CGEIT Certification Job Practice

CGEIT Job Practice Areas by Domain Job Practice—A job practice serves as the basis for the exam and the experience requirements to earn the CGEIT certification. This job practice consists of task and knowledge statements, organized by domains.

These statements and domains were the result of extensive research and feedback from IT governance subject matter experts from around the world. Numerous reference sources were also utilized including research conducted by the IT Governance Institute and COBIT 4.1.

These statements are intended to depict the tasks performed by individuals who have a significant management, advisory, or assurance role relating to the governance of IT and the knowledge required to perform these tasks. They are also intended to serve as a definition of the roles and responsibilities of the professionals performing IT governance work.

For purposes of these statements, the terms "enterprise" and "organization" or "organizational" are considered synonymous.

The job practice domains and task and knowledge statements are as follows:

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Domain 1—IT Governance Framework (25%)

Define, establish and maintain an IT governance framework (leadership, organizational structures and processes) to: ensure alignment with enterprise governance; control the business information and information technology environment through the implementation of good practices; and assure compliance with external requirements.

Domain 1—Task Statements:

Develop, or be part of the development of, an IT governance framework that includes the following responsibilities and tasks:

Define the requirements and objectives for, and drive the establishment of, IT governance in an enterprise, considering values, philosophy, management style, IT awareness, organization, standards and policies.
Ensure that an IT governance framework exists and is based on a comprehensive and repeatable IT process and control model that is aligned with the enterprise governance framework.
Establish appropriate management governance structures, such as an enterprise investment committee, IT strategy committee, IT steering committee, technology council, IT architecture review board, business needs committee and IT audit committee.
Ensure that the enterprise and IT governance frameworks enable the enterprise to achieve optimal value for the enterprise.
Confirm that the IT governance framework ensures compliance with applicable external requirements and ethical statements that are aligned with, and confirm delivery of, the enterprise’s goals, strategies and objectives.
Obtain independent assurance that IT conforms with relevant external requirements; contractual terms; organizational policies, plans and procedures; generally accepted practices; and the effective and efficient practice of IT.
Apply IT best practices to enable the business to achieve optimal value from implementation of IT services and IT-enabled business solutions.
Ensure the establishment of a framework for IT governance monitoring (considering cost/benefits analyses of controls, return on investment for continuous monitoring, etc.), an approach to track all IT governance issues and remedial actions to closure, and a lessons-learned process.
Ensure that appropriate roles, responsibilities and accountabilities are established and enforced for information requirements, data and system ownership, IT processes, and benefits and value realization.
Report IT governance status and issues, and effect transparency in reporting.
Establish a communications plan to continuously market, communicate and reinforce the need and value of IT governance across the enterprise.

Domain 1—Knowledge Statements:

Knowledge of how to effect organizational, process and cultural change by translating objectives into actions
Knowledge of the components of an enterprise governance framework
Knowledge of how to direct, manage and report on IT governance activities at the enterprise level and collaborating with enterprise governance as appropriate
Knowledge of business drivers for the use of IT industry practices, standards and frameworks.
Knowledge of how accountability is established for information requirements, data and system ownership, and IT processes
Knowledge of COBIT, Val IT and related products.
Knowledge of the scope, objective and benefits of IT practices, standards and frameworks, such as ITIL, CMMI, PRINCE2, PMBOK, TOGAF, ISO 17799/27000 series, and the IT Balanced Scorecard
Knowledge of scope, objective and benefits of continuous process improvement, such as Six Sigma, Total Quality Management and the Balanced Scorecard
Knowledge of IT governance implementation practices
Knowledge of how IT practices, standards and frameworks relate to, and complement, each other
Knowledge of the process of selection, customization and integration of IT practices, standards and frameworks, as relevant for the enterprise
Knowledge of how to align the application of IT practices, standards and frameworks to the needs and culture of the enterprise
Knowledge of assurance methodologies and techniques
Knowledge of marketing and communications methods and techniques
Knowledge of how to utilize mission, vision, guiding principles, critical success factors, etc., in setting the direction for IT governance across the enterprise
Knowledge of the impact of cultural changes and the need to choose the correct time and way to achieve the desirable results, considering different but possible scenarios

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Domain 2—Strategic Alignment (15%)

Ensure that IT enables and supports the achievement of business objectives through the integration of IT strategic plans with business strategic plans and the alignment of IT services with enterprise operations to optimize business processes.

