Jayne Explains

MALC 2011 Has Been Released

2012-05-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

The new MALC 2011 exams were released yesterday. In addition to providing updated guidance from the ITIL 2011 library, the new MALC reflects a continual improvement review based on feedback from learners, Accredited Training Organizations (ATOs) and end user organizations.

According to APMG, "The new syllabus emphasizes the cross-lifecycle focus, from the two perspectives of managing services across the service lifecycle, and of managing the practice of service management across the service lifecycle. The MALC Review project involved extensive consultation with stakeholders, in order to base its findings and recommendations on the most comprehensive feedback. The new MALC takes a managerial, strategic perspective of ITIL across the lifecycle. It has been our aim to produce a MALC syllabus and examination which is deserving of its position as the final 'capstone' leading to the prestigious ITIL Expert certification.”

The MALC 2011 exam will be more difficult than other intermediate exams since it leads to the ITIL Expert designation. The new exam is case study-based, now has ten questions and the exam duration extended to two hours. Learners will have access to the case study during class and for use with sample exams. Testing will be at Blooms Levels 4 and 5.

ITSM Academy will be conducting its first MALC 2011 course the week of June 4th. MALC 2011 is based solely on the 2011 edition of the ITIL core books and the ITIL 2007 books cannot be used as a substitute.

Candidates who took their course using the 2007 edition of the books and need to retake the exam can do so until August 31^st. When scheduling retakes with an Examination Institute, please make sure to indicate which version you wish to take.

Intermediate Courses and Bloom's Taxonomy

2012-03-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

ITIL Lifecycle and Capability courses and exams are built based on Bloom levels 3 and 4

Bloom 3 – application – measures ability to use information in new ways to solve problems, predict results, tell how, when, where and why
Bloom 4 – analysis – measures ability to distinguish between different parts, understand how parts fit together, identify causes, recognize hidden meanings, draw conclusions

These courses are intended to provide “how to” knowledge as opposed to ITIL Foundation’s “what about” knowledge.

Effective learning and study techniques for learners taking Bloom levels 3 and 4 exams include:

Do your pre-class reading and in-class homework assignments
Actively participate in class discussions, debates and assignments
Use the SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) reading and study technique
Create complex mind maps to tie terms, concepts, and activities to key topics (Visual/Kinesthetic)
Practice mapping ITIL concepts to real world situations/problems
Create inductive diagrams - diagrams that illustrate inductive reasoning which involves moving from observations to a theory
Create deductive diagrams - diagrams that illustrate deductive reasoning which involves starting with a theory and confirming (or not) that theory

Want to become an ITIL Expert? In May, 2012, the new Managing Across the Lifecycle (MALC) syllabus and exam will be introduced based on Bloom level 5. Stay tuned to my next blog for more information on Bloom Level 5 and MALC.

ITIL Foundation and Bloom's Taxonomy

2012-03-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

In this second of a series, we explore the learning and testing objectives of ITIL Foundation based on Blooms Taxonomy. We also look at some helpful study hints.

ITIL Foundation is based on Bloom Levels 1 and 2:

Bloom 1 – knowledge – measures recall of terminology and specific facts

Bloom 2 – comprehension – measures understanding of ideas and the ability to translate or explain concepts

Bloom's Taxonomy uses verbs to describe expected the level of learning and thinking.

Bloom level 1 measurable verbs include: define, describe, find, identify, know, label, list, match, name, outline, recall, recognize, relate, reproduce, select, state.

You can see from these verbs that at Bloom level 1, you should be able to, for example, define the purpose of a given process or list the five aspects of service design. You must also be able to make associations or relate basic concepts such as impact + urgency = priority.

Bloom level 2 measurable verbs include: classify, compare, comprehend, convert, defend, discuss, distinguish, estimate, explain, extend, generalize, give an example, infer, interpret, outline, paraphrase, predict, restate, summarize, translate.

You can see from these verbs that at Bloom level 2, you should be able to, for example, classify given examples as either incidents or service requests.

You must be able to translate definitions into your own words and provide an example. You should be able to, for example, summarize what all the warranty processes have in common or predict what will happen if we don’t consider the warranty processes during Service Design and Service Transition.

Essentially, ITIL Foundation equips learners with the ability to understand, explain and translate basic ITIL terms and concepts into real world examples. That is why ITIL Foundation certification is recommended for most staff and suppliers to ensure a common vocabulary and understanding.

Effective learning and study techniques for learners taking Bloom levels 1 and 2 exams. These will vary based on your individual learning style and can include:

Take notes/rewrite notes (visual/kinesthetic) - highlight important points in color
Reread course materials (visual/auditory/kinesthetic)
Complete available study aids (visual/auditory/kinesthetic)
Create and use Flash Cards (visual)
Record notes, read notes aloud, discuss terms and concepts aloud (auditory)
Create mnemonics to aid memorization (auditory)
Partner Quizzing (verbal)
Create simple mind maps and diagrams to tie terms and basic concepts to key topics (visual/kinesthetic)
Read a composed document such as the Introductory Overview of ITIL that provides a “big picture” perspective

ITIL Foundation is not intended to enable you with the ability apply the concepts (Bloom 3) or analyze your the current environment (Bloom 4). That focused level of learning and thinking is available in the Intermediate (Capability and Lifecycle) streams. We will explore the relatiomship between Bloom levels 3 and 4 and the Intermediate courses in the next blog.

