Mapping the sylabus for the ITIL Intermediate Capability Course: Release, Control and Validation (RCV)

In January 2013 I completed the ITIL Foundation 2011 as a first step i learning ITIL. My next goal is one of the capability courses with a current preference on Release, Control and Validation Qualification (RCV), though it's said to one of the tougher ones. In my line of work I an involved in all the lifecycle stages, but if I were to choose another one i would be Operational Support and Analysis Qualification since I do quite a deal of Service Operation and it should be a bit easier.

I current plan to take a course in the early summer and have acquired the lifecycle and the key elements books. But it's a bit overwhelming even just starting on the Service Transition book, so I decided to map the mentioned sections from the Release, Control and Validation (RCV) Syllabus into the Table of contents of the Service Transition book.

I am going to read the hole book, but is a little surprised that not every part is mentioned in the syllabus.

1. Introduction 1
• 1.1 Overview 3 - RCV01
• 1.2 Context 6
• 1.3 ITIL in relation to other publications in the Best Management Practice portfolio 8
• 1.4 Why is ITIL so successful? 10
• 1.5 Chapter summary 10
2. Service management as a practice 13
• 2.1 Services and service management 15
• 2.2 Basic concepts 22
• 2.3 Governance and management systems 27
• 2.4 The service lifecycle 30
3. Service transition principles 35
• 3.1 Policies for service transition 37
• 3.2 Optimizing service transition performance 45
• 3.3 Service transition inputs and outputs 46
4. Service transition processes 49
• 4.1 Transition planning and support 51 - RCV01
• 4.2 Change management 60 - RCV02
• 4.3 Service asset and configuration management 89 - RCV03
• 4.4 Release and deployment management 114 - RCV05
• 4.5 Service validation and testing 150 - RCV04
• 4.6 Change evaluation 175 - RCV07
• 4.7 Knowledge management 181 - RCV08
5. Managing people through service transitions 197
• 5.1 Managing communications and commitment 199
• 5.2 Managing organization and stakeholder change 203 - RCV02
• 5.3 Stakeholder management 215
6. Organizing for service transition 219
• 6.1 Organizational development 221
• 6.2 Functions 221
• 6.3 Organizational context for transitioning a service 222
• 6.4 Roles 223 - RCV09
• 6.5 Responsibility model – RACI 234
• 6.6 Competence and training 234
• 6.7 Service transition relationship with other lifecycle stages 236
7. Technology considerations 239
• 7.1 Knowledge management tools 242 - RCV10
• 7.2 Collaboration 242 - RCV10
• 7.3 Configuration management system 243 - RCV10
8. Implementing service transition 245
• 8.1 Key activities in the introduction of service transition 247
• 8.2 An integrated approach to service transition processes 250
• 8.3 Implementing service transition in a virtual or cloud environment 250
9. Challenges, critical success factors and risks 253
• 9.1 Challenges 255 - RCV10
• 9.2 Critical success factors 255 - RCV10
• 9.3 Risks 256 - RCV10
• 9.4 Service transition under difficult conditions 256