Isaca COBIT-2019 - COBIT 2019 Foundation

 The responsible ® role fulfills the practice and creates the intended outcome within an organizational structure chart (RACI chart). A RACI chart is a tool that assigns different levels of responsibility, accountability, consultation, and information to roles and organizational structures for each governance and management objective. The responsible ® role means performing or overseeing a task or process. There can be more than one responsible role for each task or process, but they must be coordinated by the accountable role. The responsible role fulfills the practice and creates the intended outcome by executing or supervising the process activities.13 References: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, COBIT 2019 Framework: Roles, Responsibilities & RACI Charts

Enterprise strategy cascades to enterprise goals within the COBIT goals cascade. The COBIT goals cascade is a mechanism that helps enterprises to align their governance objectives with their stakeholder needs. It consists of four levels: stakeholder drivers, enterprise goals, alignment goals, and governance and management objectives. Enterprise strategy is the high-level direction and guidance that defines how the enterprise will achieve its vision and mission. Enterprise goals are the specific targets or outcomes that the enterprise sets to achieve its vision and mission. Enterprise strategy cascades to enterprise goals through a process of analysis, prioritization, and validation.12 References: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance System

The primary target audience for COBIT is business and IT management responsible for building and deploying I&T solutions. COBIT is designed to help these managersaddress the challenges of aligning I&T with business goals, delivering value from I&T, managing I&T risks, optimizing I&T resources, and measuring I&T performance5. COBIT provides a comprehensive and flexible framework that can be adapted to different contexts and situations. COBIT also helps to establish a common language and understanding among business and IT stakeholders6. References: 5: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, page 15 6: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, page 25

 A process can meet a higher capability level if all activities of that level are successfully performed, in addition to the activities of lower levels. The capabilitylevels range from 0 (incomplete) to 5 (optimizing), and each level has a set of generic attributes that describe the expected performance of the process activities2, p. 30. References: 2: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology

 The most critical factor to ensuring the objective of managed availability and capacity is to predict future IT resource requirements based on current and projected business needs, service levels, and performance targets. This factor enables the enterprise to plan, provision, and optimize IT resources in a timely and cost-effective manner, while ensuring that IT services are delivered with sufficient availability and capacity to meet business demands. The factor is based on the COBIT 2019 Design Guide2, page 77. References: 2: COBIT 2019 Design Guide | Digital | English

The chief information officer (CIO) is the best suited role to meet with the consultant to identify alignment goals. The CIO is the senior executive responsible for leading, directing, and managing the information and technology function of the enterprise. The CIO has a strategic role in aligning I&T with business requirements, ensuring I&T performance, managing I&T risks, fostering innovation, etc. The CIO has a deep understanding of both business and I&T domains, as well as their interdependencies. The CIO can collaborate with the consultant to identify alignment goals that reflect how I&T can support the enterprise goals.1 References: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, [COBIT 2019 Framework: Roles, Responsibilities & RACI Charts]

 The key program roles are the roles that are responsible for leading, directing, managing, supporting, and executing the EGIT implementation program. The nomination of these roles is a critical step in creating the appropriate governance environment for the program. One of the roles that should be involved in this nomination process is the board and executives, who are the highest-level governance body and decision makers in an enterprise. The board and executives provide strategic direction, oversight, guidance, and approval for the EGIT implementation program. They also ensure that the program is aligned with the enterprise’s vision, mission, values, strategy, goals, and objectives. The board and executives also appoint or endorse other key program roles such as the program sponsor, program manager, program steering committee, change champion network, etc.

Ensuring the program team knows and understands the enterprise goals is a part of the “Where do we want to be?” phase of the implementation. The implementation of a governance system is divided into seven phases, each with a set of activities and outputs. The “Where do we want to be?” phase involves defining the desired outcomes and target state of the governance system, based on the enterprise’s vision, mission, values, and goals. One of the activities in this phase is to ensure that the program team is aware of and aligned with the enterprise goals, as well as their roles and responsibilities in achieving them. The answer is based on the COBIT 2019 Implementation Guide2, page 34. References: 2: COBIT 2019 Implementation Guide | Digital | English

The organizational structures component of the governance system are the key decision-making entities in an enterprise. Organizational structures are the arrangements of roles and responsibilities that enable the enterprise to achieve its objectives. Organizational structures can be formal or informal, hierarchical or flat, centralized or decentralized, etc. Organizational structures can include entities such as board, executive management, committees, forums, teams, units, etc. The organizational structures component of the governance system are the key decision-making entities in an enterprise by providing authority, accountability, direction, oversight, evaluation, etc., for information and technology.13 References: COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology, COBIT 2019 Framework: Roles, Responsibilities & RACI Charts

The alignment goal titled “Knowledge, expertise and initiatives for business innovation” is aligned to the Learning and Growth dimension of the IT balanced scorecard (BSC). The IT BSC is a tool that translates the IT-related goals into a set of performance indicators that can be measured and monitored. The Learning and Growth dimension focuses on the capabilities and skills of the IT staff, as well as the culture and climate that foster innovation and learning. The alignment goal is based on the COBIT 2019 Framework5, page 38. References: 5: COBIT 2019 Framework | Digital | English