Software process assessment and improvement with BOOTSTRAP

After a brief introduction into the concepts for the assessment of software development organizations the BOOTSTRAP method is presented. Features such as the rating mechanism and the conduct of assessments are described. Experiences made during the assessment of over 40 organisations and 140 projects are reported. BOOT STRAP proved to be an efficient and effective instrument to assess the current development practice and also to initiate appropriate actions aimed at the improvement of software process quality Finally, future developments, especially the ongoing SPICE project of ISO/IEC to harmonise existing assessment approaches, are addressed.