Why I needed to certify in ITIL and PRINCE2

While waiting for ITIL 4 to arrive, I realized the relationship between change management and project management was important to my role.

I wanted to understand better what project managers do, so it made sense to study PRINCE2. When joining the team, I was the newest person and colleagues already had experience in projects. With PRINCE2 I changed my ways of working through processes that made me more comfortable in my work.

Now, when I see processes that can be improved, I think “PRINCE2” as there are so many established techniques, processes and practices that I can tailor myself.

ITIL 4 – welcome to the real world

When certifying in ITIL 4 this year, I could see how it works with real world scenarios such as the change management process.

In today’s more agile environments, ITIL 4 promotes agility. So, we can – if necessary – have Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings every day for just five minutes, treating it like a “daily stand up”. What you call it doesn’t matter – the important thing is to progress the work and eliminate wasted time implementing a change.

For customers, it’s faster and the concept of value co-creation is another real-world scenario.

However, some people are afraid of change and will resist it by going slower. As process managers we have to help them see the value and benefits of change, that means enabling people involved in the change to be mentally ready. When people understand benefits, they become more open to it.

PRINCE2 Agile – in case you’re not agile enough

A current project I’m working on involves using PRINCE2. However, I wanted to start including more agile working and therefore understand how PRINCE2 and agile delivery methods work together.

Certifying in PRINCE2 Agile helped me understand the development process with Scrum/Kanban and how it combines with the project management method. For example, providing work packages to an agile development team. This is about not sticking to just one framework but having an open mind and incorporating different approaches to get the most benefit.

For development teams learning about PRINCE2 documentation and process flow, they start to understand that there is a much bigger context that we’re all working in and see their role in creating an entire product.

Certification and career progression

Having certifications is like a milestone which makes the learning path interesting and shows that you have the knowledge. Also, for me as a trainer in Fujitsu, it helps me to grow in that role.

Having a wide variety of certifications helps you decide where you want to get to and provides a pathway for how to get there. This applies whether you are less experienced and looking for a particular job or more experienced and enhancing your existing knowledge.

Above all, knowledge is so important: with my two years’ experience, the certifications have helped me a lot to catch up with colleagues who have been working much longer.