Your Learning Style and Bloom's Taxonomy

2012-03-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

Each of us has a unique learning style. Do you prefer to "see" or "hear" or "do"? The answer will not only affect the way you learn, but also the way that you study or prepare for an exam.

Learning styles include:

Visual – learn through seeing
Auditory – learn through listening
Kinesthetic – learn through moving, doing, touching

Most of us do not use one style exclusively, although we will likely have a preferred style. Recognizing your primary style will not only help you get the most from your ITIL certification course, it will also help you adapt your study style to the demands of the Bloom level being taught and tested.

A visual learner will likely take a much different approach at Bloom level 3 (applying) than a kinesthetic learner. The visual learner may draft a very detailed flowchart while the kinesthetic learner may do a mock run-through of the process.

In the next few weekly blogs, I will map Bloom levels to the levels within the ITIL Qualification scheme, including somlearning-style suggestions for learning and study techniques.

Who was Benjamin Bloom and Why Should I Care?

2012-03-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

Benjamin Bloom (1913 – 1999) was an American educational psychologist who contributed to the classification of educational objectives and to the theory of mastery-learning (an instructional method that presumes all students can learn if they are provided with appropriate learning conditions). Bloom headed a team that developed a taxonomy, or structure, through which educational objectives could be organized according to their cognitive complexity. The cognitive domain deals with a person's ability to process information and use it in a meaningful way. Bloom identified six levels within the cognitive domain, from the simple recall of facts, through increasingly more complex and abstract levels of thinking.

Simply put, Bloom’s Taxonomy helps educators categorize learning objectives and assess learning achievements.

Why should you care? The ITIL syllabi and exams are based on Bloom’s Taxonomy in increasing levels of difficulty and complexity. ITIL Foundation, for example, is tested at Blooms Level 1 and 2. The upcoming MALC 2011 course will be testing at Blooms Level 4 and 5. That's a pretty big difference.

Understanding Blooms levels helps to set your expectations, therefore increasing your ability to

Realistically estimate the time and effort required before and during the class
Engage with your instructor and other learners in class
Pass the certification exam
Use the knowledge that you gain in class

Bloom’s taxonomy includes measurable verbs that can be used to describe and classify knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors and abilities that we expect to observe in learners. The theory is based upon the idea that there are levels of observable actions that indicate something is happening in the brain (cognitive activity). By creating learning objectives using measurable verbs, instructors know explicitly what the student must do in order to demonstrate learning. This improves the ability of the instructor to help you achieve your learning goals and pass the exam.

Over the next few blogs, I'll dive a little deeper into the different levels of Blooms Taxonomy at the different levels of the ITIL Qualification Scheme. Stay tuned!

2011 in Review

2011-12-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that we are nearing the end of 2011? I certainly can’t – it is unfathomable that 12 months have passed since my last year-end review. But here we are again looking back on the year past and facing forward to 2012.

For service management, 2011 was a milestone year with the release of the updated ITIL publications. No longer being referred to by version number, ITIL 2011 demonstrated the value of continual service improvement by normalizing the structure of all the processes and clarifying key areas such as Service Strategy. Part 1 of ISO/IEC 20000 was also updated in 2011.

Other significant observations in 2011:

Many organizations have implemented the core processes (Change,Incident) and are now maturing into Service Strategy, Service Design and Continual Service Improvement
Service Strategy 2011 is infinitely more accessible and reflective of the real world
There are a lot of questions about managing cloud services
More organizations are developing (or have developed) service portfolios and catalogs
Executive sponsorship can still be elusive despite the proof that strong service management leadership is a critical success factor in high performing organizations
We are still struggling with the design of meaningful service management metrics
More organizations are developing process templates to ensure integration and consistency

My predictions for 2012 trends

ITIL 2011 will be fully integrated in January when all exams except for MALC will be based entirely on the updated guidance. MALC will follow in May.
ISO/IEC 20000 education will be in higher demand as ISO/IEC 20000 certification becomes more of a competitive advantage for many providers
ITIL and other service management frameworks will gain even greater importance as more organizations move to cloud environments (think about Supplier Management and the warranty processes).
The definition of a “service” will become clearer, paving the way for service portfolios and catalogs
There will be a solid case for formal leadership skills development and education
Service Strategy, Service Design and Continual service improvement will surpass Service Operation and Service Transition as key focus and learning areas

Reflections on Fusion 2011

2011-10-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

While the itSMF/HDI Fusion 2011 conference has come and gone, I thought I would share my perceptions on the state of service management in North America.

There were lots of questions about the updates in ITIL 2011, although I did not find it to be the predominant theme of the week. Leadership, organizational change management, service catalogs/ portfolios, business relationship management and metrics seemed to generate the most interest and buzz.

For the past seven years, presentations about operational processes such Incident, Change, Problem and Config were center stage. And while those processes are still critical and addressed, it is gratifying to see a bit of a paradigm shift;to more emphasis on leadership, people and relationships. Everything else is just theory.

Here are some of the underpinning messages from Fusion 2011

Leadership is vital to service management success
Everyone can be a leader and change agent
People execute process – not tools or flowcharts
We work with Human Beings, not Human Doings (Deborah Monroe)
Attitude, Behavior and Culture (ABC) is the number one success or failure factor (Paul Wilkinson)
Don’t hinder creativity. If you want to grow your business, grow your people (Erik Wahl)
Be an opportunity manager, not a crisis manager (Daniel Burrus)
Good governance is better than good technology (Glenn Leclair)

Ironically, these same messages are at the core of the ITIL 2011 update. The “new” processes are very people and relationship focused: strategy management, design coordination, transition planning and business relationship management. The Service Catalog takes on a more prominent role as the “glue” that holds the service lifecycle and business relationship together. Metrics are being gathered and analyzed for continual service improvement. Is this being driven by the challenges of managing services in the Cloud? I’m not sure, but I like the way the winds are blowing.

Are we there yet? No. But as a whole we are definitely moving up the maturity ladder. Can’t wait to see what happens in 2012.

Fusion Conference 2011 is Almost Here!

2011-09-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that the Fusion conference is just a week away at the Gaylord National in Washington, DC. There are several innovations this year that promise to make it a standout event including the partnership between itSMF and HDI. This relationship is particularly significant as it represents an evolving trend of unification within the industry.

The agenda this year places a stronger emphasis on topics such as the Service Catalog, governance and organizational change management. The tracks offer opportunities for a variety of roles, sectors and areas of interest:

The People Factor
Business Services and IT Processes
Service Operations
Service Catalog and Portfolio Management
IT Governance and Security
The Executive View
The Government View
The Beginner’s View

ITSM Academy is presenting at two sessions. Michael Cardinal, a Senior Instructor, will be delivering Session 303: Effective Questioning for ITSM on Monday, September 26^th at 3:00 p.m. Asking the right questions at the right time to the right audience is a learned skill and Mike will be offering practical techniques for becoming a proficient questioner.

I am very excited to be discussing the value of having two distinct but related Service Catalogs in Session 605: The Best of Both Worlds: Creating a Business Service Catalog and Technical Service Catalog on Tuesday, September 27^th at 2:45 p.m. Too many organizations struggle with the proper scope of service definition (either too technical or not technical enough) and I will be presenting ITIL's very flexible and practical solution.

Looking forward to seeing you there. Please stop by our booth 720 to say hello.

New Foundation Processes - Design Coordination and Transition Planning and Support

2011-09-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

Two of the new processes we are covering in ITIL 2011 Foundation are Design Coordination and Transition Planning and Support.

These processes have very similar activities, and those activities can be compared to the role of a conductor for an orchestra. The conductor is responsible for:

Interpreting the piece – these processes determine the strategy for the associated lifecycle stage

Deciding on tempos – these processes determine the rigor and therefore speed associated with performing the stage activities

Basically getting every musician in the orchestra on the same page with every single note of the piece(s) they will be performing – these processes ensure that all of the functions and processes engaged in a lifecycle stage are on the same page with every single new service or change to an existing service that they are handling

Thanks to one of our brilliant instructors for the analogy!

The Importance of Leadership Skills

2011-07-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

I recently led the first launch of our newest workshop, ITSM Leadership Skills. This course was developed in collaboration with PeopleTek, a well respected and recognized executive coaching provider.

The ITSM Leadership Skills workshop addresses the softer skills that are critical success factors for continual service improvement. Unfortunately, until now these skills were mostly overlooked in the service management classroom.

Topics covered in this workshop include

Identifying and leveraging strengths
Vision, Mission, Goals and Measures
Planning projects
Managing change
Enhancing communication
Managing conflict

Several of the attendees in our first session commented that they had prior experience with many of these topics. They were grateful for the opportunity to be reminded of their importance while gaining new perspectives and appraoches for being a great leader. It's so easy to get lost in the mechanics of designing new processes and services; it's just as easy to overlook the human factor.

PeopleTek promotes the belief that everyone is a leader. I agree. Their definition of a leader supports that view: To take people where they have not been and would not go on their own.

Ask yourself: Who are you leading today and where are you taking them?

The 2011 Edition of the ITIL Library

2011-07-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

It was recently announced that the 2011 Edition of the ITIL Core Library will publish on July 29, 2011. Notice that I did not refer to the new release with a new version number - and with good reason. All future revisions to the ITIL publications will be referenced by the year that it was published. ITIL will finally just be ITIL.

If you regard the 2011 ITIL update as the equivalent to the revision of a college textbook, you'll understand why this is not a big deal. Academic textbooks are revised on a regular schedule without much fanfare or impact on prior or future students. Past attendees do not retake their final exams or replace their textbook. Just a normal course of continual improvement. Do you base your decision on whether to take a college course on the edition of the textbook being used? Not really. What's important is the relevancy of the topic.

The 2011 ITIL Edition was approached in much the same way - improve the inconsistencies, formalize a few processes that were referenced in the 2007 edition but did not follow the same format and flow, clarify some concepts based on reader feedback. No major new revelations. Just a normal course of continual improvement that should be introduced without much fanfare and will have no impact on prior students. Past, present and future attendees will essentially share the same knowledge.
Please do not believe anyone that advises you to retake your exam, replace your textbook, change your tool, revise your implementation strategy or base your education plan on which edition of the books are being used.

There are no plans to "bridge" anyone or anything with this release. A change log will be made available that compares the two editions. Webinars, articles and opinions on the revisions will abound. In fact, the first set of FAQs is now available at:

http://www.best-management-practice.com/gempdf/ITIL_UPdate_FAQs_Summer_2011_June11.pdf

ITIL is just ITIL.

Service Manager Bridging Options After June 30, 2011

2011-06-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow (June 30) is the final day for taking (or re-taking) the V2-V3 Manager's Bridge exam as a fast track to ITIL Expert. It is also the last day for re-takes of the ITIL Foundation Bridge exam.

