A risk-driven approach for software process improvement

This paper reflects the approach of the DriveSPI ¹ Esprit IV project (10/1995–9/1997). DriveSPI aims at producing and validating by large applications a European framework for improving the software process maturity with a strong emphasis on risk management. Such an integration of risk management within process improvement concerns is recognized by the software community as being a major challenge for the next decade. This risk management approach is characterized by the tight integration with project management all along the realization process. This paper first tries to make the point on process improvement techniques, then positions risk management towards “traditional” project management. Then it emphasizes on the need for a risk-driven software process improvement and on the DriveSPI approach.