Preface
Last
month we discussed the core areas of ITSM, where is the best place to begin an ITSM effort and what is the best way to proceed. As we mentioned, the size, scope, and complexity of an ITSM effort is a long term strategy that has multiple entry points depending on unique customer requirements and maturity levels. Service Level Management was highlighted as a good logical starting point.
This month we will be focusing on another critical core ITSM area, Change Management, defining it and the best practices and other supporting ITSM information relative to performing it.
Change Management - A Workable Definition
Change Management is the process of planning and coordinating the implementation of all changes (any planned alteration or addition to the operating environment including application systems) into the production environment in a logical and orderly fashion. It does not develop changes, nor does it implement them.
Change Management Objectives
1) To minimize the adverse impact of necessary changes on system integrity, security and the service level agreements
2) To allow the coordination and planning of changes in order to provide a stable production environment
3) To maximize the productivity of persons involved in the planning, coordinating and implementation of "quality" changes
Change Management Mission
1) To ensure the documentation of all proposed changes prior to installation in the production environment
2) To ensure verification of technical completeness:
Accuracy of Technical impact and risk analysis
Plans for final test, install, backout and recovery
Identification and review of all technical dependencies including effect on concurrent changes
3) To ensure that the timing of change executions does not conflict with the business cycles or priorities
4) To ensure appropriate management involvement and approval
Required sign-offs (i.e. justification, user acceptance, affected areas)
Approval, deferral, or disapproval of change installations
5) To ensure the verification of successful testing to meet standards before change introduction to the production environment
6) To ensure the documentation of actual change installations and/or change backouts
To enable communication of change results
To provide a history of changes
To support the maintenance of systems documentation
Change Management Guidelines
1) All changes (including those to application systems) must be monitored and controlled
2) In the information business, change is the normal mode of operation, not the exception
3) One formal Change Management system, with "system wide" scope and influence must be in place
4) A Change Coordination function with "clout" (backed by senior management) must be established to control the day-to-day activities of the Change Management system, with authority to reject those changes that do not adhere to the guidelines
Change Management Life Cycle Functions
1) Change Request Initiation - The person or group requesting a change will complete the submitter section of Request for Change Template (displayed later). If a user is involved, IT can help complete the form or screen
2) Change Priority (Impact and Risk Assessment) - The impact the change will have on the production environment and the services provided to the user and the business reasons for the change are determined and approved (see Sample Change Priority Guidelines below)
3) Change Development - As part of the change development, based on the installation's standards, a plan for installation is required. A suggested checklist of items to include in the plan is:
Test procedures followed, with results
Backout procedures (must be available)
Resource plan
Description of any training required
Required and supplied documentation
Proposed installation schedule
Business reason for the change
Management approvals
4) Change Coordination - This function controls the day-to-day activities of the Change Management system with the goal of meeting the Change Management Objectives. A weekly Change Management meeting (see Suggested Change Management Meeting Agenda below) is chaired by the Change Coordinator
Other Change Coordination Functions
Change request forms are filed and a Change Log kept current (or this is done through a Problem/Change Management system, if applicable)
All items listed in the Change Management Mission are reviewed for all major (High and Medium risk) changes. Based on installation standards, all items must be acceptable for the change to be scheduled for installation
All approved changes are scheduled for installation
A ten day detailed change installation schedule and three-month major change schedule are updated and produced weekly
All changes are tracked and when required, follow-up is done
Other Management reports such as Highlights of Major Changes Planned and Results of Major Changes Installed (History of Changes) are produced
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Suggested Change Management Meeting Agenda
1) To review the effects of significant changes (high and medium risk) and confirm schedules for implementing these changes. The meeting is the focal point for all planned change information and management controls
2) To review planned changes for the next ten days. Based on the day of the change meeting, this ten-day projection should cover two (2) weekends or PM windows. Discuss any emergency changes since the last change meeting
