CPHIMS CPHIMS Leadership and Strategic Planning 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which risk management step involves assigning probability and impact scores to identified IT risks?
- Risk assessment/analysis (Correct answer)
- Risk identification
- Risk monitoring
- Risk response planning
Correct answer: Risk assessment/analysis
Risk assessment/analysis evaluates each identified risk by assigning probability and impact ratings to prioritize mitigation efforts.
Question 2: A strategic planning committee wants to evaluate external threats to the organization's IT environment. Which tool is MOST appropriate?
- PESTLE analysis (Correct answer)
- RACI matrix
- Gantt chart
- Work breakdown structure
Correct answer: PESTLE analysis
PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) analysis systematically evaluates external macro-environmental factors affecting IT strategy.
Question 3: An IT leader notices that two departments have conflicting priorities for a shared system upgrade. What is the BEST approach?
- Facilitate a structured negotiation aligned to organizational priorities (Correct answer)
- Escalate immediately to the CEO
- Defer the upgrade indefinitely
- Let the departments resolve it independently
Correct answer: Facilitate a structured negotiation aligned to organizational priorities
Structured negotiation using organizational priority frameworks ensures conflict is resolved in a way that serves the broader mission rather than departmental preferences.
Question 4: Which organizational structure gives a project manager the MOST authority over resources in a health IT project?
- Projectized (project-based) structure (Correct answer)
- Functional structure
- Matrix structure
- Divisional structure
Correct answer: Projectized (project-based) structure
In a projectized structure, the project manager has full authority over project resources, budget, and personnel, unlike functional or matrix structures.
Question 5: When building an IT strategic roadmap, what is the purpose of defining 'quick wins'?
- To build stakeholder momentum and demonstrate early value (Correct answer)
- To reduce the overall project budget
- To eliminate long-term planning requirements
- To identify underperforming staff
Correct answer: To build stakeholder momentum and demonstrate early value
Quick wins deliver visible early benefits that build credibility, maintain stakeholder support, and demonstrate progress toward strategic goals.
Question 6: A CIO is evaluating cloud vs. on-premise infrastructure for a new clinical data warehouse. Which strategic factor should be weighted MOST heavily?
- Scalability to support organizational growth and regulatory compliance (Correct answer)
- Initial hardware purchase cost only
- Vendor brand recognition
- IT staff personal preference
Correct answer: Scalability to support organizational growth and regulatory compliance
Scalability and compliance alignment are strategic factors that ensure the infrastructure supports long-term organizational needs and regulatory obligations.
Question 7: In healthcare IT governance, what does the principle of 'separation of duties' primarily protect against?
- Fraud, errors, and unauthorized system changes (Correct answer)
- Project scope creep
- Budget overruns
- Staff turnover
Correct answer: Fraud, errors, and unauthorized system changes
Separation of duties ensures no single individual controls all aspects of a critical process, reducing the risk of fraud, errors, and unauthorized modifications.
CPHIMS CPHIMS Leadership and Strategic Planning 4
Which risk management step involves assigning probability and impact scores to identified IT risks?