An IS auditor has been asked to advise on measures to improve IT governance within the organization. Which of the following is the BEST recommendation?

Question

Options

• AImplement annual third-party audits
• BRequire executive management to draft IT strategy
• CImplement key performance indicators (KPIs)
• DBenchmark organizational performance against industry peers

• A
  14% (9)
• B
  3% (2)
• C
  75% (47)
• D
  8% (5)

Explanation

Implementing KPIs is the best recommendation because KPIs provide ongoing, measurable visibility into whether IT activities are aligned with business objectives - the core purpose of IT governance. Governance requires continuous monitoring and accountability, not one-time or periodic snapshots.

Why the distractors fall short:

• A (Annual third-party audits): Audits are point-in-time assessments and happen too infrequently to drive governance; they verify compliance but don't actively manage performance.
• B (Executive management drafts IT strategy): Strategy is typically set collaboratively between IT and business leadership - placing it solely on executive management misaligns responsibility and bypasses IT expertise.
• D (Benchmarking against peers): Benchmarking is a useful diagnostic tool but is also periodic and external-facing; it informs improvement but doesn't govern ongoing performance.

Memory tip: Think of IT governance as a dashboard, not a report card. KPIs give you the live dashboard; audits and benchmarking are the annual reviews. Governance requires continuous measurement, so the tool that runs continuously wins.

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