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Summary: This technical contribution explores the challenges in designing a process model for software testing. The term 'process model' embraces both the 'process reference model' and the 'process assessment model' elements. In the process reference model the focus is upon a) the specification of requirements for the performance of a process, typically in terms of activities and tasks, and b) the specification of process names, purposes and outcomes. A process assessment model requires a) the specification of base practices to be associated with the outcomes, and b) the identification of information items (or indicators) that contribute inputs to a process and emerge as outputs from a process. This paper explores the challenges of developing process reference and assessment models that will embrace and support the intent of the emerging standard ISO/IEC 29119, and will simultaneously exhibit 'backwards compatibility' with a portfolio of existing standards, notably IEEE 829, IEEE 1008, IEEE 1044, BS 7925-2, ISO/IEC 12207, ISO/IEC 15289, ISO/IEC 25051. The proposed models take into account current thinking in related areas of emerging practice i.e. TMMi.
Keywords:ISO/IEC 12207, ISO/IEC 15289, ISO/IEC 17025, ISO/IEC 25051, ISO/IEC 29119, IEEE 829, IEEE 1008, IEEE 1044, BS 7925-2, TMMi
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