Update Review of Previous Audits:

- Management of heritage properties
- HQ NZDF business continuity management
- Management of the Tactical Mobile Communications System

This review selected three previous audits undertaken by the Evaluation Division to see what had occurred in the areas concerned since the completion of the audits. The audits reviewed were:
1. Management of NZDF heritage properties – Evaluation Report 5/2008 dated 10 September 2008;
2. HQ NZDF business continuity management – Evaluation Report 9/2008 dated 15 October 2008; and
3. Introduction and management of the Army’s tactical mobile communication system – Evaluation Report 17/2007 dated 21 November 2007.
This present audit focussed on establishing a general picture of changes in business practices and behaviour made to improve effectiveness, or address identified weaknesses, since we completed the original audits. We took a broader perspective than just whether recommendations had been implemented. The report presents the position as we found it in early 2011.

There has been significant progress with the development of heritage policies and procedures, and completion of heritage management plans.
Maintenance and upkeep of heritage sites, particularly those that are not in use, continues to receive no priority for funding. There has been little change in the condition of such sites since our last review.
The NZDF has not promulgated policy for business continuity planning, although a draft policy has been prepared. The continued absence of any business continuity organisation or structure in HQ NZDF puts at risk the ability of the Headquarters to continue to support the Government in the event of a major business disruption.
The Army has embedded its Tactical Mobile Communications System equipment into its operations. However, while the Army integrates training into career and trade courses, a shortage of some radios means that skill levels may be less than desirable when personnel deploy overseas.
We did not find evidence that the Army has developed comprehensive tactical doctrine for the use of the Tactical Mobile Communications System in the full range of land combat scenarios.
Inconsistencies between inventory accounting and communications security accounting records have yet to be resolved, and the processes for tracking the equipment and its classified components continue to be challenging.

It is recommended that the NZDF:
1. issues without unnecessary delay, policy and guidance on business continuity management in the NZDF;
2. develops and promulgates as a matter of priority business continuity plans for HQ NZDF;
3. takes positive action to complete the reconciliation between communications security and inventory accounts in respect of classified items contained in Tactical Mobile Communications System equipment; and
4. implements improvements to accounting systems to dispense with the inefficient need to account for the same item in two incompatible systems.