Operational Control Manager

Summary

An operational control manager is accountable for day-to-day IT operations, acting as the escalation point for incidents and problems.

At this role level, you will:

be responsible for effective change management processes that maintain the availability of services, using proactive and preventative measures
be on call 24/7 or according to business requirements
be allowed to address issues across IT operations

Background

Background Components

Description	Background
Understands the concepts and practices of human resources and people management. Is familiar with processes and procedures of performance management. Is capable of planning small assignments and organising their own and their team’s work effectively. Demonstrates a responsible and disciplined approach, even under pressure. Has good communication and negotiation skills. Understands the legal and best practice requirements of human resource management. Has a positive attitude towards diversity principles.	Prior Knowledge and Skills
Is thoroughly familiar with the services and products delivered and the tools, technology, methods, procedures, processes, equipment and software used in the operation and management of the service. Has a comprehensive understanding of the selection and use of monitoring tools. Has an extensive understanding of relevant financial principles and procedures, including cross charging both internal and external to the organisation. Has the ability to lead teams of staff successfully when handling complex or high impact problems. Has substantial experience of dealing with customers, users, specialists and service providers. Is skilled in conducting meetings and team management.	Prior Knowledge and Skills

Description

Background

Understands the concepts and practices of human resources and people management. Is familiar with processes and procedures of performance management. Is capable of planning small assignments and organising their own and their team’s work effectively.

Demonstrates a responsible and disciplined approach, even under pressure. Has good communication and negotiation skills. Understands the legal and best practice requirements of human resource management. Has a positive attitude towards diversity principles.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

Is thoroughly familiar with the services and products delivered and the tools, technology, methods, procedures, processes, equipment and software used in the operation and management of the service. Has a comprehensive understanding of the selection and use of monitoring tools. Has an extensive understanding of relevant financial principles and procedures, including cross charging both internal and external to the organisation. Has the ability to lead teams of staff successfully when handling complex or high impact problems. Has substantial experience of dealing with customers, users, specialists and service providers. Is skilled in conducting meetings and team management.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

Work Activity Components

Title	Details
Implementation and controls	Ensures implementation of information, and records management policies and standard practice, ensuring that information is protected, available and accessible, and can be retrieved as required. Complies with all relevant information and data security policies and procedures.
Lead, manage and supervise	Supervises, supports and guides the work of individuals and/or small groups in line with organisational strategy.
Probationary period and contract	Defines and supervises probationary periods, setting out the requirements of the job, monitoring progress (e.g. regular interviews) and reacting to variances from expectations, organising training and development as required within appropriate timescales.
Work allocation, support and delegation	Allocates routine tasks and assigns project work to individuals, according to their particular skills, capabilities, and development needs.
Guidance, performance and feedback	Provides direction, support and guidance as necessary, in line with individual’s skills and abilities setting appropriate and effective boundaries. Sets achievable goals, monitoring and acknowledging performance and supporting individual and team development. Collects data on individual and team performance. Gives regular feedback to team members and leads them to
Formal appraisals	Conducts formal appraisals of the performance of team members. Facilitates a dialogue with team members about expectations, progress, performance and development needs.
Empowerment and role model	Facilitates effective working relationships between team members. Motivates team members to maintain a high level of performance. Engages with and empowers team members. Acts as a role model for individuals and team members, setting a standard, acting professionally at all times and working to a professional code of conduct and ethics.
Service level monitoring and reporting	Ensures that service delivery meets agreed service levels.
Customer relationships and negotiations	Works with client/user representatives to determine service level requirements. Negotiates service level requirements and agreed service levels with customers and underpinning parties. Manages customer expectations and perceptions in order to optimise customer satisfaction.
Customer service assessment	Works with customers to establish qualitative assessment of the service provision, from the client/ user perspective. Identifies potential service improvements based on analysis of metrics and satisfaction surveys.
Service level agreement maintenance	Regularly reviews underpinning OLAs – internal, and/or underpinning agreements (external) to ensure that they are in line with SLA targets. Prepares proposals for improvements to SLAs and underpinning OLAs and external agreements.
Operational management	Establishes and maintains operational methods, procedures and facilities; reviews them regularly for effectiveness and efficiency.

