Resumen
The need for a better management control and involvement in Information Systems (IS) activities stems from two motivations-runaway IS projects and the rapid growth in the use of IS to advance overall corporate strategy. Behind them is the deep problem of inadequate control and a communication barrier between nontechnical managers and IS managers. Checks-and-balances approach provides an innovative dimension for managing IS activities in organizations, requiring that for each authority within the IS function there is another authority inside or outside IS checking its products and providing a balance between professional abilities of IS and the overall organizational influence. This checks-and-balances approach is valid for providing internal balance within the IS function and for general management's interests in controlling the overall IS function. So instead of using a risk-based method for controlling individual projects, this checks-and-balances approach and its corresponding toolbox function as a comprehensive safeguard for minimizing risk.