ITIL Foundation Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Study Resource

An Operational Level Agreement (OLA) is specifically defined as an agreement between an IT service provider and another part of the same organization. This type of agreement outlines the responsibilities of the internal teams and sets expectations regarding the service levels they will provide to one another to support overall service delivery.

OLAs are critical for ensuring that all parts of an organization, such as IT support, development, and operations, align their efforts and understand their roles in delivering services to end-users. They help in defining measurable components of service delivery, assuring that different teams are aware of their commitments, and facilitating smooth coordination.

In contrast, an agreement between IT teams and external vendors typically falls under the category of a Service Level Agreement (SLA), which governs services provided by third parties. Agreements between different organizations for service delivery also relate to SLAs. An informal understanding among team members does not establish formal responsibilities or expectations, which an OLA would typically require. Hence, the precise definition points to the internal dynamics and responsibilities within a single organization, correctly identifying it as an agreement between an IT service provider and another part of the same organization.