ITIL 4: Direct, plan and improve: Reference and study guide

1 Introduction

ITIL®4: Direct, Plan and Improve (DPI) and the associated qualification hold a special place in the ITIL 4 universe. During the development process that created ITIL 4, it became clear to the architects and authors that, while some ITIL 4 guidance might be appropriate only for readers with specific organizational roles or personal objectives, there were some topics that would be of value to all readers. These comprise the heart of DPI.

Regardless of their organizational role or level of authority, everyone has something they have the authority to direct – even if it is just themselves. Everyone has something they need to plan, and everyone at every level should always be contributing to, if not leading, improvement. ITIL®4: Direct, Plan and Improve provides a grounding in a set of principles, methods, and techniques that can be used by anyone to direct, plan, and improve the areas in which they are involved.

But ITIL®4: Direct, Plan and Improve has a deeper message than just teaching important ideas to anyone who might benefit from using them. It challenges each person, no matter what their position, to see themselves as a leader, and to take responsibility for the quality of the outcomes they participate in producing. Every person who is involved in service management is essential and consequential. What each person does matters and affects everyone and everything else. By seeing themselves in this way, readers of this study guide and of ITIL®4: Direct, Plan and Improve itself will hopefully be inspired to commit to a lifelong journey of learning and growth, allowing them to continually expand their horizons and to lead others along a similar path.

This publication is a study guide and quick reference tool for key material from ITIL®4: Direct, Plan and Improve, to be used in conjunction with the training programme and the ITIL practice guides. It focuses on the material from DPI that is examinable in the associated qualification. It is a valuable learning aid and will be your first small step on a much greater journey.

2 Key terms and concepts

2.1 Key terms

2.1.1 Direction

Direction helps to create and shape an action plan.

Definition: Directing

Leading, conducting, or guiding someone, or ordering something. This includes setting and communicating the vision, purpose, objectives, and guiding principles for an organization or team. It may also include leading or guiding the organization or team towards its objectives.

A person who directs people or things may have been given that authority formally or informally. Clear direction clarifies expected outcomes and defines the appropriate guiding principles. Good direction provides enough clarity to enable team members to proceed, while leaving enough flexibility for each of them to make a unique, creative contribution.

When giving direction, it is important to explain the mission, respect the abilities of those being directed, and ensure two-way communication. Any changes should be communicated so that team members understand what the changes are, why they are necessary, and whether any ways of working need to be altered to align with them.

2.1.2 Planning

When an organization (or a person) has a direction and an objective, it must decide how it will progress towards it. The organization needs a plan. Plans are always important, but particularly so in large organizations because plans improve coordination. In every organization, plans help to avoid waste and reduce risk.

Planning is arranging a method of achieving an end or creating a detailed programme of action. Various problems can occur when organizations plan too much or too little, including:

•planning every detail of an initiative in advance, to the extent that actions are delayed

•believing every possible contingency has been planned for, which can lead to difficulties in responding when the unexpected does occur

•beginning work without effective planning, which can result in rework and wasted efforts due to mistakes that could have been avoided.

None of these extremes represents good practice. The type and extent of planning should be selected based on the type of effort being planned. Planning is useful because it gives people a clear and ordered set of actions to undertake, but plans must be continually re-evaluated and adjusted as work proceeds. Planning is an iterative activity as well as a preparatory one.

2.1.3 Improvement

It is extremely rare for a situation to involve a real beginning, one with nothing before it. Almost every activity in an organization can, therefore, be seen as an improvement activity.

Definition: Improvement

A deliberately introduced change that results in increased value for one or more stakeholders.

Improvement relies on comparison. Something can only be improved in comparison to another state. Our definition also implies that there is agreement on what constitutes ‘better’. Finally, improvement means change. Without changes to some aspect of the current state, there can be no change to outcomes.

Measurement is the foundation of improvement activities of all kinds; it is used to objectively assess an organization’s current state. Reporting at every level is used to communicate relevant information and create a shared, fact-based view of the area being reported on.

Coordinated progression relies on a shared understanding of:

•historical performance

•current state performance

•the degree of achieved improvement from a previous state.

Measurement and reporting provide a means of objective quantification, so that everyone has the same information from which to make decisions. They also provide predictive information that can influence planning for the future. However, they are not a substitute for critical thought; they are the beginning of good decision-making, not the end.

Metrics are useful tools for directing behaviour. They can provide objective targets and ways for a team to evaluate its progress towards a target state.

2.1.4 Operating model

The ITIL service value chain is an operating model that covers all the key activities required to effectively create, deliver, and manage products and services.

Definition: Operating model

A conceptual and/or visual representation of how an organization co-creates value with its customers and other stakeholders, as well as how the organization runs itself.

Defining an operating model allows organizations to examine their own complex structures and dynamics, promoting understanding and aiding planning and improvement. Operating models divide complex systems into more comprehensible sub-systems, so that they can be understood and managed more easily. Defining an operating model is an important part of strategic planning.

2.1.5 Methods

Key message

A method is a way, technique, or process for doing something. Methods are structured and systematic.

One or more methods may be developed for structured and systematic work. When more than one method is available for a task, the person performing it should either follow the direction of their organization or decide for themselves which method to use.

2.1.6 Risks

There is always risk associated with an organization’s activity; the primary risk is usually that its objectives will not be achieved.

Definition: Risk

A possible event that could cause harm or loss, or make it more difficult to achieve objectives. Can also be defined as uncertainty of outcome and can be used in the context of measuring the probability of positive outcomes as well as negative outcomes.

In the context of ITIL®4: Direct, Plan and Improve, understanding risk is essential to maximizing results while minimizing harm or loss. Risks should be considered for many reasons, including the following:

•If risks are not properly understood, teams could be directed to undertake projects that are likely to fail or have little chance of success.

•If team members notice risks but do not see evidence of preventive actions, they may lose confidence in their project, making failure more likely.

•If plans do not include the active management of risks, delays, rework, or project failure are more likely.

•Improvement is only possible when the current state is understood. This includes understanding the risks associated with creating the desired improvement.

Once risks are understood, they need to be managed. A key method for managing some kinds of risk is the use of controls.

2.1.7 Scope of control

The guidance in this publication is intended to be useful to anyone, no matter what their role is.