If you are an ITIL V1 or V2 Service Manager and missed this opportunity, all is not lost. There is an ongoing bridging path for Service Managers that requires only three additional certifications and reduces the number of required credits from 22 to 10:

ITIL V3 Foundation (2 ) +

Service Strategy -OR- Continual Service Improvement (CSI) (3 ) +

Managing Across the Lifecycle (5)

= ITIL Expert

To qualify, you must present a valid Service Manager Certificate (both exams). No substitutions of the above are allowed except for the choice of Service Strategy or CSI. You cannot self-study for Service Strategy, CSI or MALC unless you are a trainer accredited through an Examination Institute.

Since the updated bridging path has no end date, I hope that eventually all V1-V2 Service Managers will find their way to becoming ITIL Experts.

The new "Driving ITSM" Workshop Series

2011-04-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am so excited aboout ITSM Academy's new "Driving ITSM" workshops. These workshops are 'right-sized for the right-time' in that they focus on the knowledge an organization needs at specific milestones in their service management journeys.

Driving ITSM workshops target the areas where most organizations struggle and provide grass-roots advice for meeting and moving beyond these challenges.

Classes in the Driving ITSM series will be available for corporate delivery and in our virtual classroom. Course length ranges from 4 to 16 hours depending on topic covered.

Right now, there are four workshops in the series:

The Building Blocks of Process Design
Assigning Dynamic Roles and Responsibilities
ITSM Leadership Skills
Building Your Service Catalog

Stay tuned for news about additional courses in this series. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for meaningful topics.

Top CIO Priorities for 2011

2011-04-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Gartner recently released the results of a worldwide survey on Top 10 Business and Technology Priorities in 2011. It’s gratifying to see that IT management is number 4 on the CIO list. It’s equally gratifying to see that growth is number 1 on the business priorities list; along with continued vigilance with regard to costs and operational efficiencies.

Press Release: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1526414

Short Video: http://www.gartner.com/technology/cio/cioagenda.jsp

One of the interesting points made in the article is that despite the downturn in the economy, many companies continued their research and development efforts in recent years, they just haven’t been implementing the results of those efforts. What this means for IT organizations is that the next several years will feature rapid change that requires a strong foundation in IT management. As an example, the study indicates that while 3 percent of CIOs currently have the majority of IT running in the cloud or on SaaS technologies, over the next four years CIOs expect this number to increase to 43 percent.

The article goes on to say that to support this growth, CIOs must reimagine IT and lead it through a process of “creative destruction.” This includes redefining the central elements of IT such as its cost structure, people and processes. The article also states that two issues that stand in the way of supporting enterprise growth are: benefits realization (the achievement of business benefits) and IT skills. Skills are an issue because CIOs rely on bringing skills in from the outside whenever they need to get work done.

Looking for more priorities and predications? The following references a number of additional articles you may find interesting. http://careerisover.com/2010/12/12-best-articles-on-cio-business-and-technology-priorities-for-2011/

This Week: Destination ISO/IEC 20000 Webinar – Industry News and Updates

2011-02-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

If you are not already a member of the itSMF ISO/IEC 20000 Special Interest Group (SIG), this is a good time to join.

The SIG is at the half-way mark of its Destination ISO/IEC 20000 program. This program consists of monthly webinars that are designed to provide a roadmap for ISO/IEC 20000 success; whether your organization defines success as using the standard as an assessment/benchmarking tool, or is striving to achieve certification.

This month’s webinar – Industry News and Updates – is designed to provide an update on the ISO/IEC 20000 series and on the changes to Part 1 being published later this year. The latest on individual training and certification will also be discussed.

Bring your questions and join host Donna Knapp and keynote Jack Probst for this existing webinar:

Date: Thursday, February 17th

Time: 1pm – United States – New York

URL**: http://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/24714

**First time users of BrightTalk must register prior to attending the webcast.

Agenda:

ISO/IEC 20000 series status
ISO/IEC 20000 Part 1 updates
Training and individual certification scheme updates
State of the standard

If you missed any of the earlier Destination ISO/IEC 20000 webinars they can be viewed at: http://www.brighttalk.com/webcasts?q=iso%2Fiec+20000.

Past and future Destination ISO/IEC 20000 programs include:

Event 1 – Complete – Destination ISO/IEC 20000 Kickoff
Event 2 – Complete – Getting Started – ISO/IEC 20000 Planning and Preparation
Event 3 – Complete – Scoping and Eligibility
Event 4 – Complete – Setting Up a Management System
Event 5 – Complete – Conducting an Initial Assessment
Event 6 – Complete – All About Audits
Event 7 – 02/17/11 – 1pm ET (U.S., New York) – Industry News and Events
Event 8 – 03/17/11 – 1pm ET (U.S., New York) – Achieving Certification
Event 9 – 04/21/11 – 1pm (U.S., New York) – What Not to Do! (Lessons Learned)
Event 10 – 05/19/11 – 1pm ET (U.S., New York) – Retaining Certification
Event 11 – 06/16/11 – 1pm ET (U.S., New York) – Evaluating the Business Case (Post-Implementation Review)
Event 12 – 07/21/11 – 11am ET (U.S., New York) – Viewers Choice

The SIG is actively seeking individuals to serve as presenters and panelists; particularly those who are using the standard within their organizations and so have “been there, done that” stories to tell.

