Day 17 of One Month to More Effective Internal Controls-COSO Objective III: Control Activities

In its Framework Volume, COSO Control Activities “are the actions established through policies and procedures that help ensure that management’s directives to mitigate risks to the achievement of objectives are carried out. Control activities are performed at all levels of the entity, at various stages within business processes, and over the technology environment. They may be preventive or detective in nature and may encompass a range of manual and automated activities such as authorizations and approvals, verifications, See more +

In its Framework Volume, COSO Control Activities “are the actions established through policies and procedures that help ensure that management’s directives to mitigate risks to the achievement of objectives are carried out. Control activities are performed at all levels of the entity, at various stages within business processes, and over the technology environment. They may be preventive or detective in nature and may encompass a range of manual and automated activities such as authorizations and approvals, verifications, reconciliations, and busi­ness performance reviews. Segregation of duties is typically built into the selection and development of control activities. Where segregation of duties is not practical, manage­ment selects and develops alternative control activities.” The concept of a ‘second set of eyes’ is directly enshrined in this objective. Finally, Control Activities should be performed at all levels in the business process cycle within an organization and this speaks directly to the operationalization of your compliance program. See less -