2023-02 Department of Information Technology Help Desk and Help Desk Work Orders

Home

Lack of Monitoring and Oversight Overview COBIT-19 states that management should perform operational procedures such as monitoring various elements in and throughout the help desk process and use these monitoring results to implement improvements and ensure cost-effectiveness. Further, monitoring incidents and problems dealing with operational procedures allows management to take appropriate action to improve operational tasks' reliability. Monitoring and oversight are essential to ensure work orders and requests are handled efficiently and effectively and to identify any deficiencies or vulnerabilities in the help desk's operations. The lack of monitoring and oversight increases the risk of the mismanagement of resources and inadequate IT service delivery. This may lead to financial waste, decreased efficiency, and a lack of transparency and accountability, which can directly impact the department's ability to meet its objectives and uphold public trust. As help desk service demands increase, there is a higher risk of resources being mismanaged or inefficiently allocated, resulting in longer delays and decreased productivity. Additionally, the increased complexity of technology advancement necessitates oversight to identify and mitigate identified risks. By implementing effective monitoring and oversight activities, help desk management can ensure that resources are used effectively, service delivery is efficient, and risks are identified and mitigated in a timely manner. Failure to adequately engage in sufficient monitoring and oversight activities increases risks such as: • Increased security risks • Decreased efficiency • Financial waste • Compliance violations • Inadequate service delivery Audit Activity To evaluate monitoring and oversight, we observed daily processes through site visits, reviewed flow charts, and interviewed appropriate management and staff as compared to industry best practices and found: • Help desk staff work autonomously where each individual works independently but has not been given clear direction or expectation • Help desk management currently has an informal process for monitoring productivity and performance • Help desk management does not have a defined service -level expectation Lack of Monitoring and Oversight 24