Communicate your willingness to participate as a presenter or panelist at: iso-iec@itsmfusa.org

Introducing ITIL Lifecycle Bootcamps

2011-01-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

IT organizations are under constant pressure to increase IT service quality while controlling costs and risks. These organizations need people who are skilled at using best practices to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of IT service management processes in support of business goals.

You may have heard the expression “ITIL® lifecycle courses are for people who work on processes, and capability courses are for people who work in processes.” ITIL lifecycle courses focus on a single stage of the ITIL service lifecycle and explore stage activities, process relationships, roles and implementation considerations. These courses accommodate the needs of people who are leading implementation and improvement activities and require a management-level view. ITIL capability courses focus on a cluster of processes and cover a detailed view of process inputs, activities, concepts, metrics and outputs. These courses are aimed at people who are involved in executing and improving an existing set of related processes and wish to enhance their role-based capabilities.

The ITIL Expert certificate is awarded to individuals who demonstrate a superior knowledge of ITIL V3 in its entirety. Achieving this level of certification benefits both the individual and organization by increasing the effectiveness with which ITIL is adopted. The ITIL V3 Qualification Scheme offers a modular approach to certification with many possible paths to ITIL Expert.

ITSM Academy’s exciting new ITIL Lifecycle Boot Camp program provides individuals looking for a balanced, accelerated, and cost-effective curriculum a way to achieve 15 of the 22 credits require for the ITIL Expert certification. The boot camp approach involves combining two lifecycle courses (e.g., Service Strategy and Service Design, or Service Transition and Service Operation) into an intense 5-day classroom-based experience. Although challenging, this approach makes it possible for students to understand the tight integration between lifecycle stages and processes and the benefits of realizing an integrated process approach.

To further control costs and time away from work, candidates can opt to take the Continual Service Improvement course in our virtual classroom. This innovative approach enables students to attend class via the internet while still reaping the benefits of live interaction with their instructor and classmates.

ITSM Academy’s innovative boot camp approach addresses many of the characteristics you may want to consider when selecting a training provider. Benefits include:

Course materials and delivery methods that match students’ learning styles
The resources and guidance students need to succeed before, during and after class
Highly credentialed trainers with years of “been there, done that” experience who can keep students engaged and inspired while they are learning best practices
Practical assignments, classroom discussions and networking opportunities that enable students to immediately apply and put into action what they are learning
Time-tested exam taking tips, sample questions and a mock exam that help students prepare for the exam
High-quality, fully accredited course materials packed with value-add

Individual certifications look great on your resume and provide tangible evidence of career growth but ultimately it is about using the knowledge you acquire to benefit your business. A well-rounded program enables you to maximize those benefits through the use of best practices.

ITIL® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce, in the United Kingdom and other countries.

ITSM Academy at Fusion 2010 in Louisville, KY

2010-06-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to announce that ITSM Academy has been selected to deliver multiple educational sessions at the itSMF Fusion 2010 conference. While the unfortunate flooding in Nashville necessitated a venue change to Louisville, KY, the program and conference dates (September 18-22) are the same.

Donna Knapp will be delivering FROM HELP DESK TO SERVICE DESK: USING ITIL® BEST PRACTICES as pre-conference training course on Saturday, September 18 and Sunday September 19. This highly interactive course is designed to assist organizations in evolving from a Help Desk into a true best practice Service Desk. Donna Knapp has over twenty five years experience in the IT industry and is the author of two college textbooks on Service Desk and Customer Service best practices.

On Sunday, September 19, from 12:30 to 2:30, Michael Cardinal will be leading a free pre-conference workshop, PUTTING THE PRO IN PROCESS DESIGN. This session describes techniques for developing, reengineering and improving processes, while managing the associated culture change. Attendees will also learn how to build a "custom framework" by drawing on guidance from multiple ITSM frameworks and standards such as ITIL, ISO/IEC 20000, MOF, Six Sigma and Cobit. In addition to being a Certified Process Design Engineer (CPDE) instructor, Mike has over 10 years of practical ITSM experience.

On Monday, September, 20th at 10:00 am, I will present on the tricky topic of ROCK N' ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND RESOURCES. Regardless of size, budget or structure, many organizations struggle with fitting and managing the numerous ITSM roles and responsibilities within their current environment. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, I will provide practical guidance and explore different types of scenarios and models. This session will be highly interactive with lots of audience participation.

Fusion 2010 in Louisville promises to be the best itSMF conference yet. To learn more and register, go to www.itsmfusion.com. See you there!

The V2 Practitioner Path to ITIL Expert Certification

2010-05-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there are currently three routes to becoming an ITIL Expert?

For those starting ITIL with V3 earning 17 credits in the ITIL V3 Qualification Scheme gains entry into the capstone course, Managing Across the Lifecycle (MALC). Passing the MALC exam grants the ITIL Expert credential. The ITIL V3 Credit Profiler helps candidates build a training plan based on existing and potential certifications.

The remaining two options are for those who possess advanced V2 certifications.

Individuals who are (or will) become ITIL V2 Service Managers have a five day fast track to ITIL Expert through the Manager’s Bridge course and exam. These are the only candidates who do not need to pass the MALC exam to become ITIL Experts.

Individuals with four clustered V2 Practitioner certifications (e.g., Support and Restore, Release and Control, Plan and Improve, Agree and Define) only need to take the Manager’s Bridge and MALC. The Manager’s Bridge course fills the gaps from to V3 and equips learners with the pre-requisite knowledge for success in MALC. Candidates must pass both exams to earn the ITIL Expert credential.

