scope:

This International Standard specifies the purpose and content of all identified systems and software life-cycle and service management information items (documentation). The information item contents are defined according to generic document types, as presented in Clause 7, and the specific purpose of the document (Clause 10)

This International Standard assumes an organization is implementing life-cycle processes, or practicing service management, using one or more of the following:

•ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008), Systems and software engineering - System life cycle processes,

•ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008), Systems and software engineering - Software life cycle processes

•ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 (IEEE Std 20000-1-2013), Information technology - Service management - Part 1: Service management system requirements

This International Standard provides a mapping of ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008), ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008), and ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 (IEEE Std 20000-1-2013) and ISO/IEC 20000-2 (IEEE Std 20000-2-2013) clauses with a set of information items. It provides a consistent approach to meeting the information and documentation requirements of systems and software engineering and IT service management.

ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008) and ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008) define a set of processes for managing and performing the stages of a systems life cycle. They define an Information Management process, but they do "not detail documentation in terms of name, format, explicit content, and recording media". ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008), and ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008) establish a common framework for software life-cycle processes and in passing identify or require a number of documentation items. Its process reference model does not represent a particular process implementation approach, nor does it prescribe a system/software life-cycle model, methodology, or technique. ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008) does not always specify when software information items are to be prepared, nor does it identify information item contents. ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 (IEEE Std 20000-1-2013) establishes comprehensive requirements for documents and records, with some specific requirements. ISO/IEC 20000-2:2012 (IEEE Std 20000-2-2013), Information technology - Service management - Part 2: Guidance on the application of service management systems provides guidance on the use of Part 1.

The generic document types (which may be referred to as information item types) are to be used to identify the information necessary to support the ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008) agreement, enterprise, project, and technical processes; the ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008) primary, supporting, and organizational life-cycle processes; or the ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 (IEEE Std 20000-1-2013) service management system (SMS), service delivery, relationship, resolution, and control processes.

For each life-cycle process or service, it would be possible to prepare a policy, plan, procedures, and reports, as well as numerous records, requests, descriptions and specifications. Such an elaboration of the documentation schema would be more rigorous than specified by ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008) or ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008). As ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008) points out (1.4), "This International Standard does not detail the life-cycle processes in terms of methods or procedures required to meet the requirements and outcomes of a process." Thus, information items may be combined or subdivided as needed for project or organizational purposes, as further defined in Clause 2, Applicability, and Clause 3, Conformance.

This International Standard does not establish a service management system.

The scope of this International Standard does not include the following:

a) the format or content of recommended input data or input information items, except for the content of those input items that are also output information items;

b) instructions on combining or subdividing information items and information item contents of a similar nature;

c) guidance on selecting an appropriate presentation format, delivery media, and maintenance technology for system and software life-cycle data, records, information items, or documentation, such as electronic publishing systems, content management systems, or data repositories;

NOTE 1 ISO/IEC/IEEE 26531, System and software engineering - Content management for product life-cycle, user, and service management documentation, provides requirements for content management and component content management systems.

d) detailed content for information items related to general business, organizational, and financial management that is not specific to systems and software engineering and information technology service management, such as business strategies, human resources and investment policies, personnel selection criteria, financial budgeting and accounting policies and procedures, cost reports, or payroll data;

e) information items showing only approval of an ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008) subclause, such as ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008), 6.1.2.3.4.5;

f) any ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008) or ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008) subclause not explicitly or implicitly identifying the recording of information about an activity or task, for example, ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008), 6.4.4;

g) work products, models, software, and other artifacts of life-cycle products and services that are not information items or records used in information items.

NOTE 2 ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Systems and software engineering - Requirements for designers and developers of user documentation, provides guidance on formats for software user documentation.