CISA Governance and Management of IT Practice Question
An organization's IT strategy is not aligned with business strategy due to lack of communication. Which of the following would BEST improve alignment?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISA often tests the difference between communication (reports) and alignment (joint strategy mapping) — candidates who pick 'weekly status reports' mistake information flow for strategic alignment.
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
✓
Business-IT strategy mapping workshops
Business-IT strategy mapping workshops bring business and IT stakeholders together to explicitly map IT initiatives to business goals, which directly addresses the lack of communication and misalignment. This collaborative exercise creates shared understanding and a documented linkage between IT investments and business outcomes, which is the most effective way to improve alignment. It is a governance and communication mechanism, not just a reporting or budgeting action.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Business-IT strategy mapping workshops
Why this is correct
Misalignment stems from business and IT holding different assumptions, so structured mapping workshops force both groups to articulate objectives, capabilities and dependencies in one forum. That shared translation of business goals into IT services directly repairs the communication gap the stem identifies.
- ✗
Weekly IT status reports
Why it's wrong here
Weekly IT status reports push operational progress updates one way, giving business stakeholders no channel to shape IT priorities, so misalignment persists. They would suit tracking delivery against an agreed plan, not establishing shared direction between IT and business leadership.
- ✗
Outsourcing non-core IT functions
Why it's wrong here
Outsourcing non-core IT functions changes who delivers services; it does not create the two-way dialogue between IT and business leadership that alignment requires. It is tempting because outsourcing can sharpen focus on core activities, and it would be the right choice when internal IT lacks capability or cost efficiency for peripheral functions.
- ✗
IT budget increase
Why it's wrong here
A larger budget funds more initiatives but does not establish the communication channel through which IT learns business objectives and priorities. It is tempting because underfunded IT often lags business needs, and increased funding would be correct where alignment exists but resources are insufficient to deliver the agreed roadmap.
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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
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