Document Control Information

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1 Document Control Information Document Details Document Name ITIL Master Qualification Candidate Guidelines Purpose of Document Provide candidates with guidance for the ITIL Master Qualification Document Version Number 1.0 Document Status Document Owner Prepared By Live Date of First Draft 5 July 2010 Date Approved March 2012 Approved By The Official ITIL Accreditor ITIL Master Examination Panel Chief Examiner Version History Version Number Date Approved Change/Reasons for Change/Comments 1.0 March 2012 Final Approved Version Distribution List Version Name Title/Company ITIL is a Registered Trade Mark of the Cabinet Office

2 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION SCHEME ITIL PRACTICES FOR SERVICE MANAGEMENT THE ITIL MASTER QUALIFICATION CANDIDATE GUIDELINES The Swirl logo is a Trade Mark of the Cabinet Office ITIL is a Registered Trade Mark of the Cabinet Office Official ITIL Accreditor This document must not be reproduced without express permission from The Accreditor. ITIL Master Page 1

3 Contents ITIL Master Qualification Overview 4 Benefits of the ITIL Master Qualification 4 Curriculum 5 Target Candidate 5 Pre-requisite Entry Criteria 5 Eligibility for Assessment 5 Duration and Timeline for Assessment 6 ITIL Master Assessment Process Overview 7 Candidate Notification Timelines 8 ITIL Master Program: Assessment Stages 9 Stage One: Registration 9 Notification of Access to the ITIL Master Online Assessment System (the System) 9 Stage Two: Application Completion 10 Completing the Application 10 Acceptance onto the ITIL Master Qualification Program 10 Stage Three: The Proposal 11 Completing the Proposal 11 Selection of ITIL Elements 11 Submission of the Proposal 12 Assessment of the Proposal 12 Stage Four: The Work Package 13 Change Control 13 Completing the Work Package 13 Referencing and Plagiarism 13 Use of Diagrams or Tables from Core Cabinet Office ITIL Publications 14 Supporting Documentation 15 Submission of the Work Package 16 Assessment of the Work Package 16 Stage Five: The Interview 17 Scheduling the Interview 17 Preparing for the Interview 18 Format and content of the Interview 18 Assessment through the Interview 18 Notification of Final Result 19 Withdrawal of Certificate 19 Appeals 19 Change Control Procedure 20 Completing a Change Request 20 ITIL Master Assessment Languages 21 Candidate Accessibility Policy 21 Glossary of Terms 22 Use of Bloom s Taxonomy for these Requirements 24 Page 2

4 THE ITIL MASTER QUALIFICATION IN IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT Introduction As IT Service Management grows in maturity, so do the requirements for developing and recognizing capable individuals in the industry. The need for increasing levels of IT Service Management knowledge and skills can be seen in the increasing number of jobs that require these skills, the emergence of ITSM academic programmes, and formal professional and career frameworks for ITSM practitioners. In an industry that values the ability to work in the real world, advanced qualifications need to test more than application to hypothetical cases. The ITIL Master Qualification meets these growing needs by focusing on the most experienced people of the industry, testing the capabilities of IT service managers and practitioners at the highest levels. Candidates for the ITIL Master Qualification must select one or more real-world situations and explain how they were able to apply their knowledge of ITIL to implement real solutions, and demonstrate the continued effectiveness of the solution and its benefits to the business. Assessment is conducted by evaluating written submissions describing practical assignments, and if this obstacle is successfully overcome, augmented by an interview. In this way, unique solutions to unique situations can be represented, discussed and clarified by the candidate and assessors. Page 3

5 ITIL Master Qualification Overview The ITIL Master Qualification Certificate validates the capability of the candidate to apply the principles, methods and techniques from ITIL in the workplace. To achieve the ITIL Master Qualification the candidate must be able to explain and justify how they selected and applied a range of knowledge, principles, methods and techniques from ITIL and supporting management techniques, to achieve desired business outcomes in one or more practical assignments. This Qualification program has been designed to enable candidates to outline an initial idea or Proposal for business improvement and demonstrate the effectiveness of the solution and its benefits to the business in a portfolio of information and evidence - the Work Package. The completion of these components is then verified and can be elaborated upon through a personal Interview with an assessment panel. Although there is no fixed syllabus for this Qualification, each candidate is expected to have an in-depth knowledge of the ITIL areas they have selected for inclusion in their submissions and must document this in line with the Qualification Requirements and Scope documentation provided. Candidates are also expected to demonstrate management and planning skills in support of the areas of ITIL that they select. Benefits of the ITIL Master Qualification The ITIL Master Qualification will offer many benefits to the ITSM community and individuals within. Benefit to candidates The Qualification will enable ITSM Practitioners and Managers to differentiate themselves in the industry It will also provide experienced Practitioners and Managers with an opportunity to identify any areas of weakness and improvement as they prepare for the Qualification Benefits to Organizations Organizations can give an ITIL Master candidate an assignment that will be beneficial to the organization, therefore using the Qualification as an additional incentive for employees to take on appropriate projects Organizations will gain value from the benefits achieved by the ITIL Master candidate during the proposed project or assignment Employing ITIL Master s could be seen to provide a competitive advantage Organizations that have ITIL Master s working for them can claim a level of demonstrable quality by having employees who have reached the highest standard of Qualification in their field The Qualification can be used to differentiate candidates for executive or higher management level roles Page 4

