ISO/IEC/IEEE 26512:2018

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC/
STANDARD IEEE
Second edition
2018-06
Systems and software engineering —
Requirements for acquirers and
suppliers of information for users
Ingénierie du logiciel et des systèmes — Exigences pour acquéreurs et
fournisseurs de documentation utilisateur
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2018
©
IEEE 2018
© ISO/IEC 2018
© IEEE 2018
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Published in Switzerland
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Contents
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 2
3 Terms and definitions . 2
4 Conformance . 7
4.1 General . 7
4.2 Definition of conformance . 7
4.3 Conformance situations . 7
5 Information for users within a system/software life cycle . 8
6 Agreement processes within a system/software life cycle . 10
6.1 General . 10
6.2 Information for users acquisition process . 11
6.2.1 Purpose of the acquisition process . 11
6.2.2 Outcomes of the acquisition process . 11
6.3 Information for users acquisition activities and tasks . 11
6.3.1 General . 11
6.3.2 Acquisition preparation . 11
6.3.3 Supplier selection . 13
6.3.4 Negotiating and agreeing to the contract . 13
6.3.5 Contract management and monitoring . 13
6.3.6 Acquirer acceptance . 14
6.3.7 Acquisition closure . 14
6.4 Information for users supply process . 14
6.4.1 Purpose of the supply process . 14
6.4.2 Outcomes of the supply process . 14
6.5 Information for users supply activities and tasks . 14
6.5.1 General . 14
6.5.2 Opportunity identification and evaluation . 15
6.5.3 Proposal preparation . 15
6.5.4 Negotiating and agreeing to the contract . 15
6.5.5 Contract performance . 15
6.5.6 Delivery . 17
7 Defining information for users requirements and constraints . 17
7.1 Aspects of requirements and constraints . 17
7.2 Schedule constraints . 17
7.3 Usability requirements . 18
7.4 Product modification requirements . 18
7.5 Localization and translation requirements . 19
7.6 Legal requirements . 19
7.7 Safety requirements . 20
7.8 Security requirements . 20
7.9 Standards and conventions . 20
7.10 Quality management requirements . 20
8 Specification of the information for users . 21
9 Statement of work . 21
10 Request for proposal . 22
10.1 Request for proposal topics . 22
10.2 Project objectives . 23
10.3 Requirements for supporting processes . 23
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10.4 Supplier capabilities and experience . 23
10.5 Instructions for bidders . 23
10.6 List of deliverable information for users products or services . 23
10.7 Confidentiality and intellectual property . 24
10.8 Proposal evaluation criteria . 24
11 Information for users proposal . 24
11.1 Information for users proposal contents . 24
11.2 Understanding of requirements . 25
11.3 Scope of the project . 26
11.4 Processes . 26
11.5 Experience, capabilities, and available resources . 26
11.6 Schedule . 27
11.7 Deliverables . 27
11.8 Price proposal . 27
Annex A (informative) Requirements clauses and checklist for acquirers . 28
Annex B (informative) Requirements clauses and checklist for suppliers . 31

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Foreword
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 document may require the use of subject
matter covered by patent rights. By publication of this document, no position is taken with respect to the
existence or validity of any patent rights in connection therewith. ISO/IEC and 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 document 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 26512:2018 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information
technology, Subcommittee SC 7, Software and systems engineering, in cooperation with the Software
and Systems Engineering Standards Committee of the IEEE Computer Society, under the Partner
Standards Development Organization cooperation agreement between ISO and IEEE.
This second edition of ISO/IEC/IEEE 26512 cancels and replaces ISO/IEC/IEEE 26512:2010 with minor
revisions:
— removal of superfluous definitions;
— updated version of the information management process from the normative standard
ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015;
— the addition of cross‐reference Table 1, Acquirer and supplier processes;
— updates to the Bibliography; and
— editorial changes.
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Introduction
This document was developed to assist users of ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015 or ISO/IEC 12207 to acquire
or supply systems and software information for users and information services as part of the life cycle
processes. It defines the information development process from the acquirer’s standpoint and the
supplier’s standpoint. This document addresses the identification, definition, and fulfillment of
requirements for information for users as part of the acquisition and supply processes.

This document covers the requirements for information items used in the acquisition of information for
users: the acquisition plan, document specification, statement of work, request for proposals, and the
proposal. It also discusses the use of a Document Plan in the acquisition and supply processes.

