The Most Important Factor for Consistent Assessment of Candidate Program Investments

A.

To enable consistent assessment of candidate program investments for inclusion into the IT portfolio, it is most important to identify common selection criteria.

Explanation:

IT portfolio management involves selecting, prioritizing, and managing a set of programs and projects that align with the organization's overall strategic objectives. To ensure that the selection of candidate programs is consistent and objective, it is important to establish a set of common selection criteria.

Common selection criteria can be used to evaluate and compare the relative merits of different program investments. These criteria should be based on the organization's strategic goals, priorities, and risk appetite. Some examples of common selection criteria might include:

• Alignment with strategic objectives: The extent to which the program supports the organization's strategic goals and objectives.
• Business value: The potential benefits and value that the program will deliver to the organization, such as increased revenue, cost savings, or improved customer satisfaction.
• Risk: The level of risk associated with the program, including technical, financial, and operational risks.
• Feasibility: The likelihood that the program can be successfully implemented given the organization's resources, capabilities, and constraints.
• Alignment with enterprise architecture: The extent to which the program aligns with the organization's existing IT architecture and technology standards.

By establishing a set of common selection criteria, IT portfolio managers can ensure that candidate programs are evaluated consistently and objectively, and that the programs selected for inclusion in the portfolio are aligned with the organization's strategic objectives and priorities.