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CISA Practice Question: An IT steering committee is reviewing a proposed…
An IT steering committee is reviewing a proposed project to implement a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. The project has strong support from the sales department but is opposed by the finance department due to cost concerns. What is the primary role of the IT steering committee in this situation?
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
✓
Evaluate the project's alignment with strategic goals and make a decision
The IT steering committee ensures that IT investments align with business strategy and provide value, balancing stakeholder needs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Approve the project because sales is a revenue-generating department
Why it's wrong here
Approving on revenue grounds alone bypasses the committee's governance duty to weigh costs against benefits and align spend with strategy. It is tempting because sales sponsorship signals business value, and approving revenue-driven requests is legitimate when funding is uncontested and the business case is sound.
- ✓
Evaluate the project's alignment with strategic goals and make a decision
Why this is correct
The steering committee weighs the CRM proposal against organisational strategy, balancing sales benefits against finance's cost concerns, then decides whether to proceed. This satisfies its governance role of prioritising and approving projects aligned with strategic goals rather than departmental interests.
- ✗
Delegate the decision to the IT manager
Why it's wrong here
Delegating to the IT manager removes the cross-functional, senior-level authority the steering committee exists to provide over prioritisation and funding. It is tempting because IT managers assess technical feasibility, and delegation suits routine operational decisions, not contested investment choices requiring executive governance.
- ✗
Reject the project due to finance department opposition
Why it's wrong here
Rejecting solely because finance objects substitutes one department's veto for the committee's own cost-benefit evaluation and prioritisation. It is tempting because finance opposition often flags genuine funding shortfalls, and rejection is right when the business case fails, not merely when a stakeholder disagrees.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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