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

 An IT balanced scorecard (BSC) is a framework that measures and manages the performance and value of IT in relation to the enterprise’s strategy, goals, and objectives. An IT BSC provides the most comprehensive insight into the effectiveness of IT, because it covers four perspectives that reflect the key aspects of IT: financial, customer, internal process, and learning and growth. For each perspective, an IT BSC defines objectives, measures, targets, and initiatives that align with the enterprise’s vision and mission. An IT BSC also helps to balance the short-term and long-term outcomes of IT, as well as the leading and lagging indicators of IT performance. According to ISACA’s article on The IT Balanced Scorecard1, “the IT BSC is a powerful tool for demonstrating the contribution of IT to the business, communicating IT performance in business terms, and aligning IT with business strategy.” Furthermore, according to ISACA’s CGEIT Domain 1: Framework for the Governance of Enterprise IT2, “the IT BSC is a widely used framework for measuring and managing the performance of IT resources in relation to enterprise goals.” Therefore, an IT BSC is the best way to provide a comprehensive insight into the effectiveness of IT.

A succession plan is a process of identifying and preparing potential candidates to take over key roles in an organization when the current incumbents leave or retire. A succession plan is an important governance action to prepare for the possibility of losing a large portion of the organization’s key IT staff, as it can help to ensure the continuity and stability of the IT function and its alignment with the business objectives and strategies. A succession plan can also help to mitigate the risks and challenges associated with talent shortages, knowledge gaps, and leadership transitions. A succession plan should be developed in collaboration with the human resources (HR) department, the IT senior management, and the board of directors, and should include the following steps:

• Identify the critical IT roles and their competencies, responsibilities, and performance expectations
• Assess the current IT staff and their readiness, potential, and interest to assume higher-level or more complex roles
• Conduct a gap analysis to determine the difference between the current and future skills and capabilities needed for the IT function
• Develop a talent pipeline and a talent pool of internal and external candidates who can fill the critical IT roles
• Provide learning and development opportunities for the identified candidates, such as training, coaching, mentoring, job rotation, or shadowing
• Monitor and evaluate the progress and performance of the candidates and provide feedback and support
• Review and update the succession plan periodically to reflect any changes in the business or IT environment

References: Succession planning: a guide to get it right - Workable1, Succession Planning: Template, Process, Best Practices [2023] - Valamis2, Succession Planning: Best Practices - GitHub Pages3

The best way for an IT governance board to establish standards of behavior for the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is to direct the creation and approval of an ethical use policy. An ethical use policy is a document that defines the principles, values, and guidelines for the responsible and ethical design, development, and deployment of AI systems and applications within the enterprise. An ethical use policy can help to ensure that AI is aligned with the enterprise’s mission, vision, goals, and values, and that it respects the rights, dignity, and interests of all stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners, regulators, and society at large. An ethical use policy can also help to address the potential risks, challenges, and impacts of AI on various aspects such as privacy, security, fairness, accountability, transparency, trustworthiness, human dignity, human agency, social good, etc. According to ISACA’s article on Developing an Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework1, “an ethical use policy is essential for any enterprise that wants to adopt AI in a responsible and sustainable manner. An ethical use policy can help to establish trust and confidence in AI among the stakeholders and customers, and to avoid or mitigate any negative consequences or harms that may arise from AI.” Furthermore, according to ISACA’s article on Governance of Responsible AI: From Ethical Guidelines to Legal Frameworks2, “an ethical use policy can provide a common framework and language for the governance of AI across different domains, sectors, and regions. An ethical use policy can also facilitate the compliance with existing laws and regulations that may apply to AI.” Therefore, directing the creation and approval of an ethical use policy is the best way for an IT governance board to establish standards of behavior for the adoption of AI.

Data conversion is the process of transforming data from one format or system to another. It is a critical activity in any data migration or integration project, as it affects the quality, accuracy, and usability of the data. Therefore, IT governance should mandate that data conversion has documented approvals from business process data owners, who are the stakeholders responsible for defining and maintaining the data requirements, standards, and quality for their respective business processes. This ensures that the data conversion meets the business needs and expectations, as well as complies with the relevant policies and regulations. References:

• CGEIT Review Manual 2021, Chapter 4: Resource Optimization, Section 4.2: Data Management, page 1651
• CGEIT Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual 2021, Question 10, page 252
• Data Conversion: Definition, Best Practices, and Examples3
• Data Governance Roles and Responsibilities4

A risk management framework is a set of principles, policies, roles, responsibilities, and processes that guide, direct, and control the identification, analysis, evaluation, and treatment of IT risks. A risk management framework can help ensure that IT risk is managed in a consistent manner by:

