Which of the following is the BEST enabler for strategic alignment between business and IT?

The best enabler for strategic alignment between business and IT is goals and metrics. Establishing clear goals and measurable metrics is crucial as these elements serve to bridge the gap between the business needs and IT initiatives. When both business and IT share a common understanding of goals, it allows for a cohesive approach to strategy formulation and execution.

Metrics provide a quantifiable measure of success, enabling both IT and business teams to assess performance against those strategic objectives. This alignment ensures that IT resources are effectively utilized to support business priorities, fostering collaboration and mutual understanding of what success looks like.

While a maturity model can aid organizations in assessing the current capabilities of IT in relation to the business, it does not inherently create an ongoing alignment between the two. Control objectives are more focused on compliance and risk management and are less about aligning strategy. A RACI chart outlines roles and responsibilities and can aid in clarifying tasks, but it does not directly address how to align IT and business strategies effectively. Thus, goals and metrics stand out as the most direct means of ensuring that both areas are moving in the same direction toward shared objectives.