ITSM and Training - the variety of choices

In the ITSM world, there are a variety of subjects (ITIL, COBIT, ISO/IEC 20K), courses (Foundation, Professional, Intermediate) and options (classroom, e-learning). I want to talk about the last section today: the options.

Classroom training vs. e-learning training: In the never-ending drive to get ahead of the curve, which road gets you to where you want to be?

If the decision is made using numbers on a balance sheet the obvious choice would seem to be “e-learning”. The direct cost of distance learning is generally lower than a classroom instructor-led course (average 40%-60% less) and there’s no travel expenses (mileage, hotel, etc.). The choice though is not as simple as the expense. Like any business decision, the cost is an influence, but there are other components in the equation that require consideration. In this article we’ll take a look at some of the components, both positives and challenges, of e-learning and classroom instructor-led training and present you with the information to help you make an informed business decision.

Why training in the first place? Define your goal. What do you want to accomplish with your newly acquired education? Is success measured by a certification, the physical proof of your knowledge? Or is achievement demonstrated by your application of a newly acquired perspective or capability? Perhaps it is a blend of both. The answer to the first question will in part drive the training method you choose.

Objections to Classroom:
Aren’t there books I can read?
There is a great deal of published information available on almost every topic. What is appropriate for your current stage of understanding? What is appropriate for your end-goal? Individuals retain material at different rates, but in general adults follow these retention guidelines:
Adults retain approximately 20% of what they read
They retain approximately 50% of what they read and hear
The retention moves to almost 90% when adults read, hear and actively participate in the material

I’ve had prior experiences with a lousy instructor.
A past experience can have an influence in your decision, but don’t let a single poor instructor be your last memory of the classroom training experience. There are a great deal more instructors who show true passion for their students, the classroom experience and the material.

I can’t be away three (four, five) days away from work.
This is a challenge. The best way to overcome this barrier harkens back to the first question again “What do you expect to get out of training?” If your answer involves any of the following:
Career advancement
Improved job performance
Development of new opportunities
The time away from work is required and involves commitment on your part and probably your company’s commitment. Instructor- led classroom education is a business decision and not a vacation planning event. You and your company have made a commitment to improvement, increased efficiency, greater effectiveness, insert training goal here________.

Objections to e-learning:
I can’t find the time to complete the course.
Sitting in front of a PC regardless of location and reading material can be mentally taxing. The time away from the day-to-day focus of work is real when attempting distance learning. Distance learning requires a level of dedication to complete the material. The course window available to satisfy the time course can usually be stretched over multiple weeks.

It’s boring sitting in front of a PC for hours.
Again, we’re back at the commitment factor. Usually a distance learning course is designed to be completed in a number of shorter, palatable pieces just for this reason. There is generally an approach to the course materials that provides greater activity, visual stimulation or action designed to keep the attention of the student.

Aren’t there books I can read?
There is a great deal of published information available on almost every topic. What is appropriate for your current stage of understanding? What is appropriate for your end-goal? Individuals retain material at different rates, but in general adults follow these retention guidelines:
Adults retain approximately 20% of what they read
They retain approximately 50% of what they read and hear
The retention moves to almost 90% when adults read, hear and actively participate in the material

Every person responds differently to the various communication vehicles used to deliver information. Additionally the use of graphics enhances the written word by stimulating multiple parts of the brain.

A few examples are:
PowerPoint slide decks (visual)
Books (visual & tactile)
Workbooks (visual, tactile feedback)
Instructor dialog (auditory)
Electronic quizzes (visual, tactile feedback).

Both classroom instruction and e-learning training utilize a blend of communication delivery mechanisms to capture and maintain the attention of the adult student, ultimately improving long-term content retention.

Classroom instruction offers the ability in real-time to modify the blend of interaction, instruction and stimulation. The scenarios being vocalized by the instructor and the students often enhance the experience and aid in the retention of the material. These dialogues can stimulate practical discussions of the various ways the new knowledge can be applied by the students in daily practice.

There are challenges to the discussion forum. Oblique tangents of discussion or the distraction of non-aligned topics can derail the time management of the course. Experienced instructors manage both the time and direction of the class discussion to the benefit of the attendees in a professional manner.
E-learning courses on the other hand are designed to maintain a focus on the material in a very structured manner. This format requires a controlled educational environment managed by the student. By establishing a dedicated, usually scheduled, time and location, the student provides the appropriate level of isolation to minimize distraction and satisfies their educational needs.

