Effectiveness of internal controls in the protection of personal data in national databases
of internal controls which must ensure the accuracy and preservation of data and avoid information leaks. ... The NAO analysed seven national databases in order to find out how the legitimate use of personal data is ensured. In accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act, the agencies who run databases ... must ensure that personal data is protected from abuse. The information system of the database must function appropriately, incl. be reliable and safe. Log files must be retained of all instances ... ... Basic controls analysis can fail in data protection ... Estonian SAI analyzed personal data safety. Main finding were: poor log analysis and unprotected data.
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Operation of the Record Systems Applied in the Eligibility Scheme of Benefits and Services Provided from the Social Security Funds
and Customs Administration), as well as the dataflow amongst them. In addition, the control system of fulfilling the data provision obligation was evaluated, as well as the IT support activities and whether ... Hungarian SAI evaluated the set-up and operation of the basic registries of managing bodies (National Health Insurance Fund, Central Administration of National Pension Insurance, National Tax ... the records had proven reliable in supporting services in compliance with eligibilities and in filtering unjustified services. The audited period covered the years 2007-2010. ... ... Well considered regulations are essential for good quality data ... State Audit Office of Hungary.has proved that date safety may depend on quality of regulations. The report on record systems of social security services casted light on risk connected with huge data ... bases managed by different entities, in a changing legal environment.
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Auditing the National Rationing System
The audit was to investigate the data quality, validity and reliability of two sub-systems (Ration Card and Ration Distribution) of a National Rationing System (Ration System) with the comparison ... to the rules and regulations in order to make an assessment of soundness of the Ration system and its related operations. ... Unreliable databases trigger all kinds of possible problems ... Ministry responsible for functioning of the National Rationing System developed to automate and optimize the delivery of essential subsidized commodities to eligible beneficiaries and providing state ... with reliable information fails its job.
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VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE - Preliminary Observations on VHA’s Claims Processing Delays and Efforts to Improve the Timeliness of Payments to Community Providers
Due to increases in expenditures and utilization of VA care in the community services in recent years, VHA has had difficulty processing claims in a timely manner. In planning to consolidate its ... existing VA care in the community programs, as required by law, the agency said it will examine strategies for improving the timeliness and accuracy of its payments to community providers.<br ... /> This statement, which is based on ongoing work, summarizes GAO’s preliminary observations about (1) VHA’s, Medicare’s, and TRICARE’s claims processing timeliness in fiscal year 2015; (2) factors that have impeded ... Data processing hold back by technology limitation, workload and administrative burden ... US GAO analyzed all factors of slower processing and user unfriendliness that occur sometimes to the veterans healthcare. The main focus is data processing - and it has been proved that it can ... be failing not only because of technology, but also because of work-process design, staff and organisation.
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Submission of data to national databases in municipalities, towns and cities
The National Audit Office analysed the activities of the database managers following a ruling made by the Supreme Court in 2010, which stated that the public functions assigned to local authorities ... must be clearly financed from the state budget. It was also assessed whether the measures taken by database managers have been sufficient to guarantee that local authorities submit all required data ... and that these data are correct. ... ... Funds as basic factor of data processing ... The NAO of Estonia audited the activities of state agencies in the management of the database selected for the audit, to which local authorities are obliged to submit data. It was found that in most ... cases the state does not compensate the costs of data submission for local governments.
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Management and development of IT systems in the Ministry of the Environment
The purpose of this audit was to assess whether the information systems in the area of government of the Ministry of the Environment (and their development) support the reliable, economical ... and sustainable collection and use of environmental information. On a broader scale the National Audit Office looked at all of the 42 environmental information systems created in the area of government ... of the Ministry of Environment, but focused in greater detail on four of them: the Environmental Register, the Estonian Nature Information System, the Environmental Permits Information System and the Land Cadastre ... ... Estonian environmental information system needs reforms ... Correctness and reliability of the environmental data is guaranteed to a considerable extent. However there is a need for redevelopment of environmental information systems, particularly ... by the Environmental Register.
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Operation of the Hungarian State Holding Company in 2009
The State Audit Office of Hungary audited the Hungarian State Holding Company (hereinafter: HSHC). The aim of the audit was to evaluate if the practice of the property management system ... and activities were in harmony with the goals stipulated by the legislation, if the institutional system established for state property management and utilisation ensured the efficient functioning of the state ... assets and the preservation of its values. ... ... Effective property management requires effective data management ... The State Audit Office of Hungary audited the Hungarian State Holding Company and found that reliable data management is essential for effective property management. The IT project aimed ... at supporting state property management had serious deficiencies in the field of project management. As a consequence of the weaknesses in data management, the chartered accountant refused giving an opinion both ... in 2008 and 2009 as there were no reliable data available for an opinion on the financial report.
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