ITIL^® is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world. ITIL provides a cohesive set of best practice, drawn from the public and private sectors internationally.

IT Service Management (ITSM) derives enormous benefits from a best practice approach. Because ITSM is driven both by technology and the huge range of organisational environments in which it operates, it is in a state of constant evolution. Best practice, based on expert advice and input from ITIL users is both current and practical, combining the latest thinking with sound, common sense guidance.

There are four levels within the scheme:

• Foundation Level
• Intermediate Level (Lifecycle Stream & Capability Stream)
• ITIL Expert
• ITIL Master

Foundation Level

The Foundation Level focuses on knowledge and comprehension to provide a good grounding in the key concepts, terminology and processes of ITIL. This certificate can be obtained after following the course ‘ITIL v3 foundation’ and passing the exam that is held at course end.

Intermediate Level

As from September, the JCA lifecycles courses will be based on ITIL 2011 Edition, the updated version of the ITIL Lifecycle Suite. This new edition, the first significant update since 2007, addresses a broad range of issues raised in the Change Control Log and resolves errors and inconsistencies in the text and diagrams across the whole Suite. The Service Strategy book has been thoroughly reviewed, clarifying the concepts it contains without changing the overall message (and defining new processes for strategy management and business relationship management). A number of concepts, principles and process flows have been clarified or simplified in the other volumes; Service Strategy and Service Design have been more closely aligned; and there is additional guidance in areas such as CMS & SKMS and service asset & configuration management (Service Transition) and the seven-step improvement process (CSI).

OVERALL PRICE FOR THE 5 LIFECYCLE COURSES:

10.500 EUR (without promo: 12.125 EUR)

The Intermediate Lifecycle Stream includes 5 individual certificates built around the five core titles. The certificates can be obtained when passing the exams that are part of the different courses:

• Service Strategy
• Service Design
• Service Transition
• Service Operation
• Continual Service Improvement

The focus of these modules is on the introduction and implementation of the specific Lifecycle phase, and coverage of the principles, processes and related activities.

The ITIL Lifecycle Specialist candidate will be interested in ITIL from a Lifecycle stages perspective and will often have, or be seeking a management or team leader role in their company that requires a broader focus on the management of ITIL practice areas and their interaction across the Service Lifecycle spectrum, than on the day-to-day execution level of detail. Candidates who work across teams or manage multiple capability areas will benefit from Lifecycle specialization.

ITIL Expert

To achieve the ITIL Expert in IT Service Management, candidates must successfully complete a number of Intermediate units in addition to the mandatory Foundation Level and the Managing Across the Lifecycle capstone course. This course brings together the full essence of a Lifecycle approach to Service Management, and consolidates the knowledge gained across the qualification scheme.

ITIL Master

This level of the qualification will assess an individual's ability to apply and analyse the ITIL concepts in new areas. This higher level qualification is currently under development.

The ITIL Qualification Scheme uses a system that enables an individual to gain credits for each exam they take. Once candidates have accumulated 22 credits they can be awarded the ITIL Expert in IT Service Management. Click here to access the official ITIL Credit Profiler System.

The credit values for ITIL V3 qualifications are: