My US colleagues have a system similar to JPA called "myPay" where claims can be submitted online, personal details changed etc etc - all sounds very feasible, especially when you consider that they have an all-encompassing comms backbone to support it.
However, it all falls down due to the absence of admin expertise in the chain, and the expectaion that not only are we all good at our primary tasks, we can know the approriate APs inside out. You invariably have to waste time re-submitting rejected or incorrect claims, chasing up missing paperwork and so on. More often than not, the only way a solution can be found is to down tools, make your way to the Base Finance building and sort it all out face-to-face.
Progress? Hmmmm.....
The main problem I have with the system is that it will remove the burden of admin from the pers admin personnel - thereby allowing 'cost-saving' measures i.e. cuts to to be made - but with increase the admin load on the rest of us. If the average aircew mate or techie has to spend say, an extra 30 minutes per day with his admin, surely that is more expensive than employing a pers admin SAC to look after everybody's?
SBG
P.S. To align the RAF with the other services, dependants' ID cards are to be taken away under JPA.
Last edited by Spotting Bad Guys; 18th Oct 2005 at 20:42.