Itil

[Mustang]

It now seems that the latest invogue requirement that clients are asking for is ITIL. I know it's been around for a while but now clients are latching on to it in the same way that Prince 2 came into force a few years ago.

Is anyone else noticing this?

Thats fine - what the market wants the market gets (within reason). In view of this, I am happy to go on an ITIL course but having looked at a couple of vendors, it seems that there is a myriad of types of course. With Prince 2 it seemed clear that practitioner was the way to go but I am not too sure on ITIL.

What does the panel recommend?

[Sausage Surprise]

I did the ITIL Service Management Foundation one (or whatever it is) Bought a book for a tenner, read it, paid for the exam and passed it in a couple of weeks. No need to take a course for that one.

[malvolio]

Managers is the only one that means anything. But you have to do Foundation (trivial - but anyone who's gets anywhere near IT support or delivery should do it) and with ITIL3 there is a middle tier as well, just to make life difficult (and earn more money for the ISEB andhe training companies, no doubt). Will cost around £5k to get the Managers and it's not easy. There used to be Practitioners levels as well but these were not well regarded.

Well worth doing, IMHO, but then I would say that, wouldn't I But the exams don't mean you can do the job, only that you properly understand Best Practice. Implementing it is far more about people than it is about process.

[Mustang]

Managers is the only one that means anything. But you have to do Foundation (trivial - but anyone who's gets anywhere near IT support or delivery should do it) and with ITIL3 there is a middle tier as well, just to make life difficult (and earn more money for the ISEB andhe training companies, no doubt). Will cost around £5k to get the Managers and it's not easy. There used to be Practitioners levels as well but these were not well regarded.

Well worth doing, IMHO, but then I would say that, wouldn't I But the exams don't mean you can do the job, only that you properly understand Best Practice. Implementing it is far more about people than it is about process.

So bottom line is I have to start with foundation, then do the middle level then do the final 3rd level.

exams don't mean you can do the job, only that you properly understand Best Practice. Implementing it is far more about people than it is about process.

Just the same as Prince 2 IMHO - however, needs must!

[original PM]

Well worth doing, IMHO, but then I would say that, wouldn't I But the exams don't mean you can do the job, only that you properly understand Best Practice. Implementing it is far more about people than it is about process.

bit like Prince 2 then!

it seems some of these qualifications are becoming like a degree used to be - without one you would not get a foot in the door but once in the door you rarely used the knowledge that you learnt getting the qualification.


Discuss (please!)

[malvolio]

bit like Prince 2 then!

it seems some of these qualifications are becoming like a degree used to be - without one you would not get a foot in the door but once in the door you rarely used the knowledge that you learnt getting the qualification.


Discuss (please!)

Actually no, not like Prince2- one's a methodology that says you have to do all these things in this order using these criteria and these assessments in order to deliver the end product. (OK that's Prince proper, with Prince 2 you can drop stages if necessary, but the basic rule still applies).

The other is a Best Practice guideline - we don't care how you do it as long as what comes out meets these quality constraints and interface actions. And the reason you do Foundation is to ensure you're all using the same vocabulary (hands up those who don't know the difference between an Incident and a Problem? ). So you have to understand a fairly wide overall objective and bend all your process design to suit.

Snag is the suits in management who don't understand the real world think ITIL is a methodology, hence the demand for qualifications for anything even vaguely related to Service Management. Only one member of the team really really needs the paperwork and the detail understanding, as long as they are in charge of both process design and user education - which is where the experience comes in handy.

[original PM]

ok my hand is up!

thanks for the clarification

only problem is it would seem if only the people who know ITIL are using the language they will obviously be speaking a language no-one else is - so in essence they will act as an interface between ITIL Best Practice guideines and the rest of the business who will use everday phrases like

Its completely f**ked
Its only a bit f**ked

interesting though.....

[malvolio]

That's why everyone should do Foundation. The core principles are bleedin' obvious, but it helps if everyone call them the same things.

[cojak]

Only one member of the team really really needs the paperwork and the detail understanding, as long as they are in charge of both process design and user education - which is where the experience comes in handy.

*cough*

[Mustang]

That's why everyone should do Foundation. The core principles are bleedin' obvious, but it helps if everyone call them the same things.

I think I will start with the foundation and at least it shows willing and is a start to putting the right tick in the box. If its the suits that are driving this they probably wont know the difference anyway!!

I assume do the v3....?!