ISO IEC 15504-5-2012 PDF

Full title and description

Information technology — Process assessment — Part 5: An exemplar software life cycle process assessment model. This International Standard provides an exemplar Process Assessment Model (PAM) that illustrates the structure, components and indicators that can be used when performing conformant process assessments for software life cycle processes.

Abstract

ISO/IEC 15504-5:2012 defines a two‑dimensional Process Assessment Model composed of a process dimension (software life cycle processes derived from ISO/IEC 12207) and a capability dimension (process capability levels and attributes from ISO/IEC 15504‑2). The document introduces assessment indicators (process performance and capability indicators), base practices and typical work products to support assessor judgement, and provides guidance on demonstrating conformance of a PAM to ISO/IEC 15504‑2.

General information

• Status: Withdrawn / replaced.
• Publication date: 26 January 2012 (approval/publication 2012-01-26).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) / International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
• ICS / categories: 35.080 (Software).
• Edition / version: Edition 2.0 (2012).
• Number of pages: 196 pages.

Scope

This part of ISO/IEC 15504 provides an example Process Assessment Model for use when performing a conformant assessment in accordance with ISO/IEC 15504‑2. The exemplar PAM maps software life cycle processes (drawn from ISO/IEC 12207) into a process dimension, and associates capability indicators and generic practices across capability levels to form a capability dimension. It is intended to guide assessors, model developers and organizations in defining process performance indicators, base practices and work products to support reliable capability determinations.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of an exemplar Process Assessment Model (PAM) for software life cycle processes.
• Two-dimensional model structure: process dimension (process purposes and outcomes) and capability dimension (capability levels and attributes).
• Assessment indicators: process performance indicators (base practices and work products) and process capability indicators (generic practices, resource and work product indicators).
• Guidance on demonstrating conformance of a PAM to the requirements of ISO/IEC 15504‑2.
• Guidance materials for tailoring or expanding the exemplar model for specific organizational or domain needs.

Typical use and users

Used by assessors, certification bodies, process improvement teams, tool vendors and organizations seeking to perform or adopt process assessments for software life cycle processes. The exemplar model serves as a reference for developing tailored PAMs, for training assessors, and for tool support in process assessment and capability determination.

Related standards

Related parts of the ISO/IEC 15504 family (Parts 1–4, 6, 7, 9) and the referenced lifecycle standard ISO/IEC 12207 are directly relevant. ISO/IEC 15504-5:2012 has been withdrawn and replaced by ISO/IEC TS 33061:2021 (Process assessment model for software life cycle processes) as part of the evolution to the ISO/IEC 33000 series of process assessment standards (e.g., ISO/IEC 33001, 33002, 33004).

Keywords

Process assessment, PAM, SPICE, ISO/IEC 15504, software life cycle processes, ISO/IEC 12207, capability levels, base practices, assessment indicators, process capability determination.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC 15504-5:2012 is Part 5 of the ISO/IEC 15504 series and provides an exemplar Process Assessment Model for software life cycle processes to support process capability assessment.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the structure and contents of an exemplar PAM, including the process and capability dimensions, assessment indicators (base practices, work products), and guidance for demonstrating PAM conformance with ISO/IEC 15504‑2.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Assessors, process improvement practitioners, organizations planning or conducting process assessments, and tool vendors that implement assessment support. It is used as a reference model rather than a mandatory assessment model.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO/IEC 15504-5:2012 has been withdrawn; it was superseded by ISO/IEC TS 33061:2021 (published April 2021) as part of the migration from the 15504 series to the ISO/IEC 33000 series. For current process assessment work, refer to the ISO/IEC 33000 family (for example ISO/IEC 33061:2021 and ISO/IEC 33004).

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is part of the ISO/IEC 15504 family (Process assessment / SPICE). The 15504 series has since been succeeded by the ISO/IEC 33000 series (process assessment), which consolidates and updates concepts and PAMs.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Process Assessment Model (PAM), SPICE, process capability, ISO/IEC 15504, ISO/IEC 12207, base practices, assessment indicators, software life cycle processes.