A mock audit will assist the entity in understanding what to expect during an actual audit engagement, allocate appropriate resources to the effort, and prepare their personnel. Gap analyses and mock audits performed by PCS are an excellent, objective evaluation that will assist in determining the condition and strength of an entity’s compliance program. On the Effective Date of a Reliability Standard, it becomes mandatory and enforceable, and applicable entities are responsible for compliance with the Requirements in the Reliability Standard. Internal compliance monitoring is a vital component for an entity to understand the current condition and possible gaps in its program. Due to the technical nature of compliance requirements, an entity can fall out of compliance quite easily. If left undetected, the reliability risk exposure to the bulk power system and the entity’s operating and financial risk exposure due to a requirement violation can exponentially increase each day.
PCS can assist entities by providing a periodic mock audit or gap analysis designed to identify and address any gaps in the entity’s compliance approach and evidence. A PCS mock audit offers a formal internal on-site (remote, if needed) and off-site experience that evaluates the entity’s audit approach, evidence, and its Subject Matter Experts’ (SME) knowledge and interview capabilities. PCS mock audits are a more comprehensive monitoring approach and designed to simulate an actual audit engagement.
Benefits
Businesses have to comply with a certain set of requirements to keep the processes in order. But due to the technical nature of compliance requirements, an entity can fall out of compliance quite easily. A gap analysis is designed to identify and address any gaps in the entity’s compliance approach and evidence. At PCS, we have a team of highly skilled and experienced professionals who conduct a thorough gap analysis.
The gap analysis gives us information about the difference between the current performance and the expected performance of an organization. It is a method used to determine business requirements. If there is a gap between current and expected performance, then what steps should be taken to meet them. At PCS, we have Subject matter experts who provide professional gap analysis audits.
In Gap analysis, professionals follow a structured approach that gives comprehensive information about what is missing. It involves knowing the end goal and the current state of the organization. The process involves identifying weak areas and what action should be taken to minimize the gap between current and expected performance. Connect with our experts at PCS to schedule a comprehensive GAP analysis.
A Gap analysis is usually performed before implementation takes place. It gives business owners information about where they are in the process, what is the set of standards and what they can do to achieve those standards. It’s mostly done at the beginning of the certification program. An internal audit, on the other hand, is done after the process is already in place. It identifies the shortcomings.
North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection has about 11 standards that companies have to comply with in order to safeguard their cybersecurity. These standards focus on the procedures and the policies organizations follow to keep their processes in order. Compliance with the NERC CIP standards helps create protection plans in the company. Our experts at PCS can help you with the same.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) has devised a certain set of standards that organizations have to follow to protect any assets used to operate North America’s Bulk Electric System (BES). These standards ensure that the best practices are followed to protect from potential threats that might affect BES’s optimal functionality.
