Appendix A: Goals for Each Key Process Area
Goals for each key process area are listed by maturity level below.
A.1 The Key Process Areas for Level 2: Repeatable
Requirements Management
Goal 1 System requirements allocated to software are controlled to establish a baseline for software engineering and management use.
Goal 2 Software plans, products, and activities are kept consistent with the system requirements allocated to software.
Software Project Planning
Goal 1 Software estimates are documented for use in planning and tracking the software project.
Goal 2 Software project activities and commitments are planned and documented.
Goal 3 Affected groups and individuals agree to their commitments related to the software project.
Software Project Tracking and Oversight
Goal 1 Actual results and performances are tracked against the software plans.
Goal 2 Corrective actions are taken and managed to closure when actual results and performance deviate significantly from the software plans.
Goal 3 Changes to software commitments are agreed to by the affected groups and individuals.
Software Subcontract Management
Goal 1 The prime contractor selects qualified software subcontractors.
Goal 2 The prime contractor and the software subcontractor agree to their commitments to each other.
Goal 3 The prime contractor and the software subcontractor maintain ongoing communications.
Goal 4 The prime contractor tracks the software subcontractor's actual results and performance against its commitments.
Software Quality Assurance
Goal 1 Software quality assurance activities are planned.
Goal 2 Adherence of software products and activities to the applicable standards, procedures, and requirements is verified objectively.
Goal 3 Affected groups and individuals are informed of software quality assurance activities and results.
Goal 4 Noncompliance issues that cannot be resolved within the software project are addressed by senior management.
Software Configuration Management
Goal 1 Software configuration management activities are planned.
Goal 2 Selected software work products are identified, controlled, and available.
Goal 3 Changes to identified software work products are controlled.
Goal 4 Affected groups and individuals are informed of the status and content of software baselines.
A.2 The Key Process Areas for Level 3: Defined
Organization Process Focus
Goal 1 Software process development and improvement activities are coordinated across the organization.
Goal 2 The strengths and weaknesses of the software processes used are identified relative to a process standard.
Goal 3 Organization-level process development and improvement activities are planned.
Organization Process Definition
Goal 1 A standard software process for the organization is developed and maintained.
Goal 2 Information related to the use of the organization's standard software process by the software projects is collected, reviewed, and made available.
Training Program
Goal 1 Training activities are planned.
Goal 2 Training for developing the skills and knowledge needed to perform software management and technical roles is provided.
Goal 3 Individuals in the software engineering group and software-related groups receive the training necessary to perform their roles.
Integrated Software Management
Goal 1 The project's defined software process is a tailored version of the organization's standard software process.
Goal 2 The project is planned and managed according to the project's defined software process.
Software Product Engineering
Goal 1 The software engineering tasks are defined, integrated, and consistently performed to produce the software.
Goal 2 Software work products are kept consistent with each other.
Intergroup Coordination
Goal 1 The customer's requirements are agreed to by all affected groups.
Goal 2 The commitments between the engineering groups are agreed to by the affected groups.
Goal 3 The engineering groups identify, track, and resolve intergroup issues.
Peer Reviews
Goal 1 Peer review activities are planned.
Goal 2 Defects in the software work products are identified and removed.
A.3 The Key Process Areas for Level 4: Managed
Quantitative Process Management
Goal 1 The quantitative process management activities are planned.
Goal 2 The process performance of the project's defined software process is controlled quantitatively.
Goal 3 The process capability of the organization's standard software process is known in quantitative terms.
Software Quality Management
Goal 1 The project's software quality management activities are planned.
Goal 2 Measurable goals for software product quality and their priorities are defined.
Goal 3 Actual progress toward achieving the quality goals for the software products is quantified and managed.
A.4 The Key Process Areas for Level 5: Optimizing
Defect Prevention
Goal 1 Defect prevention activities are planned.
Goal 2 Common causes of defects are sought out and identified.
Goal 3 Common causes of defects are prioritized and systematically eliminated.
Technology Change Management
Goal 1 Incorporation of technology changes are planned.
Goal 2 New technologies are evaluated to determine their effect on quality and productivity.
Goal 3 Appropriate new technologies are transferred into normal practice across the organization.
Process Change Management
Goal 1 Continuous process improvement is planned.
Goal 2 Participation in the organization's software process improvement activities is organization wide.
Goal 3 The organization's standard software process and the projects' defined software processes are improved continuously.