On Sunday August 31, 2025 the site will be undergoing an upgrade and service may be interrupted. We apologize for any inconvenience.

ITIL® 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan & Improve PeopleCert Accredited Official eLearning

The ITIL 4 Specialist: Direct, Plan & Improve Everything Program Buy Now!

Course Features

  • Online Classes
  • Flexible Schedule
  • Interactive
  • High Quality
  • Certifications
  • Instructor Help

Online video courses with full instructor support,
just like in the classroom, only better. Enroll today!

Video Title
Length
Why DPI?
2 min
Meet Your Instructor Dr. Suzanne Van Hove
4 min
00: Introduction to Direct, Plan & Improve
11 min
01: Direct, Plan & Improve: Key Concepts
18 min
02: Understanding ‘Scope’ and Applying Direct, Plan & Improve
20 min
03: The Role of Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) and The Service Value System
30 min
04: Continual Improvement
18 min
05: Continual Improvement: Assessment Methods
21 min
06: Continual Improvement: Where do we want to be?
16 min
07: Continual Improvement: Keeping Up Momentum
8 min
08: Organizational Change Management (OCM) and Communication
19 min
09: Organizational Change Management (OCM): Practice Success Factors (PSFs)
13 min
10: Organizational Change Management (OCM): Stakeholders
16 min
11: Organizational Change Management (OCM): Communication Principles
21 min
12: Measurement and Reporting in Direct, Plan & Improve
19 min
13: Measure & Report: Planning and Evaluation Model
16 min
14: Direct, Plan & Improve Value Streams and Practices
25 min
15: Value Streams & Practices: Apply Guiding Principles to Direct, Plan & Improve
32 min
16: Summary
5 min
Total:
5 hrs 14 mins
Need Help Playing Your Videos or Quiz Modules? Click Here.

What should I do if my video will not play?

There are many things that can affect the quality of your video so we have put together these instructions to help you review all the things that need to be tested in order to trouble-shoot video quality.

The first thing we want to assure you is that we have done everything possible to make sure that our videos will play well.  Our videos are hosted in the cloud by Akamai.  Akamai has servers around the world to make sure that your videos are sent from the server that is closest to you.  By hosting our videos with Akamai we make sure that you receive the highest video quality. If you are experiencing video buffering or freezing at home or at the office there are a number of things you can do to help us troubleshoot.

  • Proper Video Quality: Although the player will attempt to match the video quality with your bandwidth, you may find that setting your video quality manually will give you better performance.
  • Popup Blockers: Please check to make sure that your pop-up blocker is turned off when you go to our website. This will prevent the video window from opening.
  • Your Connection Speed: Internet speed needs to be 2.0 Mbps upload and download to successfully watch the videos.  You will want to check and see if your connection speed is 2.0 Mbps or higher.  You can do this by clicking on this link and running a speed test.
  • Jitter and Packet Loss: Your Jitter rate lets us know if your connection speed is consistent while your Packet Loss rate lets us know if your internet connection could be losing pieces of the video.
    • Go to https://www.dotcom-tools.com/ping-test.aspx to determine if there is any Jitter or Packet Loss on your connection.
    • This is measured by a letter scale with A being the best.
      • If your Packet Loss is below a B, your connection is losing pieces of the video and causing the video to skip.
      • If your Jitter is below a B, your connection speed is very inconsistent and may be changing while you are watching the video which will result in buffering issues.
      • If either of these is the case you will need to contact your internet provider.
  • Shared Internet Connection: If you are on a shared internet connection, test playing videos during non-peak hours when usage by others on your network is low.
  • Reset Your Browser: If you've tried all the previous steps, your browser may be retaining data that needs to be deleted, and this requires a reset. If you are using Chrome, use the instructions in this link to reset your browser. If you are using Internet Explorer (IE) you may need to reset it. You can do this by clicking on the cog icon on the top right of your page. Then click on tools, internet options, advanced and reset. If you are using Firefox, use the instructions in this link to reset your browser.
  • Other things to check:
    • At home or at work, test using different browsers and computers to see if you get the same result.
      • Make sure you have the latest version of the browser you are using.
    • If you are using Internet Explorer (IE) you may need to reset it. You can do this by clicking on the cog icon on the top right of your page. Then click on tools, internet options, advanced and reset.
    • Try from a different location using a different network.
    • If you are on a wireless connection try a wired solution.
    • If you are on a home network:
      • Test playing the videos when you are the only user on the network.
      • Try by-passing your router to eliminate it as the point of failure. A direct plug from your ISP to your computer will take care of this and will make sure that neither your router nor other users are affecting your connection.
    • If you are running Firefox, you can check your plugins here: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/plugincheck/
  • Make sure you do not have any other programs open. File sharing and peer to peer sharing programs, even when limited to low bandwidth, can make it almost impossible to stream properly.
  • Tracking Progress on Mobile Devices: The GogoTraining site is designed to use the native player found in your browser. If you are taking your course on a mobile device and want to make sure your progress is tracked, then you will need to play the videos from the native player that is in your browser. Do not download any third party apps to play the videos as they do not allow your progress to be recorded. If you have installed a third party app and want to receive a Letter of Course Attendance, then you will need to uninstall the 3rd party app or see if the app has the ability for you to disable it for certain sites.
  • Submitting Debugging Information If you have tried everything else and still are having trouble viewing the videos, you can visit this page where you can help us debug your particular setup by following the instructions on the page and submit the debugging information to us.
Meet Your Instructor