Knowledge/Skills

Knowledge/Skills Components

Title	Depth	Details	Type
Numeracy		Understanding the metrics associated with a problem or situation, their significance and relationship, and being able to manipulate these as necessary to identify solutions.	Behavioural Skills
Decision Making		Making decisions at the appropriate time, taking into account the needs of the situation, priorities, constraints, known risks, and the availability of necessary information and resources.	Behavioural Skills
Commercial Orientation		Understanding commercial considerations and ensuring alignment with them when making decisions or recommending actions.	Behavioural Skills
Organisational Awareness		Understanding the hierarchy and culture of own, customer, supplier and partner organisations and being able to identify the decision makers and influencers.	Behavioural Skills
Cross-Functional and Inter-Disciplinary Awareness		Understanding the needs, objectives and constraints of those in other disciplines and functions.	Behavioural Skills
Interacting with People		Establishing relationships, contributing to an open culture and maintaining contacts with people from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Effective, approachable and sensitive communicator in different communities and cultures. Ability to adapt style and approach to meet the needs of different audiences.	Behavioural Skills
Teamwork		Working collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal.	Behavioural
Providing Direction		Directing others to undertake specified tasks within a defined timescale.	Behavioural
Follow-up and Monitoring		Checking progress against targets, taking action to resolve exceptions/ issues and reporting and escalating where necessary.	Behavioural Skills
Corporate, Industry and Professional Standards	Proficient in	Applying standards, practices, codes, and assessment and certification programmes relevant to the IT industry, and the specific organisation or business domain.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Own Organisation’s IT Products and Services	Familiar with	The IT products and/or services supplied to internal and external customers by own organisation.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Third Party IT Products and Services	Familiar with	The IT products and/or services supplied to own organisation by external suppliers.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Business Environment	Familiar with	The business environment relating to own sphere of work (own organisation and/or closely associated organisations, such as customers, suppliers, partners and competitors), in particular those aspects of the business that the specialism is to support (i.e. localised organisational awareness from a technical perspective).	Technical Knowledge and Skills
IT Environment	Familiar with	The IT environment relating to own sphere of work (own organisation and/or closely associated organisations, such as customers, suppliers, partners), in particular own organisation’s technical platforms and those that interface to them through the specialism, including those in closely related organisations.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Value Chain Concepts	Proficient in	Identification and representation of the primary and support activities required to deliver a product or service in order to analyse aspects such as inefficiencies and costs.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Presentation Techniques	Familiar with	Methods and techniques for delivering effective and accessible presentations, either face-to-face or online within various contexts and to a variety of audiences.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Appraisal Techniques	Familiar with	Methods and techniques for appraising an individual’s performance and potential.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Operations Management	Familiar with	Methods, techniques and tools for planning, organising, resourcing, directing, co- ordinating and monitoring ongoing (non-project) activities.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Budgets	Aware of	Principles, methods, techniques and tools for the preparation and monitoring of budgets to manage costs and ensure cost-effectiveness and value for money.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Business Proposals	Familiar with	Methods and techniques for preparing and presenting business cases, requests for proposal (RFP) invitations to tender (ITT) and statements of requirements/work both verbally and in writing.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Risk Management	Familiar with	Methods and techniques for the assessment and management of business risk including safety-related risk.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Techniques for Effective Meetings	Familiar with	Methods and techniques for running effective meetings and for understanding and influencing the roles played by participants.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Coaching Techniques	Familiar with	Methods and techniques for coaching individuals or groups by a balanced combination of support and direction, including use of virtual learning environments plus add-ons to augment feedback specific to work items, workflow or career plans.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Contract Negotiation	Familiar with	Methods, techniques and frameworks for negotiating contracts for the supply of IT products and services.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Project Planning and Control Techniques	Familiar with	Methods and techniques associated with planning and monitoring progress of projects.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Own Organisation’s Learning and Development Procedures	Familiar with	The procedures used within own organisation for staff learning and development.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Resource Allocation	Familiar with	The effective and efficient routine deployment of resources, (but also including reassessment and reallocation in a dynamic multi-project environment), to achieve optimum results.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Service Delivery Economics	Proficient in	The economics of service delivery, such as the cost per service line in terms of hardware, software, and manpower used to deliver the service.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Service Level Agreements	Proficient in	The purpose and composition of a service level agreement (SLA); the relationship between an SLA, an OLA (Operational Level Agreement) and an underpinning contract for the supply of services.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Financial Management	Proficient in	Knowledge of Financial Management and Management Accounting. Competent management of costs, budgets and cash flow.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Performance Monitoring	Familiar with	Identifying, agreeing and monitoring (usually by face-to-face interviews) objectives and deliverables with individuals. Identifying under-performance issues against agreed quality standards and performance criteria. Identifying gaps in capability and causes, disciplinary or ability-related (needing assistance, training or other support).	Other Knowledge and Skills
Disciplinary Issues and Procedures	Familiar with	Managing episodes of unsatisfactory behaviour or performance in accordance with appropriate policies and legislative conformance. Includes changes to circumstances, such as sickness, disability and other personal issues.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Information Assurance		Information assurance methods, tools and techniques (including the Caldicott Principles) used to protect the integrity, availability, authenticity, non-repudiation and confidentiality of user data and manage the risks related to the use, processing, storage, and transmission of information.	Other Knowledge and Skills