Domain 2—Task Statements:

Develop, or be part of the development of, an enterprise’s IT strategy that includes the following responsibilities and tasks:

Define and implement a strategic planning framework, requiring and facilitating collaborative and integrated business and IT management planning.
Actively support/promote and participate in IT management planning by employing best practice enterprise architecture (EA) frameworks.
Ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are in place, understood and followed to support IT and business strategic alignment.
Identify and take action on barriers to strategic alignment.
Ensure that effective communication and engagement exists between business and IT management regarding shared strategic initiatives and performance.
Ensure business and IT goals cascade down through the enterprise into clear roles, responsibilities and actions.
Assist senior management by aligning IT initiatives with business objectives and facilitating prioritization of business strategies that optimally achieve business objectives.
Identify and monitor the interdependencies of strategic initiatives and their impact on value delivery and risk.
Ensure that the strategic planning process is adequately documented, transparent and meets stakeholder needs.
Maintain and update the IT management plans, artifacts and standards for the enterprise.
Monitor, evaluate and report on the effectiveness of the alignment of IT and enterprise strategic initiatives.
Monitor and assess current and future technologies and provide advice on the costs, risks and opportunities that they bring.

Domain 2—Knowledge Statements:

Knowledge of the enterprise’s mission, objectives, culture, economic and business environment, key business processes, and how they are supported by IT
Knowledge of how an enterprise’s structure, operational frameworks, systems, resources, internal and external stakeholder relationships, and culture can impact the enterprise’s ability to achieve sufficient strategic alignment
Knowledge of the strategic planning process and techniques
Knowledge of enterprise architecture components, principles and frameworks, and their implementation.
Knowledge of how to map strategy to specific, enabling business processes and IT dashboard/balanced scorecard principles to monitor key goal and performance metrics
Knowledge of benchmarking planned vs. actual strategic performance
Knowledge of scope, objectives and benefits of investment programs
Knowledge of portfolio, program and project management techniques
Knowledge of linking enterprise business strategy with related best practices and selling the value proposition to key stakeholders
Knowledge of how procedures, monitoring and updating of the IT strategy are impacted and implemented by changes in business strategy
Knowledge of current and future technology direction to support the business by creation of technological infrastructure plan and architecture board that sets and manages what technology can deliver to achieve business objectives

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Domain 3—Value Delivery (15%)

Ensure that IT and the business fulfill their value management responsibilities: IT-enabled business investments achieve the benefits as promised and deliver measurable business value both individually and collectively, that required capabilities (solutions and services) are delivered on-time and within budget, and that IT services and other IT assets continue to contribute to business value.

Domain 3—Task Statements:

Develop, or be part of the development of, a systematic, analytical and continuous value governance process that includes the following responsibilities and tasks:

Ensure that business takes ownership and accountability for business cases, business transformation, organizational change, business process operation and benefit realization for all IT-enabled business investments.
Ensure that all IT-enabled investments are managed as a portfolio of investments.
Ensure that all IT-enabled investments are managed as programs and include the full scope of activities and expenditures that are required to achieve business value.
Ensure that all IT-enabled investments are managed through their full economic life cycle so that value is optimized.
Recognize that different categories of investments need to be evaluated and managed differently.
Ensure that all IT solutions are developed and maintained effectively and efficiently through the development life cycle to deliver the required capabilities.
Ensure that all IT services are delivered to the business with the right service levels.
Ensure that IT services enable the business to create the required business value using assets (people, applications, infrastructure and information) to deliver the appropriate capabilities at optimal cost.
Define and monitor appropriate metrics for the measurement of solution and service delivery against objectives and for the measurement of benefits realized, and respond to changes and deviations.
Engage all stakeholders and assign appropriate accountability for delivery of business and IT capabilities and realization of benefits.
Ensure that IT investments, solutions and services are aligned with the enterprise strategies and architecture.

