ITIL Change Management - Some Basic Concepts

ITIL Change Management principles- then here it is. A				of 'change' - in conformity with the ITIL Change
change means addition, modification or removal -				Management principles- then here it is. A change
which can be termed as de-registration -of an				means addition, modification or removal - which can be
authorized ( or base-lined), planned and supported				termed as de-registration -of an authorized ( or
configuration item/service or service component and				base-lined), planned and supported configuration item
associated elements or documents. The				service or service component and associated
circumstances often can be confusing in identifying				elements or documents. The circumstances often can
'change'. Requests for password reset, new access,				be confusing in identifying 'change'. Requests for
server installation, rebooting a server, new hire setup				password reset, new access, server installation,
may not be termed as 'change' per se, but they may				rebooting a server, new hire setup may not be termed
generate IT change management activities. Many IT				as 'change' per se, but they may generate IT change
organizations often get caught up in bureaucratic				management activities. Many IT organizations often get
frenzy that they get programmed to label any service				caught up in bureaucratic frenzy that they get
request as change. One just needs to bear in mind,				programmed to label any service request as change.
just because it needs approval, tracking and				One just needs to bear in mind, just because it needs
documentation, it is simply not a change. Just because				approval, tracking and documentation, it is simply not a
it needs approval, tracking and documentation doesn't				change. Just because it needs approval, tracking and
mean it is a change. Similarly, requests for				documentation doesn't mean it is a change. Similarly,
administration are not requests for change. The IT				requests for administration are not requests for
organizations need to be aware and cognizant of				change. The IT organizations need to be aware and
these factors to successfully drive the ITIL Change				cognizant of these factors to successfully drive the
Management process within the boundary of the				ITIL Change Management process within the boundary
definition. The major object or the entity that				of the definition. The major object or the entity that
instantiates a change, is the Request for Change				instantiates a change, is the Request for Change
(RFC) . What is a change request? It is a formal				(RFC) . What is a change request? It is a formal
communication seeking an addition, modification or				communication seeking an addition, modification or
removal (deregistration) to base-lined Configuration				removal (deregistration) to base-lined Configuration
Item(s). We should not follow a straight jacket				Item(s). We should not follow a straight jacket
approach in defining change and we might need				approach in defining change and we might need
multiple templates to capture different types and				multiple templates to capture different types and
flavors of change. A change request should be				flavors of change. A change request should be
exhaustively descriptive of the change details, its				exhaustively descriptive of the change details, its
purpose, risks and impacts on other CIs and at the				purpose, risks and impacts on other CIs and at the
level of the organization at large, the implementation				level of the organization at large, the implementation
plan, the back-out plan if it fails, post-implementation				plan, the back-out plan if it fails, post-implementation
review plans.				review plans.
Next, the important question is how do we categorize				Next, the important question is how do we categorize
the change requests. The guideline is to categorize				the change requests. The guideline is to categorize
them, broadly speaking, based on business impact and				them, broadly speaking, based on business impact and
complexity. We know that in the simple scheme of				complexity. We know that in the simple scheme of
categorization, we have three categories - Standard,				categorization, we have three categories - Standard,
Normal and Emergency Changes.				Normal and Emergency Changes.
The ITIL describes a Standard Change as "...a change				The ITIL describes a Standard Change as "...a change
to the infrastructure that follows an established path, is				to the infrastructure that follows an established path, is
relatively common, and is the accepted solution to a				relatively common, and is the accepted solution to a
specific requirement or set of requirements." The				specific requirement or set of requirements." The
standard changes, which are pre-authorized, can be				standard changes, which are pre-authorized, can be
implemented under established procedure, in other				implemented under established procedure, in other
words, a standard operating procedure(SOP) . Its risk				words, a standard operating procedure(SOP) . Its risk
and impact profiles are low and known. It should have				and impact profiles are low and known. It should have
a tested set of Release-to-Production document				a tested set of Release-to-Production document
templates - build and test plans or scripts, support				templates - build and test plans or scripts, support
plans, implementation plans and back-out plans. CAB				plans, implementation plans and back-out plans. CAB
can pre-authorize the standard changes based on risk				can pre-authorize the standard changes based on risk
and impact and CAB can also delegate responsibility				and impact and CAB can also delegate responsibility
for accountability of delivery of the change to the				for accountability of delivery of the change to the
change owner.				change owner.
What is a 'Normal' change? The ITIL version 3 has				What is a 'Normal' change? The ITIL version 3 has
introduced the concept of normal change. It follows the				introduced the concept of normal change. It follows the
full-blown ITIL Change Management process-				full-blown ITIL Change Management process-
assessment, authorization, CAB approval, scheduling				assessment, authorization, CAB approval, scheduling
before implementation. Based on the scope,				before implementation. Based on the scope,
complexity and impact, a normal change can be				complexity and impact, a normal change can be
further categorized as minor, major and significant				further categorized as minor, major and significant
changes.				changes.
An ITIL emergency change is the highest priority				An ITIL emergency change is the highest priority
change that can be defined in an organization.				change that can be defined in an organization.
Emergency changes are defined as changes that				Emergency changes are defined as changes that
need to be evaluated, assessed and either rejected or				need to be evaluated, assessed and either rejected or
approved in a short space of time. In other words,				approved in a short space of time. In other words,
emergency Change is reserved for changes intended				emergency Change is reserved for changes intended
to repair an error in an IT service that is negatively				to repair an error in an IT service that is negatively
impacting the business to a high degree. Simply defining				impacting the business to a high degree. Simply defining
a change as an emergency does not automatically				a change as an emergency does not automatically
entail the change should be implemented. The				entail the change should be implemented. The
Emergency Change Advisory Board (ECAB) will				Emergency Change Advisory Board (ECAB) will
assess the change and provide advice to the				assess the change and provide advice to the
delegated person responsible for approving or				delegated person responsible for approving or
rejecting emergency changes.				rejecting emergency changes.
In the context of ITIL Change Control process, 'change				In the context of ITIL Change Control process, 'change
priority' needs to be properly computed before				priority' needs to be properly computed before
scheduling the requests. The formula for determining				scheduling the requests. The formula for determining
Change Priorities is: Priority = Business Impact +				Change Priorities is: Priority = Business Impact +
Urgency. Truly speaking, determination of 'priority' is not				Urgency. Truly speaking, determination of 'priority' is not
purely a matter of quantitative computation, because				purely a matter of quantitative computation, because
impact and urgency are not numeric entities. But at				impact and urgency are not numeric entities. But at
least we can arrive at some ordinal ranking of the				least we can arrive at some ordinal ranking of the
priorities.">If we are searching for a concise definition				priorities.