314th Airlift Wing chief of wing inspections
The 314th Airlift Wing recently began the first stage of self-assessments in preparation for our Combined Unit Inspection in December. However, the work we’re completing now isn’t solely for an inspection; it’s the leading edge of a philosophy shift away from compliance inspections to the future state of Unit Effectiveness Inspections.
Appropriately, the Secretary of the Air Force Inspector General’s office recently released an updated version of AFI 90-201. The Air Force Inspection System, on March 23. The AFI covers areas we’d normally expect regarding inspections while also introducing some very important changes for the Air Force Inspection System, namely the use of the Management Internal Control Toolset.
What is MICT, you may ask?
MICT is a web based system that is designed to assist commanders, at all levels, with the ability to implement a self-assessment program, which is just one source commanders utilize to determine overall health of the wing, group or squadron. The updated AFI 90-201 drives an important shift from just a compliance perspective, to a more robust measurement of a unit’s mission effectiveness.
Shortly after the release of updated AFIs, most Airmen will dive in to review changes; determine what’s in and what’s out, what it means to their section, and how it affects them. The use of MICT is a new requirement and with any newly mandated system, it may be hard to see the benefit or need if you are thinking “why change?” That said, this change is for the better and again helps us prepare for a new way of conducting self-assessments.
Other bases have used MICT with great success and our reserve partners have been using it for a few years to successfully run self-assessment programs. Transitioning to a centrally managed web based system is good practice where we can achieve efficiencies, and more importantly, mission effectiveness.
Many people expressed initial concerns about transitioning to the virtual MPF, but in time those concerns were replaced with knowledge and skill of maneuvering around the vMPF to find what you need and get action oriented results. The same will be true with MICT. It will take us a few months to learn the inner workings of this new system, but the mission will become more effective in the long run. How? For one, say goodbye to figuring out which version of that Excel checklist is the most current.
MICT will be the database of record now, with self-assessment checklists being pushed from the top down by Headquarters Air Force and Major Command functional area managers. Similarly, a wing level functional manager will be able to access MICT, find the appropriate HAF/MAJCOM checklist and make it available to the group and squadron level program managers. Even though MICT is relatively new to many, it’s a system that all wings will be required to use since MICT is a pathway to enable the overall objectives of the Air Force Inspection System, which are conveniently found in AFI 90-201.
Ultimately, we will spend less time on the technical portion of running checklists and more time on the mission oriented side ensuring our programs are not only in compliance, but effective.
The 314th Airlift Wing recently began the first stage of self-assessments in preparation for our Combined Unit Inspection in December. However, the work we’re completing now isn’t solely for an inspection; it’s the leading edge of a philosophy shift away from compliance inspections to the future state of Unit Effectiveness Inspections.
Appropriately, the Secretary of the Air Force Inspector General’s office recently released an updated version of AFI 90-201. The Air Force Inspection System, on March 23. The AFI covers areas we’d normally expect regarding inspections while also introducing some very important changes for the Air Force Inspection System, namely the use of the Management Internal Control Toolset.
What is MICT, you may ask?
MICT is a web based system that is designed to assist commanders, at all levels, with the ability to implement a self-assessment program, which is just one source commanders utilize to determine overall health of the wing, group or squadron. The updated AFI 90-201 drives an important shift from just a compliance perspective, to a more robust measurement of a unit’s mission effectiveness.
Shortly after the release of updated AFIs, most Airmen will dive in to review changes; determine what’s in and what’s out, what it means to their section, and how it affects them. The use of MICT is a new requirement and with any newly mandated system, it may be hard to see the benefit or need if you are thinking “why change?” That said, this change is for the better and again helps us prepare for a new way of conducting self-assessments.
Other bases have used MICT with great success and our reserve partners have been using it for a few years to successfully run self-assessment programs. Transitioning to a centrally managed web based system is good practice where we can achieve efficiencies, and more importantly, mission effectiveness.
Many people expressed initial concerns about transitioning to the virtual MPF, but in time those concerns were replaced with knowledge and skill of maneuvering around the vMPF to find what you need and get action oriented results. The same will be true with MICT. It will take us a few months to learn the inner workings of this new system, but the mission will become more effective in the long run. How? For one, say goodbye to figuring out which version of that Excel checklist is the most current.
MICT will be the database of record now, with self-assessment checklists being pushed from the top down by Headquarters Air Force and Major Command functional area managers. Similarly, a wing level functional manager will be able to access MICT, find the appropriate HAF/MAJCOM checklist and make it available to the group and squadron level program managers. Even though MICT is relatively new to many, it’s a system that all wings will be required to use since MICT is a pathway to enable the overall objectives of the Air Force Inspection System, which are conveniently found in AFI 90-201.
Ultimately, we will spend less time on the technical portion of running checklists and more time on the mission oriented side ensuring our programs are not only in compliance, but effective.
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