Dr. Suzanne Van Hove

Dr. Suzanne Van Hove. owner of SED-IT, has successfully blended an award-winning career in higher education with a passion for IT Service Management. She understands the dynamics of how people learn and the best vehicles for content retention. She has developed and received accreditation of her own IT Service Management educational programs.

Perhaps her greatest strength is developing training curriculum that is industry specific. This unique approach gives students practical, real life case studies that enable them to bring best practices to their respective organizations. Large and small organizations around the globe have benefited from her proprietary approach. With over 25 years’ experience, Suzanne brings a wealth of knowledge to every engagement – either in the classroom or boardroom. In 2011, Suzanne was recognized the itSMF USA ‘Industry Knowledge Contribution’ Award for her achievements in academia and industry.

 

Get Your Course Materials

Course Materials

When you purchase this course you will receive access to these materials.

  • Student Guide
  • Glossary
  • DPI Tables
  • How to Use Your Sample Exams
  • Sample Exam 1
  • Sample Exam 2
  • Training Plan
  • PDU Info
  • Candidate Syllabus
  • Review Exercises and Solutions
  • PeopleCert Online Exam Instructions for PC and Mac
  • Accessing PeopleCert eBooks
  • PeopleCert Complaint Policy
  • PeopleCert Membership CPD Guide
  • How to Activate Your PeopleCert Plus Membership
Course Links

Course Links

These links are activated when you purchase this course.

  • Course Survey
Course Transcript

Transcript

This course comes with a Transcript that tracks your progress. You can use your transcript to view and monitor your progress and when you complete the course, you can print or email the transcript.

Letter of Course Attendance

Letter of Course Attendance

You will be awarded a Letter of Course Attendance when you finish this course. You will be able to print or email the Letter of Attendance and share your accomplishment with everyone.

How to Take Your Exam

How to Take Your Exam

Exam Prerequisites:

In order to take this exam students must have completed an accredited Direct, Plan and Improve course.

Exam Details:

  • The DPI exam is a ‘closed book” exam
  • Publications are not permitted to be used in the exam
  • The exam is 90 minutes in duration
  • Students taking the exam in a language that is not their native language are awarded 25% extra time
  • There are 40 questions, each worth 1 mark
  • You need to get 28 questions correct (70%) to pass the exam
  • The questions are all multiple choice

Exam Topics:

  • Direct, Plan and Improve Concepts
  • Direction, Planning and Principles in Context
  • GRC Principles and Methods
  • Continual Improvement
  • Organizational Change Management
  • Measurement, Indicators and Reporting
  • Measurement and Value Streams
  • Stakeholder, Communication and Feedback

How Is the Exam Taken?

The exam vouchers provided by GogoTraining are for online proctored exams.  This gives you the flexibility of taking the exam from any location.  

When Will I Receive My Exam Voucher?

When you purchase the exam or course & exam package, we order your Exam Voucher Code from PeopleCert. This is a manual process. You will receive your Exam Voucher Code via email from passport@peoplecert.org within 24 hours of placing your order Monday to Friday. Please check your SPAM folder and the email address you provided to us if you haven't received the email within this time.  The Exam Voucher Code is valid for 12 months.

How Long Is My Exam Voucher Valid?

Exam vouchers are valid for 1 year from the date of purchase.  If for any reason you need an extension, PeopleCert sells 6 month exam extensions as long as the extension is purchased prior to the date your exam voucher is set to expire.  Please note that the exam extension must be ordered before your exam expires.  

How Do I Schedule My Exam?

Once we order your voucher you will receive an immediate email from PEOPLECERT which includes a link and instructions on how to register to take your exam. 

When Can I Take My Exam?

