How to Pass the Isaca COBIT-2019 Exam: Comprehensive COBIT 2019 Foundation Guide and Tips

 The management objective “managed strategy” belongs to the governance domain “align, plan and organize (APO)”, which covers the use of information and technology in achieving enterprise objectives. A primary benefit associated with this management objective is that desired value is delivered through a roadmap of incremental changes, which ensures that IT initiatives are aligned with enterprise strategy, prioritized based on value creation, and monitored for performance2, p. 25. References: 2: COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance and Management Objectives

 The focus areas are specific governance topics that are relevant for an enterprise based on its context, needs, and objectives. The focus areas provide guidance on how to apply the COBIT 2019 framework to address specific issues or challenges related to information and technology governance. The focus areas also help to tailor the COBIT 2019 framework to suit the enterprise’s specific governance system design. Therefore, when an enterprise is designing a specific governance system that is using diverse technology deployments with multiple domains of business operations, the expected deliverable when tailoring the COBIT 2019 framework is the focus area guidance. The focus area guidance will help the enterprise to select and prioritize the relevant focus areas that match its governance needs and objectives, and to customize the COBIT 2019 components such as principles, enablers, goals, processes, practices, etc., according to the focus area requirements12 References: 1: COBIT 2019 Design Guide, page 51-52 2: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, page 27-28

The management objective BAI11 Managed Projects involves ensuring that IT-enabled change initiatives are delivered on time, within budget, and in accordance with stakeholder expectations. This management objective covers the activities of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and closing IT projects, as well as managing project risks, issues, quality, scope, resources, communications, and stakeholders. This management objective is best for the consultant to recommend for developing a governance and management system that can address the issue of multiple IT-enabled change initiatives frequently being delivered late and failing to meet business needs. By applying this management objective, the enterprise can improve its project governance and management capabilities, ensure alignment of IT projects with business strategy and objectives, enhance project performance and outcomes, and increase stakeholder satisfaction and value realization12 References: 1: COBIT 2019 Process Reference Guide: Governance and Management Objectives, page 77-79 2: COBIT 2019 Implementation Guide: page 49-50

The high-level program plan is a document that describes the rationale, objectives, scope, approach, benefits, costs, risks, and timeline of the EGIT implementation program. The EGIT implementation program is a program that involves designing and implementing a governance system for an enterprise using COBIT 2019. The high-level program plan provides the basis for obtaining approval, funding, resources, and support for the program from the stakeholders. The high-level program plan is an output of the “what needs to be done” phase. The “what needs to be done” phase is the fourth phase of the governance implementation roadmap, which involves defining the target state of information and technology governance in an enterprise that is aligned with its strategy, objectives, and stakeholder needs. This phase also involves identifying the gaps and issues that need to be addressed to achieve the target state, setting the improvement targets and priorities, developing a detailed business case and a high-level program plan for implementing a governance system using COBIT 2019. By developing a high-level program plan as an output of the “what needs to be done” phase, an enterprise can ensure that it has a clear and realistic roadmap for designing and implementing a governance system using COBIT 2019, that it has defined the expected outcomes, benefits, value, etc., from doing so, that it has considered the relevant risks, costs, resources, etc., involved in doing so, that it has obtained stakeholder buy-in and commitment for doing so, etc.References: : COBIT 2019 Implementation Guide: page 39-40 : COBIT 2019 Implementation Guide: page 41-42

 The COBIT 2019 publication that includes a workflow for planning a tailored governance system for the enterprise is COBIT 2019 Design Guide: Designing an Information and Technology Governance Solution. This publication provides guidance on how to design a customized governance system for information and technology using COBIT as a reference framework. It includes a workflow for planning a tailored governance system for the enterprise that consists of seven steps: define design factors; define focus areas; define current state; define target state; identify gaps; define roadmap; select implementation method.14 References: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, COBIT 2019 Design Guide: Designing an Information and Technology Governance Solution

The enterprise’s risk profile is the most important enterprise risk management concept to fully understand prior to finalizing the design of an IT governance system. Enterprise risk management is the process of identifying, analyzing, evaluating, treating, monitoring, and communicating risks that affect the achievement of enterprise objectives. Enterprise risk management concepts include risk appetite (the amount and type of risk that an enterprise is willing to accept), risk tolerance (the acceptable variation in outcomes related to specific performance measures), risk profile (the overall exposure or level of risk that an enterprise faces), etc. The enterprise’s risk profile is the most important concept to fully understand prior to finalizing the design of an IT governance system because it helps to determine the appropriate level of risk optimization for each governance objective.14 References: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance System

A tailored enterprise governance system is a governance system that is customized to suit the specific needs and context of an enterprise. A sourcing model for information and technology is one of the design factors that influence the design and implementation of a tailored governance system. A sourcing model describes how the enterprise obtains and delivers I&T services, such as in-house, outsourced, cloud-based, etc. The sourcing model affects the governance objectives, components, and enablers that are relevant and applicable for the enterprise.12 References: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, COBIT 2019 Design Guide: Designing an Information and Technology Governance Solution

 An enterprise goal is a high-level statement of what the enterprise wants to achieve, aligned with the mission, vision and values of the enterprise. Portfolio of competitive services is an enterprise goal that would most likely be evaluated by using a metric “percent of services that meet or exceed targets in revenues and market share”, as it reflects the need to offer products and services that are attractive to customers and differentiate the enterprise from its competitors2, p. 17. References: 2: COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance and Management Objectives

The alignment goal titled “Delivery of IT services in line with business requirements” is most likely to be associated with the metric “percent of IT services with defined operational costs and expected benefits”. This metric measures the extent to which IT services are aligned with business needs and expectations, and deliver value for money. The alignment goal is one of the 17 enterprise goals defined in COBIT 2019, which describe the outcomes that an enterprise wants to achieve from its use of information and technology. The alignment goal is based on the COBIT 2019 Framework4, page 36. References: 4: COBIT 2019 Framework | Digital | English

The threat landscape is a design factor that describes the types and levels of threats that an enterprise faces from internal and external sources that could compromise its information and technology assets. The threat landscape helps to determine the level of security and resilience that an enterprise needs to protect its information and technology assets from unauthorized access use disclosure modification destruction or disruption. When tailoring a governance system for an enterprise what would be the most appropriate level of threat landscape for an enterprise in the health care sector is high. The health care sector is a sector that provides health care services such as diagnosis treatment prevention rehabilitation etc., to individuals or populations. The health care sector has a high level of threat landscape compared to other sectors such as manufacturing or retail which have lower levels of threat landscape. This is because the health care sector handles sensitive personal data such as medical records health insurance information patient identifiers etc., that are subject to strict privacy and security regulations such as HIPAA GDPR etc., as well as ethical and legal obligations. The health care sector also relies on critical information and technology systems such as electronic health records telemedicine devices medical devices etc., that are essential for delivering quality health care services to patients. The health care sector faces various types of threats such as cyberattacks data breaches identity theft ransomware malware phishing social engineering natural disasters human errors etc., that could compromise its information and technology assets resulting in financial losses reputational damage legal liabilities regulatory penalties patient harm etc. Therefore when tailoring a governance system for an enterprise in the health care sector it is important to consider a high level of threat landscape and design a governance system that can effectively manage the potential impacts of threats on its information and technology assets5 References: 5: COBIT 2019 Design Guide: page 41-43 : COBIT 2019 Design Guide: page 47-48