Staff Attitudes to Traditional Lifelong Noting and Filing of Targeted People

AIDAN QUINN made this Freedom of Information request to Northern Ireland Audit Office This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

Waiting for an internal review by Northern Ireland Audit Office of their handling of this request.

Dear Northern Ireland Audit Office,

Can I please have a copy of the findings of any Staff Attitude Surveys that the Audit Office may have undertaken in the last ten years say, together with a copy of any analysis that may have been undertaken on such Surveys, any trends that may have perhaps been identified ,and any plans or targets for improvement? Investors are particularly interested in establishing staff attitudes to traditional Noting and Filing of targeted people and any information you could please provide on this topic would be hugely appreciated.

Good Luck. I wish you well.

Yours faithfully,

AIDAN QUINN

Dear Northern Ireland Audit Office,
Hi, no pressure but we're almost overdue and this is a hugely important topic.
Please get back to me just as soon as Note and File Only requirements permit.

Good Luck. I wish you well.

Yours faithfully,

Yours faithfully,

AIDAN QUINN

info (NIAO), Northern Ireland Audit Office

Dear Mr Quinn
NIAO does not hold any information on the topics you request information on

Yours sincerely

Norma Connelly

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Dear info (NIAO),
Many thanks for the rapid response and for letting me know. NIAO are, as ever, very good.
Perhaps as follow up you might perhaps please point us in the direction of who or what organisation might hold such information and be able to, prepared to or be officially permitted to, at least in some way, help?

We know of course, everybody does, that in NICS cultural dedication to traditionally important Note and File , Not an Inch thinking can be very strong but the thing is that such thinking is leading to the place falling apart, NHS on the brink of collapse, society breaking down, nothing being done, Investors shunning us and even our friends in the Scottish Government informally not making very encouraging noises about their desire to become involved. No doubt of course they will do their Duty, the Scottish Government always does, but many feel it is an unfair burden they are being asked to carry.

Finally Please do not in any way feel you have risk your own health or that of your excellent staff. Nobody expects that. We have casualties enough.
Good Luck. I wish you well.

Yours sincerely,

AIDAN QUINN

info (NIAO), Northern Ireland Audit Office

Dear Mr Quinn

NIAO does not hold any information on which particular organisation(s) would be able to assist with this request. The matters you raise are mainly personnel related and such issues fall outside the remit of C&AG.

Yours sincerely

Norma Connelly

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Dear info (NIAO),
We understand. Completely. The Health of yourself and your excellent staff has to be put first. Good Luck. We wish you well.

Yours sincerely,

AIDAN QUINN

Dear info (NIAO),
Hey , nobody likes to mention this, it takes courage of rare order ( such as Chairpersons of Public Enquiries into eg RHI scandals) but Failure to keep proper records, Lack of a papertrail or Audit trail so beloved of Due Diligence Operatives, Auditors, Risk Assessors Underwriters and Scrutineers alike, seems to be a wide spread problem in the attraction of much needed Investment.

I wonder if, in light of these identified Investment Deterring Failures (IDFs) there were perhaps any plans to improve record keeping, establish Audit Trails?

If so can we please have copies of such plans, which we will of course be happy to share, giving reassurance and building confidence every where, nationally and internationally, in Boardrooms and without, that things are at last on the right track.

Rest assured no one in any way judges, there is of course nobody on trial. Queries such as these are rather the very embodiment of FOI Legislation working as it should and as Parliament intended, getting good positive Investor attracting news out there, shared by everybody. Equally.

Good Luck, I wish you well. NIAO is worth it.

Yours sincerely,

AIDAN QUINN

info (NIAO), Northern Ireland Audit Office

Dear Mr Quinn

As you suggested maintenance of and the provision of audit trails are themes which arise on an ongoing basis. These are normally addressed as part of the audit process rather than through the establishment of formal plans. We therefore hold no such reports/plans on these issues.

Kind regards

Louise Donnelly

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Dear info (NIAO),
Hi and thanks for getting in touch. You’re very good.

