Scope: This part of ISO/IEC 15504 addresses the assessment of process and the application of process assessment for improvement and capability determination. It defines the minimum set of requirements for performing an assessment that will ensure assessment results are objective, impartial, consistent, repeatable and representative of the assessed processes. Results of conformant process assessments may be compared when the scopes of the assessments are considered to be similar. For guidance on this matter, refer to ISO/IEC 15504-4.

The requirements for process assessment defined in this part of ISO/IEC 15504 form a structure which:
a) facilitates self-assessment
b) provides a basis for use in process improvement and capability determination
c) takes into account the context in which the assessed process is implemented
d) produces a process rating
e) addresses the ability of the process to achieve its purpose
f) is applicable across all application domains and sizes of organization
g) may provide an objective benchmark between organizations.