ITIL 4 Foundation Practice Exam

What is the primary responsibility of a "sponsor" in service management?

1. To consume the services

2. To assess service outcomes

3. To authorize the budget for service consumption

4. To outline service requirements

The correct answer is: To authorize the budget for service consumption

A sponsor plays a crucial role in service management by ensuring that sufficient resources are allocated for service delivery and consumption. Their primary responsibility involves authorizing the budget, which is essential for funding the development, maintenance, and improvement of services. By doing so, the sponsor provides the necessary financial backing that enables teams to execute service-related activities, invest in new technologies, and support continuous improvement efforts. While assessing service outcomes, consuming services, and outlining service requirements are important activities within service management, they typically fall under the responsibilities of other roles within the organization. For example, service consumers focus on the actual use of services, stakeholders may assess outcomes, and business analysts or service managers may be tasked with defining service requirements. Each of these roles has its place, but the sponsor uniquely holds the responsibility for budget authorization, which is vital for enabling effective service management practices.