This document is independent of the software tools that can be used to produce information for users,
and applies to both printed and on‐screen material, and to other media such as video or augmented reality
systems. Much of its guidance is applicable to information for users for systems including hardware as well
as software.
Earlier standards tended to view the results of the information development process as a single book or
multivolume set: a one‐time deliverable. Increasingly, information acquirers and suppliers recognize
that most information for users is now produced from managed re‐use of previously developed
information (single‐source documentation) adapted for new software or system versions, or
presentation in various on‐screen and printed media. While this document does not describe how to set
up a content management system, it is applicable for organizations practicing single‐source
documentation, as well as for acquirers and suppliers of one‐time deliverables.

Anyone who uses products that contain software needs accurate information about how the software will
help the user accomplish a task. Information for users can be the first tangible item that the user sees,
and so influences the user’s first impressions of the product. If the information is supplied in a convenient
form and is easy to find and understand, the user can quickly become proficient at using the product.
Therefore, well‐designed information for users not only assists the user and helps to reduce the cost of
training and support, but also enhances the reputation of the product, its producer, and its suppliers.

Although software developers intend to design user interfaces that behave so intuitively that very
little separate information is needed, this is rarely possible. Today’s software offers increasingly robust
functionality, not only within applications, but also across applications which intelligently exchange
information with one another. Further, most software includes underlying rules and calculations, or
algorithms that affect the results a user can obtain when using the software. These underlying
programming mechanics are discernable by users, but only through laborious testing. For these and
other reasons, information for users remains an essential component of usable software products and
systems.
Information for users is often regarded as something done after the system has been implemented.
However, for high‐quality information, its development needs to be regarded as an integral part of the
software or system life cycle. In fact, quality information for users or information management services
are important enough to require specific planning.

Related standards for those acquiring and supplying information for software users include ISO/IEC
26514:2008 (IEEE Std 26514‐2010), Systems and software engineering — Requirements for designers and
developers of user documentation, and ISO/IEC/IEEE 26513, Systems and software engineering —
Requirements for testers and reviewers of information for users. Other International Standards address the
information for users and information management processes from the viewpoint of managers and agile
projects.
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This document is consistent with ISO/IEC 12207 and ISO/IEC 15288:2015 as an implementation of the
Acquisition and Supply processes, which comprise the Agreement processes, and of the Information
Management process.
This document is intended for use in all types of organizations, whether they have a dedicated
documentation department or not. It can be used as a basis for local standards and procedures. Readers
are assumed to have experience or knowledge of general agreement processes for acquisition and
supply of products and services.

The order of clauses in this document does not imply that the acquisition activities need to be performed
in this order, nor that information for users needs to be developed in this order or presented to the user in
this order.
In each clause, the requirements are media‐independent, as far as possible.

The checklists in Annexes A and B can be used to track conformance with the requirements of this
document for acquirers and suppliers of information products.

The Bibliography contains references to source material used in the development of this document, as
well as sources of additional information that might be useful to acquirers and suppliers.

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Systems and software engineering — Requirements for acquirers
and suppliers of information for users
1 Scope
This document supports the interest of system users in having consistent, complete, accurate, and usable
information. It addresses both available approaches to standardization: a) process standards, which
specify the way that information products are to be acquired and supplied; and b) information product
standards, which specify the characteristics and functional requirements of the information.

As defined in ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207 and ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015, the acquisition and supply activities
make up the agreement processes of the software or system life cycle. Acquisition and supply of
information for users and related services are specializations of those processes. Such services can be
acquired and supplied for any part of the information management process, such as the following:

— information management;
— information design and development;
— information editing and review coordination;
— information testing, particularly usability testing;
— information production and packaging;
— information distribution and delivery;
— advice on the selection and implementation of information development tools and supporting
systems; and
— information development process improvement.
This document provides an overview of the information management processes that are relevant to the
acquisition and supply of information for users. It applies the Agreement processes (acquisition and
supply) to information for users, and addresses the preparation of requirements for this information.
These requirements are central to the information for users specification and statement of work
discussed in this document. This document also addresses requirements for primary document outputs
of the acquisition and supply process: the request for proposal and the proposal for documentation
products and services.
This document is intended for use in acquiring or supplying any type of information for users and is
independent of information development or management tools or methodologies.

