Executive leadership focus: during the planning phase of the IS lifecycle, what is the principal activity of the Vice President of Information Systems?

Introduction / Context:
Senior IT leadership cycles through planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. At the explicit planning phase of the IS lifecycle—strategy setting, portfolio selection, and roadmap definition—the top priority is to establish direction and align resources with business goals.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Phase: planning, not execution or monitoring.
• Role: VP of Information Systems (CIO equivalent in some firms).
• Deliverables: strategy, architecture, portfolio, budgets, risk posture.

Concept / Approach:
At this stage the VP's principal activity is planning: defining priorities, selecting initiatives, sequencing programs, and ensuring architectural coherence with security and compliance. Control, staffing, and support are critical in later phases but are not the label for the core activity of the planning phase itself.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
IT governance frameworks (COBIT, ITIL strategy) emphasize executive leadership in strategy and planning early in the cycle, before service design, transition, and operation.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Control is central during monitoring; staffing focuses on team building; support is an operational function. None is the primary label for the planning phase.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming the VP should be hands-on in operations during planning; neglecting enterprise architecture and risk planning at this stage.

Final Answer:
planning