Section: Volume A

The first consideration for an enterprise faced with a pandemic situation resulting in a mandatory remote work environment should be ensuring staff has the necessary technology to be productive, because this would enable the enterprise to maintain its business continuity and resilience, and to minimize the disruption and loss of the IT services and capabilities. The necessary technology may include hardware, software, network, security, and communication tools that support the remote work activities and requirements of the staff12. The enterprise should also provide guidance and training to the staff on how to use the technology effectively and securely12. The other options are not the first consideration, because they are either dependent on or secondary to the availability and functionality of the technology.

The first thing that should be done when developing the metadata management process for the new software platform is to request an impact analysis. An impact analysis is a process of assessing the potential effects of a change on the existing system, processes, and stakeholders1. An impact analysis can help to identify the following aspects2:
The scope and objectives of the change: What are the expected benefits and outcomes of the new software platform? How does it align with the enterprise strategy and goals?
The current state and baseline: What are the existing data sources, formats, standards, and quality levels? How are they documented, stored, and accessed? Who are the data owners, stewards, and users?
The gaps and risks: What are the data changes that will occur due to the new software platform? How will they affect the data quality, security, privacy, and compliance? What are the potential challenges or issues that may arise during or after the transition?
The mitigation and contingency plans: How can the data changes be minimized or avoided? How can the data quality, security, privacy, and compliance be ensured or improved? What are the alternative solutions or fallback options in case of failure or disruption?
By requesting an impact analysis, the organization can gain a better understanding of the data environment and the implications of the new software platform. This can help to develop a metadata management process that is consistent, effective, and adaptable to the change. Reference: Impact Analysis: A Key Aspect of Preventing Problems | Project ...1, Impact Analysis: The Key to Successful Change Management2

The first thing that should be done to address the issue of duplicate support contracts and underutilization of IT services is to review the enterprise IT procurement policy. This is because the IT procurement policy is a document that defines the rules, guidelines, and procedures for acquiring and managing IT products and services in an organization1. A well-designed IT procurement policy can help to:
* Align IT procurement with business strategy, objectives, and priorities1
* Optimize IT spending and maximize IT value1
* Ensure IT quality, security, and compliance1
* Avoid IT duplication, waste, and inefficiency1
* Define IT roles and responsibilities and assign accountability1
By reviewing the enterprise IT procurement policy, the organization can identify and address any gaps, issues, or inconsistencies that may have led to the problem of business divisions approaching technology vendors for cloud services without proper coordination or approval. The review can also help to update and improve the IT procurement policy to reflect the current and future needs and expectations of the organization and its stakeholders. Some of the best practices for developing an effective IT procurement policy are2:
* Involve all relevant stakeholders in the policy development process
* Conduct a thorough analysis of the current and future IT requirements
* Establish clear criteria and standards for selecting and evaluating IT vendors and services
* Implement a robust approval and authorization system for IT purchases
* Incorporate risk management and contingency planning into the policy
* Communicate and educate the policy to all employees and stakeholders
* Monitor and measure the policy implementation and outcomes
The other options, re-negotiating contracts with vendors to request discounts, requiring updates to the IT procurement process, and conducting an audit to investigate utilization of cloud services are not as effective as reviewing the enterprise IT procurement policy for addressing the issue. They are more related to the implementation and execution of the IT procurement policy, rather than its design. They may also be reactive or corrective measures, rather than proactive or preventive ones. They may not address the root cause of the problem, which is the lack of a clear and comprehensive IT procurement policy that guides and governs the acquisition and management of IT products and services in the organization.