This document might be helpful for acquiring and supplying the following types of information, although
it does not cover all aspects of them:

— multimedia systems using animation, video, and sound;
— computer‐based training (CBT) packages and specialized course materials intended primarily for
use in formal training programs;
— maintenance documentation describing the internal operation of systems software;
— collaboratively generated, often known as “wiki”, documentation, which will usually need to be
curated periodically; and
— information for users incorporated into the user interface.
© ISO/IEC 2018 – All rights reserved
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This document is applicable to acquirers and suppliers of information for users, including a variety of
specialists:
— analysts (e.g., business analysts, human factors engineers) who identify the tasks that the intended
users will perform with the system;
— managers of the software or system development process or the information management
process;
— managers of the acquisition process, and those who authorize and approve acquisitions; and
— managers and authors involved in proposal preparation.
It can also be consulted by those with other roles and interests in the information development process:

— information designers and architects who plan the structure, format, and content
requirements of information products;
— experienced authors and editors who develop the written content for information for users;
— graphic designers with expertise in electronic media;
— user interface designers and ergonomics experts working together to design the presentation
of the information on the screen;
— usability testers, information development reviewers, technical contacts;
— developers of tools for creating on‐screen information for users.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207, Systems and software engineering — Software life cycle processes

ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015, Systems and software engineering — System life cycle processes
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765 (available
at www.computer.org/sevocab) and the following apply.

ISO, IEC and IEEE maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:

— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
— IEEE Standards Dictionary Online: available at http://dictionary.ieee.org

3.1
accessibility
usability of a software or information product, service, environment, or facility by people with the widest
range of capabilities
Note 1 to entry: Although “accessibility” typically addresses users who have disabilities, the concept is not limited to disability
issues.
© ISO/IEC 2018 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2018 — All rights reserved

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Modified, Note 2 to entry has become Note 1 to entry, original Note 1 to entry has
been deleted.]
3.2
analysis
investigation and collection phase of development that aims to specify types of users and their
informational needs
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765:2010]
3.3
audience
category of users sharing the same or similar characteristics and needs (for example, reason for using
the information, tasks, education level, abilities, training, experience)

Note 1 to entry: There can be different audiences for information for users (for example, management, data entry, maintenance)
that determine the content, structure, and use of the information.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Note 1 to entry modified and editorially revised: "intended documentation" has
become "information."]
3.4
change control procedure
actions taken to identify, document, review, and authorize changes to a software or information
product that is being developed

Note 1 to entry: The procedures help to ensure that the validity of changes is confirmed, that the effects on other items are
examined, and that those people concerned with the development are notified of the changes.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Modified, Note 1 to entry editorially revised.]
3.5
configuration management
discipline applying technical and administrative direction and surveillance to:

� identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of a configuration item;
� control changes to those characteristics;
� record and report change processing and implementation status; and
� verify compliance with specified requirements.
3.6
contract
relationship between acquirer and supplier, which in broad terms prescribes that one party will provide
defined goods and services and the other party will pay a defined fee for them

Note 1 to entry: In many countries, contracts do not have to be written but the terms of the contracts referred to in this
document are defined in writing.
Note 2 to entry: The contract relationship can have other names, such as “agreement.” The acquirer determines which term is
to be used in the application of this document.
3.7
customization
adaptation of a software or information product to the needs of a particular audience

© ISO/IEC 2018 – All rights reserved
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[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008]
3.8
design
〈information〉 stage of information development that is concerned with determining what information for
users will be provided in a product and what the nature of the information will be

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008]
3.9
development
〈information〉 activity of preparing information for users after it has been designed

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008]
3.10
document
uniquely identified unit of information for human use

EXAMPLE Report, specification, manual, or book in printed or electronic form.
Note 1 to entry: A document can be a single information item or part of a larger information item.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15289:2015]
3.11
documentation
information that explains how to use a product

Note 1 to entry: The information can be provided as documentation that can be used independently of the system or embedded
within the product and accessible as an integral part of it, or both. In this document, the term "information for users” is
synonymous with the terms “documentation” and “software user documentation.” Other forms of documentation (for example,
“system documentation”) are clearly identified as such.
EXAMPLE Printed manuals, on‐screen information, standalone online help, videos, pop‐up help.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Modified, Note 1 to entry combined with Note 2 to entry and editorially revised, Note
3 to entry has become an example and has been editorially revised.]

