The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) strongly recommend that software tool vendors speak to aLicensed Software Assessor before embarking on an assessment to ensure the mandatory assessment criteria are understood and can be met.

 

The OGC announcement continues:

 

Following the publication of the mandatory assessment criteria for the ITIL Software Scheme, a number of issues have been raised which coupled with experience of running the scheme warrants further clarification.

 

The criteria were drafted in line with the terms and statements within the official ITIL publications. This approach was taken to ensure that all decisions regarding toolendorsement could be referenced back to specific statements in the publications. This was important when the criteria were not published and software tools could pass the assessment with 70% compliance.

 

Now that thecriteria have been published and Licensed Software Assessors are seeking 100% compliance, guidance may be necessary so that tool vendors and purchasers appreciate that the assessment is against the spirit and intent of ITIL rather than 100% compliance against some parts where those parts have used examples of how a requirement can be achieved.

 

The ITIL Software Scheme is intended not to stifle innovation or affect the way competent tool vendors produce their products and so Licensed Software Assessors will fully recognise slight variations. It is not intended that tools adhere to every word within the criteria.

 

The ITIL v3 guidance update due in 2011 may impact on some of the mandatory assessment criteria and therefore these will be reviewed and aligned upon publication of the update.