Domain 3—Knowledge Statements:

Knowledge of value governance practices
Knowledge of IT investment management practices and processes
Knowledge of business case development and monitoring, portfolio program and project management practices
Knowledge of managing and reporting the status of IT investments
Knowledge of IT investment processes, funding models and investment life cycle management, including benefits management
Knowledge of cost optimization
Knowledge of solution delivery processes and practices (systems development life cycle)
Knowledge of service delivery practices and processes
Knowledge of enterprise, information and IT architecture techniques and frameworks

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Domain 4—Risk Management (20%)

Ensure that appropriate frameworks exist and are aligned with relevant standards to identify, assess, mitigate, manage, communicate and monitor IT-related business risks as an integral part of an enterprise's governance environment.

Domain 4—Task Statements:

Develop, enhance and maintain a systematic, analytical and continuous enterprise risk management process across the enterprise that includes the following responsibilities and tasks:

Ensure that IT risk identification, assessment, mitigation, management, communication and monitoring strategies are integrated into business strategic and tactical planning processes.
Align the IT risk management processes with the enterprise business risk management framework (where this exists).
Ensure a consistent application of the risk management framework across the enterprise IT environment.
Ensure that risk assessment and management is included throughout the information life cycle.
Define risk management strategies, and prioritize responses to identified risks to maintain risk levels within the appetite of the enterprise.
Ensure that risk management strategies are adopted to mitigate risk and to manage to acceptable residual risk levels.
Implement timely reporting on risk events and responses to appropriate levels of management (including the use of key risk indicators, as appropriate).
Establish monitoring processes and practices to ensure the completeness and effectiveness of established risk management processes.

Domain 4—Knowledge Statements:

Knowledge of the context of risk management at the strategic, portfolio, program, project and operations level
Knowledge of risk management frameworks and standards (e.g., COSO ERM, MoR, OCTAVE, ISO31000, AS/NZ 4360:2004)
Knowledge of the enterprise’s business objectives
Knowledge of the enterprise’s risk management framework (including the risk classification model used to support risk identification and assessment)
Knowledge of the enterprise’s external business environment
Knowledge of the enterprise’s internal environment
Knowledge of how the enterprise defines and executes business strategies to achieve its goals and objectives
Knowledge of how to map business process down to IT process to understand dependencies and root cause
Knowledge of the enterprise’s risk appetite
Knowledge of the enterprise’s IT resources (applications, information, infrastructure and people)
Knowledge of the threats, vulnerabilities and opportunities inherent in the enterprise’s use of IT
Knowledge of the types of business risks, exposures and threats that can be addressed using IT resources
Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods to determine sensitivity, criticality and maturity of IT-related contributions to business success
Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods (including enterprise-specific descriptive measurement scales, IT-related asset valuation methods and probability, use of both audit and stream data types, and impact and loss expectancy models/techniques) to assess IT risks
Knowledge of methods to discover more rare, but high-impact risk types, such as process analysis techniques
Knowledge of risk mitigation strategies in relation to the use of IT in the enterprise
Knowledge of risk management techniques that can be applied to affect enterprise risk management, particularly as they relate to IT-related activities
Knowledge of methods to effectively manage and report the status of identified risks

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Domain 5—Resource Management (13%)

Ensure that IT has sufficient, competent and capable resources to execute current and future strategic objectives and keep up with business demands by optimizing the investment, use and allocation of IT assets.

