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Change and release manager

Find out what a change and release manager in government does and the skills you need to do the job at each level.

Published 7 January 2020

What a change and release manager does

Change and release managers lead the change advisory board, ensuring adequate risk assessment and scheduling of technical changes and releases. They own the configuration management database and the access, security and configuration of change activities and release procedures.

Change and release manager role levels

There are 3 change and release manager role levels, from configuration analyst to change and release manager.

The typical responsibilities and skills for each role level are described in the sections below. You can use this to identify the skills you need to progress in your career, or simply to learn more about each role in the Government Digital and Data profession.

1. Configuration analyst

A configuration analyst provides administrative support to the change and release manager, helping to maintain the integrity of the configuration management database (CMDB) and independently solving smaller problems.

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • AO (Administrative Officer)
  • EO (Executive Officer)
Skill Description

Asset and configuration management

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • maintain secure configuration and accurate information, controlling IT assets in one or more significant areas
  • verify the location and state of assets

Availability and capacity management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of availability and capacity management processes

Change management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • implement changes based on requests for change
  • apply change control procedures

Community collaboration

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • contribute to the work of others
  • motivate and empower teams
  • create the right environment for teams to work in, and can identify the best team makeup depending on the situation
  • recognise and deal with issues

Continual service improvement

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of developing process efficiency and common ways in which processes are optimised
  • support specific activities to improve development processes
  • spot or identify obvious deficiencies

Continuity management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of the IT standard continuity management processes and procedures

Incident management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • identify and register incidents, gathering the required information and allocating it to the appropriate channel

Ownership and initiative

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of problem resolution processes
  • pass problems on to your team

Problem management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • investigate problems in systems, processes and services, with an understanding of the level of a problem (for example, strategic, tactical or operational)
  • contribute to the implementation of remedies and preventative measures

Service focus

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of different products and services

Service management framework knowledge

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • You have a Level 3 service management framework qualification

Technical understanding

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of the relevant subject matter and a high level understanding of what it involves

User focus

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness or understanding of user experience analysis and its principles
  • explain the purpose of user stories and the focus on user needs

2. Change and release analyst

A change and release analyst plans and rolls out software, and designs and carries out procedures for the distribution and installation of changes to systems and services.

At this role level, you will:

  • undertake analysis after release and set the plan for upcoming changes
  • liaise with DevOps and service designers

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • EO (Executive Officer)
  • HEO (Higher Executive Officer)
Skill Description

Asset and configuration management

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • maintain secure configuration and accurate information, controlling IT assets in one or more significant areas
  • verify the location and state of assets

Availability and capacity management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of availability and capacity management processes

Change management

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • analyse and assess impact, and develop and document change requests
  • implement changes based on requests for change

Community collaboration

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • contribute to the work of others
  • motivate and empower teams
  • create the right environment for teams to work in, and can identify the best team makeup depending on the situation
  • recognise and deal with issues

Continual service improvement

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of developing process efficiency and common ways in which processes are optimised
  • support specific activities to improve development processes
  • spot or identify obvious deficiencies

Continuity management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of the IT standard continuity management processes and procedures

Incident management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • identify and register incidents, gathering the required information and allocating it to the appropriate channel

Ownership and initiative

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of problem resolution processes
  • pass problems on to your team

Problem management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • investigate problems in systems, processes and services, with an understanding of the level of a problem (for example, strategic, tactical or operational)
  • contribute to the implementation of remedies and preventative measures

Service focus

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of different products and services

Service management framework knowledge

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • You have a Level 3 service management framework qualification

Technical understanding

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of the relevant subject matter and a high level understanding of what it involves

User focus

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness or understanding of user experience analysis and its principles
  • explain the purpose of user stories and the focus on user needs

3. Change and release manager

A change and release manager ensures that technical changes to IT services are adequately assessed for impact, prioritised, scheduled, authorised and implemented. They ensure this is done in line with processes and using appropriate tools. They chair the Change Advisory Board (CAB).

At this role level, you will:

  • provide an escalation point
  • make decisions for all technical changes
  • co-ordinate releases and interdependencies

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

  • HEO (Higher Executive Officer)
  • SEO (Senior Executive Officer)
Skill Description

Asset and configuration management

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • manage configuration management for the organisation, ensuring value for the business and adherence to company policies
  • ensure that changes to assets are recorded and controlled appropriately
  • advocate organisational commitment to asset control

Availability and capacity management

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets

Change management

Level: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • demonstrate broad industry experience in change management and can implement a successful change management process from zero to full maturity
  • champion change management, actively improving and optimising current processes

Community collaboration

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • work collaboratively in a group, actively networking with others
  • adapt feedback to ensure it’s effective and lasting
  • use your initiative to identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them
  • identify issues through Agile ‘health checks’ with the team, and help to stimulate the right responses

Continual service improvement

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance, and contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions

Continuity management

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • show an awareness of the IT standard continuity management processes and procedures

Incident management

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • diagnose and prioritise incidents, investigate their causes and find resolutions

Ownership and initiative

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • own an issue until a new owner has been found or the problem has been mitigated or resolved

Problem management

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • initiate and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends to resolve problems
  • effectively consult specialists where required
  • determine the appropriate remedy and assist with its implementation
  • determine preventative measures

Service focus

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • take inputs and establish coherent frameworks that work

Service management framework knowledge

Level: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • You have a Level 3 service management framework qualification

Technical understanding

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the core technical concepts related to the role, and apply them with guidance

User focus

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • identify and engage with users or stakeholders to collate user needs evidence
  • understand and define research that fits user needs
  • use quantitative and qualitative data about users to turn user focus into outcomes
Role Shared skills
Command and control centre manager

Asset and configuration management

Availability and capacity management

Change management

Community collaboration

Continual service improvement

Continuity management

Incident management

Ownership and initiative

Problem management

Service focus

Service management framework knowledge

Technical understanding

User focus

Incident manager

Asset and configuration management

Availability and capacity management

Change management

Community collaboration

Continual service improvement

Continuity management

Incident management

Ownership and initiative

Problem management

Service focus

Service management framework knowledge

Technical understanding

User focus

Problem manager

Asset and configuration management

Availability and capacity management

Change management

Community collaboration

Continual service improvement

Continuity management

Incident management

Ownership and initiative

Problem management

Service focus

Service management framework knowledge

Technical understanding

User focus

Service transition manager

Asset and configuration management

Availability and capacity management

Change management

Community collaboration

Continual service improvement

Continuity management

Incident management

Ownership and initiative

Problem management

Service focus

Service management framework knowledge

Technical understanding

User focus

Application operations engineer

Asset and configuration management

Availability and capacity management

Change management

Continual service improvement

Incident management

Ownership and initiative

Problem management

Service focus

Service management framework knowledge

Technical understanding

User focus