Numerous academic studies show both options can be effective learning experiences with long-term retention of the materials. Now that we’ve reviewed the basic concepts, consider the following questions when making your decision:
What is your desired goal? What is your plan once you acquire this new skill/knowledge?
What is the material? Technical? Theoretical? Does it require discussion or is it primarily facts you need to know?
What past experiences do you have with each delivery method? What about the delivery organization (training company)?
Where do you feel more comfortable? Where do you feel more focused?

Take the time to answer these questions before you make your choice. Whatever way you decide, classroom or e-learning, the most important decision is already made: you want to learn.

ITIL & ISO/IEC 20000

I recently received certification for ISO/IEC 20000 at the Foundations (introductory) level and the Professional level for the Management and Improvement of IT Service. My experiences in Service development and implementation for clients and the fun I’ve had teaching ITIL during the past 12 years gives me a great view of the benefits of both.
For example:
The common focus of “Change Management” in ISO 20K & ITIL. Both drive the focus on formal authorization of change based on an understanding of risk and resource scheduling. ISO 20K takes Change to another level. There are requirements for communications plans for the various audiences (which must be identified). Specific requirements for reporting the performance of the Change process. In ITIL, there are guidelines for these, yes, but ISO 20K “requires” these communications and proof they take place consistently.

ITIL & the ISO 20K designation can initially appear very similar – the IT Service Management focus, the core processes (Incident, Change, Problem, etc.), having roles and responsibilities laid out.

The first difference is ISO 20K requires your organization to clearly demonstrate not only a process exists, but it is being followed. That means evidence. The second difference is ISO 20000 includes governance and management requirements. The ITIL framework alludes to the need for the accountability and quality control components of governance and service management, particularly in the updated “ITIL v3” lifecycle approach.
Quick view: Start using the ITIL framework to create and implement how your IT organization develops and delivers IT Services. Once your teams are driving repeatable, measureable processes to provide services, look the ISO/IEC 20000 specification to fine-tune the quality and efficiencies of IT Service Management. It’s not a “one or the other” choice.

More to come…

I'll be speaking at...

Lehigh-Delaware Valley itSMF LIG Meeting
December 13, 2006
12:30PM (registration) – 3:30PM
At: Microsoft
Malvern, Pennsylvania
You Must RSVP itSMF USA Lehigh Delaware Valley LIG by 06 Dec 2006 (for security badges and head count)

Topics:
"Introducing Knowledge – Centered Support”
Speakers: Chris Wade – Chris Garnet
What is the one thing that never seems to be fully captured? Tribal knowledge! All the expertise regarding a specific topic inevitably seems to be located down a winding pathway leading to single individual. Yet in ITIL, we want our Service Desk positioned to know what actions need to occur to fix an incident. Especially when there is a significant incident impacting a business service! How is this knowledge gathered? What are the real life approaches and the challenges involved?

Chris Wade has over 20 years experience as a provider, buyer and user of software systems that cover customer, IT, quality and ERP management. Chris worked for Mars Incorporated for fourteen (14) years during which time he gained extensive experience with management of global multi-departmental and cross-divisional business processes. Chris is currently VP of Operations at Infra Corporation.

Chris Garnet has over 15+ years experience delivering technology business solutions in startup and large corporate environments. Chris has worked at Aventis Pharma as Head of Global Change & Problem Management and was responsible for implementing a Global Help Desk application in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific that supported seven languages.

“What I learned attending the 2006 itSMF USA convention in Salt Lake City, Utah”
Speaker: Ron Przywara
Pre-conference seminars
Seven different focus tracks from “intro” to “expert”, including topics such as:
ITIL V3, IT Governance and compliance, and much more
Keynote speakers
Alison Levine (Mt. Everest expedition)
Captain James Lovell (Apollo 13)
Sharon Taylor (chief architect ITIL v3)
Erik Guldentops (CobiT & ITIL)
Vendor Expo
Conference Website: itSMF USA Membership has it’s privileges!

Ron Przywara is the Practice Director, IT Service Management for Veris Associates, Inc. He is responsible for IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and ITSM education, training and consulting. Ron’s experiences include managing the accounts and technical teams supporting the infrastructure, tools and business models of Fortune 500 companies.

Don't miss this informative and interactive meeting!
Directions to Microsoft, Malvern can be found on the ITSMF USA web site:

ITIL v.3 - Status update - 2 November 2006

I continue to monitor the timeline and updates from OGC on the progress of ITIL v.3. So far it seems to be tracking to the schedule presented at the itSMF conference in September (see earlier post)

ITIL v.3 - Status update - 2 November 2006
All five core titles were delivered by the author teams by mid-October. Since then the Editorial Board has reviewed the books and carried out work to ensure integration and alignment across all titles. IAG members have been asked to nominate their preferred title to review. The review will start on 7 November and end on 27 November after which there will be a period for further integration work and editing, and for authors to make revisions. Public QA is scheduled for mid-January and a call for participants will be made imminently. People who have already expressed an interest will be contacted directly and details will be available on this website www.itil.co.uk and on www.itsmf.co.uk.