Training Activities

Training Components

Title	Details
Stakeholder Relationship Management	Negotiation, presentation and engagement skills to adapt and address the needs of different stakeholders to develop and maintain strong stakeholder relationships.
Coaching	Concepts, methods and techniques for providing coaching in subject specialisms to individuals or groups (e.g. GROW model).
Advanced Techniques for Business Process Improvement	More complex tools and techniques associated with the analysis, modelling and streamlining of business processes.
Data Protection and GDPR	Data protection legislation, regulatory framework and compliance, including GDPR (General Data Protection Act).
Supplier/Service Provider Training	The installation, testing and commissioning of supplier specific-products and services in a variety of situations and locations.
Mentoring	Methods and techniques for providing mentoring support to less experienced individuals.
Security Awareness	Tools and techniques to help users and employees understand the role they play in helping to combat information security breaches and for IT and security professionals to prevent and mitigate risk.
Health and Safety	Understanding statutory health and safety requirements relating to the working environment and/or the tools and techniques to promote, communicate, implement and maintain a health and safety culture.

PDAs

PDA Components

Title	Details
Deputising	Standing in for supervisor or manager on a temporary basis during periods of absence.
Job Shadowing and Special Assignments	Undertaking temporary periods or secondments in other roles, inside or outside IT, particularly those that offer a new perspective on own function or exposure to other environments and cultures.
Project Assignments	Participating in a project team, working group or task force established to deliver a solution to a specific problem or issue – especially valuable if the group is inter-disciplinary.
Mentoring	Acting as a mentor, advising those for whom there is no direct responsibility, on matters to do with their job role, career and professional development.
Research Assignments	Exploring a topic which is not part of own normal responsibilities and presenting findings to colleagues and/or management
Gaining Knowledge of Broader IT Issues	Increasing and maintaining currency of knowledge of broader IT issues through reading, attending and participating in seminars or conferences, special studies, temporary assignments etc.
Gaining Strategic Knowledge of Employing Organisation	Developing a comprehensive understanding of the business environment in which the employing organisation operates and its position, policies and direction in relation to industry, country and global issues.
Participation in Professional Body Affairs	Taking an active part in professional body affairs at branch, specialist group, committee or board level.
Negotiating and Influencing	Undertaking learning and practice of negotiating with and influencing others.
Management Development	Undertaking learning and best practice of the skills appropriate to managing all or part of an organisation, including business and financial management, benefits management, people management, management of change and strategic planning. This will require both on and off the job learning and may include participation in an appropriate development programme such as MBA or DMS (Diploma in Management Studies).

Qualifications

Qualification Components

Title	Awarding Body
ITIL 4 Specialist Drive Stakeholder Value (Managing Professional	AXELOS
ITIL 4 Strategist Direct, Plan and Improve (Managing Professional / Strategic Leader Module)	AXELOS
ITIL 3 Managing Across the Lifecycle	AXELOS
Chartered IT Professional (CITP)	BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT
ITIL 4 Managing Professional	AXELOS
FEDIP Advanced Practitioner	FEDIP