Domain 5—Task Statements:

Develop, or assist in the development of systematic and continuous resource planning, management and evaluation processes that include the following responsibilities and tasks:

Ensure that the requirements for trained resources with the requisite skill sets are understood and are assessed appropriately.
Ensure the existence of appropriate policies for the training and development of all staff to help meet enterprise requirements and personal/professional growth.
Develop and facilitate the maintenance of systems to record the resources available and potentially available to the enterprise.
Undertake gap analyses to determine shortfalls against requirements to ensure that the business and IT resources (people, application, information, infrastructure) are able to meet strategic objectives.
Effectively and efficiently ensure clear, consistent and enforceable human resource allocation to investment programs and services.
Ensure that sourcing strategies are based on the effective use of existing resources and the identification of those that need be acquired.
Ensure that people, hardware, software and infrastructure procurement policies exist to effectively and efficiently fulfill resource requirements.
Through periodic assessment of the training requirements for human resources, ensure that sufficient, competent and capable human resources are available to execute the current and future strategic objectives and that they are kept up to date with constantly evolving technology.
Ensure integration of resource identification, classification, allocation and periodic evaluation processes into the business’s strategic and tactical planning and operations.
Ensure that the IT infrastructure is standardized; economies of scale are achieved, wherever possible; and interoperability exists, where required, to support the agility needs of the enterprise.
Ensure that IT assets are managed and protected through their economic life cycle and are aligned with current and long-term business operations requirements to support cost-effective achievement of business objectives.

Domain 5—Knowledge Statements:

Knowledge of corporate business and IT resources (people, applications, infrastructure and information)
Knowledge of an enterprise’s business and IT resources and acquisition processes (people, application, software, hardware, facilities and outsourced services)
Knowledge of the skill and technology mixes required to meet the enterprise’s business objectives
Knowledge of human resource management processes and optimization practices needed to meet established technical and business proficiency, competency, and capability requirements
Knowledge of outsourcing and offshoring processes that may be employed to meet investment program and operation and service level agreements
Knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses inherent within the enterprise’s human and technical business and IT resources and how to identify trainers with the requisite skill sets to maintain work competency and proficiency
Knowledge of enterprise business strategies
Knowledge of business and IT resource planning and strategic and tactical planning methods, techniques and processes
Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods used to determine and evaluate business and IT resource utilization and the availability of these resources to effectively meet enterprise objectives
Knowledge of methods for monitoring and reporting on business and IT resource performance

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Domain 6—Performance Measurement (12%)

Ensure that business-supporting IT goals/objectives and measures are established in collaboration with key stakeholders and that measurable targets are set, monitored and evaluated.

Domain 6—Task Statements:

Develop, or assist in the development of, systematic and continuous performance management and evaluation processes that include the following responsibilities and tasks:

Establish the enterprise's strategic IT objectives, with the board of directors and executive leadership team, categorized into four areas: financial (business contribution), customer (user orientation), internal process (operational excellence), learning and growth (future orientation), or whatever areas are appropriate for the enterprise.
Establish outcome and performance measures, supported by metrics, and targets that assess progress toward the achievement of enterprise and IT objectives and the business strategy.
Evaluate IT process performance, track IT investment portfolio performance, and measure IT service delivery through the use of outcome measures and performance drivers.
Use maturity models and other assessment techniques to evaluate and report on the health of the enterprise’s performance level.
Use continuous performance measurement to identify, prioritize, initiate and manage improvement initiatives and/or appropriate management action.
Report relevant portfolio, program and IT performance to relevant stakeholders in an appropriate, timely and accurate manner.

Domain 6—Knowledge Statements:

Knowledge of the enterprise’s business objectives
Knowledge of strategy mapping and balanced scorecard principles
Knowledge of the scope, objectives and benefits of commonly used IT maturity models, including their maturity attributes
Knowledge of data collection techniques for performance measurement
Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies
Knowledge of IT governance implementation practices
Knowledge of characteristics of, and selection criteria for, measures and metrics
Knowledge of outcome measures and performance drivers
Knowledge of accepted practices in performance measurement (e.g., maturity models) and effective industry benchmarking techniques
Knowledge of tools and techniques that facilitate measurements, good communications and organizational change
Knowledge of automated monitoring tools and techniques
Knowledge of root cause analysis techniques
Knowledge of life cycle cost-benefit analysis techniques
Knowledge of evaluating and monitoring IT performance and value governance

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