Program Overview

The ITIL® SM Expert: Managing Across the Lifecycle Certificate is a free-standing qualification, but is also the final module of the Service Lifecycle and/or Service Capability modules that lead to the ITIL® SM Expert in IT Service Management. 

 

The purpose of this module/certificate is to impart and test knowledge across the contents of the ITIL®  Books; focusing on business, management and supervisory objectives, purpose, processes, functions and activities; also, it focuses and on the interfaces and interactions between the processes addressed in the five core ITIL®  books.

 

Duration

This program is offered over a 5-day period and includes approximately 30 hours of student-instructor interaction; a 1.5 hours formal certification exam on the afternoon of the fifth day, or the following week. 

 

The course approach combines theoretical and hands-on knowledge transfer, including individual and group practical exercises.

 

The Minimum number of students per session is 6 where the maximum is 12.

 

Current Delivery Method

-    Instructor led Classroom based (In-House and Public Course)

-    The Minimum number of students per session is 6 where the maximum is 12.

 

Audience

The target group of the ITIL® SM Expert Qualification: Managing Across the Lifecycle Certificate is: 

·         Individuals who require a business & management level understanding of the ITIL® core lifecycle and how it may be implemented to enhance the quality of IT service provision within an organization. 

·         Individuals seeking to attain the ITIL® SM Expert in IT Service Management who wish to obtain this qualification as final mandatory modules leading to this SM Expert.

·         Individuals wishing to study for the ITIL® Advanced SM Expert in IT Service Management for which the ITIL® SM Expert is a pre-requirement.

 

The audience may include but is not limited to, CIOs, Senior IT Managers, IT Managers and Supervisors, IT professionals and IT Operation practitioners

 

Exam Note: The success in achieving this certification is highly dependent upon participants’ effort in doing their homework, and self-study before and during the program.  Therefore, it is highly recommended that:

-    The exam is scheduled one week to maximum two weeks after the training to allow sufficient time for preparation.

-    Course participants purchase the appropriate OGC publication to complete at a minimum 12 hours of personal study by reviewing the syllabus and the pertinent areas of the ITIL® Service Management Practice core guidance.

 

Prerequisites

Candidates wishing to attend training and sit the examination for this qualification must already hold at least 17 credits through formal ITIL® Lifecycle or Capability stream qualifications. Documentary evidence of this level of certification will be required before admission to the ITIL® SM Expert; Managing Across the Lifecycle examination is granted.

 

Additionally, to be eligible for the ITIL® SM Expert; Managing Across the Lifecycle examination, candidates must have fulfilled the following requirements:

·         At least 28 contact hours of study with an accredited training provider or accredited e-learning provider for this syllabus, as part of a formal, approved training course/scheme.

·         Hold the ITIL® Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management (or the v2 Foundation plus Foundation Bridge) and have obtained a minimum of 17 credits through formal Service Lifecycle Stream or Service Capability scheme qualifications.

·         Also, It is strongly recommended that course participants possess 2 to 4 years professional experience working in IT Service Management

 

Content and Objectives

Through a series of lectures designed at achieving a clear understanding of the ITIL® Best Practice lifecycle approach and through various exercises, assignments and discussions, participants will gain the necessary knowledge, at the Bloom Analysis level, of the following subjects upon successful completion of the education and examination components related to this certification:

·         Introduction to IT Service Management Business & Managerial Issues

·         Managing the Planning and Implementation of IT Service Management

·         Management of Strategic Change

·         Risk Management

·         Managerial Functions 

·         Understanding Organizational Challenges

·         Lifecycle Project Assessment

·         Understanding Complementary Industry Guidance

 

The program will cover the following modules:

 

Introduction

Introduction to IT Service Management Business & Managerial Issues

This unit reinforces the candidate’s knowledge of the management concepts and terminology used in the field of IT Service Management. Specifically, after completion of this module candidates will be expected to understand and analyze:

· Lifecycle positioning and transition including:

            o        The difference between open-loop and closed-loop

            o        Complex Monitor Control loops

            o        ITSM Monitor Control loops 

· Relationship between Business and IT including:

            o        How to achieve business value with people, process, function, supplier relationship and technology alignment

