It's been more than 20 years since the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) released its Internal Control—Integrated Framework (the original framework). The new framework will become effective in December 2014. Professionals must first obtain a basic understanding of the concepts, principles and potential impact, including changes from the 1992 framework and the key COSO components and related principles.

COSO 2013 maintains the same five components previously identified within the 1992 framework.  These include:

  • Control Environment
  • Risk Assessment
  • Control Activities
  • Information & Communication
  • Monitoring

This course is designed to focus on the Control Activity component and the three separate principles that support this component. 

Control Activity is named as the third component within COSO 2013. Control Activities are actions defined through policies and procedures that help ensure management directives to mitigate risks to the achievement of objectives are carried out.  Control activities are performed at all levels of the organization and at various stages of business processes and technology. 

  • The organization selects and develops control activities that contribute to the mitigation of risks to the achievement of objectives to acceptable levels.         
  • The organization selects and develops general control activities over technology to support the achievement of objectives.     
  • The organization deploys control activities through policies that establish what is expected and procedures that put policies into place.

Management and the external auditors must understand each of these principles and be able to adequately support that they exist, are appropriately designed and functioning.  In addition, the components must effectively work in combination to provide for a positive attestation to internal controls.

The course dissects the three principles and important concepts that companies need to understand and support in order to provide that the principles are in place and functioning.  We also discuss concepts related to mapping the principles to controls within the organization.

“Citations of information on the COSO framework, principles and points of focus mentioned through this course are directly worded from the COSO literature and relayed here with the permission of COSO.org as a training mechanism related to their framework. The full document of the Framework can be found at COSO.org”

Course Series

This course is included in the following series:

7 CoursesCOSO 2013

  1. COSO 2013 Overview
  2. COSO 2013 Control Environment
  3. COSO 2013 Risk Assessment
  4. COSO 2013 Control Activity
  5. COSO 2013 Information and Communication
  6. COSO 2013 Monitoring
  7. COSO 2013 - Operational Execution
Learning Objectives
  • Define the Control Activity component for COSO 2013
  • Examine the three principles supporting the control environment.
  • Analyze sixteen points of focus that supports the three principles of control activities.
  • How to utilize these points of focus most efficiently in your transition process.
  • Design of principles vs. execution – understanding the critical difference.
  • Proper mapping for control activities.
Last updated/reviewed: August 26, 2023
58 Reviews (213 ratings)

Reviews

4
Member's Profile
Short and clear explanation of COSO control activities. More consideration given to principles than to compliance check (but if you saw other courses by Lynn Fountain, you are familiar with the concept of compliance risk mapping starting with the principles, not controls).

4
Anonymous Author
This course provides an understanding of control activities, including how to identify areas requiring control activities, how to determine what makes a good control activity, and why it is important to monitor and update control activities.

5
Anonymous Author
Great overall presentation on control activities. The materials were very informative and the presentation was delivered in a concise, efficient manner. Planning to take the rest of the courses in this area.

5
Anonymous Author
Great module with a lot of useful information and examples. Thank you Lynn. The course is a part of the cert program and would be useful for understanding COSO 2013.

4
Anonymous Author
Good, clear explanation of control activities with a more in-depth look at each principle and POF. The concepts are easy to understand with great examples provided.

5
Anonymous Author
Great concise course over COSO control activities and how to distinguish specific controls. I would recommend this course for an entry level associate position.

4
Member's Profile
It was great refresher course. I liked that she provided some real life examples and the chart that she created on COSO attributes will be useful to leverage.

5
Anonymous Author
Good overall presentation on the Points of Focus of the principles of Control Activity Compliance. The quiz and exam were shorter and easier than the others.

5
Anonymous Author
Solid discussion of control activities and the underlying principles and POFs under COSO 2013. Looking forward to taking remaining courses in this series.

5
Member's Profile
Well organized. Great examples. All staff within an organization should take this course to be enlightened as to why they do what they do.

5
Anonymous Author
Lynn back to her normal self dominating the CBT CPE scene. Well played, playa. This was a good course. Domination. Mic drop.

4
Anonymous Author
This is a refreshing and interesting course. Nothing surprised me. New performance auditors will gain a lot from this.

4
Anonymous Author
Another fine course from Lynn Fountain to provide insight and perspective relevant to the 2013 COSO framework.

