Which of the following is the PRIMARY goal of implementing a change management process?

The primary goal of a formal change management process is to ensure stability and continuity of business operations. Uncontrolled or poorly implemented changes are a leading cause of service disruptions, system outages, and security vulnerabilities. By requiring that all changes are properly planned, tested, reviewed, and approved, the process aims to minimize the risk of negative impacts on the production environment and, consequently, the business.

A. Communication is a crucial step within the process, but it is a means to an end, not the primary goal itself.
C. Adhering to a schedule is a project management aspect of the process, but the main goal is a successful, non-disruptive change, not just a timely one.
D. Validating return on investment is a business justification or project management goal, not the primary operational goal of the change management process.

1. ISACA. (2018). COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance and Management Objectives. Management Objective BAI06, "Manage IT Changes," p. 117. The stated purpose is to "enable fast and reliable delivery of change...while mitigating the risk of negatively impacting the stability or integrity of the changed environment."

2. ISACA. (2019). Cybersecurity Audit Certificate Study Guide (2nd ed.). Chapter 3, "Cybersecurity Operations," p. 88. The guide emphasizes that change management controls are implemented to prevent unauthorized changes that could disrupt services.

3. AXELOS. (2019). ITIL Foundation, ITIL 4 Edition. Section 5.2.5, "Change enablement." The purpose of the practice is "to maximize the number of successful IT changes," which inherently involves minimizing disruptions caused by failed changes.