How to Use the Software Process Framework

This report is intended to provide guidance on how to use the Software Process Framework (SPF) for reviewing, analyzing, and designing software process documents that are consistent with the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) for Software, Version 1.1. This guidance is not "how to design" or "how to analyze" software process documents in general. Rather, the guidance is focused on how to use the Software Process Framework for those purposes. The purpose of this report is to clarify the intended usage of the SPF and describe usage scenarios that have evolved through the use of the SPF in the software development community over several years. This report is intended to be used as a supplement to the SPF, not by itself. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the CMM, is experienced in software process improvement and definition, and has skill in designing or analyzing software process documents.