ISO/IEC/IEEE 15289:2015

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC/
STANDARD IEEE
Second edition
2015-05-15
Systems and software engineering —
Content of life-cycle information items
(documentation)
Ingénierie des systèmes et du logiciel — Contenu des articles
d'information du cycle de vie (documentation)

Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2015
©
IEEE 2015
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Contents Page
Foreword . vi
Introduction . vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Applicability . 2
2.1 Purpose . 2
2.2 Intended users of this International Standard . 3
2.3 Applicability to work efforts . 3
2.4 Applicability to information item audiences . 3
3 Conformance . 4
3.1 Definition of conformance . 4
3.2 Conformance situations . 4
3.3 Type of conformance . 5
4 Normative references . 5
5 Terms and definitions . 5
6 Life-cycle data and information items . 8
6.1 Life-cycle data characteristics . 8
6.2 Records compared to information items (documents) . 9
6.3 Management of life-cycle data (records) . 9
6.4 Management of information items (documents) . 9
6.4.1 Developing the documentation plan . 10
6.4.2 Managing and controlling information items . 10
7 Generic types of information items . 10
7.1 General . 10
7.2 Description – generic content . 11
7.3 Plan – generic content . 11
7.4 Policy – generic content . 13
7.5 Procedure – generic content . 13
7.6 Report – generic content . 14
7.7 Request – generic content . 15
7.8 Specification – generic content . 15
8 Mapping of information items to the life cycle and service management processes . 16
8.1 Mapping of information items to the system life cycle . 16
8.2 Mapping of information items to the software life cycle . 20
8.3 Mapping of information items to the service management processes . 29
9 Records . 35
9.1 Record – generic content . 35
9.2 Specific record contents . 36
10 Specific information item (document) contents . 40
10.1 General . 40
10.2 Acceptance plan . 41
10.3 Acceptance review and testing report . 41
10.4 Acquisition plan . 41
10.5 Asset management plan . 42
10.6 Audit acknowledgement report . 42
10.7 Audit plan . 42
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10.8 Audit procedure .42
10.9 Audit report .42
10.10 Capacity plan .43
10.11 Capacity management procedure .43
10.12 Change request .43
10.13 Communication procedure.44
10.14 Complaint procedure .44
10.15 Concept of operations .44
10.16 Configuration management plan and policy .45
10.17 Configuration management procedure .46
10.18 Configuration status report .46
10.19 Contract .47
10.20 Customer satisfaction survey .47
10.21 Database design description .47
10.22 Development plan .48
10.23 Disposal plan .49
10.24 Documentation plan .49
10.25 Documentation procedure .49
10.26 Domain engineering plan .50
10.27 Evaluation report .50
10.28 Implementation procedure .50
10.29 Improvement plan .50
10.30 Improvement procedure .51
10.31 Incident management procedure .51
10.32 Incident report .52
10.33 Information management plan .52
10.34 Information management procedure .53
10.35 Information security plan .53
10.36 Information security policy .54
10.37 Information security procedure .54
10.38 Installation plan .54
10.39 Installation report .54
10.40 Integration and test report .55
10.41 Integration plan .55
10.42 Interface description .55
10.43 Life-cycle policy and procedure .56
10.44 Maintenance plan .56
10.45 Maintenance procedure .56
10.46 Measurement plan .57
10.47 Monitoring and control report .57
10.48 Operational test procedure .57
10.49 Problem management procedure .58
10.50 Problem report .58
10.51 Process assessment procedure .59
10.52 Process improvement analysis report .59
10.53 Product need assessment .59
10.54 Progress report .60
10.55 Project management plan .60
10.56 Proposal .61
10.57 Qualification test procedure .61
10.58 Qualification test report .61
10.59 Quality management plan .62
10.60 Quality management policy and procedure .62
10.61 Release plan .62
10.62 Request for proposal (RFP) .63
10.63 Resource request .64
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10.64 Reuse plan . 64
10.65 Review minutes . 64
10.66 Risk action request . 64
10.67 Risk management policy and plan . 65
10.68 Service catalog . 65
10.69 Service continuity and availability plan . 65
10.70 Service level agreement (SLA) . 66
10.71 Service management plan . 66
10.72 Service plan . 67
10.73 Service report . 67
10.74 Software architecture description . 68
10.75 Software design description . 69
10.76 Software requirements specification . 70
10.77 Software unit description . 70
10.78 Software unit test procedure . 70
10.79 Software unit test report . 71
10.80 Supplier management procedure . 71
10.81 Supplier selection procedure . 71
10.82 System architecture description . 71
10.83 System element description . 72
10.84 System requirements specification . 72
10.85 Training documentation . 73
10.86 Training plan . 73
10.87 User documentation . 73
10.88 User notification . 74
10.89 Validation plan . 74
10.90 Validation report . 74
10.91 Validation test specification . 75
10.92 Verification plan . 75
10.93 Verification report . 76
Annex A (informative) Procedure for identifying information items and their contents . 77
Annex B (informative) Information items and records by source . 79
Bibliography . 83
List of Tables
Table 1 — Mapping of ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008), clauses to information items
for each system life-cycle process . 17
Table 2 — Mapping of ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008) clauses to information items
for each software life-cycle process . 22
Table 3 — Mapping of ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 (IEEE Std 20000-1:2013) and ISO/IEC 20000-2:2012 (IEEE
Std 20000-2:2013) clauses to information items for each service management process . 30
Table 4 — Record references and contents . 36
Table B.1 — Information items by source . 79
Table B.2 — Records by source . 81