6 Benefits to the ITSM Industry This challenging Qualification provides a basis for stability and growth and its addition to the ITIL industry will show its maturity The Qualification will offer an investment for people wishing to make a career in ITSM The outputs and innovation from assignments undertaken to achieve the ITIL Master Qualification could be re-used to move both the industry and the people involved in it, forward. Curriculum Since every candidate will select a unique range of experience to apply, it is not possible to define a fixed syllabus with associated Learning Objectives. There is also no prescribed training course for this Qualification since the theory being tested will vary depending on the nature of the situation each candidate will choose to address. Instead, the ITIL Master Qualification allows candidates to determine their own field of application based on ITIL Requirements and Scope documentation in place of a syllabus, to guide candidates through the process, including both fixed and variable requirements to be addressed by the candidate in their submissions. Target Candidate The target group for the ITIL Master Qualification Certificate includes service management practitioners and consultants who are experienced at a higher level in the implementation, management, coordination and improvement of IT service management. Pre-requisite Entry Criteria To be eligible for the ITIL Master Qualification, candidates must meet the following entry criteria: Have achieved the ITIL Expert Certificate in IT Service Management Have worked in IT service management for at least five years in leadership, managerial, or higher/senior management advisory roles. A candidate must ensure they have an extensive base of practical hands-on ITIL experience to enable them to demonstrate active involvement in implementation of the practices, in order to meet the requirements for the Qualification. In addition, it is a critical requirement that candidates can provide sufficient evidence of their role in the assignments and/or proof that they carried out the tasks. If in doubt, candidates should seek further guidance from their Examination Institute (EI) regarding their suitability and eligibility for the Qualification. Eligibility for Assessment To be eligible for assessment, candidates will be required to complete the necessary stages of the process and agree to the Terms and Conditions. They must also provide a declaration that the information within their submissions is their own work. Page 5

7 Duration and Timeline for Assessment The timescale for completion of the ITIL Master Qualification will be dictated by the candidate s intended assignment(s) as outlined within the Proposal; however, the estimated timescale for completion and submission of the Qualification is between six months up to a maximum of 24 months. Within the Proposal candidates should advise the proposed submission date for their completed Work Package in order to manage the assessment process. Where the Work Package depends on real work which may be in progress, this may need to be adjusted during the course of the assessment. Candidates must ensure they advise if the proposed submission date for the Work Package will change via the Change Control Process. Where Work Packages are based on past assignments or projects, the timescale is likely to be shorter; however, candidates can still take up to 24 months to finalise their submissions. The Interview will be scheduled once the Work Package has been assessed and accepted as meeting the required standard. It is expected that candidates complete the Interview within three months of notification of their successful Work Package result. Core Documentation Required for the ITIL Master Qualification Any candidate considering an application for the ITIL Master Qualification must ensure they have the following core qualification documentation available to them which outline the specific requirements against which the candidate will be assessed: ITIL Master Elements List (Spreadsheet) ITIL Master PROPOSAL Requirements and Scope ITIL Master WORK PACKAGE Requirements and Scope ITIL Master Work Package Outline Template Page 6

8 ITIL Master Assessment Process Overview The following provides a high level overview of the ITIL Master Assessment Process and Stages. Page 7

9 Candidate Notification Timelines A timeline for notifications from relating to assessment activities following registration by an EI have been provided for information and reference: Stage Registration Application Activities Registration of candidate for entry to the assessment program Application Processed Maximum Timeline for Completion and Notification to Candidate Determined by each EI Within 10 working days from application submission Proposal Assessment of Proposal Within six (6) weeks from submission Work Package Interview Final Result Certificate and Pin Issue Lead Assessor Check of Work Package Full assessment of Work Package Invitation to Interview and notification of possible Interview dates Final Result agreed by Assessors and endorsed by the Accreditor Certificate and pin issued to successful candidates Within four (4) weeks from submission Within six (6) weeks from completion of Lead Assessor Check Within two (2) weeks from Work Package acceptance Within four (4) weeks from interview Within approx four (4) weeks from result notification Possible Additional activities Assessment of Revised Submissions Appeal Re-Assessment of Updated Submissions or additional information (Proposal or Work Package stage only) Appeal considered by appeals panel Within six (6) weeks from submission Within 12 weeks from confirmation of receipt of Appeal to the Accreditor. Page 8

