What is this course about?

In this course, you learn how to plan, manage and optimise the service offerings and agreements processes. Through lectures, assignments, practice exams and review sessions, you gain the knowledge to take the ITIL Intermediate Qualification: Service Offerings and Agreements Certification Exam.

Who will benefit from this course?

This course is valuable for those who want to a detailed understanding of the achieve the ITIL Intermediate Qualification: Service Offerings and Agreements Certificate. This course is also valuable for those who need a detailed understanding of the service offerings and agreements processes, including CIOs, senior IT managers, IT supervisors and IT operation practitioners.

Which ITIL processes are covered in this course?

The ITIL Service Offerings and Agreements Certification syllabus covers the following ITIL topics:

• Introduction to service offerings and agreements (SOA)
• Service portfolio management
• Service catalog management
• Service level management
• Demand management
• Supplier management
• Financial management for IT services
• Business relationship management
• SOA roles and responsibilities
• Technology and implementation considerations

What background do I need?

You must hold the ITIL v3 Foundation Certificate, the v3 Foundation Bridge Certificate or the ITIL Expert certificate achieved via a bridging route. Two to four years of professional experience working in IT service management is highly desirable.

It is also recommended that candidates:

• Can demonstrate familiarity with IT terminology and understand that the context of service offerings and agreements management within your own business environment is strongly recommended;
• Have experience working in the service management capacity within a service provider environment, with responsibility for at least one of the following management processes and activities: service portfolio management, service catalogue management, service level management, demand management, supplier management, financial management for IT services, and business relationship management; and
• Complete at a minimum 12 hours of personal study by reviewing the syllabus and the pertinent areas within the ITIL Service Strategy and ITIL Service Design core guidance in preparation for the examination, specifically Chapter 2: Service management as a practice.

Does this course count toward the ITIL Expert certification?

Yes. Once you achieve the ITIL Intermediate Qualification: Service Offerings and Agreements Certificate, you earn four credits toward the ITIL Expert certification. To achieve the ITIL Expert certification, you need to earn a minimum of 22 credits.

To determine how many credits you currently hold within the ITIL scheme, you can refer to the Official ITIL Credit Profiler online tool. This tool can help you assess and decide on the best route for certification, while providing you the freedom to choose a selection of modules based on your own educational and certification requirements. It is available at http://www.itil-officialsite.com/qualifications/creditprofiler.aspx.

What is the ITIL refresh?

The five core publications of ITIL have been updated to reflect the evolution of best practices. The refresh is known as ITIL 2011 and is an update, not a new version. The changes are largely to improve clarity, consistency, correctness and completeness. Specifically, the five core publications were updated to do the following:

• Resolve any errors or inconsistencies in the text and diagrams, both in content and presentation,
• Address suggestions for change within the training community to make ITIL easier to teach, and
• Improve the publications by addressing issues raised in the change control log.

In addition, the ITIL Service Strategy publication was reviewed to ensure that the concepts are explained in the clearest, most concise and accessible way possible.

While the basic principles and concepts of ITIL remain the same, the supporting processes and practices are evolving so they continue to be relevant and useful in today's IT service management environment. Because the basic principles of ITIL are intact, ITIL qualifications remain relevant for any prior and current released versions.

Has this course been updated to ITIL 2011?

Yes. This course has been updated to ITIL 2011. ITIL 2011 is an update, not a new version, and the changes were largely to improve clarity, consistency, correctness and completeness.

I currently hold an ITIL v3 qualification. Will it still be valid?

Yes. Candidates who hold existing ITIL certifications will not need to become recertified. There are no plans to introduce any bridging examinations for the update, as the core ITIL process areas and principles have not changed significantly. There is no need to retake a certification exam, and all qualifications will continue to be recognised across the industry.

What changes were made to the ITIL Services Strategy book for ITIL 2011?

The concepts within the publication have been clarified, without changing the overall message. The updated publication includes more practical guidance and more examples where relevant. The newly defined process of strategy management for IT services outlines the development and maintenance of business and IT strategies. There are also separate descriptions of business strategy and IT strategy; financial management has been expanded; and business relationship management and demand management are now covered as processes.

What changes were made to the ITIL Service Design book for ITIL 2011?

Throughout the updated ITIL Service Design publication, there has been a particular focus on alignment with ITIL Service Strategy. A number of concepts and principles have been clarified, most significantly the flow and management of activity throughout the overall service design stage, with the addition of the design coordination process. Other significant clarifications include the five aspects of service design, the design of the service portfolio, and the terminology related to service catalogue views.

How did the syllabus for this certification change for ITIL 2011?

There are some changes to the introduction section, which focuses more on the service strategy aspects rather than generic IT service management concepts and principles. The processes covered are the same, except that business relationship management is now covered as an additional process. Each process is covered to the same level of detail. There are also minor changes to the contact hours of each section.

What's the difference between the Lifecycle and Capability certificates?

The Lifecycle and Capability certificates comprise the two streams, or branches, of the ITIL intermediate-level qualification scheme.

The Lifecycle stream-which includes the service strategy qualification-consists of five modules or certifications. These certifications focus on the service lifecycle, the use of process and practice within the lifecycle and developing the skills needed to deliver quality service management practices in an organisation.

The Capability certificates, which are made up of four modules, are geared toward those who want a thorough understanding of ITIL processes and roles. The primary focus is on activities, execution and use of the processes throughout the entire service lifecycle.

How much time is spent on each topic?

What kinds of activities are in this course?

Practical assignments, practice exams and other activities offer you multiple opportunities to apply recently learned concepts.

How much time do I have to take the exam and what's the pass score?

You have 90 minutes to complete the multiple-choice, scenario-based exam. You must correctly answer 70% of the answers to pass.

Is this course accredited?

Yes! APMG, the ITIL examination institute, has accredited this course and the instructors who teach it as providing high-quality training in IT Service Management.

Is this course applicable to a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification?

Yes. Although this course is not designed as preparation for the exam, it is beneficial to anyone working toward PMI's PMP certification. For those who are currently certified, completion of this course counts as 30 professional development units (60 units must be completed every three years to maintain certification). For more details, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A.

If you are an experienced project manager intending to take the PMP exam, you should take Course 276, Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP)^® Exam. In this course you learn essential PMBOK^® Guide terminology, tools and techniques. You gain practical test-taking experience through PMI-style practice exams and create your own personal study plan for continued use after the course.

How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses?

The following Learning Tree courses are part of the ITIL Capability stream:

• 995, ITIL® Intermediate Qualification: Operational Support and Analysis
• 997, ITIL® Intermediate Qualification: Planning, Protection and Optimization
• 996, ITIL® Intermediate Qualification: Release, Control and Validation

These courses are part of the ITIL Lifecycle stream:

• 982, ITIL® Intermediate Qualification: Service Strategy
• 993, ITIL® Intermediate Qualification: Service Design
• 992, ITIL® Intermediate Qualification: Service Transition
• 991, ITIL® Intermediate Qualification: Service Operation
• 994, ITIL® Intermediate Qualification: Continual Service Improvement

These certification courses may also be of interest:

• 983, ITIL® Intermediate Qualification: Managing Across the Lifecycle
• 3801, Achieving Change Analyst Certification within ITIL® Service Management

If you're interested in identifying a structured and logical method for building an effective organisation that supports and complements ITIL best practices, you may be interested in the following non-certification course:

• 3811, Putting ITIL® into Practice: A Roadmap for Transformation

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