Segregation of Duties Matrix Sample Templates

A fundamental element of internal control is the segregation of certain key duties. The basic idea underlying segregation of duties is that no employee or group should be in a position both to perpetrate and to conceal errors or fraud in the normal course of their duties. In general, the principal incompatible duties to be segregated include:

- Custody of assets
- Authorization or approval of related transactions affecting those assets
- Recording or reporting of related transactions
- Execution of the transaction or transaction activity

An essential feature of segregation of duties/responsibilities within an organization is that no one employee or group of employees has exclusive control over any transaction or group of transactions.

Based on the above criteria, this worksheet has been designed to highlight conflicting duties performed by one individual or group of individuals (potential lack of proper segregation of duties). Audit teams are encouraged to use this form to help identify potentially commingled duties within accounting processes that may constitute a control weakness.