ITIL was developed in 1988 by the UK government, to provide guidelines and specifications for IT services operations and management. It means `Information Technology Infrastructure Library`, and has a series of manuals which detail IT best practices and instructs on IT infrastructure, operations and development matters. ITIL has since gone through further refinements, the latest version being V3, which emphasizes service design, strategy, transition, operation and continuous improvement. IIIL Change Management handles the process of change within the ITIL framework.

ITIL change management ensures standardization and consistency in the methods and procedures for changes with minimum disruption to routine and ongoing IT services in a company. The main objective of ITIL Change Management is to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in delivery of IT services. ITIL change management processes involve the IT infrastructure, IT services as well as the structure and processes within the company. Some ITIL change management framework involves the release and configuration processes, while others combine these with the change process.

ITIL change management processes involve hardware, communications systems, systems software and all documentation and procedures in the operations and support of live systems. A group called the CAB (Change Advisory Board) is formed with clearly defined roles and responsibilities to monitor and report on the progress of the change processes within the company. The CAB members should be representatives from other departments besides the IT, to provide balanced participation and views from other operations of the company. The ITIL Change Manager will oversee the CAB meetings, identify and manage required changes, facilitates decision-making, coordinate the required resources and generally ensure that the smooth running of the ITIL change management processes.

There are numerous ITIL Change Management certification programs offered by reputable IT training and software providers. These include training courses for ITIL Configuration Practitioner, ITIL Change Practitioner, ITIL Release Practitioner, ITIL Release & Control Practitioner and ITIL Service Level Management Practitioner. These programs are from 3 to 5 days, and exams are conducted at the end of the courses. With these certifications, the candidate can apply for a variety of ITIL Change Management jobs from ITIL Change Management practitioners to managerial levels such as ITIL Change Managers.