10 ITIL Master Program: Assessment Stages The mandatory stages for achieving the ITIL Master Qualification are: 1. Registration with a Licensed EI 2. Application Completion 3. Submission of a Proposal outlining: a. the real life situation to be addressed, and b. the Elements of ITIL to be applied to the situation 4. Preparation and submission of a Work Package for assessment 5. Attendance at an interview to support the Work Package assessment Stage One: Registration All candidates are required to register for the ITIL Master Qualification via a participating Licensed EI. An interested candidate can contact any participating EI to request registration onto the ITIL Master Assessment program. In addition to formally registering a candidate onto the program, the EI will ensure the candidate has all of the required documentation and also conduct suitability and eligibility checks to ensure potential candidates meet the eligibility criteria and are also suitable candidates for the process, to improve the candidate s chance of success through the program. During the EI registration process, an EI will collect the following information from candidates as a minimum: Full name Contact details An up-to-date CV or Resume which provides information of the required level of ITIL and ITSM experience for the Qualification Details of ITIL Expert Qualification o copy of certificate, candidate/certificate number and name of the awarding EI OR o documented verification that the ITIL Expert certificate has been achieved from the awarding EI. EIs will also collect payment details from candidates at this stage and may collect additional information based on their processes. Following collection of registration information, candidates should be aware that EIs may conduct additional checks to verify candidate suitability and eligibility to verify pre-requisites are met and candidates who pass these checks will be formally registered for the Qualification within the ITIL Master Online Assessment System. Notification of Access to the ITIL Master Online Assessment System (the System) Following successful registration by an EI, each candidate will be notified via of their unique account and log in information for the System. The System will be used for all communication and information exchanges relating to assessment progress within the ITIL Master assessment program. The System will also be used for all candidate submissions of their assessment components. Once candidates have been registered, they will then be able to move to stage two Application Completion. Page 9

11 Stage Two: Application Completion Completion of a full application is the mandatory second stage of the ITIL Master Qualification program. Using the unique access information provided following EI registration, candidates will be required to log into the System to complete their application information. Completing the Application The candidate will be required to provide the following information to complete their application: Referee details including names and addresses of referees supporting application or supporting evidence/experience A scanned copy of the candidates Photographic ID*. Acceptable forms of Photographic ID include: o Driver Licence o Passport o National identification card o Military identification o Employee identification card Language of submission Proposed date for submission of Proposal and Work Package Any Special Consideration Requirements Confirmation of acceptance of the certification terms and conditions. * the Photographic ID is required upon application to allow verification of the candidate s identity at the final stage of the assessment process the Interview. Acceptance onto the ITIL Master Qualification Program Once a candidate s Application has been submitted and processed, the candidate will be notified via and the System if have been formally accepted onto the ITIL Master Qualification assessment program. At this time, the candidate will be provided with their unique candidate number which must be retained by the candidate and documented on all written submissions. Candidates will be able to log into the system to check the status of their progress through the program at any time, and will be required to use the system to make all submissions and raise any change notices with the Accreditor for the attention of their Assessors. Page 10

12 Stage Three: The Proposal Following successful acceptance onto the program, a candidate must prepare and submit a Proposal. The Proposal should provide details of the scope of the intended (or completed) assignment(s) and the content of the Work Package that they will submit. Candidates may choose to describe more than one assignment in their Proposal and Work Package in order to satisfy the Requirements and Scope and can outline an assignment or piece of practical work which will be completed in the future or which was completed in the past. This includes assignments or projects which made use of earlier ITIL versions or editions, as long as the candidate can meet all of the requirements and use the appropriate language and terminology to show the alignment to the current ITIL edition. Completing the Proposal The Proposal must address all of the requirements as described in the ITIL Master Proposal Requirements and Scope which must be supported by a list of the ITIL Elements that will be covered within the assignment. In many cases, candidates will need to cover multiple projects or assignments within their Work Package in order to address the full spectrum of ITIL and the Elements selected; however candidates can detail a single assignment if it meets the requirements. The Proposal must contain detailed information about the organizations or projects which the candidate played a key role in implementing, adapting and/or improving ITIL process to give tangible business benefits. The projects may all be for the same organization taking place at different points in time or concurrently. The use of ITIL practices in each organization the candidate proposes to profile in the Work Package must span across at least two lifecycle stages and be comprehensive enough in depth to specify how the ITIL Elements chosen were applied. The Proposal should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words in length and must be completed using the ITIL Master Proposal Template provided and should include the unique candidate number issued to the candidate upon application. The Proposal must be the candidates own work and cannot be prepared by others. Selection of ITIL Elements For the purposes of the ITIL Master certificate, ITIL Elements are defined as the principles, methods and techniques from each of the ITIL Core Publications or lifecycle stages. The ITIL Elements are identified in the ITIL Master Elements List which is an MS Excel Spreadsheet. Within their Proposal, candidates must identify the ITIL Elements that they intend to apply (or applied) in their assignment(s), and the relevant Supporting Concepts and Additional Elements that they have selected in support of each Element from the ITIL Elements List provided. Candidates will then be assessed based on the Qualification requirements and these selected Elements and supporting concepts against each of the following dimensions: justification application capability benefits achieved Page 11

