The Change Manager (based on ITIL 4) is typically responsible for:
- the initial processing and verification of change requests
- allocating changes to appropriate teams for assessment and authorization, according to the change model
- formally communicating decisions of change authorities to affected parties
- monitoring and reviewing the activities of the teams that build and test changes
- publishing the change schedule and ensuring that it is available as needed
- conducting regular and ad hoc service review analyses; and initiating improvements to the practice, the change models, and the standard change procedures
- developing the organization’s expertise in the processes and methods of the change enablement practice.
Although the change manager role may be associated with a formal job title, it is unusual to see dedicated organizational structures, in product-focused organizations, job titles and job roles are not typically adopted, because it is integrated with the day-to-day activities of product development teams and is automated wherever possible.
Changes require resources and introduce risks. This sometimes leads to organizations establishing complicated, and often bureaucratic, systems of change authorization, with formal committees that meet regularly to overview and authorize changes accumulated over the period. These are known as change advisory boards (CABs), and they often become bottlenecks for the organization’s value streams.
Change models should define the requirements and procedures for authorization, delegating the role of change authority to the appropriate level, such as development teams, technical experts, or service and product owners.
The change authority is responsible for the assessment and authorization of a change during its lifecycle (from initiation to completion).
Source: ITIL4 Practice
