ITIL(R) 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve

This three-day course forms a key part of both the ITIL® 4 Managing Professional and ITIL Strategic Leader pathways.

The ITIL 4 Direct, Plan and Improve (DPI) course is intended to provide the learner with the practical skills necessary to create a ‘learning and improving’ IT organization, with a strong and effective strategic direction. Furthermore, provide practitioners with a practical and strategic method for planning and delivering continual improvement with the necessary agility.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Understand the key concepts of Direct, Plan and Improve
• Understand the scope of what is to be directed and/or planned, and know how to use key principles and methods of direction and planning in that context
• Understand the role of Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) and know how to integrate the principles and methods into the service value system
• Understand and know how to use the key principles and methods of continual improvement for all types of improvements
• Understand and know how to use the key principles and methods of communication and organizational change management to direction, planning and improvement
• Understand and know how to use the key principles and methods of measurement and reporting in direction, planning and improvement
• Understand and know how to direct, plan and improve value streams and practices

Participants must hold either an ITIL® 4 Foundation or ITIL® v3 Foundation certification prior to attending this course.

Target audience

This course is suitable for individuals in roles responsible for:

• Designing, planning, reviewing, or improving IT products and services
• Managing or leading organisational change initiatives
• Ensuring governance, compliance, and risk alignment
• Developing, directing, or enabling continual improvement strategies
• Aligning teams or departments to wider organisational goals

Foundations and strategy alignment

• Key definitions, concepts, and terminology of DPI
• Establishing scope and responsibility within service value systems
• Understanding the role of strategy and strategic direction

Principles and methods of direction and planning

• Governance models and delegation of authority
• Strategic, tactical, and operational planning
• Integrating direction and planning with ITIL guiding principles

Governance, risk and compliance (GRC)

• Principles and drivers of governance in IT service management
• Risk management frameworks and roles
• Aligning GRC activities to value delivery and stakeholder needs

Continual improvement frameworks and techniques

• Defining and managing improvement initiatives
• Prioritising improvements using data and stakeholder input
• Embedding improvement into daily work culture

Organisational change management (OCM) and communication

• Principles of effective communication within change contexts
• Developing communication strategies to support planning and direction
• Leading people through change and minimising disruption

Measurement and reporting

• Identifying metrics that support performance improvement
• Aligning measurement with stakeholder needs and business value
• Reporting strategies for transparency and decision-making

Improving value streams and practices

• Evaluating and directing service value streams
• Using value stream mapping to identify improvement opportunities
• Aligning planning activities across practices for operational efficiency

Exams and assessments

This course concludes with a formal certification exam:

• 40 multiple-choice questions
• 90 minutes duration
• Closed book format
• Pass mark: 28 out of 40 (70%)
• The exam is delivered online via PeopleCert and may be scheduled at the learner’s convenience

All PeopleCert certifications issued from 2023 must be renewed after three years.

Hands-on learning

This course features a range of practical and scenario-based learning opportunities, including:

• Exercises to map and analyse current organisational practices
• Group tasks on planning and directing service improvements
• Role-play scenarios focused on communication, governance, and change management
• Collaborative workshops to design continual improvement frameworks