Achieve Success in the Isaca CGEIT Exam: A Detailed Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT Exam Guide

The chief information officer (CIO) is the senior executive who is responsible for the achievement of IT strategic objectives. The IT strategic objectives are the high-level goals and priorities that guide the IT vision, mission, and value creation for the organization. The CIO is responsible for:

• Developing and communicating the IT strategy and aligning it with the business strategy and objectives
• Managing and delivering the IT solutions, services, and projects that support and enable the business needs, requirements, and value drivers
• Leading and overseeing the IT functions, resources, and capabilities, and ensuring their quality, efficiency, and effectiveness
• Monitoring and reporting the IT performance and outcomes, and ensuring their alignment with the IT strategic objectives and value drivers
• Implementing and maintaining the IT governance framework, policies, standards, and practices

The other options are not correct. The IT steering committee is a group of senior executives and stakeholders who provide guidance, direction, and oversight for the IT strategy and initiatives, but not responsible for their achievement. The business process owners are the individuals or groups who have an interest or influence in the business processes that are supported or enabled by IT, but not responsible for the achievement of IT strategic objectives. The board of directors is the highest governing body of the organization that sets the vision, mission, strategy, and objectives of the organization, as well as oversees its performance and value creation, but not responsible for the achievement of IT strategic objectives.

References:

• According to the CGEIT Review Manual 20221, “The CIO is responsible for ensuring that IT strategic objectives are achieved. The CIO should develop an IT strategy that is aligned with enterprise strategy; manage IT resources to deliver value; monitor IT performance; implement IT governance; etc.”
• According to the CIO article on What is a CIO? Everything you need to know about the Chief Information Officer role2, “The chief information officer (CIO) oversees an organization’s technology strategy, as well as the hardware, software and data that helps other departments do their jobs.”
• According to the ISACA article on The Role of CIO in Enterprise Governance of Information Technology3, “The CIO plays a key role in EGIT by translating business strategy into IT strategy; managing IT resources; delivering IT solutions; measuring IT performance; ensuring compliance; etc.”

 A common risk management taxonomy is a set of terms and definitions that are used consistently across the enterprise to describe, measure, and report on risks. A common risk management taxonomy is essential for integrating IT risk with the ERM framework, as it enables a common understanding of risk concepts, categories, and levels among different stakeholders and functions. A common risk management taxonomy also facilitates the aggregation and comparison of risks across the enterprise, and supports the alignment of risk appetite and tolerance with business objectives12. References: 1: Integrated Enterprise IT Risk Management (ERM) Programs - CohnReznick3 2: Introducing Risk Taxonomy - ISACA4

• This is because performance metrics are measurable values that indicate how well the IT assets are performing in terms of functionality, quality, efficiency, and effectiveness1. By implementing performance metrics for key IT assets, the organization can:

Implementing performance metrics for key IT assets can help the organization determine the contribution of IT assets in achievement of IT goals, and ensure that they deliver value to the business.

The other options, establishing the span of control during the life cycle of IT assets, determining the average cost of controls for protection of IT assets, and comparing the performance of IT assets against industry best practices are not as beneficial as determining the contribution of IT assets in achievement of IT goals for implementing performance metrics for key IT assets. They are more related to specific aspects or outcomes of IT asset management, rather than a holistic and strategic benefit. They may also not be relevant or applicable to all types or categories of IT assets. They may not address the full scope or potential of IT asset improvement and optimization. References := What Is an IT Asset Management KPI? | Filewave, Performance Measurement Metrics for IT Governance - ISACA

 Engaging stakeholders to identify and validate business requirements is the best way to improve the success rate of future IT initiatives. Stakeholders are the individuals or groups who have an interest or influence in the IT initiatives, such as business users, customers, managers, sponsors, etc. Engaging stakeholders can help:

• Understand the needs, expectations, and priorities of the stakeholders, and ensure that they are aligned with the business objectives and strategy
• Define and document the business requirements that specify what the IT initiatives should deliver in terms of functionality, quality, performance, and value
• Validate and verify that the business requirements are clear, complete, consistent, feasible, and testable
• Communicate and manage any changes or issues that may affect the business requirements or the IT initiatives

Engaging stakeholders to identify and validate business requirements can help avoid missing key functionality in the corporate applications, and ensure that they meet the stakeholder’s needs and expectations. This can also reduce the reliance on spreadsheets and databases as alternative software solutions, and increase the user satisfaction and adoption of the enterprise applications.

The other options are not the best way to improve the success rate of future IT initiatives. Engaging the business user community in acceptance testing of acquired applications is a good practice, but it is not sufficient to ensure that the applications have the key functionality that meets the business requirements. Acceptance testing is done at the end of the IT initiative lifecycle, after the applications have been developed or acquired. If the business requirements were not properly identified and validated at the beginning of the IT initiative lifecycle, acceptance testing may reveal significant gaps or defects that may be costly or difficult to fix. Establishing a process for risk and value management is a useful technique, but it does not directly address the issue of missing key functionality in the corporate applications. Risk and value management involves identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and treating the risks and benefits associated with IT initiatives. However, without clear and valid business requirements, risk and value management may not be effective or accurate. Prohibiting the use of non-approved alternate software solutions is a restrictive measure, but it does not solve the problem of missing key functionality in the corporate applications. Prohibiting the use of spreadsheets and databases may force the users to use the enterprise applications, but it may also create dissatisfaction, frustration, or resistance among them. Moreover, it may prevent them from performing their tasks efficiently or effectively if the enterprise applications do not meet their needs.