A learner who recently achieved his ITIL Expert through this path noted that the experience both affirmed and enhanced his prior V2 knowledge.

Keep in mind that options 2 and 3 will only be available for a limited time as V2 exams begin to expire this year. V2 Service Manager will end in August, 2010. V2 Practitioner exams will end in December 2011. The Manager’s Bridge exam will end in June, 2011.

ITSMP Diploma and Tuition Reimbursement

2010-03-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

ITSM Academy's IT Service Management Professional (ITSMP)^SM Diploma Program offers diplomas in three (3) occupational disciplines based on IT Service Management (ITSM) best practices, frameworks and standards. The career paths are:
· Change Manager (ITSMP-CM)^SM
· Support Manager (ITSMP-SM)^SM
· Service Level Manager (ITSMP-SLM)^SM

View ITSM Diploma Tracks

Many of our learners have come to us for advise on securing Tuition Reimbursement for their education. The primary question is, "Will my company pay for my tuition?"

If your organization has an established Tuition Reimbursement policy, of course they will. You just need a business case stating the relevance of the education and and little patience. With this, your educational aspirations can be achieved.

But what if your company doesn’t publish a Tuition Assistance policy? In our experience, just because they don’t currently offer reimbursement doesn’t mean they aren’t open to the idea. It might just mean that no one has asked. Since Tuition Reimbursement is typically funded through the Human Resources’ benefit program, the cost of your training may not impact your department’s budget and you may be able to work with your boss to capitalize on this opportunity.

A great way to approach it is to create a list of ways your education will benefit the company:

In the course of the program, you will be earning five (5) internationally recognized certifications
Your new skills are based on industry standard best practices
This education will make you more productive at work
You will be able to take on additional assignments
You will be able to be a leader in the workplace

Your list should be part of a short business case which includes the following benefits of earning an ITSMP Diploma from ITSM Academy.

Number one: Value

Most employers are concerned about the expense of
employee education.

Demonstrate that the benefits outweigh the costs and be as specific as possible. We can help you put together a precise list of skills you will be learning. Remind them that in addition to earning an ITSMP diploma, you will also achieve industry recognized certifications. Since each ITSMP track has been built to ensure that students are equipped with ALL of the skills needed to succeed in a specific process management position, you will be better positioned to take a leadership role when needed. Also, remind them that paying your tuition may cost less than hiring a new employee with the skills you are learning, not to mention the cost of training the new recruit.

Number two: Longer Employee Retention

One of the best ways to prove your commitment is to sign a retention agreement. This ensures that you will stay with the organization for a specific period of time after earning your diploma. Most companies who offer tuition reimbursement already have this in place.

Number three: Competitive Advantage

Specifically demonstrate how your diploma will relate to your current (or proposed) position. Cite examples of how your new skills can be applied to IT Operations. From the ITSMP Catalog, show them the courses which you will be taking. Explain how the courses benefit the IT Department and the overall organization, by completing this unique combination of education. And remember, studies show that an educated workforce will keep your employers ahead of the competition.

Your ITSMP diploma will move your company’s IT Service Management initiatives forward. And what do we know about ITSM? Done right, it will implement and internalize best practices, improve productivity and reduce costs. So when you think of it that way, your employer will reduce operational costs by funding your education!

Happy 2010 - An Exciting New Year

2010-01-06T17:51:00.001-08:00

Can you believe that it is 2010? I'm still wrapping my head around that one. I do wish everyone a year filled with knowledge, joy, prosperity and good health.

To celebrate the new decade, here's an update on 10 exciting ITSM programs, courses and innovations from ITSM Academy:

1. IT Service Management Professional (ITSMP) Diplomas:
Are you or do you aspire to be a Change Manager, Support Manager or Service Level Manager? As a school now licensed by the Commission for Independent Education, Florida Department of Education, we offer programs to achieve occupational IT Service Management Professional (ITSMP) Diplomas. Enrollment is required for one of these tracks. On our Public Class Schedule, the ITSMP symbol indicates courses which accrue enrolled students educational clock hours toward Change Manager, Support Manager and/or Service Level Manager Diplomas. In addition, enrolled ITSMP students will receive additional "soft skill" educational opportunities. We are the only ITSM training company licensed to offer these diplomas.

2. Certified Process Design Engineer (CPDE): Loyalist Certification Services (LCS)'s CPDE exam has been approved as a complementary course in the ITIL Certification Scheme for 1.5 credits. We are also very proud that Donna Knapp's CPDE textbook will be published this spring by J. Ross Publishing. The book will be included with ITSM Academy's CPDE course materials.

3. PMP Exam Prep: Several of our alumni have expressed interest in becoming Project Management Professionals (PMPs). Knowing that ITSM implementations are more successful when managed as by skilled Project Managers, we will be offering 5 day PMP Exam Prep courses beginning March, 2010. This course meets PMI's 35 hour formal training requirement.

4. Virtual Training: Feedback from our instructor led virtual training classes has been very positive and pass rates for these sessions have been equivalent to traditional classroom rates. We will continue to expand the number and type of courses available in our Virtual Classroom.

5. Corporate Train the Trainer Program (Corporate Academy): ITSM Academy offers our accredited courseware and instructor services for use by select training organizations, consultants, trainers, educational institutes, universities, and software companies looking to establish their own co-branded ITSM training and certification program. We also license to corporations seeking a cost effective training solution for large numbers of learners.