Exam slots are available 7 days a week 24 hours a day.  Exam vouchers are valid for 1 year from the date of purchase.  If for any reason you do not take your exam within the year you can purchase an exam voucher extension that will be valid for an additional 6 months.  Please note that the extension must be ordered before your exam expires.

If you have any questions email customerservice@gogotraining.com.   

This course is Accredited by PeopleCert and PeopleCert is the ITIL Exam Institute that will proctor your exam.

How to Take an Online Proctored PeopleCert Exam

In order to take your exam you will need the following System Requirements:

  • Windows® 11, Windows® 11S Windows® 10, Windows® 10S or macOS High Sierra (10.13) onwards
  • Dual-core 2.4GHz CPU or faster with 4GB of RAM (minimum)
  • Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Opera browser is installed (Latest version recommended). Other browsers are not compatible with our Web Based Exam Driver.
  • Active Full-Time/Broadband internet connection of at least 4Mbps
  • 16-bit monitor (at least 15”) with screen resolution 1024 x 768 or higher
  • Keyboard and mouse or another pointing device (keyboard to be set to English characters)
  • A web camera (the web camera can be embedded in your computer or be external to the computer). Make sure you can rotate the web camera through a 360-degree rotation as you will be asked to do this on your exam day. Mobile phones cannot be used to take your exam or be used as a substitute for the web camera
  • Speakers and microphone (Headsets are only allowed during exam onboarding)

For complete details, download the PeopleCert Online Exam Instructions under the Get Your Course Materials tab.

How to Upload Your Letter of Course Attendance on PeopleCert.org

Candidates may upload their Letter of Attendance through the Upload a Certificate option under the Certifications & Memberships tab of their PeopleCert account. 

Exam Extension

PeopleCert allows students to extend their exam 6 months for a fee.  Exam extensions must be purchased prior to the expiration date of your exam.  If you need an extension, Click Here, and let us know.  PeopleCert does not allow students to extend Take2 exam retakes.

PeopleCert Complaints Policy

This document sets out our complaints policy and procedure and is written for our:

  • Accredited/Approved Organisations (AOs), our partners;
  • trainees on courses at one of our partners;
  • candidates in our PeopleCert business and IT exams; and
  • all interested parties who receive a direct or indirect service from us related to our business and IT qualifications.

This document covers complaints that candidates, AOs or any interested parties may wish to make in relation to:

  • PeopleCert partners;
  • the exams and associated services offered by PeopleCert.

Please find the detailed policy here.

For assistance from GogoTraining please Contact Us.

GogoTraining Support Policy

If you have any questions or concerns about your course, please Contact Us.

Ask the Instructor a Question

QA Forum

When you purchase this course you will be able to use the QA Forum and have direct access to the instructor.

Course Description

The Direct, Plan and Improve (DPI) Certification is part of the ITIL 4 Managing Professional and Strategic Leader Track.  The course/certification was designed to provide candidates with the practical skills necessary to create an IT organizations centered on ‘Learning and improving’ from a practical and strategic direction.

Who Should Take DPI?

  • ITIL Practitioners
  • Continuous Improvement Managers
  • Change Managers
  • IT Operation Managers
  • Enterprise Architects
  • Service Designers
  • Risk Managers
  • Compliance Managers
  • Cloud System Engineers
  • Key Managers and Executives who interact with IT and deliver Digital Services

Why is DPI Important?

DPI is seen as an important course for both Managing Professionals and Strategic Leaders because it provides practical and strategic methods for delivering continual service improvement.  DPI focuses on establishing a ‘learning and improving’ IT organization, keeping in mind a strong and effective strategic direction. Core practical skills revolve around planning and delivering continual improvement with a key characteristic of agility.

    Learning Outcomes

    When you complete this class you will:

    • Understand the scope of what is to be directed and/or planned
    • Know how to use key principles and methods of direction
    • Be able to plan using key principles and methods
    • Know how to define effective policies, controls and guidelines
    • Understand the role of risk and risk management in DPI
    • Identify how governance impacts DPI
    • Know how to ensure controls are sufficient and not excessive
    • Understand the nature, scope and potential benefits of organizational change management
    • Facilitate key principles and methods of communications and OCM
    • Identify and manage all types of stakeholders
    • Effectively communicate and influence others
    • Create effective feedback channels
    • Understand how Lean and Agile methods can be leveraged
    • How to successfully apply DPI Concepts in the real world
    • How to create a “learning and improving’ IT organization
    • Be prepared to pass the official ITIL 4 Direct, Plan and Improve Course

    Why This Course is the Best Direct, Plan and Improve Course to Take?

