Which concept or activity involves reviewing data to identify what is working well and what needs to be done differently?

The activity of reviewing data to understand successes ("what is working well") and identify areas for change ("what needs to be done differently") is the essence of improvement. This process is a fundamental part of any feedback loop and is explicitly captured in the ITIL continual improvement model, particularly in the "Did we get there?" step. This step involves analyzing data and measurements to assess performance against the plan, thereby informing future actions and ensuring that organizational performance continually evolves to meet stakeholder expectations.

A. Direction: Direction involves setting the strategic course and providing guidance and constraints for action, rather than reviewing past performance data to identify lessons learned.
B. Planning: Planning is the forward-looking activity of creating a detailed approach to achieve an objective. The review of data is an input to planning, not the planning activity itself.
D. Vision: A vision is a high-level, aspirational description of an organization's future state. It guides direction but is not the operational activity of reviewing performance data.

AXELOS

ITIL® 4: Direct

Plan

and Improve (2020)

Section 4.3

"The role of the continual improvement model in all improvement initiatives." This section details the continual improvement model. Specifically

Section 4.3.6

"Did we get there?"

describes the process of evaluating the results of an initiative against the initial success criteria

which directly involves reviewing data to see what worked and what needs to change.

AXELOS

ITIL® 4: Direct

Plan

and Improve (2020)

Section 2.2.3

"Improvement." This section defines improvement as a "purposeful change of a state to a more desirable one." The text emphasizes that this requires understanding the current state and desired future state

a process that necessitates reviewing performance data.

AXELOS

ITIL® 4: Direct

Plan

and Improve (2020)

Section 2.2.1

"Direction." This section defines direction as providing "context

purpose

and constraints for plans and improvements

" distinguishing it from the act of reviewing performance.