Process maturity examination can help in IT audit

Main risk areas in case of this audit were strategic and organisational - Ministry’s weak ownership of IT resources, insufficient audit and internal control function. SAI Lithuania auditors found also flaws in change management and security processes. But the finding, which gave them the key to the root cause of problems, was connected with maturity assessment of the auditee's IT processes.

Management of Information Resources of the Ministry of the Interior

2016

IT security basics under scrutiny

Financial audit by US GAO was accompanied by an IT examination focused on information security measures in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). GAO found that SEC’s systems could be compromised, because of risks jeopardizing the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive financial information.

Opportunities Exist for SEC to Improve Its Controls over Financial Systems and Data

2016

Rail network maintenance - negative balance of costs and results

SAI Norway evaluated efficiency of the railway maintenance and found that its costs increased nearly 110 per cent in years 2006–2014. Negative development in uptime and regularity dominated the first part of the examined period, from 2006 to 2011. It turned positive from 2011, but in 2014 results were still worse than in 2006. The results have lagged behind the Ministry's target figures for most of the period.

Maintenance efficiency in the rail network

2016

Open data strategy should decide the costs problem

French Cour des comptes presents analysis on implementation of the open data practice across the administration. Massive savings are expected, when public access to large amounts of highquality data is made easy. France is among the pioneers and countries making the most rapid progress in this domain. Charges for the reuse of the public information has been identified as the main problem.

Open Government Data - Are all exceptions to the principle of cost-free access and reuse legitimate?

2013

Has Swedish public administration become more effective?

The Service Centre – payroll and financial administration IT system for Swedish public agencies under the government – has achieved the target of a subscription rate of 25 per cent of the total number of state employees. However, subscription to the Service Centre was initially slower than the Government had predicted and meant lower revenues than expected in autumn 2013. The Service Centre then introduced a rigorous review of its expenditure, for example for some planned development initiatives for internal procedures and support systems.
The Swedish NAO noted that the Government’s steering of agencies' subscription to the Service Centre’s services was limited to start with. For example, the Service Centre’s operational targets for subscription did not refer to agency size, which is important in achieving economies of scale. In addition, the Government has instructed agencies to review the question of subscription and report their reasons for delaying subscription.

The National Government Service Centre – Has administration become more effective?

2016