ITS Service Level Standard (SRV-STN-001)

1.0 PURPOSE

This standard defines the Service Level Objectives (SLOs) used by Gwinnett County ITS to measure service delivery performance. SLOs establish consistent, measurable expectations for incident response, incident resolution, and service request fulfillment across all County IT services.

The purpose of this standard is to ensure timely, reliable, and transparent IT support for County departments while maintaining flexibility for services that require unique performance targets.

Overview

A Service Level Objective (SLO) is a measurable performance target established by the Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) to define the expected quality and timeliness of IT service delivery.

SLOs represent internal performance benchmarks used to monitor consistency, responsiveness, and reliability across ITS operations.

SLOs may include targets for metrics such as response time, resolution time, system availability, or other service performance indicators relevant to each offering.

2.0 SCOPE

This standard applies to all ITS divisions and staff managing tickets on the County’s IT Service Management (ITSM) platform. It includes all incidents and service requests submitted by County employees or departments.

This standard does not apply to vendor-managed services governed by external contracts or service level agreements (SLAs).

3.0 SERVICE LEVEL FRAMEWORK

3.1 Service level alignment and fallbacks

Each service published in the IT Service Catalog should include one or more defined Service Level Objectives (SLOs) that describe its expected performance and support model. When a service does not have a defined SLO, the countywide fallback SLOs in this standard apply instead. If a service-specific SLO differs from this standard, the service-specific version takes precedence.

3.2 Service level objectives

Incident SLOs are typically determined by the ticket priority unless a different SLO exists in the Service Catalog.

3.3 Response

A response is the first meaningful acknowledgment sent to the requester by a Service Desk technician or assigned ITS staff member.

A valid response must be a direct communication to the requestor, such as a ticket comment, phone call, or direct email. To be considered valid, the response must be documented in the ITSM system.

Internal notes and ticket assignments do not constitute a response.

3.4 Resolution

A resolution is achieved when normal service has been restored for the requester or when an approved workaround has been provided that allows them to continue work with minimal impact. Resolution time is measured from ticket creation until the point the resolution or workaround is delivered and documented in the ticket.

A ticket may be considered resolved only when ITS has delivered one of the following:

• Restoration of the affected IT service

• Successful completion of the requested action (for service requests)

• A functional workaround that enables the requester to continue operations while a permanent fix is pursued

The following conditions do not constitute a resolution and must not be used to close a ticket or stop resolution-time calculations:

• Assigning the ticket to another team

• Acknowledging that the issue is being investigated without delivering a fix or workaround

• Waiting on a vendor or third party to take action

• Waiting on hardware, replacement parts, or other materials

• Identifying a fix that has not yet been implemented

• Closing the ticket without delivering service restoration or a workaround

• Internal notes documenting research, triage, or troubleshooting progress

Resolution occurs only when the requester is able to resume normal operations (or operate with an approved workaround), as confirmed by ITS action.

3.5 Business hours

For the purposes of all response and resolution time calculations, business hours are defined as Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time, excluding County-observed holidays.

Time calculations exclude non-business hours unless otherwise specified in a service-specific SLO.

4.0 MEASUREMENT AND REPORTING

SLO performance will be measured using timestamps and system data within the ITSM system. Response and resolution times are calculated based on business hours unless otherwise defined.

ITS leadership will review SLO compliance quarterly to ensure consistent service performance and identify improvement opportunities. Each ITS division is responsible for monitoring its performance and addressing recurring breaches.

If an SLO breach occurs or is projected to occur, the assigned technician or team must notify their supervisor. Repeated or widespread breaches may prompt process review, workload reassessment, or other actions as appropriate.

5.0 DOCUMENTING AND MAINTAINING SLOs

As new IT services are introduced or existing services are modified, their corresponding Service Level Objectives (SLOs) must be documented within their respective IT Service Catalog entries to ensure that service performance expectations, availability targets, and support commitments are clearly defined, accessible, and aligned with County operational needs.

Each service entry should include its specific SLOs where applicable. When a service does not define unique performance targets, the standard countywide fallback SLOs outlined in this document will apply as the default baseline. By embedding SLOs directly into catalog entries, ITS promotes transparency, consistent measurement, and continuous alignment between IT service delivery and organizational priorities.

6.0 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Glossary

7.0 GOVERNANCE

This standard has been defined by the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Gwinnett County and the Department of Information Technology Services (ITS). The standard shall become effective immediately upon approval and shall remain in effect until superseded by another standard or revised as business needs dictate.

This document reflects the intent of the Department of Information Technology Services to implement appropriate best practices. The Department realizes that all requirements may not be in place at the time of adoption but strives to bring all in-scope IT assets into compliance as resources permit. This standard must be considered for all new initiatives, and any intentional deviations require a documented exception approved by the CIO.

8.0 FREQUENCY OF REVIEW

This standard document is to be reviewed and updated every two years by the Chief Information Security Officer, or as deemed necessary, to ensure that the standard continues to remain appropriate in light of any relevant changes in technology and/or organizational policies. Any updates require approval by the Department Director/CIO.