APO02 Manage Strategy

APO02.01 Understand enterprise direction.

Consider the current enterprise environment and business processes, as well as the enterprise strategy and future objectives. Consider also the external environment of the enterprise (industry drivers, relevant regulations, basis for competition).

APO02.02 Assess the current environment, capabilities and performance.

Assess the performance of current internal business and IT capabilities and external IT services, and develop an understanding of the enterprise architecture in relation to IT. Identify issues currently being experienced and develop recommendations in areas that could benefit from improvement. Consider service provider differentiators and options and the financial impact and potential costs and benefits of using external services.

APO02.03 Define the target IT capabilities.

Define the target business and IT capabilities and required IT services. This should be based on the understanding of the enterprise environment and requirements; the assessment of the current business process and IT environment and issues; and consideration of reference standards, good practices and validated emerging technologies or innovation proposals.

APO02.04 Conduct a gap analysis.

Identify the gaps between the current and target environments and consider the alignment of assets (the capabilities that support services) with business outcomes to optimise investment in and utilisation of the internal and external asset base. Consider the critical success factors to support strategy execution.

APO02.05 Define the strategic plan and road map.

Create a strategic plan that defines, in co-operation with relevant stakeholders, how IT-related goals will contribute to the enterprise’s strategic goals. Include how IT will support IT-enabled investment programmes, business processes, IT services and IT assets. Direct IT to define the initiatives that will be required to close the gaps, the sourcing strategy and the measurements to be used to monitor achievement of goals, then prioritise the initiatives and combine them in a high-level road map

APO02.06 Communicate the IT strategy

and direction. Create awareness and understanding of the business and IT objectives and direction, as captured in the IT strategy, through communication to appropriate stakeholders and users throughout the enterprise.

Reference: ISACA. (2012). COBIT 5 Enabling Processes. USA: ISACA.