Continuous Monitoring

Continuous Monitoring in Financial Compliance

Continuous monitoring is a method of using data and regular process checks to identify potential risks, errors, or policy violations as they happen—or even before they happen—rather than waiting for issues to be discovered during audits or after-the-fact reviews.

In an academic setting like UVA, this might include:

• Routinely analyzing transaction data for trends, anomalies, or red flags (e.g., duplicate payments, unusual travel expenses, split purchases).
• Checking for alignment with University policies and procedures across key areas like procurement, payroll, and expense reporting.
• Following up with departments when patterns suggest something might need a closer look—not to "police," but to partner and prevent problems early.
• Using dashboards, exception reports, or automated alerts to help identify where guidance, training, or process improvement may be helpful.

The goal of continuous monitoring isn’t to catch people doing something wrong—it’s to help keep processes strong, protect University resources, and reduce the risk of bigger issues down the road. It’s all about supporting good stewardship through early detection and collaboration.