Understanding Algorithms

Pieter Oosterwijk (), Miranda Pirkovski () and Berrie Zielman ()
Additional contact information
Pieter Oosterwijk: Netherlands Court of Audit
Miranda Pirkovski: Netherlands Court of Audit
Berrie Zielman: Netherlands Court of Audit

A chapter in Advanced Digital Auditing, 2023, pp 89-120 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Algorithms account for an ever-larger component of the central government’s operations and actions, and hence perform an ever-important role in the delivery of public services to citizens and businesses. We analysed the activities and processes for which central government and its associated organisations use algorithms, classified these into categories, and identified the risks involved in the use of algorithms. In addition, we examined how central government and its associated organisations manage the operation and control the quality of algorithms. Most of the algorithms used by central government are relatively simple. They have a limited effect on private individuals, as it is only such relatively simple algorithms that take automatic decisions. Many of these decisions involve the automation of certain administrative activities, for example the automated sending of letters confirming the receipt of a communication. We did not find any fully self-learning algorithms in central government, only learning algorithms. We urge governments to evaluate algorithms on basis of a predetermined set of criteria and present a framework for such evaluations.

Keywords: Algorithm assurance; Auditing; Assurance; Ethics; Decision-making; Cyber security; IT Governance; Internal control; Enterprise risk management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prochp:978-3-031-11089-4_5

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783031110894

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11089-4_5

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Progress in IS from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().