3.12
illustration
graphic element set apart from the main body of text and normally cited within the main text

Note 1 to entry: In this document, the term “illustration” is used as the generic term for tables, figures, exhibits, screen
captures, flow charts, diagrams, drawings, icons, and other types of graphics.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Modified, definition now includes the word "element," after "graphic" and Note 1 to
entry editorially revised.]
3.13
internationalization
process of developing information so that it is suitable for an international audience

Note 1 to entry: See 3.14 localization.

[SOURCE ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Modified, Note 1 to entry added.]
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3.14
localization
creation of a national or specific regional version of a product

Note 1 to entry: See 3.13 internationalization.

Note 2 to entry: Localization can be performed separately from the translation process.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Modified, Note 1 to entry modified original "cf", Note 2 to entry added.]
3.15
on-screen information
information that is intended to be read on the screen by the user while using software

EXAMPLE Pop‐up help, help text on a screen.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Modified, term was previously "on‐screen documentation", definition now includes
"information" while previous version included "documentation." Note 1 to entry has been editorially revised and has
become an example.]
3.16
printed documentation
documentation that is either provided in printed form, or provided in electronic form for the customer or
user to print
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008]
3.17
process
set of interrelated or interacting activities that transform inputs into outputs

[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005]
3.18
product
result of a process
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015]

3.19
product authority
person or persons with overall responsibility for the capabilities and quality of a product

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008]
3.20
project
set of activities for developing a new product or enhancing an existing product

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008]
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3.21
quality management
coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with regard to quality

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015]
3.22
software
all or part of the programs, procedures, rules, and associated documentation of an information processing
system
Note 1 to entry: For the purposes of this document, the term “software” does not include on‐screen documentation.
[SOURCE: IEEE Std 828‐2012]
3.23
style
set of language‐specific editorial conventions covering grammar, terminology, punctuation, capitalization,
and word choice
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008]
3.24
technical contact
person responsible for providing an information developer with technical information about a
product or for checking the technical accuracy of drafts of information for users

Note 1 to entry: Technical contacts are often also known as subject‐matter experts.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Modified, "information developer," replaced "documentation developer," "so‐called
subject matter expert" removed, and Note 1 to entry added.]
3.25
topic
small part of a document that deals with a single subject

Note 1 to entry: In printed information for users, a topic is equivalent to a section (heading, subheading) and its content. In on‐
screen information, a topic consists of a title (heading) and information about a subject (typically, a task or a concept or
reference information). For on‐screen information, the system might present a topic without user intervention.
EXAMPLE Instructions on how to print the current document.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008, Modified, Note 1 to entry includes content of previous Note 2 to entry with editorial
modifications ("on‐screen information" replaces "on‐screen documentation"), Note 3 to entry has become an
example.
3.26
tutorial
instructional procedure in which the user exercises system functions, often using sample data that is
supplied with the system or information for users

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008]
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© IEEE 2018 — All rights reserved

3.27
usability
extent to which a system or information product can be used by specified users to achieve specified
goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 25064:2013]
3.28
user
person who performs one or more tasks with an automated system; a member of a specific audience

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 25064:2013]
3.29
user interface
ensemble of software and hardware that allows a user to interact with a system

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 26514:2008]
4 Conformance
4.1 General
This document may be used as a conformance or a guidance document for projects and organizations
claiming conformance to ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015 or ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207.

4.2 Definition of conformance
This document is meant to be tailored so that only necessary and cost‐effective requirements are applied.
Tailoring may take the form of specifying approaches to conform to the requirements of this document,
or altering its recommendations to reflect the particular product or service more explicitly. The acquirer
may involve other parties, including potential suppliers or any necessary third parties (such as
regulators), before contract award, in determining the acquirer’s requirements for tailoring of this
document for the project. Annex A (normative) of ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207 describes the Tailoring Process.
Tailoring decisions made by the acquirer should be specified in the contract.

Throughout this document, “shall” is used to express a provision that is binding, “should” to express a
recommendation among other possibilities, and “may” to indicate a course of action permissible within
the limits of this document.
Use of the nomenclature of this document for the parts of information for users (that is, chapters, topics,
pages, screens, windows) is not required to claim conformance.

