ISO IEC TR 24774:2010 pdf – Systems and software engineering— Lifecycle management-Guidelines for process description.
If any further explanation of the purpose of a process is desirable, It should be placed In Informative NOtes.
3.4 The outcomes element
An outcome Is an observable result of the successful achievement of the process purpose. Outcomes are measurable, tangible, technical or business results that are achieved by a process, for example the results that are used by other processes. Outcomes are observable and assessable.
Outcomes should be differentiated from benefits. which are positive achievements from the execution of a process. often spread broadly across the business and not necessarily related to the technical or business intent of executing a process. Benefits are not usually assessable, or at least not assessable using process assessment approaches. A benefit might provide the motivation to execute a process, but it might not be the primary reason to do so- Benefits may be described in an informative note to the purpose statement,
a) The list of outcomes associated with a process shall be prefaced by the text, As a result of successful implementation of this process….
b) An outcome shall be phrased as a declarative sentence using a verb in the present tense. For example, if the preceding sentence was phrased as an outcome, It might read, Outcomes are phrased as declarative sentences using verbs in the present tense Typically, the verb is is or are although others may be used when appropriate.
C) Outcomes should be expressed in terms of a positive, observable objective, e.g. the production of an artefact. the provision of a service, a significant change of state, the successful maintenance of a desired stale (e.g. safety), or the meeting of specified constraints (such as requirements, goals, etc).
d) Outcome statements should be no longer than two lines of text, about twenty words,
e) The number of outcomes for a process should fall within the range 3 to 7.
f) Although an outcome should express an observable result, it is not necessary to express the outcome as the production of a document, record of other item of infOrmation.
g) An outcome should express a single result. Hence, the use of the word wand” or “anWor’ to conjoin clauses should be avoided; such constructions are better expressed as multiple outcomes.
Ii) Outcomes should be wi-itten so that it should not require the implementation of a process at any capability level higher than I to achieve all of the outcomes, considered as a group.
NOTE 1 CapabIlity levels are defined m ISO1IEC 15504.2, Process assessment – Per*im’ang an assessment, as points on the six-potnt ordinal scale of process capability that represents the cability of the process: each level builds on the capability of the level below.
NOTE 2 In some cases (for example when the process goals and requirements are set by other standards, such as ISOI1EC 20000) the process outcomes cannot cover all of the process requirements and remain at level 1. In these cases the higher level outcomes can be indicated (for example by placement in a separate list, or in notes, or described Ii an annex) such that it is possible to Identity and exclude or otherwise account Icr these outcomes in process assessments.
I) Outcomes should be written in a manner that Is meaningful for any scope of applicability, e.g., for organizations of any relevant domain or size.
j) Outcomes should avoid requiring any specific method, technique or tool,
k) Outcomes should avoid requiring any specific process measures or management methods.
Outcomes should avoid presuming any particular sequence of execution and the reader should not beexpected to presume any sequence.
m) There is no need to make a one-to-correspondence between outcomes and activities; in particular,it is not necessary to specify an activity for every outcome of a process or an outcome for every activity.Thedesired relationship is that the execution of the activities, considered as a group, should produce the setof outcomes,considered as a group.
n) Although outcomes should be meaningful and understandable when viewed in isolation, they should be based on terminology and concepts that are further explained by other material in the document.
o) As a test of completeness, the set of outcomes should be sufficient to achieve the stated purpose of the process.