When using RACI, there is only one person accountable for an activity for a defined scope of applicability. 337), the RACI matrix provides a compact, concise, easy method of tracking who does what in each process and it enables decisions to be made with pace and confidence. To help with this task the RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) model or “authority matrix” is often used within organizations to define the roles and responsibilities in relation to processes and activities.Īccording to ITIL ® Service Strategy 2011 publication (pg. Other roles directly relate to services and related processes.Ĭlear definitions of accountability and responsibility are essential for effective service management.Some roles are a hybrid of the two based on their specialist nature.Others deal directly with technology only (back end).Some roles directly interact with people (front facing).In ITSM, roles can be categorized or combined in a number of different ways, depending on the organizational context: Take care to prevent a silo mentality and complexity managed due to the various links between multiple units and persons.
(Get ITIL advice for small- and medium-size businesses.) Example of a large IT department structureįor a large department, specialization can take place as dedicated service and process roles can be assigned to individuals and teams where necessary. While the numbers are few, the people can be charged with owning multiple services and processes. The differences between small and large IT organization can be: Small IT OrganizationĮxample of a small IT department structureįor a small department, multiple roles can be combined as shown. In larger organizations there may be many different people carrying out each of these roles, split by geography, technology or other criteria. In a small organization multiple roles may be combined under one person. This is particularly important for organizations adopting a service orientation, as pressures for efficiency and discipline inevitably lead to greater formalization and complexity. As the organization grows and matures, changes in roles and relationships must be made or problems will arise. For strategy to be successful, an organization will need to clearly define the roles and responsibilities required to undertake the processes and activities.Īn organization’s age, size, geographical spread and technology use affect its structure. The starting point for organizational design is strategy, as it sets the direction and guides the criteria for each step of the design process. The size, nature, and needs of the business and its customers.Any changes made will need to take into account: Best practices described in ITIL ® need to be tailored to suit individual organizations and situations. There is no single best way to organize your IT structure. (Explore the people, product, technology trifecta & the missing fourth component.) Organizational structures Each organization will define appropriate job titles and job descriptions which suit their needs, and individuals holding these job titles can perform one or more of the required roles. Roles are often confused with job titles but it is important to realize that they are not the same. For example, the roles of incident manager and problem manager may be carried out by a single person. One person or team may have multiple roles. A role is defined in a process or function. And since quality service delivery is all about dealing with customers, users, and suppliers, the value of instituting proper roles and responsibilities in IT cannot be understated.Ī role is a set of responsibilities, activities and authorities granted to a person or team. People constitute part of the resources and capabilities required to deliver quality IT services to users and customer alike. In fact, the 4 Ps of ITIL ® Service Design include People, so that should say something about how important it is to structure and organize the people involved in delivery of IT services. No IT Service Management (ITSM) initiative can ever work without people. Use the right-hand menu to navigate.) IT Service Management roles & responsibilities (This article is part of our ITIL v3 Guide.