Organisation Skills

Framework » Organisation Category » Subcategory	Skill Name and Description	Level
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Asset and configuration management You can conduct life cycle management for assets including hardware, software, intellectual property, licences and warranties. You can manage usage, disposal, compliance, inventory, sustainability, cost optimisation and protection of the asset portfolio. You can help to improve investment decisions and capitalise on opportunities. You can comply with international standards for asset management. You can document information relating to assets including identification, classification and specification of all items, and information related to storage, access and versions. You can apply status accounting and auditing in line with relevant criteria.	2 – Working You can maintain secure configuration and accurate information, controlling IT assets in one or more significant areas. You can verify the location and state of assets.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Availability and capacity management You can define, analyse, plan, forecast, measure, maintain and improve all aspects of the availability of services, including power. You can control and manage service availability to meet business needs cost-effectively, including managing the capability, functionality and sustainability of service components (such as hardware, software, network resources, and software or	2 – Working You can manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Change management You can manage service changes, configuration items, organisational change, supplier change and associated documentation. You can request changes in response to incidents or problems that provide effective control and reduction of risk to security performance and availability. You can ensure compliance of the business services impacted by the change. You can understand policy, principles and approach. You can apply understanding and knowledge in project or programme activities. You can develop experience in the use of change management tools and processes.	3 – Practitioner You can deal with high impact, complex change requests. You can ensure that release policies, procedures and processes are applied.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Continual service improvement You can identify and explore opportunities for service and business improvement. You can produce analysis and identify, prioritise and implement improvements and efficiencies, ensuring that the organisation derives maximum value from services. You can recognise the potential for automation of processes, determine costs and benefits of new approaches, and manage change or assist implementation where needed.	3 – Practitioner You can analyse current processes, and identify and implement opportunities to optimise them. You can lead and develop a team of experts to deliver service improvements. You can help to evaluate and establish requirements for the implementation of changes by setting policy and standards.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Incident management You can co-ordinate the response to incident reports, ensuring relevant prioritisation and detail to allow effective investigation. You can identify the correct procedures or channels for resolution and monitor resolution activity and progress updates for customers. You can understand the relevant change management tools and processes.	3 – Practitioner You can lead the investigation and resolution of incidents.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Ownership and initiative You can take ownership of problems and proactively resolve technical problems, ensuring that technical solutions continue to meet business requirements. You can take full accountability for the actions taken and decisions made.	3 – Practitioner You can take accountability for issues that occur and be proactive in searching for potential problems. You can achieve excellent user outcomes.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Problem management You can understand and identify problems, analysing and helping to identify the appropriate solution. You can classify and prioritise problems, document their causes and implement remedies.	2 – Working You can initiate and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends to resolve problems. You can effectively consult specialists where required. You can determine the appropriate remedy and assist with its implementation. You can determine preventative measures.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Service focus You can maintain focus on the whole life of service delivery (designing, developing, delivering and operating). You can ensure that a set of IT products, suppliers and vendors come together to deliver an IT service.	3 – Practitioner You can see the bigger picture by taking groups of services and investigating how to get the best of underlying services.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Service management framework knowledge You can show an in-depth understanding of service management framework principles and processes. You can apply the technical knowledge in project or programme activities.	2 – Working You have a Level 3 service management framework qualification. You can demonstrate knowledge of the life cycle or capability elements of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library).
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Technical understanding You can demonstrate knowledge of the specific technologies necessary to fulfil the responsibilities and tasks of the role. You can apply the required breadth and depth of technical knowledge. You can actively keep informed of industry developments to make cost- effective use of new and emerging tools and technologies.	3 – Practitioner You can show a thorough understanding of the technical concepts required for the role and can explain how these fit into the wider technical landscape.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – User focus You can understand users and identify who they are and what their needs are, based on evidence. You can translate user stories and propose design approaches or services to meet these needs. You can engage in meaningful interactions and relationships with users. You can show that you put users first and can manage competing priorities.	3 – Practitioner You can collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally. You can explain the difference between user needs and the desires of the user. You can champion user research to focus on all users. You can prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so. You can offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Community collaboration You can contribute to the work of the community, building successful teams through understanding team styles and influencing and motivating team members. You can give and receive constructive feedback, enabling the feedback loop. You can moderate conflict resolution within teams. You can ensure that the team is transparent and that the work is understood externally. You can help teams maintain a focus on delivery while being aware of the importance of professional development.	3 – Practitioner You can work collaboratively in a group, actively networking with others. You can adapt feedback to ensure it’s effective and lasting. You can use your initiative to identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them. You can identify issues through Agile ‘health checks’ with the team and help to stimulate the right responses.
DDaT » IT Operations Job Family	IT Ops – Continuity management You can provide service continuity planning and support. You can identify information and systems that support critical business processes, and assess the risks to their availability, integrity and confidentiality. You can co-ordinate planning, designing, testing and maintenance procedures and contingency plans, to address exposures and maintain agreed levels of continuity.	2 – Working You can manage the runbooks for service continuity. You can manage the processes around service continuity and test the runbooks to ensure that service availability can be maintained in any event.

Framework » Organisation
Category » Subcategory

Skill Name and Description

Level