One embodiment is directed to a method of instructing at least one operator in a best practices implementation of a standards facility for managing at least one standard in an information technology (IT) environment comprising a plurality of standards to be managed, the IT environment being managed in accordance with at least some aspects of the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF), the at least some aspects of the MOF comprising a change management service management function (SMF) that documents, assesses the impact of, approves, schedules and reviews changes in the IT environment and a configuration management SMF that identifies and documents components of the IT environment and relationships between them. The method comprises an act of: (A) instructing the at least one operator to treat the at least one standard as a configuration item so that changes to the at least one standard are managed in accordance with the change management SMF and so that the at least one standard is tracked in accordance with the configuration management SMF.