Technology has transformed the way we work, socialize, purchase goods, and interact with services—fueling new behaviors, demands and experiences. Consumers and users now expect more, which puts pressure on providers to deliver higher quality IT-enabled products and services at a quicker pace. Now more than ever, organizations are being held accountable for the social and environmental impacts of their operations.

Based on main ITIL 4 framework, the extension module ITIL® 4 Specialist: Sustainability in Digital and IT explores how service organizations may address sustainability challenges in relation to their digital and IT strategies, tactics, and operations—focusing on the ITIL Service Value Chain and ITIL practices. 

This course considers the role that IT and digitally-enabled services have in relation to the environment. It explores opportunities for positive impact by adopting and driving sustainable and ethical behavior and a mindset that goes beyond individuals and impacts businesses at an organizational level.

The module highlights key sustainability competencies and capabilities that service organizations should develop to effectively address current and future sustainability challenges, including a framework to support organizations during procurement and supply chain activities which can help interactions across the supply chain to practice sustainable IT.

Audience

• IT/digital/service strategists
• Service designers/architects 
• Product/service managers 
• ITSM managers and aspiring ITSM managers 
• Managers of all levels involved in shaping direction and strategy or developing a continually improving team 
• Existing ITIL qualification holders wishing to develop their knowledge

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for the ITIL 4 Extension Modules. However, candidates must have attended an accredited training course for this module.

Course objectives

The purpose of the ITIL 4 Sustainability in Digital and IT qualification is: 

• To provide candidates with an understanding of what ‘sustainability’ means and how it can deliver value 
• To provide candidates with an understanding of the practical steps required to develop and implement a sustainability strategy 
• To provide the candidate with the practical skills necessary to enable an organization to deliver value by introducing sustainable practices

Detailed course outline

Module 1: What is Sustainability? 

• What is sustainability?
• The effect of sustainability on organizations
• How organizations can respond to the challenges of sustainability

Module 2: Getting Started 

• Addressing sustainability in an organization’s vision 
• Introduction to materiality assessment

Module 3: Value, Benefits, Costs, and Risks of Sustainability 

• Benefits of sustainability
• Sources of organizational sustainability risks 
• Key organization-level stakeholder groups and their expectations 
• Key types and sources of sustainability standards and regulations 
• The role of services and the service economy in sustainability 
• Recommendations for sustainability return on investment (ROI)/value on investment (VOI)

Module 4: Digital Technology and Sustainability 

• Digital technology and sustainability
• How digital technology impacts sustainability
• How sustainable business models are supported by digital/IT

Module 5: Planning Sustainability 

• The role of sustainability in an organization’s vision
• Assessing the current situation
• Strategic planning for sustainability
• Taking action

Module 6: Assessing and Improving Organizational Sustainability 

• Measurement and reporting 
• Metric, indicators and KPIs
• Common sustainability metrics

Module 7: Maintaining Sustainability 

• Sustainability and innovation, communication and collaboration, governance and audits
• ITIL practices—support and sustainability

Exam Preparation 

Assignments

• Students must complete a series of in-course assignments as a formal requirement of the Sustainability in Digital and IT qualification. The completion of the assignments is a part of the official certification process. After passing the four (4) assignments based on a case study, students are permitted to schedule their formal examination with PeopleCert