ITIL 2011 Intermediate Module - Continual Service Improvement (CSI)

What cannot be measured can never be improved - the principles and foundations of ITIL CSI. Service improvement must focus on increasing the efficiency, maximizing the effectiveness and optimizing the cost of services and the underlying IT service management (ITSM) processes. The only way to do this is to ensure that improvement opportunities are identified throughout the entire service lifecycle.

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The CSI certification focuses on how organizations and individuals can strategically review the products and services they have produced following the strategy, design, transition and operation stages of the IT Service Lifecycle and offers guidance on how this process should be organized and executed. It also includes guidance on the tools and technology that can be used to support CSI activities as well as how to evaluate risks and critical success factors.

The Concept


The course covers management and control of activities and techniques within the Continual Service Improvement phase of the ITIL Lifecycle, but it does not provide the full detail of each supporting process. CSI practices can help businesses and projects continue to meet and adapt to the changing needs of end users as well as improving efficiencies and returns on investment for organizations. ITIL 2011 publication considers implementing continual service improvement (CSI) from two perspectives: the implementation of CSI activities around services, and the implementation of CSI around service management processes. However, if your organization does not have very mature service management processes then it is usually difficult to execute the seven-step improvement process for services.

Target Candidate


The course covers the management-level concepts and core information about the supporting activities within continual service improvement (CSI), but not specific details about each of the supporting processes. The main target candidate for the ITIL Intermediate Qualification: Continual Service Improvement Certificate includes, but is not restricted to:

  • Chief information officers (CIOs)
  • Chief technology officers (CTOs)
  • Managers
  • Supervisory staff
  • Team leaders
  • Service designers
  • IT architects
  • IT planners
  • IT consultants
  • IT audit managers
  • IT security managers
  • Service test managers and ITSM trainers.
  • Individuals who require a detailed understanding of the ITIL CSI phase of the ITIL service lifecycle and how it may be implemented to enhance the quality of IT service provision within an organization
  • IT professionals working within, or about to enter, a CSI environment and requiring a detailed understanding of the processes, functions and activities involved
  • Individuals who have attained the ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management and wish to advance to higher level ITIL certifications
  • Individuals seeking the ITIL Expert Certificate in IT Service Management for which this qualification can be one of the prerequisite modules
  • Individuals seeking progress toward the ITIL Master Certificate in IT Service Management for which the ITIL Expert is a prerequisite.

Qualification Learning Objectives


This qualification presents a complete overview of CSI including all its related activities: to continually align and realign IT services to changing business needs by identifying and implementing improvements to IT services that support business processes. This qualification reviews improvement activities as they support the lifecycle approach through service strategy, service design, service transition and service operation. Candidates can expect to gain competencies in the following upon successful completion of the education and examination components related to this certification:

  • Introduction to CSI
  • CSI principles
  • CSI process
  • CSI methods and techniques
  • Organizing for CSI
  • Technology considerations
  • Implementing CSI
  • Challenges, critical success factors and risks

In addition, the training for this certification will include examination preparation, including a mock examination opportunity.

The exam format is as follows:

  • The exam contains complex scenarios upon which the 8 examination questions will be based. 
  • All questions are contained within the Question Booklet and each question will clearly state the scenario to which the question relates. 
  • In order to answer each of the 8 questions, you will need to read the related scenario carefully. 
  • On the basis of the information provided in the scenario, you will be required to select which of the four answer options provided (A, B, C or D) you believe to be the optimum answer. 
  • You may choose ONE answer only, and the Gradient Scoring system works as follows:
  • Closed book
  • 90 minutes duration

• If you select the CORRECT answer, you will be awarded 5 marks for the question
• If you select the SECOND BEST answer, you will be awarded 3 marks for the question
• If you select the THIRD BEST answer, you will be awarded 1 mark for the question
• If you select the DISTRACTER (the incorrect answer), you will receive no marks for the question

In order to pass this examination, you must achieve a total of 28 marks or more out of a maximum of 40 marks (70%).