• Providing a clear and coherent structure for managing IT risks across the organization
• Aligning IT risks with the enterprise objectives, strategy, and risk appetite
• Defining the roles and responsibilities of the IT risk owners, managers, and stakeholders
• Establishing the criteria and methods for assessing, prioritizing, and reporting IT risks
• Setting the standards and expectations for implementing and monitoring IT risk controls and responses
• Ensuring the accountability and transparency of IT risk decisions and outcomes

References:

• According to the CGEIT Review Manual 2022, "A risk management framework is a set of components that provide the foundations and organizational arrangements for designing, implementing, monitoring, reviewing and continually improving risk management throughout the enterprise."1
• According to the ISACA article on Understanding Cyber Risk Metrics and Reporting2, “A risk management framework provides a consistent approach to identifying, analyzing, evaluating and treating information-related risks. It also communicates the acceptable levels of risk.”
• According to the NIST article on Staging Cybersecurity Risks for Enterprise Risk Management and Governance3, “A cybersecurity risk management framework is an essential tool for organizations to use in understanding their cybersecurity risks in relation to their overall organizational risks.”

When considering an IT change that would enable a potential new line of business, the first strategic step for IT governance would be to ensure agreement among the stakeholders regarding a vision for the future state, because this would provide a clear direction and purpose for the change, and align the IT strategy with the business strategy. A vision statement should describe the desired outcomes and benefits of the change, and reflect the enterprise’s mission, values, and goals12. References := ISACA, CGEIT Review Manual, 7th Edition, 2019, page 23-24.

The best action to address the situation of the risk committee being overwhelmed by the number of false positives in risk reports is to evaluate key risk indicators (KRIs). KRIs are metrics that measure the likelihood and impact of IT-related risks on the enterprise’s objectives and goals. Evaluating KRIs can help the risk committee to identify and prioritize the most significant and relevant risks, as well as to adjust the thresholds or values that trigger the risk alerts or warnings. Evaluating KRIs can also help reduce the number of false positives, which are the cases where the risk reports indicate a high level of risk, but the actual risk is low or negligible. Reducing false positives can help improve the accuracy and reliability of risk reports, as well as save time and resources for the risk committee.

Conducting a risk assessment, changing the reporting format, and adjusting the IT balanced scorecard are also possible actions to take to address the situation of the risk committee being overwhelmed by false positives, but they are not the best action. Conducting a risk assessment is a process that involves identifying, analyzing, evaluating, and treating the IT risks that may affect the enterprise’s objectives and operations. Conducting a risk assessment can help update and validate the risk information and data, as well as implement appropriate controls and mitigation strategies. However, conducting a risk assessment may not be sufficient or feasible to address the issue of false positives, as it may require a lot of time and effort, and it may not address the root causes of false positives, such as inaccurate or outdated KRIs. Changing the reporting format is a measure that involves modifying or improving the way that risk information and data are presented or communicated in risk reports. Changing the reporting format can help enhance and simplify the readability and usability of risk reports, as well as highlight or emphasize the key points or findings. However, changing the reporting format may not solve the problem of false positives, as it may only affect the appearance or style of risk reports, not their content or quality. Adjusting the IT balanced scorecard is a task that involves revising or updating the metrics that track the performance of IT in relation to the enterprise’s vision, strategy, and goals. Adjusting the IT balanced scorecard can help evaluate and communicate the effectiveness and efficiency of IT operations, services, and projects, as well as their contribution to customer satisfaction, business value, and innovation. However, adjusting the IT balanced scorecard may not directly address the issue of false positives, as it may focus on different aspects or dimensions of IT performance than KRIs.

 The requirements for security and privacy of information should be defined when issuing RFPs to ensure that potential vendors can meet the enterprise’s expectations and comply with relevant regulations. This will also help the enterprise to evaluate and compare the proposals based on the predefined criteria. References: CGEIT Review Manual (Digital Version) or CGEIT Review Manual (Print Version), Chapter 3: Benefits Realization, Section 3.2: IT Investment Management, Subsection 3.2.2: IT Investment Selection, Page 97-98.

The most significant challenge faced by an enterprise when establishing information stewardship is the lack of role clarity and specific responsibilities, as this can lead to confusion, duplication, inconsistency, or omission of tasks and activities related to information governance. Information stewardship is the role of providing day-to-day operational support using data, such as defining and implementing data policies, standards, and procedures; monitoring and reporting on data compliance and performance; and collaborating with other stakeholders to ensure data quality, integrity, and security1. Information stewardship requires clear and consistent definition of the scope, objectives, and expectations of the role, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the information stewards and their relationship with other data owners, users, or scientists1. Without role clarity and specific responsibilities, information stewardship may not be effective or efficient in achieving the desired outcomes or benefits of information governance.

