itSMF Bulletin March 2022 | Page 6

3.1.2 Where are we now?

The second step provides a good understanding of the organization’s internal and external context. This is achieved by various forms of assessment, including materiality assessment, risk assessments, and stakeholder analysis and mapping. The results of the assessments inform the following steps.

3.1.3 Where do we want to be?

In the third step, organizations define, agree, and communicate their sustainability objectives. The objectives address the material topics identified via the materiality assessment and support the agreed sustainability vision.

3.1.4 How do we get there?

In the fourth step, organizations plan a portfolio of initiatives to achieve the agreed objectives. Together with the third step, this step results in the creation of a sustainability strategy and supporting tactical and operational plans. In many cases, these plans are based on, or enabled by, digital technology.

3.1.5 Take action

The fifth step provides readers with tools and approaches needed to implement their sustainability plans in today’s volatile, complex, uncertain, and ambiguous business environment. Along with recommendations for addressing complexity (based on the Cynefin framework), this chapter explains how various ITIL management practices support the organization’s sustainability journey.

3.1.6 Did we get there?

In the sixth step, organizations review and report their progress and achievements. Together with ITIL-based recommendations for measurements and reporting, this chapter introduces sustainability-driven approaches to corporate reporting, such as the integrated reporting framework.

The ideas and recommendations  effectively manage organizational changes

* treat sustainability and digitalization as continual journey, not a one-off initiative

* effectively navigate the complex business, social, and natural environments.

ITIL® 4: Sustainability in Digital and IT  is an ITIL® 4 specialist module. It provides step-by-step recommendations for sustainable operations and strategy, and explains why and how IT and IT-enabled service providers can become sustainable so they can evolve and succeed in the long term.

The ideas and recommendations in this book are designed for organizations that provide and use digital and IT services and care about what they do, regardless of whether the provider is a self-employed consultant, an IT department within a corporation, or a large digital enterprise.

3.1 What is included?

ITIL® 4: Sustainability in Digital and IT follows the steps of the ITIL continual improvement model. This is because sustainability activities should form a continuous journey, rather than being a one-off initiative. For each step, the book explains the key sustainability concepts, describes applicable methods and models, and provides guidance on their application in the context of digital technology.

3.1.1 What is the vision?

In the first step, organizations define their vision for sustainability, ensuring that it is aligned with the overall business vision and supports the widely accepted sustainable development goals, the UN SDGs.

Organizations review and reconsider their guiding principles and may amend them using the UN Global Compact principles for sustainability as a guidance.