ITIL4-DPI Direct, Plan and Improve Practice Question
Which of the following best describes the relationship between 'Strategy' and 'Tactics' in DPI?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers often treat strategy and tactics as interchangeable terms or assume tactics can exist independently of overarching long-term direction.
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
✓
Strategy guides the direction, while tactics ensure effective execution.
Strategy defines the 'why' and 'what' of the organization—the long-term goals and direction. Tactics represent the 'how'—the specific actions and processes taken to achieve those goals. DPI requires that tactics be explicitly aligned with the overarching strategy to ensure that daily operational activities contribute directly to the desired organizational outcomes. Without this alignment, an organization can be very busy while making no progress toward its goals.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Strategy is for senior management and tactics are for technical staff.
Why it's wrong here
This view promotes harmful siloes. Strategy should be communicated and understood throughout the organization, and technical staff are often in the best position to provide input into tactical planning. DPI requires a unified approach where everyone understands how their work supports the broader strategic intent of the organization.
- ✓
Strategy guides the direction, while tactics ensure effective execution.
Why this is correct
Strategy provides the framework and goals that guide decision-making. Tactics are the execution steps that turn that strategy into reality. DPI ensures that these two levels are synchronized, preventing the organization from drifting or pursuing objectives that don't contribute to its long-term viability and competitive success.
- ✗
Tactics are more important than strategy because they deliver results.
Why it's wrong here
Tactics without strategy are just random activities. Delivering results is pointless if they don't move the organization toward its long-term goals. Strategy provides the context for those results. Both are essential, but they serve different functions; strategy directs, and tactics execute. They must work in tandem.
- ✗
Strategy should be fixed, whereas tactics should be changed daily.
Why it's wrong here
A fixed strategy can be dangerous in a rapidly changing market. Strategy should be subject to periodic review and adjustment. Conversely, changing tactics daily creates chaos and prevents the measurement of progress. Both require stability to be effective and agility to be responsive to changing business needs.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PeopleCert/AXELOS exam blueprint
This ITIL4-DPI practice question is part of Courseiva's free PeopleCert/AXELOS 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 ITIL4-DPI exam.