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Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards ISO (the
International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission) form the
specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC participate in
the development of International Standards through technical committees established by the respective
organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in
fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental and non- governmental, in liaison with
ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a
joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
IEEE Standards documents are developed within the IEEE Societies and the Standards Coordinating Committees
of the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Standards Board. The IEEE develops its standards through a
consensus development process, approved by the American National Standards Institute, which brings together
volunteers representing varied viewpoints and interests to achieve the final product. Volunteers are not
necessarily members of the Institute and serve without compensation. While the IEEE administers the process
and establishes rules to promote fairness in the consensus development process, the IEEE does not
independently evaluate, test, or verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in its standards.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of ISO/IEC JTC 1 is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards adopted by
the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as an International Standard
requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is called to the possibility that implementation of this standard may require the use of subject matter
covered by patent rights. By publication of this standard, no position is taken with respect to the existence or
validity of any patent rights in connection therewith. ISO/IEEE is not responsible for identifying essential patents or
patent claims for which a license may be required, for conducting inquiries into the legal validity or scope of
patents or patent claims or determining whether any licensing terms or conditions provided in connection with
submission of a Letter of Assurance or a Patent Statement and Licensing Declaration Form, if any, or in any
licensing agreements are reasonable or non-discriminatory. Users of this standard are expressly advised that
determination of the validity of any patent rights, and the risk of infringement of such rights, is entirely their own
responsibility. Further information may be obtained from ISO or the IEEE Standards Association.
ISO/IEC/IEEE 15289 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 7, Software and systems engineering, in cooperation with the Software & Systems Engineering
Standards Committee of the IEEE Computer Society, under the Partner Standards Development Organization
cooperation agreement between ISO and IEEE.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO/IEC 15289:2011), of which it constitutes a minor
revision. This second edition reflects ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 (IEEE Std 20000-1-2013) and ISO/IEC 20000-2:2012
(IEEE Std 20000-2-2013), which replaced ISO/IEC 20000-1:2005 and ISO/IEC 20000-2:2005.
© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved
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Introduction
The purpose of this International Standard is to provide requirements for identifying and planning the specific
information items (information products) to be developed and revised during systems and software life cycles
and service processes. This International Standard specifies the purpose and content of all identified systems
and software life-cycle information items, as well as information items for information technology service
management. The information item contents are defined according to generic document types and the specific
purpose of the document. Information items may be combined or subdivided as needed for project or
organizational purposes.
This International Standard is based on the life-cycle processes specified in ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std
12207-2008), Systems and software engineering — Software life cycle processes; ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE
Std 15288-2008), Systems and software engineering — System life cycle processes; and the service
management processes specified in ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 (IEEE Std 20000-1-2013), Information technology —
Service management — Part 1: Service Management System Requirements; and ISO/IEC 20000-2:2012 (IEEE
Std 20000-2-2013), Information technology — Service management — Part 2: Guidance on the application of
service management systems.
IEEE contributed IEEE Std 12207.1-1997, IEEE Guide for Information Technology — Software Life Cycle
Processes — Life Cycle Data. (ISO/IEC 12207) IEEE Guide for Standard for Information Technology — Software
life cycle processes — Life cycle data, as a source for this International Standard

© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2015 – All rights reserved vii

Systems and software engineering — Content of life-cycle
information items (documentation)
1 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
© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2015 – All rights reserved

