The global skills and competency framework for the digital world

Incident management USUP

Coordinating responses to incident reports, minimising negative impacts and restoring service as quickly as possible.

Guidance notes

Activities may include — but are not limited to:

  • designing and implementing different processes and procedures for different categories of incidents including — but not limited to — major incidents, information or cybersecurity incidents, complex incidents, low impact incidents
  • establishing incident response teams or security incident response teams
  • routing requests for help to appropriate functions for resolution
  • monitoring resolution activity
  • informing users, customers and key stakeholders of progress towards service restoration.

Incidents can impact many areas — such as but not limited to — business operations, information security, IT systems, services, employees, customers, or other vital business functions. 

Different roles/groups may be needed to diagnose and resolve incidents — such as — users, subject matter experts, service desk, support teams, suppliers, partners. Although they play a part in the incident management process, they do not necessarily need incident management skills.

Levels

Defined at these levels: 2 3 4 5

Incident management: Level 1

This skill is not typically observed when working at this level of responsibility.

Incident management: Level 2

Follows agreed procedures to identify, register and categorise incidents.

Gathers information to enable incident resolution and allocates incidents as appropriate.

Incident management: Level 3

Provides first line investigation and gathers information to enable incident resolution and allocate incidents.

Advises relevant persons of actions taken.

Incident management: Level 4

Ensures that incidents are handled according to agreed procedures.

Prioritises and diagnoses incidents. Investigates causes of incidents and seeks resolution. Escalates unresolved incidents.

Facilitates recovery, following resolution of incidents. Documents and closes resolved incidents.

Contributes to testing and improving incident management procedures.

Incident management: Level 5

Develops, maintains and tests incident management procedures in agreement with service owners.

Investigates escalated, non-routine and high-impact incidents to responsible service owners and seeks resolution.

Facilitates recovery, following resolution of incidents. Ensures that resolved incidents are properly documented and closed.

Analyses causes of incidents, and informs service owners to minimise probability of recurrence, and contributes to service improvement. Analyses metrics and reports on the performance of the incident management process.

Incident management: Levels 6-7

This skill is not typically observed when working at these levels of responsibility.