FIRST: common-sense process scopes for starting a process improvement program

One of the main challenges for ICT organizations is to initiate a well-structured process improvement program. This is particularly the case when adopting a maturity & capability model (MCM) as it brings with it costs associated with internal appraisals, and the realization that in order to achieve a particular maturity level (ML) a number of processes within the Process Reference Model (PRM) will need to be successfully implemented. Some initiatives have been proposed in the last decade, such as the RAPID initiative, but there is still some resistance to adopting MCMs such as CMMI or SPICE (ISO/IEC). This paper will propose the FIRST (Fast Improvement aSsessment sTep) approach, providing a minimum, common-sense set of processes to be appraised during the initial gap analysis which will form the foundation for the design and deployment of an improvement plan, which will be particularly useful for Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Very Small Entities (VSEs), that are coherent with ISO Management Systems requirements.