13 All Elements within the ITIL Elements list are assigned a weight of 1, 2, or 3 and must be selected in line with the guidelines within section 4 of the ITIL Master Proposal Requirements and Scope and the ITIL Master Work Package Requirements and Scope documents. The purpose of introducing Element weightings and mandatory selection requirements is to ensure that the candidate has covered sufficient breadth and depth of the principles, methods and techniques across the scope of ITIL, whilst still allowing them flexibility in choice. Elements are weighted so that those areas of ITIL which are Core or integral concepts will have a higher weighting than those which are at a lower level and are more specific. Submission of the Proposal The Proposal can be submitted any time following Application, but should be submitted at least 14 months before the intended submission date of the Work Package. It can be submitted before completion of the assignment(s), and can include planned activities that have not yet been executed, as well as activities that have already been completed It can also be submitted following completion of a project or assignment but should still outline the original intention and aims of the project prior to execution. The Proposal should be submitted via the Proposal Section within the System. Assessment of the Proposal The Proposal will be assessed by one ITIL Master Assessor to verify that the candidate has defined an appropriate situation includes sufficient ITIL Elements and meets the ITIL Master Proposal Requirements and Scope. Candidates will be notified when the Proposal is undergoing assessment and will be informed of the assessment outcome (acceptable or unacceptable) via and the System. Where the proposal is deemed acceptable, a candidate may proceed to the Work Package stage and their online record will be updated to reflect this as their current status. Where the proposal is deemed unacceptable, candidates will be provided with feedback and one additional opportunity to update and resubmit their Proposal The re-submission must be made within a three month timeframe from notification of the Proposal not being accepted, and the date will be determined depending on the remaining assessment timeline and advised. Following resubmission of a Proposal, it will be reassessed and will either be accepted enabling the candidate to proceed to the Work Package stage, or may be deemed unacceptable at which point the candidate will be withdrawn from the process. Page 12

14 Stage Four: The Work Package The Work Package is the main piece of work within the ITIL Master Assessment program and is the body of evidence that candidates provide to demonstrate to the Assessors that they have met the criteria for the Qualification. The Work Package describes the real-world situations faced by the candidate with detail of how the candidate was able to use their ITIL knowledge and capability to successfully evaluate and apply a solution to the situation, including any innovation. It should also detail the benefits that resulted from the implementation or solution to show how core ITIL concepts were applied to provide value to the business as well as to IT. Change Control Should it become evident following acceptance of the Proposal that the requirements, scope or objectives of the assignment underway have changed; the Candidate must complete and submit a Change Request as soon as they are aware of the changes via the System. The candidate should ensure that the proposed changes still meet the Requirements and Scope for the Qualification before completing a Change Request as they may find they will have difficulty achieving the certificate if they can no longer meet requirements. Refer to the Change Control section for further details. Completing the Work Package When completing the Work Package, candidates must ensure that they have addressed all of the requirements as described in the ITIL Master Work Package Requirements and Scope document and make reference to and incorporate their selected ITIL Elements used in the project(s) as listed within the Proposal and ensure the Work Package addresses the content of the Proposal itself. The ITIL Elements selected must be provided in the relevant section of the Work Package as specified in the Work Package Outline Template. Failure to provide this list may result in a failed assessment. Where the candidate has performed the work as part of a team, they must clearly state the activities for which they were individually responsible and the assessment will be performed against these activities only. Failure to provide sufficient detail of the candidate s own responsibilities and the actual work undertaken or performed by the candidates themselves is likely to result in non acceptance of the submission. Candidates must therefore make it overtly clear exactly what work they did as well as what work was done by others, even if it was managed or supervised by the candidate. The Work Package should be between 10,000 and 15,000 words in length excluding the appendices and must be completed using the Work Package Outline Template provided. Candidates should note that exceeding the word count may impact the overall legibility of their submission and that less prescriptive or succinct work packages may lead to difficulty for the ITIL Master Assessors to accurately assess the content. Therefore, candidates should endeavour to meet the word count as closely as possible. Referencing and Plagiarism As documented in the Work Package Outline Template, candidates must include a list of all external references, sources or materials cited or used within their Work Package. A reference is the detailed description of the item from which information has been obtained and may be used to: Enable the assessor to locate the sources used Page 13