6. Accredited Training Council Trade Association (ATCTA): I am working with colleagues from several other ITSM Accredited Training Organizations (ATOs) to create a structured trade association. The association's intent will be to raise the quality of ITSM training standards and represent the voice of the customer to Examination Institutes and the ITIL Qualification Board. It's great news that several ATOs are willing to collaborate and align to the benefit of our customers and our industry. We hope to launch the association during Q2 2010.

7. ITIL Expert Pass: For learners who have achieved ITIL Foundation and aspire to become ITIL Experts, the ITIL Expert Pass gives you access to all of the courses needed to achieve your goal at one affordable price.

8. Corporate Pass: This is an opportunity for six team members from the same organization to attend an unlimited number of courses in a 12-month period for only $24,995.

9. Sand Dollars: This program offers volume pricing for multiple named learners.

10. Early Bird Specials: This is an opportunity for 25% off of select class seats. Early Bird's are only available for select courses/dates and can expire at any time. Check our website for early bird seat availability.

We are now an ITSM Career School! Introducing the ITSMP Diploma Program

2009-12-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

Big news at ITSM Academy! We are now licensed by the Florida Department of Education, Commission on Independent Education, as a career school with the ability to grant occupational ITSM diplomas. ITSM Academy's program is the first of its kind and we are the only career school licensed to offer IT Service Management occupational diplomas.

Our new IT Service Management Professional (ITSMP) diploma program has three career tracks – ITSMP Change Manager, ITSMP Support Manager and ITSMP Service Level Manager. Building on critical roles within the prominent IT Service Management frameworks, the ITSMP program bundles ITSM certification courses into diploma tracks. This ensures that students are equipped with ALL of the skills needed to succeed in a specific process management position. In addition to earning an ITSMP diploma, students will also achieve industry recognized certifications.

Each career track consists of two required courses (ITIL Foundation and Certified Process Design Engineer), two subject matter expertise courses (one ITIL Lifecycle, one ITIL Capability) and a standard or framework elective (ISO/IEC 20000 Foundation or Microsoft Operations Framework). To learn more about these programs and courses, click here.

We built these programs and went through the rigor of becoming a licensed school because we believe there is a need for role-based ITSM education and credentials. Until now, there has not been enough focus placed on the educational requirements of key process managers. A successful Change Manager, for example, should have more knowledge than just that contained in ITIL Release Control and Validation (RCV) or ITIL Service Transition courses. Understanding multiple frameworks as well as the mechanics of designing, implementing and improving processes is equally important. And having a recognized and licensed diploma not only credentials the individual but legitimizes the occupation.

Achieving ITIL Expert™ is still absolutely appropriate for those who will lead ITSM programs – either within an organization or as a consultant or trainer. It is the ITIL Version (V3) equivalent of ITIL Service Manager, a well recognized and respected role. ITSM Academy will continue to provide training and support for those seeking ITIL Expert™ certification – in fact, we recently introduced an ITIL Expert Pass that allows learners with ITIL Foundation certification to take 16.5 credits + our MALC course for a flat fee. However, for those who are, or aspire to be, process managers, the ITSMP diploma program focuses on related and necessary skill sets.

In becoming a licensed school, ITSM Academy is committing to the governance and compliance standards of the Florida Department of Education as well as other school accreditation agencies.
Providing our students the opportunity to earn ITSM diplomas has been a long-standing goal at the Academy. Our concern is that other training organizations will see the value in offering the diplomas, but won't complete the rigorous process required to be under the supervision of a state or professional agency. If that's the case, they will be granting diplomas that are either fraudulent, or because of the lack of proper standards, worthless. We will do our best to educate the community on the difference between licensed schools and diploma mills.

ITSM Academy's License number is 4142. Additional information regarding the Florida Department of Education, Commission on Independent Education may be obtained by contacting the Commission at 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1414, Tallahassee, FL 323099-0400, toll-free telephone number (888) 224-6684.

.

CPDE Now Earns ITIL V3 Credits

2009-12-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

The Certified Process Design Engineer (CPDE) course and exam have now been approved as a Complementary Qualification in the ITIL V3 scheme. Successful candidates will earn 1.5 credits towards ITIL Expert. CPDE is only the fourth qualification to be granted Complementary status and is an official part of the ITIL Credit Profiler. Exams are owned and administered by Loyalist Certification Services (LCS). Read the LCS press release.

CPDE fills the gap between ITIL’s “what to do” and “how to do it” in terms of designing, measuring, re-engineering and improving IT Service Management processes. The curriculum is framework-agnostic and encourages organizations to leverage the guidance from multiple sources such as ISO/IEC 20000, COBIT, CMMI and Microsoft Operation Framework (MOF),

ITSM Academy is proud to be the first Accredited Training Organization to offer the CPDE Course. The source textbook was written by Donna Knapp, our Curriculum Development Manager. It will be published by J. Ross Publishing in Spring, 2010.

For more information on the CPDE course, click here.

New PMP Exam Prep Course

2009-11-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

I am happy to announce that ITSM Academy will be offering Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Preparation courses beginning March 1, 2010.

As many of you know, there is a natural relationship between IT Service Management and Project Management. The ITIL books support ITSM and Project Management integration, particularly during Service Design and Service Transition. ITSM implementations are more likely to be successful when designed as formal programs with projects led by qualified Project Managers.

Over the years, many of our learners have expressed an interest in becoming PMPs. I feel that the PMP credential track is a good fit for our learning community and encourages our clients to realize the value of leveraging both sets of best practices.

