Our Internal Auditors  recently completed an extensive review of our
personnel activity reporting system and have recommended significant
changes. A major question raised by the audit concerns the requirement that
individuals signing after-the-fact activity reports use "suitable means of
verification that the work was performed." As things currently stand, our
department chairs are usually the individuals signing the faculty activity
reports. The auditors have concluded that often these individuals do not
have first-hand knowledge of the work performed and that there is generally
not adequate documentation to support the reports of faculty time and effort.

I would like to hear what other institutions accept as suitable verification
for faculty members. I would also be interested in an off-line discussion
with anyone who has recently gone through an outside audit of their
personnel activity reporting system or anyone who believes that they have an
exemplary system.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Kathleen Harris
Assistant Vice Provost for Research
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409-1035
xxxxxx@ttu.edu
Phone - 806/742-3884
FAX - 806/742-3892