The ISO/IEC 33001 standard has been released, representing the first step in moving the ISO/IEC 15504 series over to the new ISO/IEC 33000 numbering scheme. There’s a total of five new publications in the set and we’ll discuss them here. This is a complete technical and conceptual overhaul of the series on process assessment and offers users both in and out of the IT community an in-depth review of the topic. It is part of the SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination) initiative. It can be used by both software developing organizations and by those who outsource such services.
One thing to note is that all publications in this new series are first releases but are numbered as 2nd Editions. However, the migration path of the information from one set of documents to the other is not linear at all!
ISO/IEC 33001, 2nd Edition, “Information technology – Process assessment – Concepts and terminology”
This is your overview document, directly replacing all of ISO/IEC 15504-1 and clauses 3 and 4.1 of ISO/IEC 15504-7. It provides you with the usual scope and referenced documents sections. Then an extensive definitions clause 3 covers processes, process management, process assessment and process modeling terms. Following this, clause 4 gives you a review of the structure of the new ISO/IEC 33000 series of standards. Then clause 5 discusses the concepts involved for process assessment of any kind.
The last three clauses cover the concepts of assessment of process capability, of conformance, and of conformity assessment. It also includes an annex with a table showing the relationship between the old series and the new. It is an exceptional review of the topic of this tool for process improvement.
ISO/IEC 33002, 2nd Edition, “Information technology – Process assessment – Requirements for performing process assessment”
The update replaces specific clauses of both ISO/IEC 15504-2 and ISO/IEC 15504-7. It addresses the concept of assessment itself, providing the user with requirements to achieve objective, repeatable and consistent results. It also gives you information on the various classes of assessment (1, 2, and 3). Annex A includes a table with information on the categories of independence of bodies and personnel who perform an assessment. And Annex B provides you with example content that might be included in an assessment report.
ISO/IEC 33003, 2nd Edition, “Information technology – Process assessment – Requirements for process measurement frameworks”
ISO/IEC 33003 also replaces parts of ISO/IEC 15504-2 and ISO/IEC 15504-7. It is a requirements standard, giving you the tools to set up a measurement framework for each process quality characteristic. You’ll do this by defining a set of process attributes for each.
The standard takes you through conceptualization, construct definition, operationalization, construct specification examination, rating process attributes, aggregation, and sensitivity analysis. Then it covers the requirements for validating and verifying conformity for these frameworks. Annexes cover a terminology map, reflective or formative construction specification, statistical validation methods, and how to implement the requirements for process measurement frameworks. Finally a 45 item bibliography completes the document.
ISO/IEC 33004, 2nd Edition, “Information technology — Process assessment — Requirements for process reference, process assessment and maturity models”
Again, we have a partial replacement of the 15504 Parts 2 and 7. This time we’re reviewing the modeling requirements involved. The standard covers process reference models, process assessment models, and maturity models. It concludes with a 3-item bibliography.
ISO/IEC 33020, 2nd Edition, “Information technology — Process assessment — Process measurement framework for assessment of process capability”
And the new ISO/IEC 33020 cancels and replaces the clause 5 of ISO/IEC 15504-2. Here we’ve got the document that provides you with the requirements for measuring your process capability in accordance with ISO/IEC 33003. You’ll use it to confirm that the process you use is able to consistently meet current or projected business goals.
The standard is composed of the usual scope, referenced documents and definition sections. An overview of the topic follows. Then there’s lengthly coverage of the process measurement framework, including various process capability levels and process attribute rating methods. Annex A reviews the conformity issue, with references to the ISO/IEC 33003. Annex B gives you an example of a process performance model. A 7-item bibliography completes the document.
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