The guideline of the Swiss Federal Audit Office serves as a central instrument for auditing large-scale IT projects in the public sector. It plays a key role in ensuring transparency, accountability and methodological consistency. As project environments continue to evolve through technological progress, regulatory shifts and changing management practices, the guideline must remain adaptable. To ensure its continued relevance, it should incorporate innovation, practical experience and mechanisms for ongoing development.

The study applies a mixed-method approach, combining Design Science Research with qualitative analysis. It draws on academic literature, internal organizational documents, and semi-structured expert interviews. This ensures both theoretical depth and practical relevance, enabling a comprehensive understanding of success factors and improvement potential for audit guidelines.

The findings show that successful IT projects are often defined by clear stakeholder alignment, appropriate methodological frameworks, and responsive risk management. These insights help guide further research and highlight the key factors that should be considered to ensure the audit guideline remains up to date and attractive. Typical triggers for updating the guideline include regulatory changes, technological innovations, and the increased use of agile and hybrid approaches in public administration. Interview-based suggestions include integrating digital tools such as advanced filtering options and chatbot support, as well as establishing structured feedback loops to ensure continuous improvement. To ensure the long-term maintenance of the guideline, a Lifecycle Management (LCM) concept is proposed, drawing inspiration from Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). This provides a structured framework for iterative updates, stakeholder coordination, and documentation management. The study concludes that through a systematic development process, the audit guideline can remain relevant, effective, and aligned with the evolving needs of modern IT project environments.