Generic ITSM Roles and Responsibilities

Statement of Best Practice

IT Service Management (ITSM) is a discipline of best practices that enable IT organizations to deliver the highest quality services and outcomes to their business partners within the constraints afforded to them. The practice encompasses the people, processes, and tools used to design, build, and operate those services. Within this practice, there are generally five roles present in every capability process:

LT Sponsor: provide leadership direction to process owners and service owners
Process Owner: accountable for ensuring a process is fit for purpose
Process Manager: accountable for operational management of a process
Process Practitioner: responsible for carrying out one or more process activities
Service Owner: accountable for delivery of a specific IT service and is a primary stakeholder in all underlying IT processes which enable or support the service
Configuration Item Owner: accountable for the warranty of a managed component to ensure the component is fit for use and fit for purpose.
Business Owner: deploying IT services to achieve business objectives.

In addition, specific processes contain specific roles, such as:

Knowledge Management: Knowledge Management Librarian; Knowledge Creator
Change Management: Change Authority; CAB Member; CAB Chair; Change Initiator

Contact

Assistant Director, IT Process and Planning

Definitions

Process:

Roles and Responsibilities

Process Owner

The process owner is accountable for ensuring a process is fit for purpose. This should be a senior position in an organization so that the process can be championed effectively. Tasks of the process owner include:

Documenting and publicizing the process
Defining, reviewing and taking action on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Assisting with, being ultimately responsible for the design of the process
Improving process effectiveness and efficiency
Reviewing proposed enhancements to the process and addressing any issues
Providing input into the Service Improvement Plan (SIP)
Ensuring that staff are trained and are aware of their process roles
Ensuring the process and its associated roles and responsibilities are regularly reviewed and audited
Ensuring needed resources are available

Each process has an associated LT sponsor to assist and provide leadership direction. The sponsor is explicitly defined for each process.

Process Manager

The process manager is accountable for operational management of a process. It is possible that multiple managers exists for a process. This role may be combined with or separate from the process owner role. Tasks include:

Planning and coordinating all process activities with the process owner
Ensuring that all activities are carried out as required throughout the service lifecycle
Ensuring people are appointed to the required roles
Managing assigned resources
Ensuring the smooth running of services in conjunction with service owners and other process managers
Process performance monitoring and reporting
Identifying improvement opportunities
Assisting the CSI manager and process owner in reviewing and prioritizing improvements listed in CSI register
Making process implementation improvements

Process Practitioner

The process practitioner is responsible for carrying out one or more process activities. An example of a process practitioner would be a change analyst or a member of a technical team filling out a request for change. Responsibilities typically include:

Performing one or more activities of a process
Understanding their role’s impact on the overall delivery of service and creation of business value
Ensuring that their contributions are effective and the inputs, outputs and interfaces are correct
Proper creation or updating of records to indicate that activities have been correctly carried out

Service Owner

The service owner is accountable for the delivery of a specific IT service and is a primary stakeholder in all of the underlying IT processes which enable or support the service. Defining a single point of accountability for a service is essential in providing the level of attention and focus required to ensure a service is managed with a business focus. Responsibilities include:

Understand and representing the service throughout the organization
Providing input for service attributes such as performance, availability, etc.
Serving as a point of escalation for major incidents
Representing the service during Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings for management of change affecting the service under their care
Providing input for and prioritization of Continual Service Improvement (CSI) efforts
Participating in service review meetings within IT and with the business
Ensuring the entry in the Service Catalog is accurate and is maintained
Participating in negotiating Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Operational Level Agreement (OLAs)

Each service has an associated LT sponsor to assist and provide leadership direction. The sponsor is explicitly defined for each service.

LT Sponsor

The LT sponsor is the sitting leadership team member who has ultimate accountability for the design and delivery of a particular process or service. They work closely with the process/service owner to ensure success.

Sign-off on service/process definition and design
Review adoption/compliance and performance metrics quarterly
Set targets
Prioritize improvement opportunities
Acquire resources for implementing improvement plans
Represent the service/process with other members of the LT and campus community

Configuration Item Owner

The Configuration Item Owner is accountable for the warranty of a managed component to ensure the component is fit for use and fit for purpose. Responsibilities include:

Reviewing the Memorandum of Understanding in coordination with the Business / Service Owner and IT Procurement*
Monitoring utilization relative to contracted allowances*
Providing expert-level support for unsolved incidents and service requests escalated by lower support tiers*
Understanding and representing the application throughout the organization
Ensuring the entry in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is accurate and is maintained (all its tabs in TD)
Providing input for performance, availability, etc.
Serving as a point of escalation for major incidents
Representing the application during Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings
Reviewing Knowledge articles for accuracy and completeness
Participating in service review meetings within IT and with the business
Providing input for and prioritization of Continual Service Improvement (CSI) efforts

Business Owner

The Business Owner is accountable for deploying IT services to achieve business objectives.
Responsibilities include:

Understand and representing the service throughout the organization
Providing input for service requirement such as performance, availability, etc.
Providing input for and prioritization of Continual Service Improvement (CSI) efforts
Participating in service review meetings within IT and with the business
Participating in negotiating Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
Identification of funding to pay for acquisition and operation
Represent users of IT Services to the IT Service Owner

Updating...