office can be reached at 773-4800.