ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
During a major incident, a workaround is applied by the service desk. Later, Problem Management identifies the root cause and implements a permanent fix through a normal change. Which sequence of practices is being followed?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Incident Management → Problem Management → Change Enablement
Incident Management restores service, Problem Management finds root cause, and Change Enablement implements the permanent fix.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Service Request Management → Incident Management → Change Enablement
Why it's wrong here
Service Request Management is designed for fulfilling pre-defined, routine requests for services or information, not for managing unplanned service disruptions like major incidents. A major incident requires an immediate, often urgent, response to restore service functionality, which falls under Incident Management. Therefore, initiating a workaround or resolution through a service request is inappropriate and would delay critical restoration efforts.
- ✗
Problem Management → Incident Management → Change Enablement
Why it's wrong here
Problem Management's primary objective is to identify and address the root causes of incidents to prevent their recurrence or minimize their impact. While closely related, Problem Management typically commences *after* an incident has occurred and often after a workaround has been applied or the incident has been resolved. It is a reactive or proactive investigation into underlying causes, not the initial response to an active service outage.
- ✗
Change Enablement → Incident Management → Problem Management
Why it's wrong here
Change Enablement is the practice responsible for ensuring that changes are assessed, authorized, and implemented safely and efficiently. Applying a 'change' (even a workaround) *before* the incident itself is managed or even fully understood reverses the logical and safe sequence. Workarounds are temporary measures applied *during* Incident Management to restore service, and any permanent fix requiring a change would follow a root cause analysis and controlled approval process.
- ✓
Incident Management → Problem Management → Change Enablement
Why this is correct
This sequence accurately reflects the ITIL 4 approach to managing service disruptions and their underlying causes. Incident Management prioritizes restoring service functionality, often via a workaround, during a major incident. Subsequently, Problem Management investigates the root cause to prevent recurrence. Finally, if a permanent solution requires a modification to a service or component, Change Enablement ensures that this change is planned, approved, and implemented in a controlled manner.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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