ITIL certification and training: Version 2 recognised but not as a prerequisite for Version 3
Slowly we unravel the real story behind the impact of ITIL Version 3 Refresh: it seems that your Version 2 Foundation training might be "recognised", but it will not be a recognised foundation for a Version 3 certification. You'll need to do a bridging course first.
The OGC, APMG, itSMF and others keep stressing that all Version 2 certifications will be "recognised" in future. But it seems that recognition does not extend to the certification counting as a prerequisite to more advanced practitioner or masters certification.
This was revealed in a recent PinkElephant document:
A ‘bridging’ course will probably be developed to allow IT professionals to
upgrade their existing qualifications. This will provide the necessary prerequisite for progression to the higher level qualifications.
This serves to reinforce the IT Skeptic's advice to you in our special report: if you are buying Version 2 training now, negotiate with the supplier to get bridging training included in the package.
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Comments
How about practioners and managers certificate
Any news on what will happen to the V2 certified practionners and managers? Just get the feeling that there's potential for the ITIL training provider community to get a bit of reputation if it is perceived they've urged people to take their certification in recent months and are now pushing for the obtained qualifications to be sidelined or devalued.
The impact of ITIL V3 on certificants
Firstly, I do not have any special access to V3 materials. Having said that I have considerable experience of designing service management strategices for service provider organizations (dot.coms) around a service lifecycle management approach. I have also extensive experience of delivering ITIL V2 classes. There is a world of difference between the two and I am convincved we are all being protected by th eITIL powers-of-be from the eventual news that all of our certificates will be required to be 'refreshed', or in other words trashed. My prediction is that ITIL V3 is designed to drive a worldwide money machine for certain training organizations to re-accredit us all so we remain up to date. No continuing education strategy here - just plain blackmail.
Its my understanding that my current certificates will remain as-is and unaffected - true - however they will look like a my sons 2001 Nintendo when compared with the new XBOX 360!!!! Just take practitioner - we are led to believe by EXIN and ISEB that the new clustering of V2 practices (oops sorry processes) makes some sense when stacked up against the direction of ITIL - how? Can anyone in EXIN or ISEB explain to us how the clustered groups fit into a service lifecycle strategy. No they can't, because they are NOT PRACTITIONERS.
The result - the candidate has to hope the instructor has actually done some real field work as part of a project, a contractor or employee. Case in point - what is the primary input to a change - a problem. So why leave problem managament to one side and teach change config and release. How can you attempt Config without knowing the service portfolio? After all, the mission of config is to describe the configuration of a SERVICE! So where does the list of services come from - ooops again - Service Level Management.
The ITIL V2-V3 transition is a mess and we have to wait until June 3 in London before the refresh gang will tell us how we need to react from a certificate standpoint. I for one will not seek re-certification of my Service Manager. I paid $10,000USD to get it, plus time away from work for two weeks, and travel expenses. Probably upwards of $20,000 invested and now I have to wait and see what it is really worth.
And... where is the itSMF in all this. NOONE is representing my case to the establishment - why not - I pay my dues - I want representation!
Will the real service management credential program please stand up!!
A policy worth emulating
I am now in the middle of my Service Manager course as the provider in Canada (eduCORE) committed in writing to provide the one-day refresh to v3 for free once the material becomes available.
Perhaps we can shame some of the other providers into making this the standard?
Cheers,
Angus
Unfortunately a 1-day free
Unfortunately a 1-day free bridging class will do you no good at all to transition a Service Manager certificate - I would get in writing a Service Manager V2 to V3 transition commitment - the V3 syllabus and style of class has yet to be announced.... this is a mess - how much did you pay (waste)? I would ask for it back or complain to teh equivalent of teh Department of Justic or Trade.
Certificate "transition"? Do you have something in writing?
I have not read anything official about a need to 'transition' a certificate from v2 to v3. The primary instructor teaching us got his Service Manager under v1 and when asked, he responded there was no 'certificate upgrade' requirement.
"any certifications written “today” will remain valid into the future. So if a student writes an exam (such as the Service Manager exams), the certification will remain valid once v3 is released."
Do you have something from EXIN contradicting the above?
Angus So whose money did you
Angus
So whose money did you spend to attend the class? Are you really expecting me to believe that you trust an instructor trained on V1, teaching you on V2 that your credential will be have the same value as a V3 version? You must be nuts! The service lifecycle concept, along with the service provder idea at the core of the new materials will require you rework EVERYTHING. Each practice will need to be repositioned against a role in each stage of the lifecycle. So, how many stages, what does each do? How does change management help move the (new practice) request along each stage? What about the new service management knowledge base and the relegation of the (too difficult) CMDB to a bit part? Come on - the whole scenery is changing and you honestly think we can all just take a pass by either stay on V2 or wait for an easy step up to V3. Get your money back or demand a free V3 'bridge'. ITIL Service Manager credentials are now worthless and its only a matter of time before they break more eggs to make our omelette (well said skeptic)
"Credentials now worthless"?