For more information on engaging stakeholders to identify and validate business requirements, you can refer to these web sources:

• Stakeholder Engagement - ISACA
• Business Requirements - ISACA
• Requirements Validation - ISACA

The CIO’s first step in deciding the appropriate response to the new regulatory requirement should be to consult with legal and risk experts to understand the requirements. This step is important because the legal and risk experts can provide the CIO with the relevant and accurate information about the new regulation, such as its scope, objectives, implications, and deadlines. The legal and risk experts can also advise the CIO on the potential risks and impacts of non-compliance, as well as the best practices and strategies for compliance .

The other options are not the first step in deciding the appropriate response to the new regulatory requirement, but rather subsequent steps that depend on the outcome of the consultation with the legal and risk experts. Revising initiatives that are active to reflect the new requirements is a step that occurs after the CIO has understood the requirements and assessed their impact on the current IT-enabled business activities. Confirming there are adequate resources to mitigate compliance requirements is a step that occurs after the CIO has identified and prioritized the actions and tasks needed to achieve compliance. Consulting with the board for guidance on the new requirements is a step that occurs after the CIO has developed and proposed a feasible and effective compliance plan.

References: : How to Respond to Regulatory Changes - Smartsheet : Regulatory Change Management: A Guide for Compliance Teams | LogicGate

To prevent an IT system from becoming obsolete before achieving its planned return on investment (ROI), it is crucial to manage the benefit realization throughout the entire lifecycle of the system. This approach involves continuously monitoring and adjusting the system to ensure it delivers the expected value and benefits from inception through decommissioning. This proactive management helps in adapting to changes in technology and business environments, thus extending the relevance and utility of the IT system. Obtaining independent assurance, defining IT and business goals, and ordering an external audit are important practices but do not directly address the ongoing management of the system's value delivery and adaptability over time.

To obtain a holistic view of IT performance and identify potential gaps in service delivery, a CIO should review Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs are quantifiable measures that reflect the critical success factors of an organization and provide a comprehensive overview of performance across various aspects of IT service delivery, including efficiency, effectiveness, quality, and compliance with agreed service levels. While ROI analysis, SLA reporting, and staff performance evaluations offer valuable insights into specific areas, KPIs provide a broader perspective that encompasses various dimensions of IT performance, making them essential for a comprehensive assessment.

The most efficient approach for using risk scenarios to evaluate a new business opportunity is to identify risk events from both bottom-up and top-down perspectives. This means that the risk identification process should consider both the specific details of the opportunity, such as the market, customer, product, service, technology, and resources involved, as well as the broader context of the opportunity, such as the strategic objectives, vision, mission, values, and culture of the organization. By using both bottom-up and top-down approaches, the risk identification process can capture a comprehensive and balanced view of the potential risks that could affect the success of the opportunity. This will help to create realistic and relevant risk scenarios that can be analyzed and evaluated for decision-making purposes. A bottom-up approach alone may miss some important risks that are related to the organization’s strategy, governance, or environment, while a top-down approach alone may overlook some specific risks that are unique to the opportunity or its implementation. Therefore, a combination of both approaches is the most efficient way to use risk scenarios for evaluating a new business opportunity. References := What is business risk? | McKinsey, How to Write Strong Risk Scenarios and Statements - ISACA, Finding your blind spots: Recognising emerging risks and opportunities

Organizational responsibility for IT risk management is a critical factor for the success of the program. Without clear roles and responsibilities, the program may lack accountability, coordination, communication and alignment with the business objectives. The other options are not as concerning as option A, because they do not affect the core of the program. Having risk management-related certifications is desirable, but not mandatory, for the IT risk management team. Monitoring only a few key risk indicators (KRIs) is acceptable, as long as they are relevant and meaningful for the program. Retaining IT risk training records is important, but not essential, for the program effectiveness. References := ISACA, CGEIT Review Manual, 7th Edition, Chapter 3: Benefits Realization, Section 3.2: IT Risk Management, p. 113-114.

This is because enterprise risk appetite is the amount and type of risk that an organization is willing and able to accept in pursuit of its objectives. It reflects the organization’s risk culture, strategy, and values. When implementing an emerging technology with unclear regulatory and compliance requirements, the organization should consider its risk appetite and tolerance, as well as the potential benefits, costs, and impacts of the technology. The organization should also assess the likelihood and severity of the regulatory and compliance risks, and implement appropriate controls and mitigation measures to manage them within acceptable levels.

