According to COBIT 2019 Governance and Management Objectives under DSS05:

"Information security responsibilities include ensuring that information is classified appropriately

and protected according to its classification."

Information security is responsible for applying and maintaining classification schemes.

Reference: COBIT 2019 Governance and Management Objectives, DSS05

In the COBIT 2019 Design Guide, it is clearly stated that:

"The more quantitative approach involves numeric mapping tables created for each design factor.

The mapping tables quantify the descriptive values associated with each design factor, in order to

indicate their correlation with governance and management objectives."

These mapping tables typically contain values ranging from zero (0) to four (4), where four indicates

maximum relevance of a governance or management objective with that particular design factor

value, and zero indicates no relevance.

Reference: COBIT 2019 Design Guide, Section 4.3.1

The most useful tool for measuring and monitoring performance and the realization of benefits from

an EGIT implementation program plan project is the IT balanced scorecard. The balanced scorecard

provides a comprehensive view of performance across multiple dimensions, aligning IT objectives

with business goals.

Reference in COBIT 2019 Design and Implementation:

COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance and Management Objectives, MEA01 (Managed Performance

and Conformance Monitoring): This objective discusses the use of balanced scorecards to monitor

and measure performance effectively.

COBIT 2019 Implementation Guide, Chapter 5: This chapter highlights the importance of

performance measurement tools, including the IT balanced scorecard, for tracking progress and

ensuring the realization of benefits from IT governance initiatives.

In the COBIT 2019 Design Guide, it is stated:

"Current I&T-related issues, also called pain points—from which the enterprise is suffering. These

could be considered risks that have materialized."

This indicates that pain points are actual issues the enterprise is currently experiencing, representing

risks that have already materialized.

Reference: COBIT 2019 Design Guide, Section 4.4.4

In COBIT 2019, process practices are linked with capability levels. These levels can serve as

benchmarks for evaluating the maturity and performance of processes.

"The COBIT process model provides detailed descriptions of governance and management

objectives, including practices and activities, with defined capability levels that are used for

performance measurement and benchmarking."

Reference: COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance and Management Objectives, Introduction to

Process Capability Levels

The COBIT 2019 Governance and Management Objective EDM05, "Ensured Stakeholder

Engagement," focuses on ensuring that stakeholders are engaged, their expectations are considered,

and the communication between IT and the business is effective.

"The purpose of EDM05 is to ensure that stakeholders are identified and engaged in alignment with

enterprise objectives. It supports building commitment and accountability across stakeholders,

especially at the executive and board levels."

In this scenario, where there is reluctance and lack of sponsorship from senior stakeholders, EDM05

is the most appropriate to address engagement and alignment.

Reference: COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance and Management Objectives, EDM05

After identifying a high threat landscape as a critical design factor, the CIO should next identify

security-related processes. This step ensures that the governance system includes robust processes

to manage and mitigate security risks.

In a high-threat landscape, focusing on security-related processes is essential to protect the

enterprise's information assets and mitigate potential risks. These processes include incident

management, vulnerability management, and access control, among others.

COBIT 2019 Framework Reference:

COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance and Management Objectives, APO13 Managed Security: This

objective

COBIT 2019 emphasizes the IT balanced scorecard as a key performance management tool:

"An IT balanced scorecard provides a mechanism for aligning IT-related goals with enterprise

objectives and is instrumental in measuring and communicating performance across financial,

customer, process, and innovation dimensions."

It is tailored to evaluate benefits realization and strategic alignment. Gantt charts and project

management tools focus on timelines and task execution, while RACI charts clarify responsibilities—

not performance outcomes.

Reference: COBIT 2019 Governance and Management Objectives, APO02 and BAI08

The COBIT 2019 framework aligns enterprise goals with balanced scorecard (BSC) dimensions. Under

the growth and innovation BSC perspective, one of the core enterprise goals listed is:

"Product and business innovation" – which directly supports strategic growth by encouraging new

products, services, and ways of operating.

This goal aligns with an enterprise that is expanding and looking to leverage innovation to sustain

growth. Other options like risk management or cost optimization fit different BSC dimensions (e.g.,

financial, internal process).

Reference: COBIT 2019 Design Guide, Appendix A (Enterprise Goals Table)

To ensure a planned IT initiative meets future state objectives, management should conduct stage

gate reviews during implementation. Stage gate reviews are a critical part of project management

and governance, ensuring that projects are on track, meeting their objectives, and adhering to the

planned schedule and budget.

Stage gate reviews are formal checkpoints at various phases of a project where progress is assessed,

and decisions are made about whether to proceed to the next stage. These reviews help to ensure

that:

The project remains aligned with business objectives and stakeholder expectations.

Risks are identified and managed effectively.

Necessary adjustments are made based on the current project status and future state objectives.

COBIT 2019 emphasizes the importance of governance and management practices to ensure

successful project outcomes. Stage gate reviews align with COBIT's governance objectives by

providing oversight, ensuring alignment with business goals, and enabling course corrections when

needed.

COBIT 2019 Framework Reference:

COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance and Management Objectives, BAI01 Manage Programs and

Projects: This objective highlights the importance of structured project management and governance

practices, including stage gate reviews.

COBIT 2019 Design Guide: Emphasizes the need for effective monitoring and control mechanisms

throughout the project lifecycle to ensure alignment with enterprise goals.

Conducting stage gate reviews is a proactive measure to ensure that IT initiatives stay on track and

achieve their intended future state objectives, making it the best choice among the given options.