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Understanding the Software Development Life Cycle — IT Certificate
Pre-Implementation Reviews
A pre-implementation review is performed prior to launching. It can take two forms:
• Audit using the SDLC activities – Examples include reviewing the organization’s SDLC policies
and practices, user requirements, feasibility analysis, system design, system specifications, and
system data conversion.
• Business process approach – Where you create a risk assessment of the current business
processes for the system and verify that the system and associated new manual procedures will
ensure business risks are mitigated.
If the organization has a well-developed SDLC methodology that is stable and followed, taking more
of a business approach on the audit activities is more value-add. This will allow you to address the
business functionality rather than focus entirely on system SDLC aspects. Also, for internal audit
departments with minimal IT audit resources, taking a business approach will allow you or your
internal audit staff to participate in development projects.
Post-Implementation Reviews
A post-implementation review is performed after the system launches and is performed like most
standard audits of a business process. It is also common to ensure that the system functions as
intended and that project expectations are met (e.g., reduction in costs, increased revenues, etc.)
during the post-implementation review.
Pre-implementation and post-implementation audits are dependent upon internal audit staffing
resources, with a full pre-implementation review requiring the most amount of hours.
TOPIC 6: SUMMARY
Learning Objectives
These learning objectives were covered in this course.
• Explain the purpose of the system development life cycle.
• Identify key organizational roles in system development projects.
• Explain the phases within a system development life cycle.
• Recognize reasons why system development projects fail.
• Describe project failures and reasons for successful outcomes of system development life cycle
projects.
• Recognize the general concepts related to assessing a system development life cycle.
Additional Resources
Additional resources for further reading include The IIA Global Technology Audit Guide: “Auditing IT
Projects.”
Copyright © 2021 by The Institute of Internal Auditors, Inc. All rights reserved.