5
Anonymous Author
Excellent presentation that goes over concepts that one often forgets in the application of Control Activities

5
Anonymous Author
Very useful topic presented in a easy to understand way. Good not only for auditors, but for managers as well.

4
Anonymous Author
Very comprehensive and helpful course. I am very happy to take the course it is really informative and worth.

4
Member's Profile
Lynn keeps nailing it. These are great classes for an overview of COSO2013 and the control environment.

4
Anonymous Author
This is a great course that provides relevant examples and covers the importance of control activities.

5
Member's Profile
The course was interesting and useful. The onliest problem was, that some slides were not readable.

4
Anonymous Author
This course was very well presented. There were a lot of details but it was easily understandable.

5
Anonymous Author
This course was clear and provided clear explanations and examples relating to control activity.

5
Member's Profile
Clear, concise explanations along with the brief practical applications were very helpful.

5
Member's Profile
It helped to identify this course as 10, 11 and 12 of the 17 attributes of COSO 2013

4
Member's Profile
It was a great summary of COSO and its component Internal Controls. Great to refresh.

4
Member's Profile
Course and materials provide broad and detailed guidance on COSO control activities.

4
Anonymous Author
This course provided a good overview of the control activity component of COSO 2013

4
Anonymous Author
Good synopsis of COSO 2013 Control Activity Compliance. Good war stories.

5
Member's Profile
COSO 2013 Control Activity is an excellent course. Highly recommend.

5
Anonymous Author
Great Course of COSO 2013 control activity which added value to me

4
Member's Profile
should include corrective and deterrent controls. Overall good.

4
Member's Profile
Great overview and refresher on the critical topics at hand.

4
Anonymous Author
A good understanding for Control Activities of COSO and why

5
Member's Profile
It was excellent most optimization within short time frame

3
Member's Profile
Great review and refresher for COSO 2013 principles 10-12

5
Anonymous Author
Great introductory course and also a good review course.

4
Anonymous Author
The course discusses the importance of control activity

5
Anonymous Author
Interesting and well organized course. Very well done.

5
Anonymous Author
Got to know what is COSO 2013 and control activities.

5
Member's Profile
Very quality material in a refresher course

4
Member's Profile
Good explanation of control activities.

5
Member's Profile
The added bonus material is excellent.

5
Member's Profile
Course was her usual high standard

5
Member's Profile
Nicely presented course! Thanks!

5
Member's Profile
Very informative and useful.

5
Anonymous Author
Good overview of controls...

4
Anonymous Author
It was a very good course

5
Anonymous Author
Great explanation

5
Anonymous Author
Good information

5
Member's Profile
Interesting.

5
Member's Profile
Well done!!!

4
Anonymous Author
Good course!

5
Anonymous Author
good course

Member's Profile
Good Course

5
Member's Profile
Great!

5
Anonymous Author
great

3
Anonymous Author
Good

4
Member's Profile
Good

Anonymous Author
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Prerequisites
Course Complexity: Intermediate

Prerequisite: Exposure to risk management

 

Advanced Preparation: None

 

Education Provider Information
Company: Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
Contact: For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .
Course Questions and Answers(2 Questions)
Member's Profile

Hello Lynn, I have gone through the module regarding COSO 2013 - CA and went to the final exam. There is a question regarding: Why does COSO 2013 specifically identify a principle for technology controls?, I have answered that: Because technology is a major component of business and is ever evolving and changing and it wasn't correct. I am wondering why? I will not put the proper answer here for the rest of students, but I would like to undestand why the answer is not correct. Thank you for the answer. :)
BTW: the webiars are great.

Member's Profile

Thanks for the note. I looked at all the questions and it appears somehow many of the answers are incorrect. I have notified Illumeo to fix the final exam. You can go back in and take it.

Again - thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. We have been updating some of the courses. I'm a little confused as to how this happened but without your note, I may not have found the error for awhile

Instructor for this course
Course Syllabus
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
Control Activity Definition and Principles
  Defining Control Activities17:27
  Control Activity Principles2:50
  Principle 108:39
  Principle 11 4:30
  Principle 129:18
Conclusion
  Mapping CE Principles and Course Summary8:12
Continuous Play
  COSO 2013 Control Activity Compliance52:23
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
  Slides: Control ActivitiesPDF
  Control Activity Glossary/IndexPDF
Bonus Material
  Bonus Material: "Manager’s responsibility for Internal Control"PDF
REVIEW & TEST
  REVIEW QUESTIONSquiz
 FINAL EXAMexam