WGU C929: IT Sourcing and Development in a Global Economy

What C929 Really Asks of You

WGU C929, IT Sourcing and Development in a Global Economy, is a graduate-level course most commonly taken as part of a Master of Science in IT Management pathway. It examines how organizations decide what technology work to build in-house, what to buy, and what to outsource to partners around the world, and how leaders manage the strategic, operational, tactical, cultural, ethical, and security consequences of those decisions. Rather than testing you on definitions, it asks you to think like an IT manager weighing real trade-offs.

Direct answer: You pass C929 by treating it as a professional writing project, not a memorization exam. Work through the case study carefully, answer every single rubric point in plain, well-organized prose with specific examples from the scenario, and submit clean, original drafts that an evaluator can grade against the rubric without hunting for your answers.

If you have been in industry for a while, much of the reasoning here will feel familiar: choosing a vendor, writing requirements, identifying stakeholders, and worrying about risk. The challenge is less about learning brand-new theory and more about expressing your judgment clearly and mapping it exactly to what each task requires. That shift catches some students off guard, which is why preparation pays off.

Topics the Assessment Focuses On

Based on WGU's description of the course, the material centers on the management side of global IT sourcing and development. Expect to work with concepts such as:

• Strategic, tactical, and operational reasons organizations source IT work internally or externally.
• Outsourcing, insourcing, and global development models, and the trade-offs of each.
• Vendor evaluation and selection, including how requests for proposals fit into the process.
• Requirements gathering and the documents that support a sourcing or development effort.
• Identifying and managing stakeholders, project sponsors, and steering committees.
• Security, risk, ethical, cultural, and regulatory considerations that arise when work crosses borders.

Much of the coursework is framed around a fictional company case study, so you will apply these ideas to a specific organizational scenario rather than answering them in the abstract.

How Demanding Is It, and How Long Should You Plan?

This course is assessed through a performance assessment (PA) made up of written task submissions rather than a multiple-choice objective assessment. That format shapes the difficulty. Many students report that the concepts themselves are approachable, especially for those with work experience, but that the writing and rubric alignment take real effort and patience through the evaluation-and-revision cycle.

Because WGU is competency-based, your pace depends on how comfortable you are writing structured business documents. Some learners move through it in a couple of focused weeks; others spread it out longer around a full-time job. Rather than chase someone else's timeline, block out dedicated writing sessions and expect at least one round of evaluator feedback. Planning for revision from the start keeps a returned task from feeling like a setback.

A Study Plan Built for a Writing-Based Course

Preparation for a PA course looks different from cramming for a test, but active-learning techniques still apply. Here is an approach tailored to C929:

• Read the task and rubric first, together. Before you study anything, open the task instructions beside the evaluation rubric. The rubric is the real specification for your grade. Turn each rubric row into a checklist item you must satisfy.
• Learn the case study cold. Because tasks revolve around a scenario company, spend early time mapping its situation: what it does, where it operates, what problem it is trying to solve, and who the stakeholders are. Use active recall by closing the document and writing down the key facts from memory, then checking them.
• Build a concept-to-scenario bridge. For each sourcing concept the course teaches, write one or two sentences applying it directly to the case. This practice-testing habit forces you to use ideas the way the task will demand.
• Outline before you draft. Create a heading for every rubric point so no requirement gets buried. Evaluators grade against the rubric, so structure that mirrors it makes your work easy to assess.
• Space your sessions. Draft, step away, and return with fresh eyes. Spaced revisiting catches gaps and weak reasoning far better than one marathon sitting.
• Self-check against the rubric aloud. Before submitting, read each requirement and point to the exact paragraph that answers it. If you cannot, that section is not done yet.

If you want to sharpen the strategic-reasoning muscle this course rewards, the study habits in our guide to D081 Innovative and Strategic Thinking transfer well, and the risk-and-ethics thinking overlaps with D333 Ethics in Technology.

Mistakes That Cost Students Time Here

The most common setbacks in C929 are avoidable once you know to watch for them:

• Answering the topic instead of the rubric. Writing a strong general essay about outsourcing will not pass if it skips specific rubric requirements. Address each one explicitly.
• Staying too abstract. Generic statements about global sourcing earn little credit. Ground every point in the scenario's details and cite concrete specifics.
• Underusing sources or citing them incorrectly. Graduate writing expects proper attribution. Follow the required citation style and give credit for every borrowed idea to avoid originality problems.
• Submitting before proofreading. Unclear organization forces evaluators to hunt for your answers, which slows your result. Clean headings and plain language help you.
• Treating a returned task as failure. Revision is a normal, expected part of the PA process. Read feedback carefully, fix exactly what is flagged, and resubmit.

C929 Readiness Checklist

Before you submit, run through these self-checks:

• Can you explain the case study company's situation and its core sourcing problem in your own words?
• Can you point to the exact paragraph in your draft that satisfies each rubric requirement?
• Can you justify a sourcing recommendation using strategic, operational, and risk reasoning?
• Can you identify the project's key stakeholders, sponsor, and governance roles from the scenario?
• Can you name the security, ethical, cultural, or regulatory factors relevant to a global effort?
• Can you describe how a request for proposals and requirements documents support vendor selection?
• Have you cited every source correctly and confirmed the work is entirely your own?
• Have you proofread for clear structure so an evaluator can grade without searching?

C929 FAQ

Is C929 assessed by an OA or a PA?

C929 is a performance assessment (PA), meaning you complete written task submissions evaluated against a rubric rather than sitting a proctored multiple-choice objective assessment. Plan your time around drafting, revising, and possibly resubmitting.

How hard is C929?

Many students report that the concepts are manageable, especially with work experience, and that the real effort is in clear writing and precise rubric alignment. Treating it as a professional writing project rather than a memorization exam is the key mindset.

How long does C929 usually take?

It varies widely with your writing comfort and schedule. Some learners finish in a couple of focused weeks while others take longer around other commitments. Because it is competency-based, your pace and one likely round of evaluator feedback matter more than any fixed timeline.

Do I need prior IT management experience?

It helps but is not required. Professional experience makes the sourcing trade-offs feel intuitive, but any student can succeed by studying the case study closely and applying the course's concepts to it methodically.

What is the most important thing to get right?

Rubric alignment. Build your outline directly from the rubric, address every requirement explicitly with scenario-specific detail, and make each answer easy to locate. That single habit prevents most returned tasks.

How can I confirm the current course details for my program?

Course structure and requirements can change between program versions, so always confirm the specifics in your official course of study and materials on the WGU website. You can also browse related School of Technology guides or our full study guide index for more preparation help.