In the U.S., the growth and development of internal control systems and processes over financial
reporting has closely followed the increase in the complexity of business transactions, the failure
of some to protect assets belonging to others, a formal organization providing a framework for
internal controls, and the intrusion or intervention of government. In the 1920’s there was an
emphasis on administrative internal controls so managers could have information to make good
decisions. Soon afterwards emphasis seemed to be directed toward financial reporting and
continued that focus until recent times. The period of time for comments on the ICIF has
concluded and COSO expects to release the in the first quarter of 2013. ICIF provides guidance
to business organizations as they adapt to the increasing complexity of change. It provides a
framework for mitigating risks and for providing reliable information to support decision making
by management and by external stakeholders. While it may be a futile exercise to predict the
future of internal control, it is a good prediction that as the U.S. society changes, the need for
changes in internal control will likely change also.