    • When you take this course you receive instruction from a world-wide leader in the field, Dr. Suzanne Van Hove
    • At GogoTraining we bring the classroom to live online so you direct your learning schedule in the most flexible way with online 24/7 access to the course and you have access to the instructor to ask questions.
    • All materials are available online
    • The course is Accredited by PeopleCert
    • We are a PeopleCert and AXELOS Training and Exam Partners
    • You receive 1 year access to the course
    • You receive the best customer service in the world

    Prerequisites

    In order to take the DPI course and exam candidates must hold the ITIL 4 Foundation Certification.  Anyone who has taken the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition course may also take this class.

    Outline

    Module 00: Introduction to Direct, Plan & Improve

    • ITIL 4 Certification Overview
    • Direct, Plan & Improve Publications
    • Direct Plan & Improve Learning Outcomes

    Module 01: Direct, Plan & Improve: Key Concepts

    • Key DPI Concepts
    • Key DPI Terms
    • How Value, Outcomes, Costs and Risks Relate to DPI
    • Measurement and Reporting

    Module 02: Understanding ‘Scope’ and Applying Direct, Plan & Improve

    • Strategic Planning
    • Cascading Objectives
    • Policies, Controls and Guidelines
    • Decision Making Authority

    Module 03: The Role of Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) and The Service Value System

    • The Role of Governance, Risk and Compliance
    • How to Integrate Governance, Risk and Compliance into the SVS
    • Risk Management in DPI
    • Governance and DPI

    Module 04: Continual Improvement

    • Key Principles and Methods
    • Continual Improvement Model

    Module 05: Continual Improvement: Assessment Methods

    • How to Identify Assessment Criteria
    • Data Collection
    • Selecting Assessment Methods
    • Assessment Methods and Outputs

    Module 06: Continual Improvement: Where do we want to be?

    • Defining the Next Point
    • Priority and Scope
    • Outcomes
    • Take Action

    Module 07: Continual Improvement: Keeping Up Momentum

    • Keeping People Engaged
    • Lessons Learned Analysis
    • Measurement and Reporting Practice

    Module 08: Organizational Change Management (OCM) and Communication

    • Key Principles
    • OCM Purpose and Application
    • Key Terms, Principles and Scope

    Module 09: Organizational Change Management: Practice Success Factors (PSFs)

    • Types of PCFs
    • Key Metrics
    • OCM and the SVC

    Module 10: Organizational Change Management: Stakeholders

    • Identifying and Managing Stakeholders

    Module 11: Organizational Change Management: Communication Principles

    • Types of Effective Communication
    • Communication Feedback Channels
    • Effective Interfaces

    Module 12: Measurement and Reporting in Direct, Plan & Improve

    • Key Terms and Definitions
    • Reporting Good Practices
    • Types of Measurement

    Module 13: Measure & Report: Planning and Evaluation Model

    • Purposed and Objectives of the Planning and Evaluation Model
    • Balanced Scorecard
    • Success Factors and KPIs

    Module 14: Direct, Plan & Improve Value Streams and Practices

    • Differences Between Value Streams and Practices
    • Value Stream Mapping
    • Measuring the Four Dimensions
    • Workflow
    • Feedback

    Module 15: Value Streams & Practices: Apply Guiding Principles to Direct, Plan & Improve

    • Applying the 7 Guiding Principles
    • Optimizing and Creating Workflows
    • Efficient Designs and Workflow Metrics
    • Theory of Constraints and Kanban
    • Institutionalizing Change

    Module 16: Summary

    Certification

    Exam Prerequisites:

    In order to take this exam students must have completed an accredited Direct, Plan and Improve course.

    Exam Details:

    • The DPI exam is a ‘closed book” exam
    • Publications are not permitted to be used in the exam
    • The exam is 90 minutes in duration
    • Students taking the exam in a language that is not their native language are awarded 25% extra time
    • There are 40 questions, each worth 1 mark
    • You need to get 28 questions correct (70%) to pass the exam
    • The questions are all multiple choice

    Exam Topics:

    • Direct, Plan and Improve Concepts
    • Direction, Planning and Principles in Context
    • GRC Principles and Methods
    • Continual Improvement
    • Organizational Change Management
    • Measurement, Indicators and Reporting
    • Measurement and Value Streams
    • Stakeholder, Communication and Feedback

    How Is the Exam Taken?

    The exam vouchers provided by GogoTraining are for online proctored exams.  This gives you the flexibility of taking the exam from any location.  

    When Will I Receive My Exam Voucher?

    When you purchase the exam or course & exam package, we order your Exam Voucher Code from PeopleCert. This is a manual process. You will receive your Exam Voucher Code via email from passport@peoplecert.org within 24 hours of placing your order Monday to Friday. Please check your SPAM folder and the email address you provided to us if you haven't received the email within this time.  The Exam Voucher Code is valid for 12 months.