As follow up, can I please ask if there is perhaps any record of the Audit Office ever expressing a view on the need for independent forensic testing? This invariably breeds confidence.

American Investors and Ethics Committees are invariably very keen on independent forensic testing, and for very good reason too, American mental health is the best in the world.

Anyway, whatever your views on forensic testing at the moment, good luck, I wish you well.

Attempting to undertake a credible Audit function in the traditional Ulster strictly enforced Note and File Only environment must be the most challenging job in the world.

Yours sincerely,

AIDAN QUINN

info (NIAO), Northern Ireland Audit Office

Dear Mr Quinn

Thank you for your enquiry.

I have checked our records and can find no instance where NIAO has expressed a view on the need for independent forensic testing.

Yours sincerely

Louise Donnelly

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Dear info (NIAO),

THE ULSTER CONUNDRUM
Hi, not to worry, you’re very good.

Everybody the world over knows that there really doesn’t seem to be a culture or tradition of being able to find Notes, Files and Records, nor of considering, much less forensically testing, evidence in NICS/NIO.
It’s just the way things have always been. ( It’s a bit of a mystery, an Ulster Conundrum really, that with absolutely endless creation of Notes and of Files and of Records, so much so that everybody is busy on the paperwork involved and corridors are actually blocked with overspill paperwork, yet nobody seems to be able to find any Notes Files or Records when it matters. )

Nobody knows more than myself how difficult it is to introduce such a culture. Its maybe something we may jointly have to address shortly but at the moment, as you know, I ‘m in no position to criticize much less to judge anyone. On the contrary, I’m sure the Audit Office does its best within the strictly enforced Note and File Only context. We have to be positive, constructive, forward looking, hard on the facts, easy on the people.

As follow up I understand from newspaper reports that Jim Allister QC, MLA long ago went on record as advising that he understood that civil service stress and absenteeism were issues that the Audit Office would be looking into. Could we please have a record of what has already been done or if dates and timetables have been set for making a start?

Good Luck. I wish you well.

Yours sincerely,

AIDAN QUINN

info (NIAO), Northern Ireland Audit Office

Mr Quinn

Below is a list of reports published by NIAO on sickness absence in the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

Sickness Absence in NI Public Sector - 23 April 2013 - https://www.niauditoffice.gov.uk/publica...
Sickness Absence in the NI Civil Service - 22 May 2008 - https://www.niauditoffice.gov.uk/publica...
Department for Regional Development: Management of Industrial Sickness Absence - 1 July 2003 - https://www.niauditoffice.gov.uk/publica...

There are currently no plans to publish any further reports re stress and absenteeism in the Civil Service at this time.

Yours sincerely

Louise Donnelly

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Dear info (NIAO),
Many thanks.

You’re very good. Note and File Only requirements are not easy for any of us.

Maybe it’s best if I just thank you warmly for your help to date and just quietly and respectfully withdraw the Query, at least temporarily, at least for now.

The Question of missing Staff Attitude Survey Findings is maybe one best left for another day.

Good Luck. I wish you well. You’re worth it.

Yours sincerely,

AIDAN QUINN

Dear info (NIAO),

Followers of the RHI inquiry will be aware that 4 or 5 allegations of fraud per week arrive on the desk of the Audit Office, a truly enormous workload for a much appreciated organisation whose wonderful staff undoubtedly do their level best to maintain standards in the most challenging possible, indeed often impossible , of Ulster circumstances .

I hope you don’t mind if as follow-up FOI Query I respectfully ask what % of these allegations were regarding corrupt, indefensible and fraudulent Performance Pay and Promotion processes?

Additionally, Is there perhaps a record of any such allegations ever being investigated let alone upheld?

If not, don’t worry, don’t beat yourselves up. Such investigations can be done immediately Forensic testing of evidence is allowed. I think we all know they will not take long.

Good Luck. I wish you well. You're worth it, one and all.

Yours sincerely,

AIDAN QUINN