Latest on ITIL v3 takeup

Figures have been published that indicate the global adoption of ITIL v3 - certainly with regard to exams and certification is picking up steam.

January to August 2008 figures look like this:

ITIL Version 2 Examinations Taken
v2 Foundation 81500
v2 Practitioner 7550
v2 Service Managers 7700

ITIL Version 3 Examinations Taken
v3 Foundation 74150
v3 Foundation Bridge 11100
v3 Managers Bridge 1900

We're not reporting here on the pass rate, just the fact that v3 is starting to work it's way into the market, but v2 is still going strong.

v2 is still going strong as it is now understood to be effectively a "fast-track" way to qualify as an ITIL v3 Expert. It is therefore not surprising that v2 Managers exams exceed the number of Practitioner exams taken for this period.

It is almost 18 months since the launch of ITIL v3. Most pundits predicted that the adoption would take 12 to 18 months to catch on and that would seem to be the case.

Regarding the "retirement" of v2 Exams. We are still being told that it there will be 4 to 6 months notice of exams being withdrawn, but a survey will be conducted early next year to guage the interest in ITIL v2.

Here is my tip.... ITIL v2 will stay as long as there is an economically viable reason. It would not be a very good business decision to cut off a revenue stream just because it felt like the right time to do it. v2 and v3 will need to coexist for a lot longer. Why not?

Why not is that Sharon Taylor, Chief Architect, for ITIL v3 made the statement in May 2007, that ITIL v3 is not an UPGRADE it is a REPLACEMENT. So I imagine that Sharon for one is banking on the certification demise of v2 so that her statement can become a reality. For the reality now is that v3 is there for those who want it, but a lot still don't want it and the exam numbers above bear testomony to that fact.

New ITIL v3 certification scheme to be launched in UK

The new scheme for ITIL v3 certification will be launched at the itSMF conference in the UK this week. Prepared by Sharon Taylor it is the first time all the discussion has been drawn together into one paper.

The ITIL Diploma or Diploma in Service Management - which was to be near the top level certification for most ITIL professionals is now to be called the ITIL Expert.

That is about the only change for the much publicized and heavily criticized v3 certification program.

22 credits is the magic number to earn the ITIL Expert qualification.

Foundation earns 2 credits, each of the 5 Service Lifecycle programs is 3 credits, 4 for each of the Service Capability and 5 for the mandatory Managing across the Lifecycle.

The most annoying element of the program is still the amount of hours that each program is expected to take.

30 hours for Managing Across the Lifecycle
30 hours for each Service Capability course
21 hours for each of the Service Lifecycle courses
16.25 hours for the Foundation

So how does a training company decide how many days each course should be? It is even more complex when APMG haven't defined how many hours of contact time they consider a full traning day to contain.

Most people would say that a typical day involves 6.5 contact hours.
BUT APMG have said that the hours listed assume an 8 hour day... so now that is just plain silly...

Is a Foundation course expected to take two full days and then 15 minutes on the third... No, but equally would a vendor say that a Foundation is 2.5 days (assuming 6.6 hour days) ??

Why can't APMG just define this so that all ATOs have a common platform? My reason for why they cannot is that APMG are perhaps more interested in online study for each of the courses.

Maybe I am too cynical.... perhaps not!

The Famous Five Run Away Together

The nice folks at OGC must have had a giggle when they choose the cover designs for all the new ITIL v3 material.

On more than one occasion a passer-by has commented on the cover design for the "Vendor pre-release briefing" - "That's marijuana!!" one rather eldery woman commented.

It was of course my civic duty to enquire about her knowledge on such a topic - however, no answer was forthcoming as she tripped off to another destination.

But then I had a look at the covers of the "Famous Five" books that are flooding the market faster than a free iPhone giveaway competition.

X-ray images of Peas and Poppies, sea shells and starfish - there is a definite hint that the team were out to have a bit of laugh in choosing the designs.

I think the term "Famous Five" is very apt for the books. Those of us lucky enough to have grown up on the stories of Enid Blyton we will fondly remember Julian, Anne, Dick, George and Timmy the dog.

Just like "Five Run Away Together" we can understand our intrepid authors looking forward to their usual holiday at George' s home and tucking into Aunt Fanny's and Joanna the cook's delicious food !!

I'm just thinking that the designers of the covers for the new material were tucking into something a little bit more powerful when the concept was discussed. At least we're talking about it, so in that regard it's a great success.

Authoring over 700 books in her career we thank our modern day Enid B. (aka Sharon Taylor) who held those rascally authors at just 5 books.

;-)

ITIL v3 Launch - an emmotional event.

The suits were out for the official ITIL v3 launch in London. The 5th June 2007 marked the start of a global tour for the intrepid and brave authors of the “new and improved” material. As always Sharon Taylor led from the front – and in a rare show of emotion there was even a small hint of a tear when the larger than life George Spalding gave an impromptu , but heart felt acknowledgement of the work that Sharon has put in over the last several years.

I don’t think there would be anyone that would argue that the effort required to get v3 off the ground is enormous. Whether v3 will fly or not remains to be seen. However, the signs are positive – especially as there will be a live, on-going feedback mechanism that everyone can contribute to.

The involvement of the ITSM community for v3 does not appear to be lip service. There are genuine efforts to retain the high degree of user contribution that has characterized this latest version of the popular framework.

Good practice, best practice - which is better ?

I overheard a recent conversation about the ITIL v3 definition of Good Practice and Best Practice.

There were comments like.. "organizations once they've attained Best Practice will move to Good Practice". I was confused... surely "Best" is better than "Good".

Then I did some reading.


Sharon Taylor in the forward of the Service Strategy book uses the term "Emergent".
She summarizes that ITIL provides "good practice structures with room for self-optimization."

and later in the same book (Service Strategy) best practices are defined as "patterns in action"... that reflect "superior outcomes".

Combine these elements and we it is plain to see that early adopter organizations that use a framework like ITIL (provided they get it right) are the "best practice" leaders... over time, others in the industry catch up, so that the best practice of a few becomes the good practice of many.

Now the challenge is for the few to set new superior limits and establish themselves as best practice leaders in their industry - while their competition stays at the expected good practice baseline.