Sisekontrollin

Sisekontrollin, commonly translated as internal control, is a systematic framework of policies, procedures, and activities designed to provide reasonable assurance that an organization achieves its objectives. It covers financial reporting reliability, compliance with laws and regulations, safeguarding of assets, and the efficiency of operations. The concept is applied across private companies, public agencies, and non-profit organizations, and is integral to governance, risk management, and compliance.

A typical sisekontrollin framework comprises five interrelated components: control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring. The control environment sets the tone at the top and establishes the integrity, ethical values, and operating style of the organization. Risk assessment involves identifying and analyzing internal and external risks that could prevent objectives from being met. Control activities are the policies and procedures that mitigate identified risks, including approvals, authorizations, reconciliations, and segregation of duties. Information and communication ensures timely, accurate, and complete data flows to support decision making. Monitoring involves ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of controls, through self-assessments, audits, and management reviews.

Implementation relies on the responsibility of management, with internal audit providing independent assurance and external auditors assessing overall control effectiveness. Common control practices include separation of duties, access controls, physical safeguards, reconciliations, and robust information systems controls. While no system guarantees absolute safety, a well-designed sisekontrollin framework reduces exposure to errors, fraud, and operational inefficiencies and supports accountability throughout an organization.