What are the criteria for evaluating software engineering standards and frameworks?

2 Compatibility and interoperability

The second criterion is to check the compatibility and interoperability of the standard or framework. How well does it fit with your existing software engineering practices, tools, and systems? How easy is it to integrate it with other standards or frameworks that you use or plan to use? How flexible is it to adapt to your specific needs and preferences? For example, some standards and frameworks are more prescriptive and rigid, such as IEEE 830 or PMBOK, while others are more descriptive and adaptable, such as ISO/IEC 12207 or SCRUM. You should select the standard or framework that supports your software engineering workflow, culture, and environment.

3 Maturity and stability

The third criterion is to assess the maturity and stability of the standard or framework. How long has it been in use and how widely has it been adopted? How frequently and how significantly has it been updated or revised? How reliable and robust is it in terms of performance, security, and scalability? For example, some standards and frameworks are more established and proven, such as ISO/IEC 27001 or ITIL, while others are more emerging and experimental, such as DevOps or SAFe. You should select the standard or framework that matches your software engineering risk appetite, innovation level, and learning curve.

4 Validation and verification

The fourth criterion is to evaluate the validation and verification of the standard or framework. How can you measure and demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the standard or framework? What are the criteria and methods that you can use to test and verify its compliance and conformance? What are the benefits and outcomes that you can expect from applying the standard or framework? For example, some standards and frameworks provide more concrete and quantifiable indicators and metrics, such as COBIT or ISO/IEC 15504, while others rely more on qualitative and subjective feedback and reviews, such as XP or RUP. You should select the standard or framework that suits your software engineering evaluation and improvement goals and strategies.

5 Cost and benefit

The fifth criterion is to weigh the cost and benefit of the standard or framework. How much time, money, and resources do you need to invest to implement and maintain the standard or framework? How much value and return do you gain from using the standard or framework? How do you balance the trade-offs and trade-offs between the cost and benefit of the standard or framework? For example, some standards and frameworks require more upfront and ongoing investment, such as ISO/IEC 29110 or SEI CMM, while others offer more immediate and incremental value, such as Kanban or Lean. You should select the standard or framework that optimizes your software engineering cost and benefit ratio and maximizes your software engineering performance and quality.