15 Help support chosen methods and provide work with credibility Acknowledge the source of an argument, concept or idea. Candidates are permitted to use any internationally recognized referencing style but must identify which style or system they have used. For more information on citation please see Prospective candidates should note that the ITIL Master Assessors will review all submissions for plagiarism, which is deemed by the Accreditor to be, The significant use by a candidate of other individuals or organisations work and the submission of it as though it were his or her own. This also includes past candidate s assessment submissions. It is imperative that the Work package is the candidate s own work and must not be prepared by others, or include significant material from the work of others. If this is found during the assessment process or interview stage, or following award of the certificate that the material is not the candidates own, the certificate will not be awarded or may be revoked. Use of Diagrams or Tables from Core Cabinet Office ITIL Publications Candidates are permitted to re-use diagrams or tables from the core ITIL Publications - namely Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation and Continual Service Improvement - as published by The Stationary Office (TSO), the Cabinet Office s Official Publisher of the ITIL Portfolio. Candidates should note the following acknowledgement statements that must appear within their submissions where diagrams are used: For ITIL guidance published prior to July 2011 Any diagram or table taken directly (i.e. unchanged) from an OGC publication or other OGC source must always include the following acknowledgement statement at the foot of the diagram/table: Crown copyright 20?? Reproduced under license from OGC The statement Crown copyright 20?? Reproduced under license from OGC, must relate to the year of publication of the document from which the diagram is taken. Therefore please fill in the correct date where it states 20?? Inclusion of the source of the diagram (title of publication, page number, fig number and name etc.) is optional. If the style, size or color of a diagram is changed from the version that appears in the OGC Publication, the diagram remains OGC Intellectual Property and the above rules apply. However where a diagram has been amended and any added value material is included within the diagram the following based on acknowledgement statement must be used: Based on the OGC ITIL material. Reproduced under license from OGC For ITIL guidance published after July 2011 Page 14

16 Any diagram or table taken directly from a Cabinet Office publication or other Cabinet Office source must always include the following acknowledgement statement at the foot of the diagram/table: Crown copyright 20?? Reproduced under licence from the Cabinet Office The statement Crown copyright 20?? Reproduced under licence from the Cabinet Office must relate to the year of publication of the document from which the diagram is taken. Therefore please fill in the correct date where it states 20?? Inclusion of the source of the diagram (title of publication, page number, fig number and name etc.) is optional. If the style, size or colour of a diagram is changed, or if the ATO added value material is included within the diagram, the diagram remains Cabinet Office Intellectual Property and the same rules still apply. If the style, size or color of a diagram is changed from the version that appears in the Cabinet Office Publication, the diagram remains Cabinet Office Intellectual Property and the above rules apply. However where a diagram has been amended and any added value material is included within the diagram the following based on acknowledgement statement must be used: Based on Cabinet Office ITIL material. Reproduced under licence from the Cabinet Office Candidates are encouraged to re-produce diagrams or tables in place of lengthy explanations and text to help illustrate the ways in which a process was adopted, modified or utilised in the assignment(s) being described; however candidates should avoid reusing diagrams where they do not add any value to the ideas being presented. Supporting Documentation The Work Package should be supported by appendices and supplementary documentation to evidence the practical work undertaken. Any appendices provided will be reviewed by the ITIL Master Assessors but may not afford the candidate any marks unless they clearly substantiate aspects of the Work Package or benefits gained, so candidates must consider the relevance of any supporting materials before they are included. To support the Work Package, candidates are also required to provide contact details for at least one referee from each of the organisations benefiting from the assignment(s), to affirm that the claims made by the candidate in the Work Package are correct. The Accreditor will contact all referees via to request information relating to the candidate and assignment(s). The referee(s) must be from higher management in the organisation(s) concerned. Where it is not possible to confirm referees, the candidate must clearly justify why this is the case. Page 15

