What should an IS auditor determine when reviewing an IT short-range plan?

When reviewing an IT short-range plan, it is crucial for an IS auditor to determine the correlation of business objectives to IT goals and objectives. This alignment ensures that IT initiatives are not occurring in isolation but rather support the broader objectives of the organization.

Effective IT planning requires that projects and initiatives derived from the IT short-range plan directly contribute to and facilitate the achievement of the organization's strategic goals. By establishing this correlation, the auditor can assess whether the IT department is positioned effectively to add value to the business. Furthermore, this alignment helps in prioritizing IT resources and efforts in a way that maximizes business outcomes and ensures that investments in technology are relevant and strategically sound.

While the integration of IT and business personnel within projects is important for successful project execution, and having a clear definition of the IT mission and vision provides direction, it is the alignment of these goals with business objectives that ultimately drives the overall effectiveness and value of IT functions in the organization. Similarly, a scorecard might be useful for tracking progress but does not inherently guarantee that the IT initiatives are aligned with the business needs and objectives. Therefore, focusing on the correlation between business and IT goals is fundamental in evaluating an IT short-range plan.