 

 

Management of Strategic Change 

This unit will cover the managing of the project lifecycle. Specifically, after completing this module, candidates will be expected to understand and analyze:

·   The challenges, critical success factors and risks to success including:

             o        Value creation challenge

             o        Critical success components to managing lifecycle risk

·         The business benefits including:

             o        Determining Benefit Realization

             o        Determining Value to Business VOI, ROI 

             o        Determining Variable Cost Dynamics (VCD)

             o        Alignment with business policy and future direction

             o        Relationship to service portfolio and service catalogue management

·         Planning and Defining scope

·         Resource planning including:

            o        Awareness of delivery model choices

·         Budgeting, costing

·         Quality control including:

            o        Quality checks 

            o        Estimating benefits

·         Strategic Influencing including:

.         Defining awareness communication activities

             o        People Education and knowledge management

·         Customer liaison including:

             o        Business Relationship Management

·         Project Termination - Retirement

 

Risk Management 

This unit will cover managing project and IT risk. Specifically, after completing this module, candidates will be expected to understand and analyze:

·         Challenges, critical success factors and risks to service management

·         Risk Identification

·         Risk Evaluation

·         Corrective Actions

·         Risk Control

·         Transfer of risks

·         Service Provider risks

·         Contract risks

·         Design risks

·         Operational risks

·         Market risks

 

Managing the Planning and Implementation of IT Service Management

This unit will cover the activities related to the managerial function. Specifically, after completing this module, candidates will be expected to understand and analyze:

·         Activities during Plan, Do, Check, Act

·         Planning, including:

                  o        Policy implementation considerations

                  o        Design considerations

·         Organizing, including:

                  o        Resource alignment to achieve throughput through the lifecycle

·         Directing, including:

                  o        Value of achieving business goals by guiding, leading and monitoring

·         Controlling and Evaluation, including:

                  o        Value of verifying and using feedback to control lifecycle

·         Organizational Form and Design

·         Policy Resistance

·         Communication

 

 

Understanding Organizational Challenges 

This unit will address organization challenges. Specifically, after completing this module, candidates will be expected to understand and analyze:

·         Addressing maturity challenges 

·         Strategy generation - Value creation

·         Addressing organizational structure

·         Addressing confidentiality, integrity and availability of information

·         Addressing organizational transition

·         Addressing governance

·         Addressing Balance in Service Operations

 

Service Assessment  

This unit will address assessment. Specifically, after completing this module, candidates will be expected to understand and analyze:

·         Value of Measuring, including:

                 o        Why Measure

                 o        What to Measure

·         Value of Monitoring, including:

                 o        What to Monitor

·         Reporting and determine reporting structure

·         Value of benchmarking

·         Service Portfolio assessment across the lifecycle

                  o        Assessment of achievement

                  o        Corrective action 

·         Business Perspective Improvement Model

·         Value of following CMM

Understanding Complementary Industry Guidance and Tool Strategies

This unit will address other practices. Specifically, after completing this module, candidates will be expected to understand value and relate to support of ITIL:

·         COBIT® 

·         ISO/IEC 20000®   

·         CMMI

·         Balanced Scorecard

·         Quality Management

·         OSI Framework

·         Annuity

·         Service Management maturity framework

·         Six Sigma

·         CMMI

·         Project Management

·         TQM

·         Management Governance framework

·         Tool Strategies

 

Summary, Exam Preparation and Directed Studies 

This module summarizes the material covered in the previous modules and prepares candidates for the examination through the review and practice of a mock examination. The Examination is comprised of eight (8) multiple choice, scenario-based, gradient scored questions. The standard duration of the exam is Maximum 90 minutes.

 

Program Material

This training program includes the following as reference documentation:

·         Program slide presentation

·         ITIL®  acronyms and glossary

·         Sample examination questions and answers

 

Simulation and practical application

We provide the students with real life experiences; we use the client organization as “Case study” example for the purpose of discussion to show the value of using best practice. We integrate group exercises and sample exam questions to simulate and practice the subject matter