ISO/IEC 24773-3:2021 PDF

Overview

ISO/IEC 24773-3:2021 - Software and systems engineering - Certification of software and systems engineering professionals - Part 3: Systems engineering - defines requirements and recommendations for certification schemes that target systems engineering professionals. It elaborates domain-specific elements of a conformant scheme based on ISO/IEC 24773-1, aligning with ISO/IEC 17024 conformity assessment rules. The standard references the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook as the primary body of knowledge (BOK) and maps certification components to systems engineering practice.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and conformance
  • Certification schemes claiming conformance must satisfy ISO/IEC 24773-3, ISO/IEC 24773-1, and ISO/IEC 17024.
• Body of Knowledge (BOK)
  • The reference BOK is the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook (generic life cycle, agreement, technical, technical management, organizational enabling, tailoring, cross-cutting methods, specialty engineering).
  • Alternate BOKs are permitted if explicitly mapped to the reference BOK with documented rationale.
  • Domain-specific knowledge may be included where the certification targets a particular industry.
• Knowledge verification
  • Schemes must document methods for verifying understanding of the BOK (e.g., testing, accredited coursework).
• Skills
  • Schemes must identify and define required systems engineering skills, such as:
    • Requirements engineering, system/decision analysis, architecture/design, integration, verification & validation, operation & maintenance, technical planning, risk management, configuration management, acquisition, specialty engineering, lifecycle process management, and organizational/project enabling.
  • Methods for skill assessment and measures of depth/breadth must be defined.
• Competence and competency areas
  • Competencies may be drawn from the INCOSE Competency Framework and grouped as Core, Management, Technical, and Integrating.
• Professional attributes & renewal
  • Schemes shall identify generic professional competencies (per ISO/IEC 24773-1) and require periodic assessment of continuing professional development (CPD) for recertification.

Applications - who uses this standard

• Certification bodies designing or evaluating systems engineering certification schemes.
• Professional societies and credentialing organizations aligning programs with international best practice.
• Employers and HR teams who specify required certifications for systems engineering roles.
• Training providers developing curricula mapped to a recognized BOK.
• Systems engineering professionals seeking accredited certification paths and CPD expectations.

Related standards and references

• ISO/IEC 24773-1:2019 - General requirements for certification of software & systems engineering professionals
• ISO/IEC 17024 - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons
• ISO/IEC TS 17027 - Vocabulary related to competence of persons
• INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook and INCOSE Systems Engineering Competency Framework

Keywords: ISO/IEC 24773-3, systems engineering certification, body of knowledge, INCOSE, competence, skills, certification scheme, CPD, ISO/IEC 24773-1.