Integrating the Deliver Phase with Manage Layer SMFs
Published: April 25, 2008 | Updated: October 10, 2008
The Manage Layer is the foundation of the IT service lifecycle. This phase is not a separate segment, but rather the activities of the Manage Layer are integrated with all other phases of the lifecycle. The following SMFs support the primary activities of the Manage Layer:
- Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)
- Change and Configuration
- Team
These Manage Layer SMFs are important elements in all the other IT lifecycle phases. Most of the SMFs in the other phases discuss specific and distinctly different processes. However, GRC and Change and Configuration SMFs have the goal of ensuring effective, efficient, and compliant IT services. To that end, they contain guidance that addresses the unique nature of each phase’s objectives.
The Deliver Phase is focused on building the right solution in the right way. Here GRC is focused on project scope decisions, project stakeholder involvement, and project risks. Change management is also project-focused, often driving risk-management activities for each project.
The Team SMF ensures that someone is ultimately accountable for the work required to effectively deliver IT services. It also ensures that everyone doing that work has a clear role, understands the responsibilities that go with that role, and has the right skills for carrying out those responsibilities.
Table 5. Manage SMFs’ Focus on Deliver Phase
Deliver Phase Objective |
GRC Focus |
Change and Configuration Focus |
Team Focus |
Ensure that those services that the business and IT have agreed on are developed effectively, deployed successfully, and ready for operations |
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Team SMF Focus
There is a single Team SMF focus in the Deliver Phase. It is the Solutions Accountability.
Solutions Accountability
The Solutions Accountability includes the role types that are important to the five SMFs in the Deliver Phase of the IT service lifecycle: Envision, Project Planning, Build, Stabilize, and Deploy.
- The Envision SMF focuses on turning business requirements into new IT services that can be delivered into production.
- The Project Planning SMF focuses on how project teams complete the bulk of their planning work—preparing the functional specification, solution design, work plans, cost estimates, and schedules.
- The Build SMF focuses on developing the IT service solution deliverables to the customer’s specifications, developing the solution documentation, creating the development and test lab, and preparing the solution for pilot deployment.
- The Stabilize SMF focuses on releasing the highest-quality solution possible at the Release Readiness Milestone.
- The Deploy SMF focuses on releasing a stable solution into the production environment.
The following table lists the role types associated with the Solutions Accountability, as well as the responsibilities and goals for each role type.
Table 6. Solutions Accountability and Its Attendant Role Types
Role Type |
Responsibilities |
Goal |
Solution Manager |
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Program Manager |
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Developer |
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Tester |
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Product Manager |
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User Experience |
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Release Management |
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Operations Experience |
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Test Manager |
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