Lack of documented policies and procedures, information requirements of regulatory authorities, and insufficient knowledge of IT practices and controls are also challenges faced by an enterprise when establishing information stewardship, but they are not the most significant challenge. Lack of documented policies and procedures is a challenge that can affect the standardization and improvement of information governance processes and activities, as well as the communication and enforcement of data rules and expectations. Information requirements of regulatory authorities are a challenge that can affect the compliance and accountability of information governance, as well as the protection and privacy of data. Insufficient knowledge of IT practices and controls is a challenge that can affect the technical skills and capabilities of information stewards, as well as their ability to use or integrate data systems or tools.

References := What is an Information Steward? | Informatica; What is an Information Steward, and Why You Should Care; What is an Information Steward, and Why You Should Care?.

According to the CGEIT exam guide, the main focus of IT policies is to provide business value by aligning IT with business objectives and strategies, ensuring effective and efficient use of IT resources, and delivering IT-enabled capabilities that meet stakeholder needs and expectations. IT policies should also support the optimization of operational benefits, the enhancement of organizational capability, and the limitation of IT costs, but these are not the main focus of IT policies. References: CGEIT Exam Candidate Guide, page 13. CGEIT Certification

 Information retention policies are the most important to review, because they define the rules and procedures for retaining, disposing, and destroying information in accordance with the legal, regulatory, and business requirements. Information retention policies can help the enterprise to comply with the personal data protection regulations, and to ensure the privacy, security, and availability of the employee data in production systems12. References := ISACA, CGEIT Review Manual, 7th Edition, 2019, page 57-58.

Interdependent systems are those that rely on each other for data, functionality, or performance. If the business case for an ERP implementation overlooks the interdependencies among the existing systems, it may underestimate the complexity, cost, and risk of the project. The ERP implementation may also fail to achieve the expected benefits of integration, automation, and optimization if the interdependent systems are not properly aligned and coordinated. References: CGEIT Exam Content Outline | ISACA1, CGEIT Review Manual (Digital Version)2

 The best way for the CIO to ensure that the IT objectives are delivered effectively by IT staff is to include the IT objectives in staff performance plans. Staff performance plans are documents that define the expectations, responsibilities, and goals for individual employees, as well as the criteria and methods for evaluating their performance1. By including the IT objectives in staff performance plans, the CIO can align the IT staff’s work with the business objectives, communicate the desired outcomes and behaviors, motivate and empower the IT staff, monitor and measure their progress and achievements, and provide feedback and recognition1. This will help to create a culture of accountability, excellence, and continuous improvement among the IT staff, and ensure that they contribute to the value creation and delivery of IT2. References: Performance Management. What is CGEIT? A certification for seasoned IT governance professionals.

The MOST critical factor to support IT governance cultural changes within an organization is demonstrated management commitment. IT governance is the process of ensuring that IT supports the achievement of the organization’s goals and objectives, and delivers value to its stakeholders1. IT governance involves aligning the IT strategy, policies, processes, and resources with the business strategy, needs, and expectations2. However, implementing and sustaining IT governance requires a significant amount of change in the organization, such as introducing new technologies, standards, roles, and responsibilities3. Therefore, demonstrated management commitment is essential for supporting IT governance cultural changes within an organization, as it can:

• Provide the direction and mandate for the IT governance initiative on an ongoing basis
• Communicate the vision, mission, goals, and objectives of the IT function to all stakeholders
• Allocate the necessary resources and capabilities to enable the IT governance processes and activities
• Monitor and evaluate the performance and outcomes of the IT function and provide feedback and recognition
• Foster a positive and collaborative culture that values IT as a strategic partner and enabler of the business

The other options are not as critical as option C. While it is important to have established IT monitoring and measuring, regularly scheduled governance training, and IT governance process manuals, these are not sufficient to support IT governance cultural changes within an organization. They are rather means to achieve the end goal of implementing and sustaining IT governance. They do not necessarily reflect the level of commitment, involvement, and support from the management toward IT governance.

Data stewards are primarily responsible for applying frameworks for the governance of IT to balance the need for security controls with business requirements, as they are the custodians of the data quality, integrity, and security within an organization. Data stewards define and implement data policies, standards, and procedures, as well as monitor and report on data compliance and performance. Data stewards also collaborate with other stakeholders, such as data owners, data users, and data scientists, to ensure that the data is aligned with the business objectives and meets the regulatory and ethical requirements.

Data scientists, data analysts, and data processors are not primarily responsible for applying frameworks for the governance of IT, as they are more focused on the technical aspects of data collection, analysis, and processing. Data scientists use advanced methods and tools to extract insights and value from data. Data analysts use descriptive and inferential statistics to explore and interpret data. Data processors perform operations on data, such as entry, validation, transformation, storage, and retrieval.

References := What is a Data Steward? | Informatica; Data Governance Roles: The Ultimate Guide | Collibra; Data Governance Roles: Who Does What? | erwin; [What is IT governance? A formal way to align IT & business strategy].