K-12 Technology Works Process Quick Check

COBIT 4.1

PO Plan and Organize

Process: PO1 Define a Strategic IT Plan

Metric
Which statement best describes
the organization's awareness and
communication of the need for
1
strategic planning?

1
IT is aware and
occasionally discusses
such matters at IT
management meetings

2
IT strategic planning is
shared with
departmental
management on an asneeded basis

Which statement best describes

the extent to which the IT
strategic planning process has
2
been formalized?

IT planning is
performed on an asneeded basis in response
to a specific business
requirement

Strategic decisions are

driven on a project-byproject basis, some
consistency exists but
policy is mostly
informal
Responsibility is
assumed within IT and
an informal process is
used to achieve some
degree of alignment

Which statement best describes

responsibility and accountability
for IT strategic alignment?
3

To what extent is the

management of risk defined and
integrated into IT planning?

Alignment of
organizational
requirements,
applications, and
technology takes place
reactively rather than by
an organization wide
strategy
Informally on a project- The risks and benefits of
major strategic decisions
by-project basis
are recognized in an
intuitive way

2009 K-12 Technology Works Cobit 4.1 Assessment. All rights reserved.

Audited?

Outside

Formality

Other

IT

Who?

Critical

Managed and Measurable

Defined

Initial / Ad Hoc

Repeatable but Intuitive

Non-existent

Very

Compliance

Critical

Relevant

Somewhat

Not Relevant

Relevance

IT strategic planning is required to manage and direct all IT resources in line with the organization strategy
and priorities. The IT function and organizational stakeholders are responsible for ensuring that optimal
value is realized from project and service portfolios. The strategic plan improves key stakeholders
understanding of IT opportunities and limitations, assesses current performance, identifies capacity and
human resource requirements, and clarifies the level of investment required. The organization strategy and
priorities are to be reflected in portfolios and executed by the IT tactical plan(s), which specifies concise
objectives, action plans and tasks that are understood and accepted by both all operational unit, including IT.

Accountable

5
Choice
Understanding is forwardlooking, communications
are integrated, and plans are
constantly updated to reflect
changes in technology and
education
A policy know to all staff IT strategic planning is a
IT strategic planning is a
defines when and how to standard practice,
documented, living process,
exceptions are noticed by
perform IT strategic
that uses external best
organizational management, practice that is fully
planning
all aspects are fully
integrated
documented
IT strategic planning is
IT strategic alignment is a IT strategic planning and
discussed at departmental defined management
alignment is continuously
management meetings,
function with senior-level considered in organizational
but much discretion is
responsibilities
goal setting by executive
allowed and auditing does
leadership
not take place
3
A formal approach exists
which is understood by all
staff throughout the
organization

4
There is full understanding
of the requirements, with
mature communication
practices and standard tools
in use

The overall IT strategy

includes a consistent
definition of risks that the
organization is willing to
take as an innovator or
follower

Assessment of risk is
integral to the planning
process, fully documented
and follows accepted best
practice

Risk and value-added

considerations are
continuously updated in the
IT strategic planning
process

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K-12 Technology Works Process Quick Check

To what extent is the IT strategic No real measurement
planning process and monitored practice exists
and measured?

COBIT 4.1

Organizational management Benchmarking against wellis able to monitor the IT

understood and reliable
strategic planning process, industry norms takes place
5
make informed decisions
and is integrated with the
based on it, and measure its strategy formulation process
effectiveness
The required skills are Some level of minimum Skills requirements are
Training and education
Which statement best describes
There is a well defined
defined to ensure that
handling of the human resource not defined, and there is skills has been
process for determining the support best practice and
leading edge concepts,
and skills needs for successful IT no training plan in place identified, but training appropriate planning is
usage of internal and
6
is largely informal and likely to be performed
strategic planning?
external resources required external experts are used for
in response to current
in system development and guidance
needs
operations
IT strategies are usually IT strategies have some The IT financial,
Which statement best describes
IT strategy and organization- IT strategic planning results
technical and human
completed in retrospect, influence on actions
in discernible business value
the extent to which the IT
wide strategy are
external to IT, but the
resources strategies
with previous non-IT
through investments in IT,
strategic plan is followed and
increasingly becoming
increasingly influence the coordinated by addressing with the plan including how
decisions and actions as IT element is often
influences organizational
considered late in the
acquisition of new
the driving force
actions?
business processes, value- new technology
process
products and technologies added capabilities, and
developments can drive new
7
capabilities and improve
leveraging the use of
operations
applications and
technologies through
business process reengineering
Updating of IT plans
does occur, but typically
in response to requests
by departmental
management

2009 K-12 Technology Works Cobit 4.1 Assessment. All rights reserved.

Some goals and measures

are in place to monitor
effectiveness, but
application is not fully
consistent

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