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Service transition manager

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

Last updated 30 August 2022 — See all updates

What a service transition manager does

IT service transition managers provide overall planning for service transitions and co-ordinate the required resources. In this role, you will control the product life cycle of all changes, enabling beneficial changes to be made with minimum disruption to IT services.

Service transition manager role levels

There are 4 service transition manager role levels, from service acceptance analyst to lead service transition 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. Service acceptance analyst

A service acceptance analyst co-ordinates across IT operations and manages the acceptance criteria for any changes within the area. At this level, you will validate changes against the acceptance criteria, gathering evidence and creating materials as necessary.

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: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • track, log and correct information to protect assets and components

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: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • understand the work of others and the importance of team dynamics, collaboration and feedback

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: 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: 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: 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: 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

2. Service readiness analyst

A service readiness analyst tests the products and is accountable for application acceptance and checking whether security criteria have been met. At this level, you will flag any potential risks and escalate these to the service transition manager.

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: awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • track, log and correct information to protect assets and components

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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

3. Service transition manager

A service transition manager accepts products, determines whether they are fit for purpose and assesses readiness against agreed service acceptance criteria.

At this role level, you will:

  • make recommendations on go-live, early-life support and service acceptance
  • ensure that the acceptance criteria are understood by the wider IT operations

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

  • SEO (Senior Executive Officer)
  • G7 (Grade 7)
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: 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: 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: 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: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • see the bigger picture by taking groups of services and investigating how to get the best of underlying services

Service management framework knowledge

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • You have a Level 3 service management framework qualification
  • demonstrate knowledge of the life cycle or capability elements of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)

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

4. Lead service transition manager

A lead service transition manager is responsible for the planning and co-ordination of resources to ensure that services are effectively transitioned into service operation.

At this level, you will be solely responsible for the co-ordination activities across projects, suppliers and service teams.

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

  • G7 (Grade 7)
  • G6 (Grade 6)
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: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • ensure the correct implementation of standards and procedures
  • identify capacity issues, and stipulate and instigate the required changes
  • initiate remedial action

Change management

Level: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • deal with high impact, complex change requests
  • ensure that release policies, procedures and processes are applied

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: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • take accountability for issues that occur and be proactive in searching for potential problems
  • achieve excellent user outcomes

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: expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • maintain focus on the entire life cycle of the service and ensure it’s at the forefront of readiness activities
  • understand and communicate service benefits to end users
  • ensure that service focus is championed within your team and actively recommend its adoption

Service management framework knowledge

Level: working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • You have a Level 3 service management framework qualification
  • demonstrate knowledge of the life cycle or capability elements of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)

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: practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally
  • explain the difference between user needs and the desires of the user
  • champion user research to focus on all users
  • prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so
  • offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use
Role Shared skills
Change and release 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

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

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

Updates

Published 7 January 2020

Last updated 30 August 2022

30 August 2022

  • Lead service transition manager now includes the ‘service focus’ skill, at expert level.

7 January 2020

  • First published.