TBITS 27: Information Technology, Software Life-Cycle Processes - Implementation Criteria

1. Reference

2. Purpose

2.1 The purpose of this TBITS is to provide guidance on processes, activities and tasks that are to be applied during the acquisition of a system that contains software, a stand-alone software product, and service during the supply, development, operation and maintenance of the software. ISO/IEC DIS 12207-1 also provides a process that can be employed for defining, controlling and improving software life-cycle processes.

2.2 This Treasury Board Information and Technology Standard (TBITS-27) endorses ISO/IEC DIS 12207-1, Information Technology B Software Life-Cycle Processes. ISO/IEC DIS 12207 provides a framework for the software life cycle. The framework consists of major processes for a software development, maintenance or usage project. As such ISO/IEC DIS 12207-1 is considered an integral part of this document.

2.3 This TBITS permits Departments and Agencies to exercise more effective control over the production, management, and use of the Government's information resources. The primary objectives of this TBITS are:

2.3.1 to offer guidance on the software life-cycle processes that can be employed to acquire, supply, develop, operate and maintain software;

2.3.2 to reduce staff hours and expenditures in performing the activities associated with the life-cycle of software;

2.3.3 to increase portability of acquired skills, resulting in reduced personnel training cost;

2.3.4 to maximize the return on investment for acquired or developed software.

2.4 TBITS-27 may be used in conjunction with other standards being developed within the area of Software Engineering which may subsequently be adopted as Treasury Board Information Technology Standards. This standard is consistent with the Federal Government policy, announced 20 August, 1987, governing the information technology standards program and the recently approved strategic direction on Application Portability.

3. Application

3.1 This TBITS applies to the acquisition of systems and software products and services and to the supply, development, operation and maintenance of software and the software portion of firmware that are either developed or acquired for government use.

3.2 This TBITS is primarily intended as a guideline for use in a two-party contract and may be applied where the two parties are from the same organization.

3.3 This TBITS can apply in a single-party or two-party usage.

3.4 This TBITS applies to off-the-shelf consumer software incorporated into a deliverable product. It is not intended for off-the-shelf software that are self-contained.

3.5 This TBITS applies to all Departments and Agencies listed in Schedule A and B of the Financial Administration Act and the branches designated as departments for purposes of the Act.

4. Qualifications

4.1 TBITS-27 is published as a guideline for acquirers of systems and software products and services for suppliers, developers, operators, maintainers, managers, quality assurance practitioners and users of software. The use of this TBITS by departments and agencies is therefore optional.

4.2 This TBITS does not prescribe a specific life-cycle model or software development method.

4.3 This TBITS subscribes to the principles defined in TBITS-18 (ISO 9000).

5. Implementation

5.1 The provisions in this publication are effective MMM, DD, YYYY.

5.2 Use of this guideline should be given preference over the use of other methods for acquiring, supplying, developing, operating and maintaining software.

6. Certification of compliance

6.1 TBITS-27 is published as a guideline and therefore this section is not applicable.

7. Specifications

7.1 TBITS-27 (Information Technology - Software Life-Cycle Processes specifications are contained in ISO/IEC DIS 12207-1. TBITS-27 will be revised to endorse the international standard ISO/IEC 12207-1 as soon as it becomes available. It should be noted that no major technical changes are anticipated between the text of the Draft International Standard (DIS) and the international standard.

8. Government Standards Working Group on Software engineering

Joseph Côté (Chairman), TBS
L. Doolan, RC
J.C. Lecomte, EC
G. Marcinek, NCC
T. McLoughlin, HRC
P. Owen, AGR
J.P. Morin, GSC
R. Puncher, DND
R. Quirt, PWGSC
S. Sekerak, NLC
L. Sullivan, STC
S. Talbert, CCAC
D. White, RCMP

9. Where to obtain copies

Copies of the technical specification may be obtained as follows:

ISO/IEC DIS 14102
Evaluation and Selection of
Computer-Aided Software
Engineering (CASE) Tools
Standards Council of Canada

Standards Council of Canada
270 Albert Street, Suite 200
OTTAWA ON K1P 6N7

Tel.: (613) 238-3222
Fax: (613) 569-7808

Web: http://www.scc.ca/en/index.shtml

The technical specification is only available in English at this time.