I've included a few of the seven categories below that have timely content:

Category 2 - Web Offerings
The Glossary is available on the ITIL web site. This is the baseline version prior to Refresh development, and will be updated after ITIL Refresh development is complete.
Process models – V3 version work now under way
What’s New – last quarter 2006 draft completion target
High level introduction – last quarter 2006 draft completion target

Category 5 - Qualifications Scheme
The OGC's official accreditor, APMG, has begun forming the Examiner Panel that will be responsible for development of the V3 qualifications Scheme. Once the panel is finalized, a public announcement will be made about the members of this panel. Work on the Qualifications Scheme will begin later this month.

Category 7 - Presentations Planned
itSMF Canada Regional Conferences – Ottawa - November 2006
itSMF UK Conference Birmingham UK - November 2006
itSMF USA Local Interest Group, Wisconsin -January 2007
itSMF Conference Germany - December 2007
Pink Elephant Conference Las Vegas - February 2007
itSMF Conference, Norway - March 2007

October 12th Update from OGC on ITIL v.3

...Excerpt from the OGC website on ITIL V.3

Factsheet (4): CAR and ITIL - ITIL Refresh - The Impact on Examinations

How will the changes impact the qualification and training scheme?
The underlying processes and principles of ITIL are not being changed. They are, however, being re-packaged and some wider considerations (such as the business view) will be covered explicitly.
OGC would not anticipate major changes to the core of the qualification and training scheme as a result of the CAR project, and subsequent awarding of new contracts. However, prior to the launch of this project, there was an identified need to review the current range of qualifications to ensure that it meets user requirements. This work is ongoing and will result in some changes to the current scheme.
It is important to note that OGC recognises the considerable investment made in ITIL by many companies and organisations around the world and is keen to ensure that this investment will not be undermined by changes to the current scheme.

How will the new material be incorporated into the qualification and training scheme?
The qualification scheme will be specifically updated and managed under the new partnership arrangements, and this will include integrating new material into the scheme. An ITIL Qualification Board will take this forward over the next 6 months. The intention is to clarify the qualification and training scheme requirements once the final drafts of the publications are available, early in 2007. A new extended Qualifications Board with wider representation will supersede the current ICMB, though many of the constituent parties will remain as members of the renamed board.
Examination Institutes and Accredited Training Organisations (ATOs) will have access to the refreshed version of ITIL in a timely manner and the marketplace will be given ample advance notification of changes to be implemented.
The ITIL Programme Board has responsibility for supporting the review of qualifications and alignment with standards. Once again, there will be little to report until the new ITIL content is finalised.

Will existing qualifications need to be upgraded to take into account the new material?
Since the core principles of ITIL are not changing, existing qualifications and certificates will remain valid and intact. There will be no change to the current qualifications, and OGC expects that both current and new versions of the qualification scheme will run concurrently for a period (which will be dictated by a range of factors), ensuring that training providers have adequate preparation time for transition to the refreshed ITIL. Training already undertaken will not be undermined by the introduction of new material. There will be opportunities for candidates to upgrade their qualifications, and short conversion or update courses will be provided if appropriate.

What are the plans for development beyond the core books?
It is anticipated that tranches 3 and 4 of the refresh project will address the support needs for the qualification scheme by introducing study aids for the Foundation and other examinations. There will also be a new strategic introduction book for managers, a brochure for the Board, and most importantly, a new core book that provides an official introduction to the new version of ITIL. Scoping of each book will draw from existing ITIL content plus new material. This new version of ITIL will be supported by improved online support.

What I learned about ITIL V3 @ itSMF USA convention in Salt Lake City, Utah

The key architect of ITIL v3, Sharon Taylor, presented as the Tuesday afternoon keynote speaker to a full house in the Salt Palace convention center. The move to version 3 from version 2 is a massive project involving thousands of people world-wide over a two-year period. The project solicited input from delivery engineers, consultants, vendors and businesses about what worked, what wasn’t clear and what was missing from the last update 6 years ago. The result is a comprehensive revision, reflecting current best-practices built around 5 new core books, Complimentary (current) topics, and web products.

What I heard about the 5 Core Practices:

Service Strategies
Business strategy and alignment including vertical market examples
Looks at business as an Eco system and focuses on the value chain
It’s an adaptive process for custom services and provides real strategies
Helps the IT organization manage today's computing environments – complexities exist now that V2 didn’t address
Helps to increase the economic life of services by providing real guidance in selecting service strategies
Shows how ITIL supports and integrates with Six Sigma, CobiT, etc.

