Overview
ISO/IEC TS 33060:2025 - "Information technology - Process assessment - Process assessment model for system life cycle processes" defines a two‑dimensional process assessment model specifically for system life cycle processes. The technical specification is conformant with ISO/IEC 33004 and intended for use when performing conformant assessments in accordance with ISO/IEC 33002. It bases its process scope on the ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 system life cycle process reference model and provides assessment indicators, a process measurement framework, and guidance for collecting objective evidence to support assessment ratings.
Key topics and requirements
- Process assessment model structure: A two‑dimensional model comprising a process dimension (processes and categories) and a quality dimension (process quality attributes).
- Process categories and processes: Includes Agreement (AGR), Organizational project‑enabling (ORG), Technical management (MAN), and Technical (TEC) processes - e.g., acquisition, supply, lifecycle model management, configuration management, verification, validation, operation, maintenance, disposal, and more.
- Assessment indicators: Defines process performance indicators (measuring purpose and outcomes) and process quality indicators (demonstrating achievement of process attributes). Indicators are intended as a selectable set; assessors choose subsets appropriate to context and scope.
- Process measurement framework: Conformant with ISO/IEC 33003 and compatible with ISO/IEC 33020 for capability measurement; expressed as process quality characteristics and attributes.
- Assessment method requirements: Requires a documented assessment process that specifies rating methods for attributes and aggregation methods for determining overall ratings.
- Evidence‑based assessment: Emphasizes collecting objective evidence against indicators to support assessor judgments.
- Alignment and updates: Second edition revised to align with ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023 activities/tasks, revised process outputs, and inclusion of a process performance quality attribute.
Applications and users
- Organizations conducting process assessments and conformant evaluations of systems engineering and system life cycle processes.
- Systems engineers, quality managers, process improvement teams, project managers, auditors, and external assessors using a standardized assessment model to measure process performance and quality.
- Use cases include process improvement programs, supplier evaluation and acquisition assessments, internal audits, certification preparations, and benchmarking of system life cycle process capability.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 33001 (Concepts and terminology for process assessment)
- ISO/IEC 33002 (Requirements for assessments)
- ISO/IEC 33003 (Process measurement frameworks)
- ISO/IEC 33004 (Requirements for process assessment models)
- ISO/IEC 33020 (Process measurement framework for capability)
- ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 (System life cycle processes) - used as the process reference model
ISO/IEC TS 33060:2025 is essential for organizations seeking a standards‑aligned, evidence‑based approach to assessing and improving system life cycle processes.