ISO IEC 33004-2015 (2017) PDF

Full title and description

ISO/IEC 33004:2015 — Information technology — Process assessment — Requirements for process reference, process assessment and maturity models. Specifies requirements for constructing and verifying process reference models, process assessment models and maturity models used for IT, software and systems process assessment.

Abstract

ISO/IEC 33004:2015 defines the structure and requirements that link process reference models, process assessment models and maturity models. It describes how reference models and measurement frameworks are integrated to form assessment models, prescribes what process descriptions and assessable outcomes must include, and sets rules for building maturity models from assessment results. The standard supports consistent, auditable and repeatable process assessments to inform process improvement, supplier evaluation and organizational maturity determination.

General information

• Status: Published / Current (confirmed by ISO).
• Publication date: March 2015 (English corrected/reprinted version: April 2017).
• Publisher: ISO and IEC (ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7).
• ICS / categories: 35.080 — Software; Information technology — Process assessment.
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2015), corrected English version 2017.
• Number of pages: 9 (official ISO edition).

Scope

Sets requirements for the design, content and verification of: process reference models (the authoritative set of processes and their relationships for a domain), process assessment models (the integration of a reference model with a measurement framework and assessment indicators), and maturity models (rules for aggregating process capability into organizational maturity levels). The standard is intended for use where objective, repeatable process assessment and maturity determination are required across software, systems and IT activities.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of the roles and relationships between process reference models, process assessment models and maturity models.
• Requirements for process reference models: declared domain, scope, unique process descriptions, documented relationships and community-of-interest consensus.
• Process descriptions must state purpose and a necessary, sufficient set of assessable process outcomes.
• Process assessment model requirements: integration with measurement frameworks, two‑dimensional view (process and capability/quality), and common assessment indicators.
• Maturity model requirements: basis in process assessment models, defined maturity scale, rules for deriving maturity from process quality levels and need for objective evidence/conformity verification.
• Use of assessable indicators and objective evidence to support auditable and comparable assessment results.
• Guidance on mapping, reporting and verification of assessment outcomes and conformity to normative documents.

Typical use and users

Used by organizations and practitioners who design, adapt or apply process models and assessments: process architects, assessment model developers, independent assessors and auditors, quality managers, organizational improvement teams, tool vendors and procurement/supplier-evaluation professionals seeking consistent, auditable process assessment results and maturity ratings.

Related standards

Part of the ISO/IEC 33000 family (replacements for ISO/IEC 15504). Closely related documents include ISO/IEC 33001, ISO/IEC 33002, ISO/IEC 33003, ISO/IEC 33020 and various exemplar process assessment models (for example ISO/IEC 33063), plus guidance documents such as ISO/IEC TR 33014 and ISO/IEC TS 33010. It also supersedes elements of ISO/IEC 15504 series (notably parts replaced by the 33000 series).

Keywords

process assessment, process reference model, process assessment model, maturity model, process measurement framework, capability levels, process outcomes, assessment indicators, ISO/IEC 33000, process improvement, auditability

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: An ISO/IEC standard (33004:2015) that specifies requirements for process reference models, process assessment models and maturity models used in IT, software and systems process assessment.

Q: What does it cover?

A: The content, structure and verification requirements for reference models and assessment models (how to define assessable process outcomes and indicators), and rules for constructing maturity models and deriving maturity from assessed process quality.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Process architects, assessment model developers, assessors/auditors, quality and improvement teams, procurement and supplier evaluation staff, and vendors of assessment or compliance tools.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO/IEC 33004:2015 is the published current standard (first published March 2015, English corrected/reprint April 2017) and is part of the active ISO/IEC 33000 process assessment family; it replaces earlier ISO/IEC 15504 parts in its scope.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is part of the ISO/IEC 33000 series on process assessment (ISO/IEC 330xx), which together define requirements and guidance for performing assessments, measurement frameworks, reference models and maturity models.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: process assessment; process reference model; assessment indicators; maturity model; process measurement; capability level; outcomes; auditability.