3) To review any schedule or procedural violations within the past week along with the results of the changes
4) Accurate minutes should be taken, distributed to all attendees and saved for history purposes
The purpose of this meeting is to review the suitability of changes scheduled for implementation and to verify the coordination and cooperation of participating areas. The results of this meeting will be the basis for a summary report for Management
It is the function of this meeting to review the business and technical assessment and to review and approve the schedule of each change; to verify that the change meets the business objectives, and will not have a negative effect on the business community. In addition, all changes are reviewed to see if and how they affect the Disaster Recovery Plan or recovery strategy. If it is determined that the change is not needed or is untimely, it will be canceled or rescheduled
This meeting marks the change request deadline. All change requests that are issued after the meeting begins will be deferred until the next meeting. If the request cannot be postponed (i.e. emergency), it may be discussed at the current meeting
Meeting Participants:
Change Coordinator (meeting chairperson)
Technical Support
Operations Management
Processing Services
Applications Group
Help Desk
Network Management
Change Requestors/Implementers
Hardware Group
Vendors (if applicable)
Sample Change Priority Guidelines
Change Risk Level
| Risk Level |
Lead Time |
Description |
| High |
3 weeks |
Very Difficult or impossible to backout. Major impact if it fails. Involves several or critical systems. Large staff involved in implementation. Will disrupt hardware, software, data if unsuccessful |
| Med |
2 weeks |
Backout is difficult or lengthy. Involves several systems. May disrupt hardware, software, data if unsuccessful. |
| Low |
1 week |
Small impact on failure. Involves non-critical systems. Backout is simple or not needed |
| Emergency |
None |
Immediate business requirement with no advance warning. High severity. These MUST result from a Severity 1 problem and have been entered in the system with a Problem number assigned |
Change Coordinator Function
This person is responsible for maintaining the Change Management process
Objective: To ensure that policies and procedures are adhered to and that senior management has the information (i.e. reports, feedback) needed to ensure that the Change Management approach is meeting all objectives.
Responsibilities:
Chair the Change Management meetings
Mediate all conflicts regarding scheduling, lack of approval or lack of documentation prior to implementation of the change
Revise the change procedures if needed and advise management
Act as focal point for suggestions regarding change procedures
Audit the Change Log or system reports to ensure that the changes are being updated properly
Produce statistical and trend reports for managements use to analyze Change Management system effectiveness
Advise management of procedural violations or omissions through management reports
Maintain an awareness of all projects that will introduce change to the production environment
Provide advice on change process techniques and contribute to change implementation decisions
Distribute the change schedule prior to the weekly meeting or instruct attendees to print off their own copy for personal use
Review documentation that accompanies each change and verify that it is complete, including management approvals
Verify the success of the change and its correlation to the original request of the user
Download a copy of a Change Management Request Template
The naming conventions used in the Template:
The template is referred to as a Request for Change (RFC)
The RFC is Reviewed/Approved by a Change Request/Review Committee (CRC)
Grey areas are to be completed by the Change Request/Review Committee
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Downloads
White Papers:
» SLA Description and Templates
» Consolidation Questionnaires
» Service Continuity Methods
» Project Management Practices
» Developing a Communication Plan
» Data Management Process
Service Briefs:
» ITSM Maturity Assessment
» Incident and Problem Management
» Service Continuity
» Config and Change Management
» Service Level Management
» Capacity Management
» Availability Management
» Release Management
- Click Here -
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Additional Information
Visit www.itsm.info
to learn about ITSM, IT Infrastructure
Library (ITIL), and SolutionMethod (a
Policy Based ITSM Approach). In
addition, you can download free and
informative white papers,
questionnaires, and service briefs. This includes more in-depth information on the topics presented in this newsletter.
To learn how RL Consulting
can assist in achieving IT Service Management goals and our full range of solutions:
Contact us at RL_Consulting@itsm.info or phone us at 602-996-6830
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Volume 4 - June, 2002
This newsletter and the information contained herein is maintained by Rick Leopoldi and the property of RL Information Consulting LLC.
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