17 Submission of the Work Package Since the Work Package must include a description of the benefits that have been achieved, and how they have been made sustainable for the future, the Work Package can only be submitted after completion of the assignment(s). The Work Package together with the supporting documentation must be written using the required Work Package Outline Template. The Work Package and submission form must be submitted via the Work Package Section within the System. Assessment of the Work Package The assessment of the Work Package will focus on verifying achievement at levels 5 and 6 of Bloom s taxonomy, although some work at level 4 may also be presented to support the activities. Each assessment will be marked by a minimum of two qualified ITIL Master Assessors against a standard set of marking guidelines which are aligned to the requirements in the ITIL Master Work Package Requirements and Scope document. Candidates will be notified when the Work Package is undergoing assessment which will be reviewed and assessed in two stages: 1. Lead Assessor Check 2. Full Assessment Lead Assessor Check The Assessment of the Work Package will begin with a high level review of the submission by a Lead Assessor to ensure that all information is present including appendices and supporting information and that the Work Package Requirements and Scope has been covered to enable full assessment to take place. If any information is missing from the submission or if further information is required, the Assessor will notify the Accreditor with any feedback. Following this the candidate will be informed and will be asked to do one of the following: Provide additional, supplementary or updated information, or Update their Work Package based on the Assessor feedback to ensure it meets requirements Candidates will be afforded one additional opportunity to update the Work Package following Lead Assessor Check. The re-submission must be made within a three month timeframe from notification of the Lead Assessor Check not being successful, and the resubmission date will be advised depending on the remaining assessment timeline. Missing information will be required within 10 working days from notification. Following a successful outcome of the Lead Assessor Check, the candidate will be notified via and the System that the Work Package has move to full assessment. If, after re-submission, the Work Package still does not meet the requirements of the Lead Assessor Check, the candidate will be notified via and the System and withdrawn from the program. Page 16

18 Full Assessment During Full Assessment the second assessor assigned will be consigned to complete the marking of the package together with the Lead Assessor. Candidates should note that no further information can be submitted for assessment once the Work Package has moved to this stage and the candidate s online record status on the System will be updated to reflect that full assessment has commenced Candidates will be advised of the outcome of the Work Package assessment within six to eight weeks from completion of the Lead Assessor Check. Candidates whose Work Package meets the required standard will be notified via and the System that the Work Package has been accepted. These candidates will be invited to attend an interview to verify the content of their Work Package with a panel of ITIL Master Assessors within two weeks from notification of success at Work Package stage. Candidates whose Work Package does not meet the required standard will be notified via and the System, and provided with any feedback relating to their submission. They will then have two options for updating their submissions as follows: Provide additional, supplementary or updated information, or Update their Work Package based on the Assessor feedback to ensure it meets requirements Missing information or an updated submission will be required within three to six months of notification that the initial Work Package has not been accepted, and the re-submission date will be advised depending on the remaining assessment timeline. If, after re-submission, a Work Package still does not meet the requirements of the Full Assessment, the candidate will be notified via and the System and withdrawn from the program. Stage Five: The Interview This is the final stage of assessment leading to the ITIL Master Qualification. Interviews will be scheduled after the Work Package has been assessed by ITIL Master Assessors and has met the required standard. The interview is important for three reasons: 1. To provide the candidate with an opportunity to further explain specific aspects included in their Work Package; 2. To provide ITIL Master Assessors with an opportunity to probe the candidates on specific areas of possible weakness in the Work Package and/or verify any facts or assertions made; 3. To ensure that the Work Package is the candidate s own work. The interview will also provide the candidates with an additional opportunity to prove their experience and wider ITIL and ITSM knowledge. Scheduling the Interview Within two weeks from notification that the Work Package has been accepted, candidates will be advised of possible dates for interview via the System and will be asked to select a suitable date from those provided. Page 17

19 It is recommended that a candidate attend an Interview within three months of completing the Work Package; however in extenuating circumstances candidates may be able to attend the interview at a later date. Candidates who do not complete the interview within 12 months from notification of their acceptance of the Work Package may be required to complete and submit another Work Package and incur further costs. Only one interview will be permitted per candidate, and if a candidate is unsuccessful following the interview, they will not achieve the Qualification. Preparing for the Interview It is the candidate s responsibility to prepare for the Interview and ensure they have sufficient knowledge of their written submissions and candidates will be provided with some high level guidance on the format to consider in preparation. Candidates should note that they will not be advised of the questions or topic areas that may be asked during the session itself. Format and content of the Interview The Interview leading to the ITIL Master Qualification will last between 60 and 90 minutes. The interview will be conducted virtually via videoconference using a webcam and teleconference facility. All sessions will also be recorded and recordings held by the Accreditor for Quality Assurance and Training purposes only. All interviews will be conducted with a minimum of two ITIL Master Assessors who, wherever possible, will be the same assessors who marked the Work Package. The Interview will take the following format and will be led by the Lead Assessor who initiates the Interview: 1. Welcome and Introductions - including Assessor review of candidate Photo Identification 2. Questions from the Assessors and discussion of candidate experience based on the Work Package and CV/Resume 3. Interview close. The ITIL Master Assessors will ask questions covering a range of topics related to the Work Package, in order to satisfy the Assessors that the candidate has met the criteria for the Qualification at the appropriate Blooms level and was responsible for conducting the assignments documented within the Work Package. Candidates will be able to refer to their Work Package during the interview, but no further documentation can be referenced during the session. Assessment through the Interview During the interview, the Assessors will question the candidate to verify that they have met the overall requirements of the ITIL Master Qualification The questions asked by the Assessors will require candidates to orally demonstrate their application of the ITIL Elements submitted through the project(s) as documented within the Work Package. The questions will also allow the candidate to elaborate on the detail of their submission. In doing so, candidates will hopefully be able to address any shortcomings in their written submission. Page 18

