CISA Governance and Management of IT Practice Question
An IT steering committee is reviewing a proposal for a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. What is the committee's MOST important role?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISA often tests the confusion between governance and management roles — candidates pick a hands-on activity like vendor selection or budget management when the question asks about the steering committee's strategic purpose.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Ensuring alignment with business objectives
An IT steering committee is a governance body whose primary function is to ensure that IT investments and projects align with the organization's strategic business objectives. It prioritizes, funds, and monitors initiatives at a portfolio level, so its most important role is strategic alignment rather than tactical execution. Technical specifications, vendor selection, and day-to-day budget management are delegated to project teams and IT management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Approving technical specifications
Why it's wrong here
Technical specifications sit with architects and engineers; the steering committee governs direction, prioritisation and strategic alignment, not design detail. It is tempting because committees do sign off proposals, but specification approval belongs to technical governance bodies. The committee's decisive role here is endorsing the business case and investment.
- ✗
Selecting the vendor
Why it's wrong here
Vendor selection is an operational procurement activity performed by evaluation teams against defined criteria; the steering committee endorses the resulting business case and investment. It is tempting because committees approve major purchases, but shortlisting and scoring vendors belongs to procurement and technical evaluators. The committee's decisive role is strategic oversight.
- ✓
Ensuring alignment with business objectives
Why this is correct
The steering committee's primary function is to ensure proposed IT investments align with and support business objectives, prioritising them accordingly. Confirming that the CRM system delivers strategic business value, rather than assessing technical detail, is its most important role.
- ✗
Managing the project budget
Why it's wrong here
Budget management is delegated to the project manager and finance function; the steering committee authorises funding and monitors outcomes rather than tracking spend. It is tempting because committees approve budgets, but day-to-day financial control sits with the project manager. The committee's decisive role is strategic direction and business alignment.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISACA exam blueprint
This CISA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CISA exam.