Course Overview

This new program replaces the individual Service Level Management and Financial Management for IT Services Practitioner courses. It focuses on the implementation, management, and optimization of integrated processes required for achieving control and stability within an IT infrastructure.

The Agree and Define program is offered over a 5-day period and includes a 2 hours formal certification exam on the afternoon of the fifth day. The course is 40 percent lecture and 60 percent hands-on individual and group practical exercises.

• Note: The success in achieving certification is highly dependant upon participants’ effort in doing their homework, and self-study after the program. Therefore, it is highly recommended that the exam be scheduled one week to maximum two weeks after the training to allow sufficient time for preparation
• Also available in workshop format without examination
• Program added value - provides consultancy advice and sample reusable documents

Duration

Five days from 08:30 A.M to 5:00 P.M including examination at 3:30 P.M of the last day or to be scheduled the following week

Delivery Methods

- Instructor led Classroom environment
- Virtual Web based

Audience

The number of course participants ranges from 6 to 12 IT professionals and consultants responsible for implementing and/or executing tasks within the Service Level Management, and Financial Management for IT Services processes.

• IT staff responsible for the agreement and definition of IT services, especially those who will participate in managing, organizing and optimizing the Agree and Define processes in an IT Service organization which has implemented, or started to implement, ITIL® based Service Level Management and/or Financial Management processes
• ITIL® Service Level, and Financial Management for IT Services process owners and / or managers
• IT Service and Project Manager
• Senior technical and operational staff
• Service managers who want to develop their practical knowledge about the Service Level and Financial Management processes as described by ITIL® (IT Infrastructure Library)
• Business analysts and other ITIL® process managers with interest in the service level and/or Financial Management processes
• IT professionals and consultants working in the area of IT Service Delivery and / or IT operations
• IT customers responsible for the negotiation of quality services and related SLAs and contracts
• Customers, suppliers and staff requiring a formal qualification

Prerequisites

• Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management
• Practical experience in the field of Service Level Management, with basic Financial Management knowledge

Program Objectives

Through a series of lectures designed at achieving a clear understanding the ITIL® Best Practice model and in various practical, individual and group assignments and discussions, participants will gain the necessary knowledge enabling them to develop, implement and manage an integrated Service Level Management and Financial Management for IT Services function.

Program assignments are not only designed to provide participants with practical hands-on experience in developing, managing, organizing and optimizing effective processes, they also provide valuable re-utilizable models.

The program prepares participants to take and successfully achieve formal certification in the ITIL® Agree and Define Practitioner Program

• IPAD program objectives
• Overview of the ITSM concepts, requirements, and ITSM Governance
• Introduction to ISO/IEC 20000® Service Management standard - key requirements and interpretation
• Business and Quality drivers
• The responsibilities of the Service Provider
• IT Service Management Principals
• Service Reporting
• Relationship Management and Communication

Program Contents

IT Service Management

• Planning an effective program of continuous improvement
  • The project
  • Feasibility study and business case
  • Critical Success Factors (CSF)
  • Launching a corporate-wide awareness campaign and on-going communication
  • Dependencies and possible constraints
  • The project plan - Aligning IT to the business
  • Implementation (People, Process, Technology)
  • Performance indicators
  • Managing effective Service Improvement Program (SIP).

Service Level Management

• Planning an effective process
  • Service Level Management goals and objectives
  • Planning for Service Level Management
  • Creating the Service Catalogue
  • Define Service Level Agreements - Service Level Requirements and Service Specifications, Service Level Objectives and Service Level Agreements - Operational Level Agreements and Underpinning Contracts
  • Negotiate and agree SLAs
  • Implementing Service Level Agreements

• Managing the process
  • Monitor SLAs achievements vs. targets
  • Improving services delivered - Service Improvement Program (SIP)
  • Quality of service parameters and performance reporting
  • Management reporting
  • Service Level Management - Interrelationships and requirements
  • Relationships and links with other ITIL® processes
  • Best practices and business benefits
  • Common roadblocks
  • Recognize process improvement opportunities

Financial Management for IT Services

• Process goals and objectives
• Components of Financial Management
• Scope of Financial Management
• The role of the Business in Financial Management
• Financial Management’s relationship with other ITSM processes
• Possible challenges and consequences
• Recognize process improvement opportunities
• Critical Success Factors

• Budgeting
  • Purpose of budgeting
  • Estimating the cost of budget items
  • Estimating the cost of workload dependent items

• Accounting
  • Financial organizations
  • Designing the cost model
  • IT Costing
  • Cost types and elements
  • Classifying cost elements
  • Depreciation
  • Apportioning IT costs - directed / in-direct
  • Cost units
  • Changes affecting costs
  • Investment appraisal
  • Return on investment
  • Total cost of ownership

• Charging
  • Defining the charging policy
  • Deciding chargeable items
  • Pricing and pricing policies
  • The internal market
  • Differential charging
  • Pricing flexibility
  • Charging methods
  • Types of billing
  • When to charge
  • Benefits of charging
  • Implementation - planning

Process Key Performance Indicators

• Understanding ITSM Process Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Defining KPIs and relevant Metrics
• Identifying improvement opportunities

Planning the ITIL Agree and Define Function

• Planning considerations
• Preparation
• Awareness campaign and on-going communications
• Tool assessment and selection
• Required documentation and procedures
• The Agree and Define Function Organization
• Defining the roles
• Process Owner and Manager responsibilities
• Implementation
• Piloting the system
• Monitor the system
• Process control and management
• Management reporting
• Auditing and audit checks

Program Material (handouts)

The Agree and Define Function program includes the following program material as well as a collection of valuable reference documentation:

• Program slide presentation
• ITIL® Service Level Management and Financial Management for IT Services course notes and homework
• Sample examination questions and answers
• A collection of valuable documentation
  • Selecting Process Owner and Manager considerations
  • ITIL® Process Owner and Manager responsibilities
  • ITSM Responsibility Matrix
  • Creating a Vision
  • Setting Goals and Objectives
  • ITSM Communications plan
  • Sample Service Catalogue structure and segment
  • Sample SLA development and template
  • Sample OLA development and template
  • ITIL® acronyms and glossary