BCS Specialist Certificate in Service Level Management

Special Notices

You will need to bring along a photo copy of your ITIL Foundation Certificate as evidence that you have passed the Foundation Certificate.

Overview

This course provides candidates with an understanding of the principles of, and practical experience, of using industry best practice involved in the compilation of a Service Catalogue, identification of service level requirements, construction of Service Level Agreements following negotiation with the customers, reviewing of service performance and implementing and managing service improvement plans or programmes leading to a Specialist qualification in Service Level Management.

Target Group

This qualification reflects the general industry best practices currently in use in IT Service Management (ITSM) and particularly Service Level Management. The subject matter within this qualification is based on industry best practice, frameworks and guidelines including ITIL, COBIT and ISO/IEC 20000. This qualification forms part of the 'ITSM Specialist' series.

Target Audience

This course is aimed at those working or preparing to work in a Service Level Management role and/or within a Service Level Management process whether at a technical, operational, supervisory or managerial level. This course may also be of interest to Project Managers, Business Managers and Business Process Owners.

The purpose of the Specialist qualification in Service Level Management is to certify that the candidate has gained the knowledge of relevant industry best practices and is capable of applying them in a working environment.

This course is aimed at:

• Individuals who require a working knowledge of the industry best practice used in Service Level Management and how it may be used to enhance the quality of ITSM within an organisation.
• IT professionals who are working within an organisation which has adopted and adapted some of these practices and are required to deliver or improve Service Level Management within an ongoing Service Improvement Programme (SIP).

Prerequisites

BCS Specialist Certificate in Service Level Management

• Possession of the ITIL Foundation Certificate in Service Management (2 credits) is mandatory before the qualification can be awarded.
• Candidates who do not yet hold the above (e.g. they are waiting for their Foundation result) will have their exam result withheld until they can provide evidence of certification.
• On attending the course please ensure you provide documented evidence that you have passed the ITIL Foundation Certificate by either presenting your certificate (or a copy of your certificate) to the course lecturer. If you cannot provide the physical certificate, then as a minimum you must provide the certificate number. If the exam board was not The BCS, you must also provide the name of the examination board who issued the certificate. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in you exam results being withheld by the exam accreditation body. If you have lost your certificate or you do not have a record of your certificate number please contact The BCS directly before attending the course. The BCS can be contacted on the following number 01793 417655.
• Success on the course will be enhanced by candidates spending at lead 10 hours on reviewing their ITIL Foundation material prior to attending one of the BCS Specialist courses

Proof of identification:

If taking an exam, candidates are required to provide Photo ID with a valid signature e.g. driving license, passport or named work ID badges prior to sitting their exam. Failure to produce this ID will result in their exam results being withheld until proof of ID is provided to the BCS. Please note that if proof is not provided within 40 days, candidate's exam results will be null and void and a re-sit would be required.

BCS Reasonable Adjustments Policy

All candidates requiring any additional assistance with exams must be aware of the BCS Reasonable Adjustments Policy. Prior notice and proof of any additional support must be requested in writing 3 weeks prior to attending any BCS course. Delegates failing to advise QA of any special requirements may result in additional support not being provided

Candidates who are resident in a country where English is not an official language are entitled extra 15 minutes to complete their exams. Candidates who qualify for extra exam time should complete the attached BCS Extra Time Request Form and send it to the QA Examination Administration team at ExamAdmin@qa.com at least 3 weeks prior to attending the course. Failure to notify QA of these requirements may result in this extra time being denied.

Course Outline.

Holders of the ISEB Specialist Certificate in Service Level Management will be able to demonstrate their competence in, and their ability to:

• Explain the goals and objectives of Service Level Management
• Understand and explain processes and roles of Service Level Management
• Use different approaches to, and application of, standards, industry best practice frameworks and guidelines, relevant to Service Level Management
• Develop and improve the customer and business focus of Service Level Management
• Compile and maintain a Service Catalogue
• Plan and construct a suitable structure and format for Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
• Identify Service Level Requirements (SLRs) via discussion and agreement with the Customer
• Negotiate and agree SLAs with the Customer.
• Understand and identify Operating Level Agreements (OLAs)
• Negotiate and agree OLAs with the IT Providers
• Implement and manage Service Improvement Programmes (SIPs)
• Be aware of the support tools and techniques available for the implementation and support of Service Level Management
• Monitor, review and report on service performance against SLA and OLA targets
• Understand the interdependencies between Service Level Management and other IT areas and processes
• Assist with the planning and implementation of Service Level Management

Examination

• The examination is a 1½ hours 'closed book', multiple-choice paper. There are 25 questions which are scenario based.
• Normally, the examination will be held on-site at the conclusion of the course. However, ISEB will normally also arrange four central examinations per year in March, June, September and December; please contact the ISEB for further details.

Certification

• This qualification forms part of the ISEB ITSM Specialist series.

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