The ISACA COBIT Foundation course addresses the benefits of a sound IT governance framework and explains how to realise effective IT governance using the COBIT best practices framework.

It is accepted globally as a set of tools that ensures IT is working effectively and functions as an overarching framework. At the same time, it provides a common language to communicate goals, objectives and expected results to all stakeholders.

It explains the COBIT framework using practical examples and a case-study-driven approach. It also addresses all other components of the COBIT toolkit, such as the assurance guide and management guidelines.

The course helps professionals understand how to use COBIT in a logical and understandable manner and validates this knowledge in an interactive manner.

What is COBIT?*

COBIT is an international unifying framework that integrates all of the main
global IT standards, including ITIL, CMMI and ISO 17799. It is a tool for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and many other global standards.

What does an effective IT Governance framework do? *

• It provides clear direction to ensure that IT investments support the business
• It Is an effective way to manage change
• It creates value for the business in alignment with enterprise objectives
• It addresses the complete life cycle of IT investment .

Key Outcomes

Participants will be able to identify :-

• How IT management issues affect organisations
• The principles of IT governance
• How IT governance helps address IT management issues, and who should be responsible for IT governance
• The need for a control framework driven by the need for IT governance
• How COBIT meets the requirement for an IT governance framework
• How COBIT is used with other standards and best practices
• The COBIT framework and all the components of COBIT, which are control objectives, control practices, management guidelines, and audit guidelines
• How to apply COBIT in a practical situation
• The benefits of using COBIT
• The products and support that ISACA provides.

Download the COBIT framework

What does COBIT do ? *

• Improves IT efficiency and effectiveness
• Helps IT understand the needs of the business
• Puts practices in place to meet the business needs as efficiently as possible
• Helps executives understand and manage IT investments throughout their life cycle
• Provides a method to assess whether IT services and new initiatives are meeting business requirements and are likely to deliver the benefits expected
• Helps to develop and document the appropriate organizational structures, processes and tools for effective management of IT
• Provides an authoritative, international set of generally accepted practices that helps boards of directors, executives and managers increase the value of IT and reduce related risks.

The benefits of implementing COBIT *

• A common language for executives, business and IT staff
• A view, understandable to management, of what IT does
• A better understanding of how the business and IT can work together
  for successful delivery of IT initiatives
• Better alignment, based on a business focus
• Better quality IT services
• Improved efficiency and optimization of cost
• Reduced operational risk
  • More effective management of IT
  • Clear policy development
  • More efficient and successful audits
  • Clear ownership and responsibilities,
  based on process orientation

COBIT Foundation Exam

ISACA offers professionals who have mastered the content in the COBIT Foundation Course an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge by taking an exam and earning a certificate.

The exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions and requires a score of 70% or higher to pass. The exam is currently available in five languages. The exam tests against course content established through the course learning objectives. Completion of each course and successful completion of each corresponding exam will earn 14 CPE Hours.

The COBIT Foundation Exam allows professionals to earn a certificate that demonstrates their understanding of how specific elements of COBIT are used to respond to IT management challenges. The COBIT Foundation Certificate is a pre-requisite for participating in the Implementing Governance of Enterprise IT using COBIT course.

Next Steps
Once you have completed your Foundation Course and Foundation exam, you are ready to participate in COBIT projects.

You can also move to the next level of COBIT training ie ISACA's Implementing IT Governance Using COBIT and Val IT course.

About ISACA
ISACA is a professional association with 86,000 constituents. ISACA is a leader in IT governance, control, security and assurance and offers certifications in CISA, CISM and CGEIT. For more details about ISACA, visit the ISACA website.

* from the COBIT 4.1 brochure.