Some of the sources that support this answer are:

• 1: This source provides a comprehensive guide on how to navigate the hype and risk of emerging technologies. It suggests that organizations should define their risk appetite and tolerance for adopting emerging technologies, and conduct a balanced risk and benefit assessment before making any decisions.
• 2: This source discusses the challenges and best practices for mitigating emerging technology risk. It recommends that organizations should align their emerging technology strategy with their enterprise risk appetite, and establish a governance framework that covers the identification, evaluation, response, and monitoring of emerging technology risks.
• 3: This source defines enterprise risk appetite and explains its importance for effective risk management. It also provides some guidance on how to develop, communicate, and monitor enterprise risk appetite statements.

• This is because KPIs are measurable values that indicate how well the IT governance framework is achieving its objectives and delivering value to the business1. By evaluating KPI results, the organization can:

Evaluating KPI results can provide a comprehensive and objective overview of the IT governance framework’s effectiveness and impact.

The other options, developing a business case for the program portfolio, benchmarking the IT governance framework to industry best practice, and reviewing results of IT audit reports are not as effective as evaluating KPI results for assessing the effectiveness of a newly established IT governance framework. They are more related to the design and implementation of the IT governance framework, rather than its evaluation. They may also be too narrow or subjective for assessing the IT governance framework’s effectiveness, as they may not cover all aspects or perspectives of the IT governance framework. They may also depend on external factors or standards that may not be relevant or applicable to the organization’s specific context and needs.

A due diligence process is the best way to enable a clear understanding of the vendor’s capabilities that will be critical to the enterprise’s strategy. A due diligence process is a systematic and comprehensive investigation and evaluation of the vendor’s background, reputation, performance, quality, reliability, security, compliance, and suitability for the enterprise’s needs and expectations. A due diligence process can help the enterprise:

• Verify the vendor’s claims and credentials, and validate the vendor’s references and testimonials
• Assess the vendor’s financial stability, legal status, and ethical standards
• Identify the vendor’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
• Compare the vendor’s offerings, capabilities, and prices with other vendors and market benchmarks
• Determine the risks and benefits of engaging with the vendor, and the mitigation and contingency plans
• Negotiate the terms and conditions of the contract, service level agreement (SLA), and key performance indicators (KPIs)

References:

• According to the CGEIT Review Manual 2022, "Due diligence is a comprehensive appraisal of a business undertaken by a prospective buyer or partner to establish its assets and liabilities and evaluate its commercial potential."1
• According to the ISACA article on Third-Party Vendor Selection: If Done Right, It’s a Win-Win2, “Once you have identified which processes can be outsourced as well as their inherent risks, you can begin performing due diligence on potential vendors. The level of due diligence should be tailored to the significance of the relationship as well as the potential risks it poses.”
• According to the Gartner article on How to Evaluate Technology Vendors in 4 Rigorous Steps1, “Evaluating vendors requires detailed objectives, criteria, prioritization and monitoring. Here’s help. When it comes to choosing a vendor, enterprise tech buyer teams can easily become bogged down in the details and documentation provided by sales teams.”

To address concerns about staff saving sensitive corporate information on publicly available cloud file storage applications, the first step should be to require staff training on data classification policies. Educating employees about the types of data classified as sensitive and the associated handling requirements helps to raise awareness and change behavior. Training should emphasize the importance of protecting sensitive information and the proper use of approved storage solutions. While creating secure storage solutions, blocking access to certain applications, and revising policies are important measures, education and awareness are fundamental first steps to ensure compliance and mitigate risks.

Standardization of technical platforms can help optimize infrastructure investments by reducing complexity, increasing interoperability, and enabling economies of scale.

References:

• According to the CGEIT Review Manual 2022, one of the benefits of standardization is that it “optimizes infrastructure investments by reducing complexity and increasing interoperability and scalability.”
• According to the Oracle article on the EA Roadmap to Rationalize, Standardize, and Consolidate IT Assets, standardized technology "yields measurable cost savings through reduced software licenses and the elimination of redundant systems and skill sets."1

The best way for IT to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements is to enforce IT policies and procedures that align with the compliance standards and guidelines. IT policies and procedures are the documents that define the roles, responsibilities, rules, and expectations for the IT function and its activities. They help to ensure that the IT systems and processes are secure, reliable, efficient, and consistent with the business objectives and legal obligations. By enforcing IT policies and procedures, IT can demonstrate its compliance with regulatory requirements and avoid violations, penalties, or reputational damage. The other options are not as effective as enforcing IT policies and procedures for achieving compliance with regulatory requirements. Creating an IT project portfolio is a good practice for managing IT investments and resources, but it does not guarantee compliance with regulatory requirements. Reviewing an IT performance dashboard is a useful technique for monitoring and measuring IT performance and value delivery, but it does not ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Reporting on IT audit findings and action plans is a necessary step for improving IT governance and control processes, but it does not achieve compliance with regulatory requirements. References := What is IT Compliance? - Checklist, Guidelines & More | Proofpoint US, 6 Common IT Compliance Standards (A Guide to the Basics), Here’s Why Regulatory Compliance is Important - Reciprocity