20 In addition to this, the Assessors will also consider other soft-skills held by the candidate, such as their verbal communication skills and professionalism within the interview situation. They will also use the Interview to ensure that the candidate in attendance is the same individual who registered for the Qualification and completed the written submissions. During the Interview, the Assessors will complete an Interview Assessment Form to record the overall performance of the candidate during the interview. No results will be divulged during the interview, as the Assessors will meet following Interview to discuss the candidate s responses and interview performance. Candidates should note that the interview is not supervised (proctored/invigilated); however the Accreditor reserves the right to allow an independent observer to attend the interview for Quality Assurance and Training purposes. The Candidate will be notified if more than two representatives from the Accreditor will be present at the Interview and if a candidate is uncomfortable with this they must notify the Accreditor in advance of the interview. Notification of Final Result Following Interview, candidates will be notified of the final result within four weeks from the date of interview. Results will be issued in writing by the candidates EI and via the System. Following notification of the result successful candidates will receive a hard copy of the certificate approximately four weeks later, together with the ITIL Master pin. All successful Candidates who have provided their permission will also be added to a publically available Successful Candidate Register available on the ITIL Official Site. Withdrawal of Certificate All prospective ITIL Master Qualification candidates should be aware that a certificate may be subsequently withdrawn from a successful candidate if, after investigation by the Accreditor, it is found that the holder has brought the Qualification into disrepute, for example by making false claims in their Work Package, or providing falsified evidence. Appeals Appeals against Qualification procedures or outcomes will be conducted in accordance with the Appeals process. Any decision by The Official ITIL Accreditor will be final. Appeals against assessment results must be submitted in writing to the candidates EI and will be considered in accordance with the Accreditor s standard Complaints, Issues and Appeals process For further information on the Appeals process and timeline, candidates should contact their EI. Page 19

21 Change Control Procedure Should it become evident following submission of the Proposal that the requirements, scope or objectives of the assignment underway have changed candidates should complete a Change Request. The candidate should ensure that the changes to the project or assignment and the resulting changed Proposal still meets the Requirements and Scope for the Qualification before submission of the Change Request. The Change Control procedure also enables candidates to advise if their personal details have changed i.e. name, address or other contact information, so that the candidate s records are up to date. Candidates must ensure they notify their EI of any changes to personal information for their records in addition to raising a Change Request via the System. Completing a Change Request Where a change relates to the content of a candidates assessment submission(s), a Change Request is required to advise the ITIL Master Assessors of the changes to the project(s) and how they will be reflected in the final Work Package. This is required for assessment purposes as the final Work Package and supporting evidence is ultimately evaluated against the original scope and proposed benefits of the project(s) as outlined within the candidates Proposal. A Change Request should be raised via the System, by following the instructions within the ITIL Master Online System User Guide. The Change Request can be supported by updated documentation where required. The completed Change Request will be passed to the assigned Lead Assessor for them to conduct a review to ensure that the changes still meet the Requirements and Scope for the Qualification. Once the Change Request has been reviewed, a decision will be made as to whether the proposed changes are acceptable and remain in scope. Where changes are deemed acceptable, the Change Request will be approved and the candidate will be notified by and the System, and will be able to proceed with their Work Package based on the revisions to the Proposal. If the changes proposed by a candidate result in the revised assignment no longer meeting the requirements, the candidate will be notified. At this stage, the candidate will be required to provide further detail to ensure that the Proposal Requirements and Scope are met or consider their continuation with the Qualification based on the redefined scope of the project. Page 20