4.3 Conformance situations
Conformance may be interpreted differently for various situations. The relevant situation shall be
identified in the claim of conformance:

a) When conformance is claimed for an organization, the organization shall make public a
document declaring its tailoring of the acquisition or supply process.
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b) When conformance is claimed for a project using user information development services, the
content development management plans or the contract shall document the tailoring of the
content development process
NOTE 1 One possible way for an organization to deal with clauses that cite “the documentation plan” is to specify that they
shall be interpreted in the content development management plans for any particular content development project.
NOTE 2 A project’s claim of conformance is typically specified with respect to the organization’s claim of conformance.
This document may be referenced in contracts when the parties (called the acquirer and the supplier)
agree that the supplier will deliver information for users in accordance with this document. It may also
be adopted as an in‐house standard by a project or organization that decides to acquire information
for users from another part of the organization in accordance with this document.

5 Information for users within a system/software life cycle
Acquirers and suppliers of information for users work within the development life cycle of the product.
The contract shall specify which of the following Information Management process activities are required:

— process implementation, which includes setting objectives; planning, management, and control;
preparation of an information development plan;
— analysis and design, which includes preparing the information designs for the project;
collecting information about the product and users, their tasks, and their needs for
information, and designing information based on those needs;
— development and review, which includes structuring the content for usability, applying the
information design by creating the written and graphic content, implementing the information in
the specified media, and evaluating the information for users with the rest of the product;
— production, which includes the integration, preparation, reproduction, and packaging and delivery
of the information; and
— maintenance, which includes keeping the information for users accurate throughout the product
life cycle, including modifications for improved usability.

Since acquirers and suppliers of information for users work within the product life cycle, the information
for users should ideally be developed in conjunction with the software or system components, so that the
software or system and the information for users may be acquired and maintained together. The process
of specifying the information for users should be a part of the development of the product as a whole, not a
separate exercise. Although accurate information for users cannot be completed until the software
component has been fully developed, the information for users and the product both benefit from
concurrent development.
For simplicity, the life cycle stages are presented as if there were a clear starting point and end point for
developing information for users. A single sequence of activities does not exist, however, that can be
followed in all cases for all products and all types of information. For example, design and implementation
activities for on‐screen information are very closely interlinked, as are analysis and design, and the way
they link together, and the way they are delivered, varies between projects.

The classic information development process applies to the life cycle of a single new product with a single
new user manual, but it is much more likely that software or system and information for users are
designed and developed under more complex circumstances, such as the following:

— A previously documented software product is being upgraded, offered in a new version or on
different operating system platforms, or customized as part of system integration, and previous
information for users needs revision.
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— Previous information for users is now required using a different delivery vehicle, or in a different
format or different media, or in different languages or versions, such as tutorials, online help, or
advanced reference guides.
— Previous information for users is to be adapted or used as models for different products acquired
or supplied by an organization.
It is much easier to create information for users if other information produced during the life cycle is
available, such as an information development plan, system design document, system test plan, release
records, and problem reports. Other documentation specific to the information development process can
be useful, such as style guides and organizational procedures for information management and
documentation reviews.
NOTE ISO/IEC/IEEE 15289:2015, Systems and software engineering — Content of systems and software life cycle process
information products (Documentation), provides recommended comments for the required documents throughout a
system/software life cycle.
Rather than focusing on supplying a single book or help system, information for users acquirers and
suppliers of information for users perform their tasks to support the Information Management process,
whose activities are defined in ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2015, Systems and software engineering – System life
cycle processes, subclause 6.3.6.3, as shown below. The contract shall specify which of the Information
Management process activities are required.

a) Prepare for information management. This activity consists of the following tasks:

1) Define the strategy for information management.

NOTE Information about the same topic can be developed in different ways at different points in the life cycle and for
different audiences.
2) Define the items of information that will be managed.

NOTE This includes the information that will be managed during the system life cycle and possibly maintained for a defined
period beyond. This is done according to organizational policy, agreements, or legislation.
3) Designate authorities and responsibilities for information management.

NOTE Due regard is paid to information and data legislation, security and privacy, e.g., ownership, agreement restrictions,
rights of access, intellectual property and patents. Where
...