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.
NOTE 3 ISO/IEC 15504-5:2012, Information technology — Process Assessment — Part 5: An exemplar software life cycle
process assessment model, Annex B (informative), and ISO/IEC 15504-6:2013 Information technology — Process
assessment — Part 6: An exemplar system life cycle process assessment model, Annex B (informative) detail the content of
work products as well as information items. Their guidance includes descriptions of a set of information items (documents) that
an assessor may encounter. The information items in their guidance may be produced by combinations and subdivisions of the
required information items in this International Standard.
2 Applicability
2.1 Purpose
The purpose of this International Standard is to provide requirements for users of ISO/IEC 12207:2008
(IEEE Std 12207-2008), ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008) and ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011
(IEEE Std 20000-1-2013) for identifying and planning the specific information items (information products) to be
developed and revised during systems and software life cycles and service management processes. This
International Standard is intended for use as follows.
a) To address the technical information needed by those involved in ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-
2008) and ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008) processes.
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b) To specify information in an agreement process as described in ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-
2008) or a two-party situation as described in ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008), ISO/IEC
20000-1:2011 (IEEE Std 20000-1-2013) and ISO/IEC 20000-2:2012 (IEEE Std 20000-2-2013). The two-
party situation may range from an informal agreement within an organization to a legally binding contract
between organizations.
c) To develop information items that provide evidence for process assessment performed with respect to
ISO/IEC 15504, and to guide process improvement activities.
d) To guide a single party in self-imposed tasks.
2.2 Intended users of this International Standard
This International Standard is applicable for use by:
a) project managers responsible for the Information Management process of ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std
15288-2008) (6.3.6) during a system life cycle;
b) project managers responsible for identifying information item requirements and document contents when
using ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008), or any other software engineering life-cycle process, to
help determine what should be documented, when the documentation should be developed, and what the
contents of the documents should be;
c) acquirers responsible for determining what information items are needed to help ensure the quality of the
project, or delivered system, product or service;
d) individuals who write or support the design and development of service, systems and software information
items;
e) individuals responsible for identifying information items required to claim conformance with ISO/IEC
12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008), ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008), or ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011
(IEEE Std 20000-1-2013);
f) individuals undertaking service, system or software process improvement in their organizations.
2.3 Applicability to work efforts
Use of this International Standard is not limited by size, complexity or criticality of the project. It may be
applied to:
a) any type of project and life-cycle process;
b) any of the activities and tasks of a project and system or software product or service life cycle;
c) all forms of information items, information item content and document delivery media;
d) documentation in Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products when the COTS product is specified as a
deliverable under a two-party situation.
NOTE See ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008), 1.2.
2.4 Applicability to information item audiences
Users of this International Standard should map this International Standard to the requirements and needs of their
agreements, or project and organizational procedures. The type of decision to be made or the work to be performed,
by users of the information should be considered before an information item is prepared. Reviewing and
understanding the requirements, needs, and background of users and stakeholders are essential to applying this
International Standard accurately and economically, since some information items are designed for various purposes
and user groups:
a) To provide information to specialized types of users who may not be a part of a particular project;
b) To address the same type of user but in environments not normally coexisting in the same effort;
c) To aid both users who are expected to be computer-literate and understand technical terminology, and
users who may not have this background.
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3 Conformance
3.1 Definition of conformance
This International Standard may be used as a conformance or a guidance document for projects and organizations
claiming conformance to ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008), ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-
2008), or ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 (IEEE Std 20000-1-2013).
NOTE 1 Service providers should refer to ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 (IEEE Std 20000-1-2013) and ISO/IEC TR 20000-
3:2012 regarding claims of conformance for a defined certification scope, for example, organizational units, services,
location.
NOTE 2 ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 is a management system standard stating requirements for service providers. Some
requirements of this standard are not requirements of ISO/IEC 20000-1. Some requirements of ISO/IEC 20000-1 are not
requirements of this standard.
If the selected system or software life-cycle processes have been tailored in conformance with ISO/IEC 15288 or
ISO/IEC 12207, to claim conformance to this International Standard, the user of this International Standard shall
prepare the information items identified in this International Standard applicable to the selected and tailored
ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008), ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008), processes.
The generic and specific record and information item titles and contents in Clauses 7, 9, and 10 of this
International Standard may be tailored to satisfy requirements of an organization, its projects, or agreements
based on the tailored conformance to ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008) or ISO/IEC 12207:2008
(IEEE Std 12207-2008). In tailoring, information items provided in this International Standard may be modified
(added to, combined or retitled). The contents of the information items shall correspond to the selected and
tailored processes.
NOTE 3 Annex A of ISO/IEC 15288:2008 (IEEE Std 15288-2008) and ISO/IEC 12207:2008 (IEEE Std 12207-2008)
provide requirements for the Tailoring Process.
In this International Standard, for simplicity of reference, each information item is described as if it were
published as a separate document. However, information items shall be considered as conforming if they are
unpublished but available in a repository for reference, divided into separate documents or volumes, or
combined with other information items into one document. Use of the nomenclature of the specific records in
Clause 9 or the information item titles in Clause 10 is not required to claim conformance with this International
Standard.
Throughout this International Standard, “shall” is used to express a provision that is normative, “should” to
express a recommendation among other possibilities, and “may” to indicate a course of action permissible
within the limits of this International Standard.
The verb “include” used in this International Standard indicates that either (1) the information is present or (2) a
reference to the information is listed.
3.2 Conformance situations
Conformance may be claimed for organizations, projects, multi-supplier projects, services, and information
items, as identified in the claim of conformance:
a) When conformance is claimed for an organization or a service provider, the organization or service provider
shall make public a document declaring its tailoring of the records and information items, and its interpretation
of any clauses of the standard that reference “the contract.”
b) When conformance is claimed for a project (or program), the project plans or the contract shall document the
tailoring of the records and information items, and the interpretation of any clauses of the standard that
reference “the contract.”
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c) When conformance is claimed
...