While the Project Management Institute (PMI) has eligibility requirements in order to take the exam, there are no pre-requisites for taking the PMP Exam Prep course. You can begin to prepare for the exam before, during or after the completion of the PMI application. The eligibility, application and exam process are detailed in PMI's PMP Handbook. This course does fulfill the mandatory 35 hours of formal training.

Our PMP Exam Prep course will be a comprehensive 5 day course led by an instructor who holds PMP and ITIL Expert certifications. The curriculum will review the key concepts of the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK). Like ITIL courses, you will need to obtain and read the PMBOK prior to the class. The courseware complements the PMBOK with a learner manual, comprehensive exam preparation textbook, 1200 sample exam questions and other study materials. The exam will not be part of the course as it is scheduled and administered by PMI through Prometric Centers.

ITSM Academy has been a PMI Registered Education Provider since 2006 and is committed to strengthening the ties between the Project Management and ITSM communities. I see the cross-pollination of the bodies of knowledge as a logical first step.

To learn more about this course or to register for an upcoming session, use this link.

Retirement of V2 Examinations

2009-10-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

On October 29th, the OGC announced their plans for retiring ITIL V2 products and examinations by June 2011. This is a global product withdrawal, meaning that all languages will be removed at the same time.

Here are the final dates for first time exam takers:

V2 Foundation - June 30, 2010
V2 Service Manager - August 31, 2010
V2 Practitioner exams - Dec 31, 2010
V2/V3 Foundation Bridge exams - Dec 31, 2010

Re-takes for all of the above will be available until 30 June 2011.

The V2 Service Manager Bridge exam will also end on 30 June 2011. At this time, there are no re-take extensions (although myself and others are still pressing to have this reconsidered).

All V2 books will be unavailable after June 30, 2011 and some may be withdrawn before that date based on demand. Service Support and Service Delivery publications will be not be available after June 30, 2011 although OGC states that "in the later period these may only be available as ‘print on demand’ or in electronic formats." I am not quite sure what this means but suspect that if demand does not justify printing, they will make other options available until the end date.

So, if you are planning to obtain a V2 certification, you must achieve it by the end dates described above. This is particularly important for those with existing V2 certifications who would like to take advantage of bridging courses for Foundation and Service Manager.

ITIL V2 Service Managers have the unique opportunity to fast-track to ITIL Expert by taking the V2 Manager's Bridge course and passing the exam. If you have taken the Service Manager course but did not pass one or both exams, I would highly recommend that you plan for a re-take before the end dates. Becoming an ITIL Expert via the Manager's Bridge route is much faster and less costly than navigating the 22 credits required of the V3 scheme.

If you have a V2 Foundation Certificate, you can upgrade your certification and meet the pre-requisite for entry into the ITIL V3 Intermediate courses by taking the V2/V3 Foundation Bridge course and exam.

From a knowledge perspective, the guidance from V2 Service Support/Service Delivery is alive and well in V3. There may be some new vocabulary and processes, but the core concepts are essentially the same. The V3 service lifecycle just puts those processes into context while bringing forth other considerations. Some of those considerations (such as Security Management or continual service improvement) actually build on other books in the V2 library that were not as widely read as Service Support and Service Delivery.

Most organizations do not implement ITIL in its purest form. In the end, each will develop a custom framework based on a combination of ITIL (and/or other ITSM frameworks or standards) and successful internal practices. So, whether you call it ITIL V2 or V3, what really matters is that you have the knowledge, training, experience and resources to manage your services to meet the needs and requirements of your customers.

The Truth About The Updates to ITIL V3 Core Library

2009-10-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

The OGC recently announced updates to the ITIL V3 Core Guidance under their continual improvement “Mandate for Change”. The update is intended to be a new “edition” not a new “version” in that the framework will be largely unchanged.

The Mandate for Change also clearly states that “new concepts are not to be added.”

I had a chance to speak with representatives of the OGC and The Stationary Office (TSO) publishers at the recent Dallas Fusion 2009 conference, Both emphasized that the project is in the early stages and that the updated books will likely not be published until 2011.

So why the need for the update? First published in May of 2007, each of the five books in the ITIL V3 Core Library was written by a pair of authors. From the start, readers and training organizations identified many inconsistencies across the lifecycle stages and processes. Some of the new roles were not clearly differentiated; others did not appear in related sections. Standard terminology and formatting was not uniformly applied. Most importantly, feedback on the Service Strategy book repeatedly indicated that the concepts were difficult to understand and apply. The updates are in response to reader and training organization feedback and is part of OGC's continual improvement cycle.

The OGC has set the following goals for the update:

Remedy inconsistencies between the five books
Align with other relevant OGC frameworks (PRINCE2, M_o_R, etc.)
Clearly explain roles and responsibilities
Standardize the use of glossary terms and definitions across the books
Update the glossary
Examine the definition and usage of Product Manager and Service Owner roles
Ensure that the Service Catalog Manager appears within Service Operation
Simplify Service Strategy
Redesign content according to OGC’s updated style guidelines

A Change Control Log managed by OGC’s Change Advisory Board currently contains 312 recommended revisions. A link to the Change Log is within the Mandate for Change. The Mandate also states that training organizations and others will be invited to provide additional feedback and recommendations.

As the project progresses, further details of the update together with a more precise publication date will be announced.

To read the Mandate for Change go to http://www.best-management-practice.com/gempdf/ITIL_Mandate_for_Change_0909.pdf