Accreditation and User Groups

itSMF - ITIL User Group

itSMF is a global, independent, internationally recognised not-for-profit organisation dedicated to IT Service Management. The itSMF organisation is wholly owned and principally run by its members. It consists of a controlling and coordinating body, itSMF International and a rapidly growing number of international chapters - each with a large degree of autonomy but adhering to a common code of conduct.

itSMF started in the UK in 1991 and the founding UK chapter has made a huge contribution over the years in establishing it as an international organisation, as well as supporting the development of ITIL and associated qualifications and certification schemes.

itSMF community is currently comprised of 44 international chapters with an expected increase throughout 2008. Each of these chapters essentially runs itself, albeit with a varying amount of guidance and support from the international body. Whilst there are variations in products and services across the chapters, the core principles remain the same and the offerings of each chapter drive towards a common end goal - excellence in ITSM.

To find out further information on itSMF and to discover the benefits of being a member visit www.itSMF.co.uk.

Best Practice User Group™ (BPUG) - PPM User Group

Best Practice User Group™ was established to support the use of best practice in programme, project and risk management by helping users adopt, use, share and shape the application of PPM products: PRINCE2™, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP™) and Management of Risk (M_o_R®).

BPUG provide members with a range of services that keep them up-to-date with the latest developments in programme, project and risk management best practice. Members receive a series of topical enewsletters and access to the online resources including the member forum on the Best Practice User Group website www.usergroup.org.uk.

BPUG organise regional workshops on a wide variety of topics, which alongside the Annual International Congress provide members with the opportunity to network, share experiences and discuss matters of interest. To ensure that the concerns, comments, and feedback of the community are heard, BPUG involve members in the feedback process to OGC via APMG and TSO, through review groups, the exam boards and the Change Control Log.

To find out further information on BPUG and to discover the benefits of being a member visit www.usergroup.org.uk.

ITIL and PPM Accreditation Services

APMG
The APM Group (APMG) specialises in accreditation and certification of organisations, processes and people, within a range of industries and management disciplines. For the past ten years, APMG has run accreditation schemes for PRINCE2, MSP and M_o_R, on behalf of OGC. Last year, APMG was also awarded the contract for ITIL accreditation. During this time APMG has formed a network of 150 Accredited Training Organisations (ATOs) and facilitated over 200,000 examinations in 50 countries.

APMG accredits Training Organisations by assessing their capabilities in three areas:

Their management systems
The competence of their trainers
The accuracy and thoroughness of their training material.

Every trainer is assessed by an assessor attending part of a course the trainer is delivering, to check their training competence, assess their full understanding of the method being taught, and their ability to explain its applicability in the real world. All course materials received by delegates and trainers - including presentation slides, lecturer notes, student notes and classroom exercises - are assessed to ensure they conform to the syllabus, accurately interpret the method to help candidates understand the method, and meet the standards defined in the ATO's quality manual.

For more information on Accreditation please contact: accreditation@apmgroup.co.uk

For details on ITIL V3 Qualifications, including how V2 qualifications relate to V3 qualifications, the new V3 qualification scheme and credit system, visit www.itil-officialsite.com.