That's quite a panicked tone you have there, Visitor. Other than fear mongering and stating your assumptions as facts,
"the new materials will require you rework EVERYTHING"
"ITIL Service Manager credentials are now worthless"
what new information are you bringing to the discussion? Is everything regarding v3 understood? No, and it won't be for a while yet. We're still a month from the books being released and while there should have been a lot more support information and direction by now, that isn't the case.
There is far too much money in play around ITIL now for it to flail for long. I don't know who the players are going to be and I agree with the Skeptic that a 'real' governing body is long overdue. That said, the new books are nearly here and we'll deal with 'bridge' training when syllabi are approved.
In three years, I believe these burning issues will be a memory and we will have new ones to agonize over. V3 Service Manager certification will be 'on or after 2008' (if clients even care) and those with a bridged v2 will be viewed as seasoned consultants with skills and knowledge from both versions.
My primary instructor has more depth of experience because of his previous training, not in spite of it.
That is why I'm paying for my v2 Service Manager course with my own money. Phase two begins in two weeks.
Cheers,
Panicked - nope. fear
Panicked - nope. fear mongering - nope - who in their right mind knowingly pays $10,000 for a credential that will change, will change quicker than the 3 years you seem so confident of, and has to suffer a bridging mechanism rather than a continuing education conveyor belt. No new information - just experience in managing service provider organizations that respect the service lifecycle (dot.coms) and the V3 scoping document. These two concepts plus a late recognition of the need to manage service requests, plus whatever late work was added after the public review period will mean a dramatic difference in the approach - despite all we are being led to believe. This was not a refresh it was a reinvention. As they ay - you pays your money and takes your choice. I look forward to picking up this debate in a few months time when the replacement oops sorry - escalator scheme is announced. If today's announcement by APMG is a clue it might be that folks are paying $10k for the BASIC manager class....
I'd make a point of ensuring there is a 'refund if wrong' clause ....
We will survive this, but we may end up looking like idiots
I agree, Angus, with all you say. Bridging should be enough. For more, see this other comment today and my response.
The key issues are those you highlighted:
- there should have been a lot more support information and direction by now (though something finally showed up today!!)
- a 'real' governing body is long overdue
I also agree "In three years, I believe these burning issues will be a memory". However since we are supposed to be the gurus of process, I think allowing our own internal process to be "full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes" is less than satisfactory and does not reflect well on the industry. We will indeed survive this, but we may end up looking like idiots.
No only from the Pink Elephant document referenced above
Why would you look to EXIN for directions on certification? EXIN are now merely one provider hoping to maintain their APMG accreditation. You mean: do I have anything from APMG? No only from the Pink Elephant document referenced above. Note that Pink are represented on the APMG panel developing the new certifications.
I am not contradicting the incessantly repeated party line that certifications will be "recognised' or "valid". What the Pink document appears to have revealed is that they will not be of the same status as a V3 certification in that they will not be a satisfactory prerequisite to other certifications.
I imagine this most affects Foundation certificates as a pre-req to the others, i.e. a V2 Foundation is not good enough to do a V3 practitioners, but it could conceivably also affect practitioner certificates as pre-reqs or credits for a managers cert.
If you and I are going for the same job at a company implementing V3 and I have a V3 Managers and you have a V2 Managers do you think it will make a difference? Perhaps not.
some training providers are being most unethical in disclosure
There have been strong allegations on this website that some training providers are being most unethical in making full disclosure to potential customers.
Everyone insists that all V2 qualifiactiosn will be recognised. Regardless of the "official" position regarding recognising V2 qualifications going forward, the fact is that once the market for ITIl resources gets at all competitive (and no sign of that here - desperate shortages of people), when that day comes a V3 Manager's cert beats a V2 Manager's cert.
More immediately you will need some "bridging" training to talk the talk with V3. I think training providers should be packaging that (providing a price now for the course when it is ready) with V2 training now but I think they are afraid to bring it up in case prospects decide to defer.
Finally, Pink reckon Foundation training will be available pretty soon after the June relase. The word is that practitioner and manager certs are likely not to be out until end of year. they will be more radically revised, especially the practitioner groupings which will completely change.