The Evolving Picture of Standardisation and Certification for Process Assessment

The International Standard for Process Assessment, ISO/IEC 15504, has evolved over a period of almost twenty years, supported by extensive research and empirical study. A forthcoming revision of the Standard is intended to transform it from a single, multi-part standard to a set of related standards using a defined numeric range. This transformation will lead to an expanded range of application, and to a significantly more open standards framework. The revised requirements for the Standard envisage that it will address the assessment of other process characteristics beyond that of process capability, which has been the focus of attention to date. The scope also makes possible the extension of assessment to fields outside the ICT domain. Hand in hand with this evolution is a concentration on verification of conformance, with a view to formal certification of the results of assessments, whether in terms of profiles of Process Capability, or of Organizational Maturity. The proposed scope of work also incorporates a body of knowledge for process assessment, setting a standard for eventual certification of assessment professionals.