Kevin Gilligan, Head of Business Advisory
In today’s regulatory environment, compliance is no longer about simply having policies in place. Regulators and stakeholders alike expect firms to demonstrate that their compliance frameworks are both well-designed and effectively implemented. At Aspida, we support this expectation through the use of Resolver, our integrated Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) platform, which enables firms to evidence their compliance posture with clarity and confidence.
Why It Matters
Regulatory bodies across jurisdictions are increasingly focused on outcomes. They want to see that firms can identify and assess risks, implement appropriate controls, monitor those controls for both design and operational effectiveness, and remediate issues with documented evidence.
Design vs. Operational Control Effectiveness
Design effectiveness assesses whether a control is appropriately structured to mitigate a specific risk. Even if executed flawlessly, a poorly designed control may fail to address the intended risk.
Operational effectiveness, by contrast, evaluates whether the control is being consistently applied and functioning as intended in practice. A well-designed control that is not followed or fails during execution is equally ineffective.
For example, a policy requiring dual sign-off on payments may be well-designed. However, if staff routinely bypass it, the control is operationally ineffective.
How Resolver by Aspida Supports Both
Resolver enables firms to map controls to risks and obligations, ensuring design alignment. It allows for scheduled and documented control testing, including frequency and outcomes. Compliance teams can track KPIs such as the percentage of controls tested for design versus operational effectiveness, the number of failed controls by type, and the time taken to remediate ineffective controls. Each action is logged, creating a clear audit trail that satisfies both internal governance and external scrutiny.
Demonstrating Effectiveness With Resolver, firms can present a clear distinction between design and operational testing, provide evidence of risk-based prioritisation in control reviews, and generate board-level dashboards that reflect control health and remediation progress. This not only meets regulatory expectations but also enhances internal governance and builds trust with clients, investors, and other stakeholders.
Discover how Resolver by Aspida can help your business move beyond policy and into demonstrable, data-driven compliance. Whether you’re looking to enhance internal governance, meet evolving regulatory expectations, or build stakeholder trust, our team is here to support you.
Get in touch to learn more or book a demo today.
