Software Process Improvement
Software process improvement encompasses a set of activities that will lead to a better software process, and as a consequence, higher quality software delivered in a more timely manner. The following topic categories are considered:
Software Process Improvement Resources
General Process Information
SPI for Agile Development
Process Engineering
The Capability Maturity Model
Software Engineering Standards
Books
Software Process Improvement Resources
SPI Resources - 1
Much useful SPI information assembled by David Frico including an in-depth discussion of CMM Level 5 organizations and their secrets to success. Also a useful paper on cost benefit. Recommended.
SPI Resources - 2
Systems Modeling Ltd. provides a useful set of links to SPI resources.
Personal Software Process (PSP) Resources - I
PSP is a software engineering methodology by which an individual software developer can continuously improve his or her abilities, in particular: (1) learn to make accurate predictions of time required and quality obtained; (2) improve the quality of the software produced; (2) learn how to evaluate technology and methods. This site contains documents, tools, forms, and support information that are PSP related.
Personal Software Process (PSP) Resources - II
A collection of useful PSP resources including some that are downloadable.
SEI CMMI Home Page
The starting point for all SEI information related to the CMMI.
A Comprehensive Hotlist for SPI
Contains a wide variety of links to sites with content relevant to SPI.
Tantara SPI Hotlist
A comprehensive list of SPI resources including links to all major process framework models, ISO standards, and SEI CMM and CMMI.
SPI Hotlist
Resources for SPI and related areas in software engineering.
SEI Process Improvement Models and Tools
Pointers to CMM, CMMI, and P-CMM resources.
Software Process Engineering Resources
"The primary goal is to offer a place for Software Process Engineers (Architects of the development process) to obtain and offer ideas about the role of software Process Engineering."
Software Process Improvement Articles and Papers
Software Engineering Institute
SEI technical programs, publications, bibliographies, on-line documents, SEI courses and training certifications, and a wide array of SPI resources. Recommended.
Software Productivity Consortium
Although much information at this site is restricted to paying members, useful SPI information can be found.
EdistaLearning-An eLearning Initiative
Roger Pressman and QAI have developed a comprehensive curriculum, QAI & Dr Pressman Series, that covers many important aspects of the software process.
IDEAL: A User's Guide for Software Process Improvement
This SEI document describes a software process improvement (SPI) program model, IDEAL, which can be used to guide development of along-range, integrated plan for initiating and managing a SPI program. The purpose of this document is to provide process improvement managers with a generic description of a sequence of recommended steps for SPI.
SPICE (ISO/IEC 15504)
SPICE (ISO/IEC15504) is a major international initiative to develop a Standard for Software Process Assessment. Useful information can be found here.
Software Engineering Process Office (SEPO) Home Page
SEPO is the software engineering focal point for the Naval Command, Control, and Ocean Surveillance Center RDT Division (NRaD). SEPO provides software engineering processes and consulting services to projects, conducts and facilitates software engineering training, and acts as a software engineering clearinghouse for NRaD. Site presents a wide array of pointers software engineering information, including many downloadable documents.
Software Process Improvement (SPI) Best Practices
lScott Ambler has prepared a collection of best practices for SPI.
The Do's and Don'ts of SPI
A brief but entertaining allegory about SPI.
Business Motivations for Software Process Improvement
A paper that addresses "how software process improvement can provide leverage to a firm from the financial, operating, production, marketing, and human behavioural perspectives by outlining a framework integrating and structuring several orientations."
SPI Guidebook
A older, but still comprehensive guidebook for SPI.
pdf: Introduction to Software Process Improvement
A brief overview of SPI.
pdf: Software Engineering Process Group Guide
Improving the of software systems development and maintenance is the most reliable way to improve product quality. This document offers guidance on how to establish a software engineering process group (SEPG) and related software engineering process improvement functions.
SPI for Agile Development
The Software Process Improvement (SPI) Discipline: Scaling Agile Software Development
"Even the smallest information technology (IT) department needs a software process that project teams can follow and tailor."
Agile Process Improvement, the Hardest Part
A brief commentary on SPI in an agile environment.
Accelerating Process Improvement Using Agile Techniques
Methods for accelerating SPI.
SPI: Scaling Agile Software Development
SPI approaches for small work groups applying agile methods.
pdf: Enabling Software Process Improvement in Agile Software Development Teams and Organisations
A thesis that considers "how agile software development teams can conduct SPI, according to the values, principles and practices of agile software development, in tandem with the success factors of traditional SPI.
pdf: Making Software Process Simulation Modeling Agile and Pattern-based
Suggestions for "developing valid software process simulation models in time and in budget."
Process Engineering
pdf: Software Process Engineering metaModel
A comprehensive specification developed by the OMG. From the introduction: "The purpose of this document is to provide a comprehensive definition of the Software & Systems Process Engineering Meta-Model 2.0 (SPEM 2.0). The goal is to accommodate a large range of processes, and not to exclude them by having too many features or constraints. The metamodel uses UML as a notation and takes an object-oriented approach."
pdf: Ubiquitous Process Engineering
From the paper: "Software engineering has learned a great deal about how to create clear and precise process definitions, and how to use them to improve final software products. This paper suggests that this knowledge can also be applied to good effect in many other domains where effective application of process technology can lead to superior products and outcomes."
The Capability Maturity Model
The SEI-CMM and SEI CMMI
The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) offers many resources related to software process including the comprehensive Capability Maturity Model (CMM and CMMI). A brief tutorial for students has been developed at UMass.
CMM Hotlist
Over 100 links to CMM-related materials and information.
The Frameworks Quagmire
A Software Productivity Consortium paper that discusses the numerous standards and process models applied to the software development industry. The CMM, SPICE, Trillium. MIL standards, ISO standards and others are considered.
Performance Results Of CMMI-Based Process Improvement
This paper summarizes much of the publicly available empirical evidence about the performance results that can occur as a consequence of CMMI-based process improvement.
Software Engineering Standards
IEEE Standards
The source for IEEE standards (available for a fee).
International Standards Organization
The source for ISO standards (available for a fee).
The 9000Store.com
All of the "pieces you need to solve the ISO 9001 puzzle. (available for a fee)
DoD Software Standards
Software standards from the US Department of Defense.
Software Process Standards - A Description
An article that describes most prominent software process standards.
Books 
One of the most readily accessible and comprehensive resources for information on SPI has been developed by the Software Engineering Institute and is available at: www.sei.cmu.edu. The SEI Web site contains hundreds of papers, studies, and detailed SPI framework descriptions.
Over the past few years, a number of worthwhile books have been added to a broad literature developed during the 1990s and early years of this decade.
Jumpstart CMM/CMMI Software Process Improvements : Using IEEE Software Engineering Standards melds the requirements defined as part of the SEI CMM and CMMI with IEEE software engineering standards with an emphasis on the intersection of process and practice
Systematic Process Improvement Using ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI(sm)
discusses both the ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI SPI frameworks and the “synergy” between them.
Software Process Improvement: Results and Experience from the Field presents the results of a series of case studies and experiments related to SPI. Process Assessment and Improvement: A Practical Guide for Managers discusses SPI within the context of SO/IEC 15504.
PSP: A Self-Improvement Process for Software Engineers and
TSP: Leading a Development Team 
address Watts Humphrey's Personal Team Process SPI framework and his Team Software Process SPI framework
Practical Software Process Improvement
provides pragmatic “how to” guidance with an emphasis on CMMI/CMM.
In addition, earlier books dedicated to process frameworks and software process improvement