Service Design
Structure and Architecture
Focuses on the policies, architecture, portfolios and service models
Emphasis on effective technology and process measurement
There are some components of the V2 Capacity and Availability Management
Sections on the process of how to develop an outsource model or develop shared services
Content on “The Service Package” – Utilities, warranties, capabilities and the triggers for redesign

Service Transition
Bringing the developed processes into live practice
How to effectively manage the change, risk and quality assurance
There are new components to Change, Release and Configuration
Sections on Risk and Quality Assurance design
Managing the organizational and cultural change during transition
The development of a Service Management Knowledge System – enables the CMDB to focus more on technology configuration items

Service Operations
The “day-to-day” support and delivery of IT
How to deliver responsive, stable services
Robust, end-to-end operations practices
They have re-engineered Incident and Problem process for clarity
Development of new functions and processes including:
Event, Technology and Request Management
Influencing Strategy, Design, Transition and Implementation
New capabilities focus:
SOA
Virtualization
Adaptive Service
Agile Service
Other operations models

Continual Service Improvement
Ensuring a focus on measurement and reporting to enable improvement
Identifying measures that truly mean something and improvements that work
Business case ROI
Specifies what to measure
Gets past “just talking about it”
Assess the overall health of ITSM in the environment
Portfolio alignment in real-time with business needs
Identification of the growth and maturity of the Service Management practice
How to measure, interpret and then execute based on the results

The Complimentary components will deliver:
Comprehensive process maps
Training guides
Templates
Case studies
Industry specific contributions
And more…

There will be “quality criteria” and standards applied to contributions in this area to maintain a consistent look and feel to the material. The Complimentary component format will permit updating of “Best Practices” while maintaining the core material. The refresh cycle will be dramatically reduced while continuing to deliver the high quality content.

Great news.
My next thought was addressed almost as soon as it came into my mind. When will ITIL V3 be available?

The current timeline:
Mid October 2006
All drafts are expected to be complete
End of October 2006
Editorial review will take place
This should be quick since the current material is being read almost as soon as it is written
The Marketing of the new material will begin
The itSMF attendees we shown the cover artwork for the 5 books – I thought it was OK – best described as “close-ups of nature” – Starfish arms – seed pods are two I remember. Describing here doesn’t do it justice. It’s tasteful, simple and will be easily recognized
October/November 2006
Review by the ITIL Advisory Group
November/December 2006
“Public” review
Individuals will be solicited and asked if they want to participate, what section they feel qualified to review and why. The individual will also need to present their credentials demonstrating their experiance in the desired area.
December 2006/January 2007
Review and “endorsement” by the itSMF Global
April 2007
Publication and launch
Spring 2007
The qualification scheme is completed

Keep in mind that at each review point the content could be edited/modified. Once the content is “final” it takes the publisher about 90-days to deliver a printed copy.

So what does all this mean? That will be the focus of my next post. My flight got me back into Philadelphia @ 1:00 AM so...back to work...

itSMF conference in Salt Lake City

I leave the Philadelphia region Sunday morning headed west to Salt Lake City, Utah for the 6th Annual itSMF conference and expo.
My first thought was wondering if the time away from my current clients would be offset by new insights in IT Service Management practices, tools, etc. My second thought was the excitement of being in a place with professionals from across the country, and around the world, who have the same drive to improve the delivery and support of “daily” IT services for business.
I can’t wait to learn more about ITIL v.3
I’m juiced to talk to others in my field about the nuances of how I’ve been working on the integration of service development into my client’s application development and project management methodologies.
My goal with this blog is stir the IT Service Management idea pot. I’ll talk about some of the challenges I’ve seen, present a few scenarios that have positive outcomes and shine a light on some that didn’t go as planned. If a thread sparks you to view a challenge from a different vantage point, let us all know what changed.
I do have a few rules, well, guidelines really…
Remain “vendor” neutral – We don’t want this to turn into spam. If you have a product you think we should all check out, let us know the link so we can follow-up on our own.
If you’re describing a delivery/development or other scenario, leave the client/company name out. Mentioning the type of business is helpful, but no names. We’re here to share and learn, not trash/bash.
Contribute when you can. We are all busy – Family, Friends, not to mention work. I hope to add content, respond to posts, etc. at least weekly – my goal is twice a week (we’ll see how I do).
Last in the list, but first on my mind… Have fun. Sounds a little out of place when talking about IT Service Management, but I really like what I do.

Hope to see you next week in Salt Lake City at itSMF.

Ron P.