Abstract
This paper engages with the ITIL framework for IT service delivery within the specific context of the Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A literature review process is used to develop a critical success factors (CSFs) for the implementation of the ITIL framework in an organisation, based on a series of models like TAM and UTAUT, and then put into an overall conceptual model of use behaviour towards ITIL described by [1]. The conceptual model is then deployed in the field through a series of interviews with IT professionals within the Ministry of Education in the KSA. The interviews are semi-structured, and were intended to draw out the corresponding factors for success and the factors that have hindered the implementation of ITIL within this organisation. The data confirm the view of the literature that strong leadership and management involvement is essential both as a success factor in its own right, and as the means by which other success factors are enabled. The findings of paper make two observations. First, the literature sets out a series of quite precise success factors that relate to project management, communication, and quality control. The data presented in this research project demonstrate that in practice it is hard to make clear all of these factors to such a level of detail within the Ministry of Education in Saudi. Second, the implementation of ITIL is more reflexive than the literature and the conceptual model would initially demonstrate.