The best recommendation to address the problem of missing IT deadlines on important projects because IT resources are not prioritized properly is to implement project portfolio management (PPM). PPM is the process of analyzing and optimizing the costs, resources, technologies, and processes for all the projects and programs within a portfolio. A portfolio is a collection of projects, programs, and processes that are managed together and aligned with the strategic goals and objectives of the organization. PPM can help the organization to:
Prioritize the most valuable and relevant projects and programs based on their alignment with the organizational strategy, vision, and mission.
Balance the portfolio to ensure that the projects and programs are diversified, feasible, and sustainable, and that they meet the needs and expectations of the stakeholders.
Optimize the allocation, utilization, and coordination of IT resources across the portfolio, such as staff, budget, time, equipment, and software.
Monitor and control the performance and progress of the projects and programs within the portfolio, and evaluate their outcomes and benefits.
By implementing PPM, the organization can improve its IT project delivery and avoid missing deadlines.
PPM can also help the organization to increase its efficiency, effectiveness, quality, and value. For more information about PPM, you can refer to the following web search results:
Project Portfolio Management (PPM): The Ultimate Guide - ProjectManager1 A Complete Overview of Project Portfolio Management - Smartsheet2 PPM 101: What Is Project Portfolio Management?3

The best way to evaluate the effectiveness of a new automated control is to review the written procedures that define the processes and controls. This will help the IS auditor to understand the objectives, scope, roles, responsibilities, and expected outcomes of the control. The written procedures will also provide a basis for testing the control and verifying its compliance with the audit finding recommendations. References:
* ISACA Frameworks: Blueprints for Success
* CISA Review Manual (Digital Version)

A key performance indicator (KPI) is a quantifiable measure of performance over time for a specific objective1. KPIs help organizations and teams track their progress and achievements towards their strategic goals. To be useful, a KPI must have a target value, which is the desired level of performance or outcome that the organization or team aims to achieve. A target value provides a clear direction and a benchmark for measuring success or failure. Without a target value, a KPI is meaningless, as it does not indicate whether the performance is good or bad, or how far or close the organization or team is from reaching their objective.

The greatest risk associated with security patches being automatically downloaded and applied to production servers is that patches may result in major service failures, as they may introduce new bugs, conflicts, or incompatibilities that could affect the functionality, performance, or availability of the servers12. Automatic patching may also bypass the testing and validation processes that are necessary to ensure the quality and reliability of the patches34.
References
1: Do you leave Windows Automatic Updates enabled on your production IIS server? - Server Fault1 2:
Azure now installs security updates on Windows VMs automatically3 3: Server Patch Management | Process of Server Patching - ManageEngine2 4: Windows Security Updates | Microsoft Patch Updates Guide - ManageEngine4

A biometric access device installed at the entrance to a facility is a type of preventive control. Preventive controls are designed to deter or prevent undesirable events from occurring12. They are proactive measures that aim to inhibit incidents before they happen12. In this case, the biometric access device prevents unauthorized individuals from gaining access to the facility by requiring unique biological characteristics for authentication12.
References:
Guide to Biometric Access Control & Door Lock Security - Avigilon
Biometric access control: meaning, types and implementation - Smowl