22 ITIL Master Assessment Languages Currently, the ITIL Master Assessor panel have capability to assess submissions in the following languages, and documentation is therefore available in the following languages only: English Where candidates are completing their written submissions in a language that is not their native or primary business language; the candidate will be afforded the following special considerations: Candidates are able to submit supporting appendices and documentation in the language in which they were authored but candidates must provide a written summary of the contents or each document in one of the available assessment languages in order for them to be assessed. Candidates can request support from someone with localisation or translation skills to quality review and/or translate submissions into one of the available assessment languages; however the translator must provide a supporting statement or declaration to confirm they have only provided translation support services and have not contributed to the content of the submissions. This must be submitted with completed submissions, and the translator may be contacted to verify the authenticity of the statement. Candidates may be afforded additional time during Interview and may be provided with an independent translator/interpreter service, however this will be determine on a case-by-case basis and additional fees or charges may apply for this service. It should also be noted that decisions in relation to additional time to complete the Qualification (written submissions and/or Interview) will be made by the individual Assessors assigned to assess the candidates work. Candidate Accessibility Policy The Official ITIL Accreditor as part of the APM Group Limited makes every effort to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act Within direct employment by APM Group Limited, each applicant is taken on merit and no prejudice shown in relation to gender, age, race, religion, physical or mental impairment or any other factor outside of the assessment criteria. APM Group Limited will make every effort to ensure that candidates with access and/or support requirements are able to complete assessments within reasonable limits to ensure they have as equal a chance as any other well prepared candidate to achieve this Qualification. APM Group Limited believe that each candidate is different and that individuals will have differing access and/or support needs and as such we will make every effort to provide reasonable adjustments suited to individual access or support requirements. Candidates considering applying for this Qualification that may require additional time or specific support should advise their EI upon who will endeavour to make appropriate arrangements with the Accreditor. Page 21

23 Glossary of Terms The Official ITIL Accreditor Assignment Blooms Taxonomy Change Request Requirements Elements Examination Institute (EI) Interview ITIL Master Assessors Lead Assessor Plagiarism Proposal Skill Submission The Stationery Office (TSO) Work Package Partner to Cabinet Office and contracted as The Official ITIL Accreditor for the ITIL qualification and accreditation scheme and specific licensing activities on behalf of the Cabinet Office. The Accreditor is part of The APM Group Limited A significant ITSM project that involves the planning, implementation and operation of multiple ITIL processes or collection of 2 or more stages of the ITIL lifecycle A classification of learning objectives within education A request sent to the Accreditor to make minor adjustments to the Work Package against the Proposal submitted, used when a project or assignment is changed or adjusted which means the candidate needs to adjust their submission This is the detailed description of what the candidate must comply with in demonstrating their particular skill area The practice areas of ITIL, i.e. processes, procedures etc that candidates have to demonstrate in their work packages An organization accredited and licensed by The Accreditor to administer the assessment of ATOs and deliver of ITIL examinations and Qualifications to the market place The final stage of the ITIL Master Qualification, which consists of an interview with 2 Assessors to validate the Work Package submitted (usually conducted on-line) Any individual who meets the requirements and is authorized and approved by The Official ITIL Accreditor to practically and orally assess candidates and their submissions towards the ITIL Master Qualification certificate The ITIL Master Assessor who has been assigned by the Accreditor to take the lead role in the overall process from proposal to result to ensure the candidates application is managed and assessed appropriately and provide the Accreditor with all records that support the final result recommendation in order for the Accreditor to validate results The wrongful appropriation, close imitation, or purloining and publication, of another author's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions, and the representation of them as one's own original work A document that outlines the activities and assignments to be submitted for the ITIL Master Qualification The combination of competences that are grouped together in order to create an appropriate flow for the submission of the work package The stage where the candidate sends all the paperwork for the work package to the Accreditor for marking The official publishing partner of the Cabinet Office responsible for the publication of the ITIL core library A document or documents presented to support the work based evidence submitted for the Qualification Page 22

24 Contact Details The Official ITIL Accreditor Tel: +44 (0) Address: The Official ITIL Accreditor, The APM Group Limited, 6 th Floor, Sword House Totteridge Road, High Wycombe, HP13 6DG, UK Examination Institutes as of 01 January 2012 APMG-International BCS CERT-IT GmbH CSME DANSK IT DF Certifiering (DFC) EXIN International Loyalist Certification Services (LCS) PeopleCert TÜV SÜD Akademie GmbH Tel: +44 (0) servicedesk@apmg-international.com Tel: +44 (0) isebenq@hq.bcs.org.uk Tel: info@cert-it.com Tel: info@csme.us Tel: certificering@dansk-it.dk Tel: certifiering@dfs.se Tel: +31 (0) service@exin-exams.com Tel: exams@loyalistexams.com Tel: info@peoplecert.org Tel: akd.it@tuev-sued.de A full and current list of Examination Institutes can be found at Page 23