    How Long Is My Exam Voucher Valid?

    Exam vouchers are valid for 1 year from the date of purchase.  If for any reason you need an extension, PeopleCert sells 6 month exam extensions as long as the extension is purchased prior to the date your exam voucher is set to expire.  Please note that the exam extension must be ordered before your exam expires.  

    How Do I Schedule My Exam?

    Once we order your voucher you will receive an immediate email from PEOPLECERT which includes a link and instructions on how to register to take your exam. 

    When Can I Take My Exam?

    Exam slots are available 7 days a week 24 hours a day.  Exam vouchers are valid for 1 year from the date of purchase.  If for any reason you do not take your exam within the year you can purchase an exam voucher extension that will be valid for an additional 6 months.  Please note that the extension must be ordered before your exam expires.

    If you have any questions email customerservice@gogotraining.com.   

    This course is Accredited by PeopleCert and PeopleCert is the ITIL Exam Institute that will proctor your exam.

    How to Take an Online Proctored PeopleCert Exam

    In order to take your exam you will need the following System Requirements:

    • Windows® 11, Windows® 11S Windows® 10, Windows® 10S or macOS High Sierra (10.13) onwards
    • Dual-core 2.4GHz CPU or faster with 4GB of RAM (minimum)
    • Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Opera browser is installed (Latest version recommended). Other browsers are not compatible with our Web Based Exam Driver.
    • Active Full-Time/Broadband internet connection of at least 4Mbps
    • 16-bit monitor (at least 15”) with screen resolution 1024 x 768 or higher
    • Keyboard and mouse or another pointing device (keyboard to be set to English characters)
    • A web camera (the web camera can be embedded in your computer or be external to the computer). Make sure you can rotate the web camera through a 360-degree rotation as you will be asked to do this on your exam day. Mobile phones cannot be used to take your exam or be used as a substitute for the web camera
    • Speakers and microphone (Headsets are only allowed during exam onboarding)

    For complete details, download the PeopleCert Online Exam Instructions under the Get Your Course Materials tab.

    How to Upload Your Letter of Course Attendance on PeopleCert.org

    Candidates may upload their Letter of Attendance through the Upload a Certificate option under the Certifications & Memberships tab of their PeopleCert account. 

    Exam Extension

    PeopleCert allows students to extend their exam 6 months for a fee.  Exam extensions must be purchased prior to the expiration date of your exam.  If you need an extension, Click Here, and let us know.  PeopleCert does not allow students to extend Take2 exam retakes.

    PeopleCert Complaints Policy

    This document sets out our complaints policy and procedure and is written for our:

    • Accredited/Approved Organisations (AOs), our partners;
    • trainees on courses at one of our partners;
    • candidates in our PeopleCert business and IT exams; and
    • all interested parties who receive a direct or indirect service from us related to our business and IT qualifications.

    This document covers complaints that candidates, AOs or any interested parties may wish to make in relation to:

    • PeopleCert partners;
    • the exams and associated services offered by PeopleCert.

    Please find the detailed policy here.

    For assistance from GogoTraining please Contact Us.

    GogoTraining Support Policy

    If you have any questions or concerns about your course, please Contact Us.

    How can we help? Customer Service is standing by to answer your questions.

    Ask for Pricing
    More Questions? Call 1-877-546-4446

    GogoTraining, GogoTraining Designs, and miscellaneous designs are the trademarks of GogoTraining, Inc.

    The ITIL® courses on this site are offered by GogoTraining, an ATO of PeopleCert.

    ITIL® is a registered trade mark of the PeopleCert group. Used under licence from PeopleCert. All rights reserved.

    The Swirl logo® is a registered trade mark of the PeopleCert group. Used under licence from PeopleCert. All rights reserved.

    OBASHI® is a registered trademark of OBASHI Ltd. All rights reserved.

    COBIT® is a trademark of ISACA® registered in the United States and other countries.

    The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a non-governmental organization which is a network of the national standards institutes of 156 countries.

    ISO is the owner of the ISO/IEC 20000 standard.

    SIAM® is a registered trademark

    VeriSM™ is a trade mark of IFDC

    PMI®, PMP®, CAPM®, and PMBOK® are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

    All other trademarks on this site are the trademarks of their respective owners.

    GogoTraining - Leader in IT & Management Training

    ©2009-2025 GogoTraining, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Sign up

    • All GogoTraining Members receive the first 3 course modules for free so they can meet the instructor, understand what they will learn by taking the course and review the content. Sign Up today and get access to the best trainers and online self-paced video training content in the world.